Mark your calendars for the 2023 WMS Annual Meeting and Specialty Society Summit, featuring the WMS 120th Anniversary Gala - SEPTEMBER 15-16, 2023 |
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WMS is proud to celebrate 120 years of advocacy on behalf of Wyoming's physicians! This year's conference will feature a full day of specialty society meetings and sessions as part of our first-ever Specialty Society Summit. The conference will conclude with an exciting gala event on Saturday evening. We have 120 years worth of celebrating to do in one magical night!
A detailed schedule and registration will be available soon, but until then, please make plans to be in Laramie, WY in September!
We look forward to seeing you there!
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Help WMS Reform Prior Authorization |
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WMS and WHA partner to advocate for prior authorization reform |
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WMS needs member engagement to get these policy change efforts right.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
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A proposal is live on THE WIRE to gauge WMS member interest in getting involved. Sign in and provide us your experiences, insights, feedback and personal stories.
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Email WMS (info@wyomed.org) with contact information for staff members within your team dedicated to processing and managing your prior authorizations.
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Review the AMA Prior Authorization and Utilization Management Reform Principles document and/or the Model Legislation and contact Executive Director Sheila Bush (sheila@wyomed.org) or include in your WIRE response a prioritization of the outlined principles of the highest importance to you and your practice.
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2023 - 2024 WMS Elections |
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The WMS Board of Trustees is comprised of a seven-member executive committee, Trustees from each of our 16 county medical societies, and representatives for our PA, medical student, residency, and retired physician members.
Each year, the WMS nominated committee, chaired by the immediate past president, works to create a slate of candidates to present to the WMS membership for voting. Our nominating committee is in the midst of that process and is interested in hearing from any member who would like to serve in WMS leadership.
If you qualify for a leadership position (see bylaws below) and would like your candidacy considered on the ballot, or would like to nominate a colleague, please contact Executive Director Sheila Bush at 307-630-8602 or at sheila@wyomed.org.
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According to the WMS Bylaws (Article V, Section II., Subsection D) Qualifications for election are as follows: "Officers must be Society members in the Active or Associate category. The Resident and Student Trustees must be Society members in the Affiliate category. The Retired member of the Board must be a Society member in the Retired category. The PA Trustee must be a Society member in the PA category. All other Board members must be Society members in the Active or Associate category. Officers must have two (2) years of Society Board experience prior to nomination and must have Wyoming as their primary practice location or primary residence. The Open Trustee must have been a voting member of the Society for at least two years immediately prior to election to office."
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EPA: Health Exposure Protection |
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The EPA has proposed new health protections to reduce exposure to ethylene oxide (EtO) |
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Background
Ethylene oxide is a flammable, colorless gas used to sterilize medical and dental equipment, including at facilities known as commercial sterilizers. According to the Food and Drug Administration, approximately 50 percent of sterile medical devices are treated with EtO – about 20 billion devices each year.
Risk
EPA’s risk information finds that EtO may pose very high cancer risks for workers who apply EtO to medical equipment in commercial sterilizer facilities and healthcare facilities as well as to spices in commercial sterilizer facilities. These predictions assume workers are exposed to EtO for 8 hours a day, 240 days a year for 35 years or more. Occupational cancer risks are between 1-in-36 and 1-in-10 for workers who apply EtO in sterilization facilities, and between 1-in-25 and 1-in-12 for workers who apply EtO in healthcare facilities. Risks are unprecedentedly high, actual risks will vary.
Updating the federal air pollution regulation for commercial sterilizers:
Updating federal pesticide requirements:
National webinar:
EPA will hold a virtual meeting for the public on May 1, 2023. EPA and other federal agencies will provide additional information. Register here.
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Wyoming Plans of Safe Care |
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Wyoming State Statute 35-2-1401 requires patient care teams to develop Plans of Safe Care when an infant is born with or identified prenatally as substance exposed, was passed by the 2023 Wyoming Legislature.
- Starting January 1, 2024 Health Care providers who provide medical care services to patients will be required to develop these plans.
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View the invitation and registration here for the free webinar series aimed at equipping medical professionals with the knowledge and resources needed to support infants & families through the Plan of Safe Care process.
*For additional information or to join the Statewide Plan of Safe Care Steering Committee, please email dfs-posc@wyo.gov
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Physicians Grassroots Update |
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Stop us if you've heard this before – physician Medicare payments have declined relative to inflation and will continue to do so unless Congress acts to fix flawed and outdated payment rules.
As you may know, physicians are the only providers whose Medicare payments do not automatically receive an annual inflationary update. As a result, Medicare physician payments have lagged 26% behind the rate of inflation growth since 2001. During this current period of record inflation and coming on the heels of a highly disruptive pandemic, this statutory flaw often amplifies the impact of other payment policy changes like "budget neutrality" adjustments, performance incentives, and so forth.
Please take a moment and contact your legislators and urge them to help fix the flawed Medicare physician payment system by supporting H.R. 2474 today!
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It's time to renew your WMS membership for 2023. |
If you have not yet renewed your 2023 membership, please CLICK HERE to renew. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to reach out to Maria or call the WMS office at 307-635-2424.
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