Brent Wright, M.D., Nominated for KMA President-Elect

December 5, 2017 Issue 46

Doctor Wright Nominated for KMA President-Elect

The Barren County Medical Society has nominated R. Brent Wright, M.D., for the office of KMA President-Elect. Dr. Wright is a Family Physician from Glasgow, Kentucky. He is the Associate Dean for Rural Health Innovation with the University of Louisville School of Medicine and Vice-Chair for Rural Health with the Department of Family & Geriatric Medicine.

Dr. Wright is a member of the Barren County Medical Society and has been active in the community of Glasgow and throughout the state for close to twenty years. He has been a leader in multiple healthcare stakeholder groups, serving as President of the Kentucky Rural Health Association as well as President of the Kentucky Academy of Family Physicians. Currently, Dr. Wright is a Board and Executive Committee Member of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. Dr. Wright has also helped to train approximately 70 Board-Certified Family Physicians, the majority of whom practice in rural and underserved areas.

Modifier Madness – Put the Patient First

Impact of the Modifier 25 Policy Change

In October, Anthem announced that evaluation and management (E/M) services, historically eligible for separate reimbursement when reported by the same provider on the same day as a minor surgery, would be reduced by 50%. This will apply to claims denoted by the use of Modifier—25 processed on or after Jan. 1, 2018.

Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure Resources Available

for House Bill 333 Changes

On Nov. 16, the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure (KBML) distributed several resources to licensed physicians regarding the new limits on prescription opioids for acute pain following the passage of House Bill 333 in 2017.

State law now prohibits a physician from issuing a prescription for a Schedule II controlled substance for more than a three-day supply if the prescription is intended to treat pain as an acute medical condition, with a number of exceptions. KBML completed its work on amending 201 KAR 9:260 to comply with HB 333 on Nov. 15 and released a memo that included a bullet point summary and frequently asked questions about the new law.

Physicians are strongly encouraged to review this information and become familiar with the changes in regulation. For more information, visit www.kbml.ky.gov .

Cornerstone is Helping Behavioral Health Patients

Transition from Hospital to Home

Cornerstone Companies, a healthcare real estate company and KMA Corporate Affiliate headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, has developed a philanthropic partnership with Community Health Network to support their behavioral health program in Indianapolis.

Paducah Feeling Blue ... and that's a Good Thing

Evelyn Montgomery Jones, M.D., had read all of Dan Buettner’s books about the Blue Zones, so when she saw that his brother, Tony, would talk about Blue Zones during the 2016 KMA Annual Meeting, she couldn’t wait to meet him.

“That’s one of my passions—overall wellness and prevention,” said Dr. Jones. “When I heard him speak, I got even more excited about hopefully doing something in our community that could actually make a difference.”

So Dr. Jones, a 2016 KMA Community Connector, applied for a grant from the Kentucky Foundation for Medical Care to bring Buettner to her hometown of Paducah, where her mother, Gerry Montgomery, had served as mayor from 1988 to 1995.