Newsletter: Telehealth Codes Changing

MISSISSIPPI ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS

Newsletter - November 22, 2021

Thank you for choosing to be a member of MAFP. Your leadership and staff will meet next month to strategically plan the priorities of the MAFP for the next 3 years. We will continue to advocate for you and keep family medicine strong in Mississippi. Please know we value your membership.

We thank the active, inactive, life, supporting and resident members who have paid their MAFP dues for 2022 (list is as of 11.18.21) and we encourage others to pay before December 15 to be eligible for great prizes.

Dues are due December 31, so please take the time to pay as soon as possible. If you didn't receive an invoice, and you need it sent to you by e-mail, contact Kristen Kern at MAFP.

Click Here to Pay Your Dues Online

MAFP Workforce Committee Meets

One of the 5 goals of our Academy is Physician Workforce. The MAFP Physician Workforce Committee met virtually last week to discuss ways to expand the family physician workforce to meet patient and community needs. The 19 member committee, Chaired by Dr. Brent Smith of Cleveland, shared topics for the 2022 Spring Fling agenda. The members also discussed the need for enhancing the image of family medicine among students, making residencies feel more connected, growing preceptors and fostering the connection of community of Family Medicine residency directors. We were pleased to have representatives from the state’s family medicine residency programs attend this important meeting.

MAFP Directory for 2022:

Make Sure You Are Included

Has your contact information changed in the last two years? Please help us update member information in preparation for our upcoming member directory. Please click on the link below to view and update your listing in our database. (You will need an AAFP sign-in.) Just make any changes, add anything new, and hit "Save My Account' at the bottom - it's that easy.

Update Your Information in AAFP's Database

Div. of Medicaid Ending

Temporary Telehealth Codes

The Mississippi Division of Medicaid (DOM) is ending coverage of the Temporary Telehealth Procedure Codes effective Friday, Nov. 20, 2021, which aligns with the end of Mississippi’s COVID-19 State of Emergency. List of the five codes that will be ending.

Beginning with dates of service on and after Nov. 21, 2021, Telehealth interactions must be live, interactive, and audiovisual. Providers should refer to the Mississippi Medicaid State Plan and Administrative Code Part-225 for DOM’s regular Telehealth policy requirements.

Telehealth Security Requirements / HIPPA – To ensure continued access to telehealth services, DOM will continue to allow providers to operate under the enforcement discretion provided by the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at the United States of Health and Human Services (HSS) on March 17, 2020, for the remainder of the federal public health emergency (PHE).

Preceptors Needed for Medical Students Interested in Primary Care

The Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program needs preceptors who want to host a rising M2 medical student in the summer of 2022 for six weeks from June 6 to July 15. It's part of the MRPSP's Primary Care Exploration program, which exposes medical students to rural primary care by working with a physician preceptor.

If you are interested in hosting a student in Summer 2022, please contact Wahnee Sherman at wsherman@umc.edu.

Mark Your Calendar for Our 2022 Events

Spring Conference (will be held in connection with Spring Fling for Residents/Students)

April 22-24, 2022

The Sheraton Refuge

Flowood, MS

Annual Scientific Assembly

July 16-20, 2022

Baytowne Conf. Center

Sandestin, FL

Staff at Winston Medical Center, including family physician Dr. Dustin Gentry (left in foreground).

Tobacco Education Provided to Winston Medical, North Miss. Family Medicine Residency

Last week, MAFP Foundation sponsored two tobacco presentations in Louisville and Tupelo.

On Nov. 17, Dr. Dustin Gentry and Winston Medical Center hosted MAFP staffer Jewell Buckley for 1-credit hour of CME, "A Brief Tobacco Dependence Treatment in Healthcare Settings," with two additional hours of Translation 2 Practice (t2p) available. MAFP Foundation provided lunch for the clinic at no charge. This CME is funded by a grant from the Mississippi State Department of Health and Office of Tobacco Control. If you'd like to host a Lunch & Learn at your clinic, there's no cost to you - both the CME and lunch are free. Just contact Jewell Buckley at jewell@msafp.org for more details.

On Nov. 19, Buckley and Dr. Karen Crews visited the North Mississippi Family Medicine Residency Program for a tobacco prevention education aimed at residents. MAFP Foundation provided lunch and the speaker. Dr. Crews, with the Office of Tobacco Control, taught residents how to discuss tobacco cessation with their patients and resources available to them as physicians. MAFP Foundation aims to give this presentation to every family medicine residency program annually and has already scheduled visits with three other residencies for the coming months.