September is National Suicide Prevention Month

September is Suicide Prevention Month and Sept. 17 was National Physician Suicide Awareness Day. More than half of physicians know a physician who has considered, attempted or died by suicide.

We can all help prevent physician suicide by helping to promote evidence-based resources that support physician wellbeing and mental health, and shifting the paradigm from a system where mental health concerns are an individual burden to overcome to one where we see a support system around us.

• Help a peer: This toolkit from the American Medical Association outlines how to identify and support at-risk physicians.
• Help a patient: This AMA toolkit can provide insight into how your practice or system can effectively identify and treat patients at risk of suicide, including specific guidance on child and adolescent care.
• Change your practice or system: The newly revamped AMA STEPS Forward® toolkit, “Assessment of Clinician Burnout: Construct a Process to Measure Burnout and Improve Well-Being,” lays out six steps with practical actions that organizations and leaders can take to move down the path to protecting physicians from some of the most damaging effects of work stressors.
• Spread the word: The Doc2Doc Wellbeing Consulting Program, brought to you by the Colorado Medical Society and the Colorado Physician Health Program, provides three free, one-hour, confidential, pre-clinical peer wellbeing consultation sessions for any Colorado physician or medical student. Call 720-810-9131 to reach a masters-level licensed clinician and schedule a confidential follow-up with a peer physician. All calls are confidential to the fullest extent of the law.

We had a great time at the CMS Annual Meeting

Save the date for next year's meeting in Keystone: Sept. 12-13, 2025!

Last weekend a great crowd of CMS physicians gathered to network, learn and enjoy the mountains at the 2024 CMS Annual Meeting in Breckenridge. A highlight of the weekend was our President's Gala during which we thanked Omar Mubarak, MD, MBA, for his service as CMS president this past year and celebrated the inauguration of Kim Warner, MD, as our new 2024-25 CMS president. Dr. Warner said of her upcoming year as president: "Together, we will continue to advocate for our profession and our patients, ensuring that the highest standards of care are upheld in Colorado."

Save the date for the 2025 Annual Meeting, Sept. 12-13 in Keystone, and watch for more pictures from the 2024 meeting in the next Colorado Medicine.

Outgoing President Omar Mubarak, MD, MBA, left, and Incoming President Kim Warner, MD.

From left: Jerry Johnson, Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, Rep. Shannon Bird, and Dan Jablan. Sen. Kirkmeyer and Rep. Bird received awards for their work in the 2024 Legislature.

CMS leaders enjoy the President's Reception: Scott Dhupar, MD, Lee Morgan, MD, Michael Moore, MD, and Lynn Parry, MD.

Component Society executives Natalie Myers, Ginny Castleberry and Stephen Boucher with medical students at Friday's Reception with Exhibitors

CMS leaders and staff enjoy dinner at the President's Gala

Exhibitors like Xyla Health provided great raffle items in the exhibit hall

Interested in substance use and misuse? You're invited to attend the Consortium’s 12th Annual Meeting - Oct. 31

The Annual Meeting of the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention (Consortium) provides an opportunity to engage with state and local leaders, service providers, community partners and advocates to share successes, discuss challenges, and identify solutions to combat substance use and misuse. This year, the Consortium will host a panel discussion focused on the role of people with lived and living experience. Afternoon breakout sessions will address harm reduction, peer support professionals, recovery friendly workplaces, and the expansion of opioid treatment programs. View the agenda here and find the link to register here. Sessions are offered in person or via Zoom. For more information about the annual meeting, email info@corxconsortium.org.

• Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
• Donald M. Elliman Conference Center, CU Anschutz Health Sciences Building, 1890 N. Revere Court, Aurora, CO 80045

The Colorado Pain Society invites you to our 7th Annual Chronic Pain Conference, Oct. 11-13, 2024, in Vail, Colo., at The Hythe

Live-streaming; Live or virtual attendance; No-cost virtual option for Colorado PCPs.

This will be a CME event (up to 16 CME credits), including 5 MATE credits towards DEA license renewal requirements, for physicians of all specialties, advanced practice providers (APPs), psychologists and others interested in pain management. The Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention is sponsoring a virtual primary care attendance opportunity (16 CME credits) at no cost (for PCPs only), working in conjunction with Medical Education Resources and Colorado Pain Society. Virtual streaming will be available for live and virtual attendees including lecture access for 7 days post-conference.

Register here. Book lodging here.

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Thanks to our Partners in Medicine

View all Partners here

Don't forget to register for a lunchtime webinar on Sept. 26 - what you need to know about Medicare changes

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has some major provisions that will affect all Medicare Beneficiaries in 2025, specifically when it comes to their Part D prescription Drug coverage. During this CMS Partner in Medicine Lunch and Learn, Pepple Insurance will review what those changes are and how it will impact your patients – what you can do to help them understand their options and what resources they have to make sure they have the best plan for next year. It's normal to see about 14% of the Medicare population change plans during the Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15-Dec. 7); Pepple Insurance anticipates 60% will need to change plans as a result of this new legislation set to take effect.

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