Sponsor Message:
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| Women In Medicine Holiday Social |
Registration is open for the annual Women In Medicine Holiday Social. This event is free. Registration is only needed for head count for food and drink.
When: 12/7 6-8pm
Where: The Social Lounge, 29 Broadway St. Asheville, NC 28801.
Register Here! |
Blue Cross NC and Mission Health: 'We have entered into an agreement'
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Blue Cross NC and Mission Health issued a joint statement on Tuesday, saying they had "entered into an agreement" for Mission's participation in Blue Cross networks, effective Friday, December 15, 2017.
Western North Carolina residents have lived with the consequences since October, when, with the end of the prior agreement, thousands of patients had to pay higher out-of-network rates to continue care at Mission. Read more
here.
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Using Personal Financial Data to Improve Healthcare
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It's no surprise when your mailbox is full of credit card offers or coupons and catalogues from your favorite stores. After all, it's fairly common knowledge that credit reporting agencies like Experian and Equifax (which recently made headlines for a massive data breach) provide your purchasing data to companies for direct marketing purposes.
But what if healthcare providers could tap into that data too? How might it be added to claims and clinical data to better predict population health risk? T
hat's exactly what Mission Health Partners, Mission Health's Medicare ACO, has been doing for the past six months or so, augmenting patients' clinical records with other data that can reveal lots of insights about their lifestyle. Read more
here.
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WCMS Physician Directories - Blue Books Are In!!
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Crisis Intervention and Heating Program Funds Available
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The Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) and Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) provides federal funds to low-income families in a heating or cooling crisis or to those who are in danger of experiencing a life-threatening or health-related emergency and sufficient, timely, and appropriate assistance is not available from any other source. While the funds are distributed through Eblen Charities, partner agencies ABCCM and Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministries (SVCM) stand ready to connect eligible individuals and families to this life-saving assistance. Read more
here.
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Provider alert from BCHHS Public Health: Pertussis outbreak in Henderson County
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As you are likely aware, an outbreak of pertussis is currently happening in Henderson County - as of last night, 10 cases have been identified, affecting numerous schools. Investigation and contact tracing by Henderson County Department of Public Health is ongoing. Additionally, other surrounding counties have confirmed cases. While we are not currently aware of any pertussis cases in Buncombe County, we expect that to change as it spreads throughout WNC. Please remain vigilant and continue to promote immunization against pertussis.
As a reminder, if you suspect someone of having pertussis, please do all 4 of the following steps: Read more
here.
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Enrollment in Federal Health Insurance Marketplace Opens Nov. 1 and Ends Dec. 15
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The flu season gets off to an early start - and may shift into high gear around the holidays
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Flu season in North America is off to an early start this year, and may be on track to peak over the holidays, influenza experts tell STAT.
"If it continues to go up like it has the last couple of weeks, yeah, we could have a fair amount of activity right at Christmas," said Lynnette Brammer, an influenza epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read more
here.
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DocbookMD: HIPAA-compliant mobile messaging
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WCMS has partnered with DocbookMD to bring members HIPAA-secure mobile messaging at no cost.
Benefits
-Messaging: Send/receive image files, lab results, x-rays, and other documentation
-Security: HIPAA-compliant, HITRUST certified messaging from the web or from your smartphone
-Support: Support based in Austin, Texas
-Directory: Instantly access a directory of WCMS members to securely communicate with colleagues
-No additional setup: DocbookMD is HIPAA-compliant out of the box and signs Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) for all users
-Upgrade: Upgrade to add office staff and team members to simplify communication within your practice
For instructions on how to download DocbookMD to your smart phone, visit our
website here. Contact
Richard@mywcms.org for more information and assistance.
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Healthy Healer - Balancing Your Life at Work and Home
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The first step in balancing your work and personal life is recognizing that it is not just going to happen-you have to be proactive and work at it, and the time to do so is now.
Finding a balance between your work and your personal life does not just happen, according to professionals in the field of physician well-being. You have to work at it, and the time to do so is now."Balance requires effort, planning, and tradeoffs," says John Schorling, MD, MPH, internal medicine professor and director of physician wellness programs at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Referring to a psychology of postponement attributed to physicians, Schorling comments, "We always think life will be better in the next phase-when I'm out of residency, after my fellowship, as soon as my practice is built up." Read more
here.
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PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT CORNER
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PAs Influential in Fight Against Flu
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PAs can be influential in convincing adult patients, particularly those ages 65 and above, to get a flu vaccine. With the CDC naming Dec. 3-9, 2017, as
National Influenza Vaccination Week, it is timely and important to talk to patients about the dangers of flu and strategies for prevention.
Older adults have an increased susceptibility to common infectious diseases due to the deterioration of the immune system and the likelihood of chronic age-related conditions. The CDC estimates that between 71 and 85 percent of seasonal flu-related deaths have occurred in people 65 years and older and more than half of seasonal flu-related hospitalizations occur among patients 65 and over.
Safe and effective flu vaccines specifically for this age group are available for the 2017-2018 flu season. They include an adjuvanted flu vaccine and a higher-dose flu vaccine, according to the CDC, which shares
fact sheets and other information on its website. Read more
here.
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WCMS Job Board
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If you are a 100% Member Practice, posting job openings here is FREE!
Click here
for more information.
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WCMS is a thriving 650+ member professional association of the physicians of Western North Carolina, and a chartered component medical society of the NC Medical Society and the AMA. WCMS is an organization run by physicians, for physicians. In 2017, WCMS opened membership to physician assistants.
Our Mission
WCMS Association: WCMSA is the physicians' voice advocating for the health of the physician, the patient, and the community, through strengthening the physician-patient relationship.
WCMS Foundation: WCMSF is the physician and community-led charitable arm of the medical society improving access to quality healthcare, decreasing disparities in health, and promoting health & wellness.
Our Vision
To be a dynamic physician community dedicated to a healthy, vibrant Western North Carolina.
About WCMS
The purpose of WCMS is:
- To strengthen the voice of WNC physicians in advocating for the health of the medical profession, the health of the patient, and the health of our region
- To inform, educate and prepare physicians for rapidly occurring changes in health care at national, state, and local levels
- To share legislative and policy information and advocate on behalf of physicians in areas of mutual interest
- To share available resources in areas of mutual interest
- To promote physician-to-physician communication and dialogue in an open, honest and safe environment
We hope you enjoy our weekly e-Newsletter. If you have questions or suggestions please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
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| Miriam Schwarz |
Miriam Schwarz, MPA
WCMS CEO/Executive Director
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