Stay Connected:
New Tools to Combat
Burdensome MOC Requirements
It's Time for a Change

Physicians across Mississippi are seeking relief from MOC, citing high cost and testing woes. Others are angry at hospitals and insurance companies that require board certification for privileges or network inclusion. If you're ready to make real change, start with MSMA's MOC Playbook. The Playbook empowers physicians to engage their national specialty boards and local hospitals on MOC reform. This promotes self-regulation of the medical profession, keeping the decision-making power with those directly affected.

MSMA policy supports one-time board certification at the completion of post graduate medical education and strongly discourages the use of board certification as credentialing criteria.
 
Check out the   MOC Playbook HERE. Contact us if you have questions or need assistance in making a change.
Rep. Harper Supports Physician-led Telemedicine  During MSMA Visit
MSMA was happy to welcome Rep. Gregg Harper this week to the association's offices in Ridgeland. As Mississippi's leading advocacy group, we stay in touch with our Congressional delegation in Washington and make sure they know our views on important health matters of the day. 

Rep. Harper discussed the state of repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act and heard doctors' concerns about physician burnout and the overly complex insurance forms required by the billing cycle. He also discussed the active role the state is playing in the field of responsible, physician-led telemedicine. Present at the meeting were MSMA members Drs. William Ashford, Claude Brunson, Jennifer Bryan and newly elected MSMA President William Graham. More photos from the meeting can be found on our Facebook page.
Who Dat Talkin' 'Bout CME!
CME with the Saints
Kicks Off Soon!

With school starting back and fall on the horizon, it's time to start thinking about football. And it's always time to think about CME. Which is why we're taking a lucky bus of physicians and guests to watch the New Orleans Saints host Tom Brady and the world champion New England Patriots on Sept. 17. On the way you  can earn  5 CME hours in prescribing controlled substances, meeting the new prescribing CME requirements.

Registration plus CME is $300. Guests who would like to attend without CME credits are welcome for $150. Registration deadline is September 8. Seating is limited and tickets are selling fast! Purchase Saints tickets here.
  
For more information, contact Kim Mathis at 601-853-6733, ext. 302.  We'll see you at the Super Dome!
Click the Image Below to Register!
Telehealth Webinars to Keep You Up to Date
Participate for FREE!

The Alliance for Powerful Change is offering two FREE upcoming webinars on telehealth and how it might affect your practice. The first session on implementing telehealth will cover topics such as HIPPA concerns and billing correctly. The second session will look at trends and regulations, among other things. Just follow the links to sign up for these FREE, informative events.
CME with Mickey Mouse in November!
Up to Nine CME Hours Available!

Join MSMA this November for four days at Walt Disney World® for CME with Mickey Mouse! You can earn up to nine hours of AMA PRA Category 1 Credits. This event is a great way to learn about new advances in medicine and to network and socialize with colleagues while having fun with your family at the happiest place on earth.  Register here or email Becky Wells. We'll see you in Orlando this November!
Drive the Conversation on DrKnow!
MSMA members are always looking for solutions, which is why DrKnow was developed. DrKnow, our latest communications tool, is a secure, proprietary website ONLY for MSMA members. It's a place to exchange information, share ideas and start discussions. 

In the coming weeks, we will be reaching out to MSMA members and asking you to activate your DrKnow account and start conversations there that are of particular interest to you. It will be a great way to help us test this exciting new website and discover its many uses.

If you're ready to join the DrKnow community, email our Director of Communications, Sid Scott. He'll get you set up, then you can join a conversation or start your own. For a quick video explanation of how DrKnow works, just go here.
Our Online CME Catalog Has Never Been Bigger!
Most of our members know that MSMA is your best source for CME. But did you know our online CME catalog is available 24/7?

Think of the options this gives you:
  • You set the schedule for the CME that works for you
  • You pick from a variety of options
  • You stay up to date on the CME you need
  • You access the catalog anywhere you have a computer and internet
We're proud to bring these options to you, our members. Start your online CME   here .
FREE Drug Discount Card for Your Patients
Many of your most vulnerable patients have trouble affording medication. The Mississippi Drug Card can help with those prescription costs and is a free program available to all Mississippi residents. There are no eligibility requirements or forms to fill out. Tell your patients to simply take the card into the pharmacy to get savings of up to 75% on prescription medications for their whole family. Mississippi Drug Card is a proud supporter of Children's Miracle Network. A donation will be made to your local CMN hospital each time a prescription is processed through the Mississippi Drug Card. Your patients can find and print their FREE card here!
State Medical News
'VACCINES SAVING BABIES' DESPITE GROUP'S BILLBOARD SAYING OTHERWISE
Clarion-Ledger
Mississippi Parents for Vaccine Rights is using data from the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System to say that 50 children under 2 years old have died in Mississippi following vaccinations in the last two decades.

REPORT: LGBT MEN NEED QUALITY SEXUAL HEALTH STANDARDS IN MISS.
Jackson Free Press
LGBT men have limited access to quality sexual health care, a new report finds. In the capital city, it is an especially serious problem: The Jackson metro has the fourth-highest rate of HIV diagnosis per 100,000 residents among the nation's metropolitan areas, with about 40 percent of LGBT men infected with HIV here in 2014.