MISSISSIPPI ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS
Newsletter - January 7, 2022
Mississippi Legislature Opens 2022 Session: MAFP Plans Feb. 9 Primary Care Day With Peds
The Mississippi Legislature began its 2022 session Tuesday, Jan. 4, bringing lawmakers to Jackson to begin its annual 3 months of discussions, debate, and budgeting.

MAFP and the American Academy of Pediatrics Mississippi Chapter (Peds) are moving forward with Primary Care Day at the Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 9, from 8 am - 1 pm. We are excited to combine our efforts with the Peds to bring awareness to primary care doctors and the work you do.

Mark your calendar for the morning of Feb. 9 and plan to wear your white coat to the State Capitol. The morning will be followed by a MAFP members-only luncheon with a guest speaker at Galloway United Methodist Church, which is walking distance from the Capitol.

You can register online for Primary Care Day at the Capitol now. There is no cost, but you must RSVP in advance to let us know you will attend.

To volunteer as a Doctor of the Day during the session, sign up through MSMA here.
Hattiesburg Clinic Shares COVID Screening Tools and Patient Handout
Thanks to MAFP Past President Dr. Sam Crosby of Hattiesburg for sharing three COVID-related documents that clinics may wish to adapt for their own use:
Disclaimer: Information included in this will not ensure successful treatment and should not be interpreted as setting a standard of care. The MAFP is sharing this for informational purposes only. Physicians need to make their own decisions based on their patients and resources. 
Medicaid: Certain Physician-Administered Drugs Will Soon Require Prior Authorization
Effective Feb. 14, 2022, the Mississippi Division of Medicaid (DOM) will require prior authorization (PA) of an additional 63 Physician Administered Drugs (PADs). This chart reflects the PADs that will require PA. 

Alliant Health Solutions is responsible for authorization requests for fee-for-service (FFS) Medicaid beneficiaries. Please refer to Alliant Health Solutions’ provider portal at: https://ms.allianthealth.org/, or call Alliant directly at 1-888-224-3067 for assistance. Providers are encouraged to register with Alliant as soon as possible to submit authorization requests via the Alliant web-portal https://ms.allianthealth.org/.
Two Mississippi Docs Earn AAFP Appointments
Congratulations to Dr. J. Dustin Gentry of Louisville and Dr. P. Brent Smith of Cleveland. They have both been recently appointed to AAFP Commissions for four-year terms. They were appointed by the AAFP Board of Directors at its December meeting.

AAFP has seven commissions which recommend policy and develop new programs and projects. Gentry was appointed to the Commission on Quality and Practice and Smith was appointed to the Commission on Federal and State Policy. They both will attend face-to-face and virtual meetings over the course of their terms.
AAFP Trial of AI Assistant Tool Shows It Reduces Documentation Burden
A recent AAFP Innovation Lab on the use and impact of an "AI Assistant for Documentation" (Suki) found that participants who adopted the artificial intelligence tool cut median documentation time per patient note by 72% and experienced greater professional satisfaction and less burnout. A free trial is underway now for those who want to participate in the next phase.
Catch Up CME: Adult Medicine and Sports Medicine Livestreams from the AAFP
Life is hectic, and you can’t always attend CME courses when they’re offered. Now you have a second chance to catch two in-demand livestreams from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP):

Expert faculty will be available to answer your questions in real time. You’ll get the same topics, clinical procedure demonstrations, live credits, and interaction with fellow attendees, plus:
  • Evidence-based recommendations taught by family physicians
  • The latest diagnostic and treatment techniques you can immediately put into practice
  • Focused learning with half-day sessions organized by themes
  • Accessible on any computer or mobile device

Unable to attend a full course? Simply pick from the half-day sessions that work best with your schedule. Can’t choose which to attend? Combine half-day sessions from both for the ultimate personalized CME experience.
Save These Dates for MAFP's 2022 Events
Save the date for these upcoming Academy events:
  • Capitol Day - Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022 in Jackson, MS
  • Spring Conference - April 22-24, 2022 at Sheraton Refuge Flowood
  • Annual Meeting - July 16-20, 2022 in Sandestin, FL
Know a High School Senior?
We've Got a Scholarship Available!
High school seniors are eligible to apply for the $1,000 David G. Hall, MD, Memorial Scholarship for 2022, sponsored by the MAFP Foundation.

To apply, students must write a 500-word essay and send it in along with an application and transcript by the deadline of Feb. 25, 2022. Winners will be chosen from qualified applicants and notified by May 1.

Essays must be titled "The Family Physician: Providing Your Medical Home" and the essay should "Describe the impact of a family physician in your life or the life of your family and/or the role of the family physician in your community. In what ways do family physicians strengthen the various aspects of the community?"

The 2021 winning essay was written by Caroline McKinney of Brandon High School about family physician Dr. Richard Randolph of Brandon.
New MAFP Members for December 2021
New members joining in December 2021:
ACTIVE:
Valerie Nicole Evans, MD, Meridian