A Message from Paul Johnson, MD: WY Medicaid Medical Director

Dear Fellow WMS Members,  I’ve had the privilege getting to know many of you over the years. I’ve been a member of WMS for over a decade, and privileged to serve on our board, including as past president and the current AMA alternate delegate. Please allow me a brief introduction for those of you who do not know me. I grew up in Laramie and attended medical school through the WWAMI program. I returned back to Wyoming in 2010 to practice otolaryngology in private practice in Cheyenne and then most recently with Ivinson Medical Group in Laramie. I continue to practice a morning a week through Ivinson. My wife, Amanda, is an OB/Gyn and we are grateful to work and raise our daughters in Wyoming.   I have an interest in public health policy and population health, particularly with regard to rural areas. We have unique challenges and opportunities in delivering health care in Wyoming. This interest led me to complete my MPH through Johns Hopkins this past December. I transitioned into the role of Medicaid Medical Director in April, after Dr. Jim Bush’s retirement.  The past couple months as Medicaid Medical Director have been a whirlwind. As practicing physicians, we are the experts in our fields and comfortable in the routine and rigors of our jobs. Starting in this role has been humbling – learning complex state and federal regulations and new acronyms, faces and names. It is reminiscent of the proverbial drinking from a firehouse we all did as interns. That being said, I appreciate the grace and support the team here has provided me.  I’ve been very impressed by the talented team we have at Wyoming Medicaid. There is a shared sense of purpose and duty to our clients and by extension to you, our physicians and PAs, along with our other providers.   Along these lines, one of my priorities as Medical Director will be provider relations. I see us as partners to provide the best care possible to our most vulnerable. It is imperative we keep the lines of communication open and work collaboratively to address shared concerns. To that end, I am deeply appreciative of Sheila and Whitney and their offer to host a column in the newsletter to serve as a platform to inform WMS members of relevant updates.  I look forward to working with you in this new role.  Paul Johnson, MD, MPH

2023 WMS Annual Meeting & Specialty Society Summit Register Here

Wyoming Medicine Magazine Spring Edition

Medicare Shared Savings Program

The Medicare Shared Savings Program is offering a new payment option, known as Advance Investment Payments (AIP). AIP encourages health care providers in rural and underserved areas to join together as ACOs. AIP offers eligible ACOs advance shared savings payments—including an upfront payment of $250,000 and up to 2 years of quarterly payments— to build the infrastructure needed to succeed in the program and promote equity by holistically addressing beneficiary needs, including social needs. More information can be found here: SSP Application toolkit SSP Application timeline AIP one-page fact sheet  AIP application questions can be sent to: SharedSavingsProgram@cms.hhs.gov.

The Sun Bus - Seeking Volunteers

The Sun Bus is a mobile dermatology clinic that offers free skin cancer screenings and education. Our mission is to focus public attention on skin cancer awareness and sun safe practices. We are fully equipped with state-of-the-art scanners and exam rooms. We have been seeing patients in the last few years, and have done over 5000 screenings!  We rely on volunteer providers (MD/DO, PA, NP) to do screenings, as well as medical assistants. We do not do any procedures on the bus, and all exams are completely free. We typically coordinate with events and festivals. That being said, we want to serve certain areas of WY. We are planning for Douglas, Lander, and Laramie and are actively looking for volunteer providers. We need providers for: Laramie on August 11 Douglas on August 17 and August 18 Lander on August 20

Physician & PA Volunteer Registration

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Increasing Adult Immunization Rates AAFP CME Opportunity Credit approval includes the following session(s): • 20.00 Performance Improvement AAFP Prescribed Credit(s)

Infection Prevention and Control Post-COVID-19 PHE Recommendations for Health Care Professionals

For additional learning opportunities visit The WMS Online Learning Calendar

WY Institute for Disabilities (WIND)

Funding Applications Open! Equality State Research Network Pilot and Partnership Development Awards

The Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND) is pleased to announce the Equality State Research Network (ESRN) Partnership Development Awards and Pilot Awards for Community-Based Research.  We expect to award $35,000 to be distributed among 2 to 5 awardees to support Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) to improve the health of Wyoming residents. Faculty members and community organizations are encouraged to apply. Applications are due by June 15, 2023. Please email esrn@uwyo.edu with questions or for more information.

Enroll Wyoming

Enroll Wyoming Enroll Wyoming offers free help to understand and enroll in health insurance so people can find coverage that meets their needs. Enroll Wyoming is grant-funded program that educates individuals and families about their health coverage options and helps them navigate the Health Insurance Marketplace. We care about our neighbors' health care needs and want to make sure that everyone can obtain a plan that is not only affordable but will meet their personal needs.

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