WORD TO THE WISE
Newsletter: October 2018 - Volume 18, No. 10
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In this issue:
- President's corner: Join me at the Heal the Healer 2018 Symposium - Oct. 13
- Update from your CMS BOD rep: CMS working for you at the capitol
- Upcoming events: Wellness symposium, holiday social, and local/state events
- News from CMS: Working for you in the Capitol
- Members on the move: We need your news!
- News from AMA: Congress passes new opioid package
- It's here! Announcing the launch of our new website!
- Join our members-only Facebook group
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PRESIDENT'S CORNER
I want you to put yourself first and join me at the Heal the Healer 2018 Symposium this Saturday, Oct. 13
Health care providers are in crisis in our community, state and around the nation. I encourage all PCMS members to register today for a relevant and interactive event -- the Heal the Healer 2018 Symposium -- and bring the nurse practitioners and physician assistants in your office and other health care workers as well.
Hear what the experts say about physician burnout, including world-renowned speaker, Dan Diamond, MD. Dr. Diamond led one of the first medical teams into Haiti following their devastating earthquake and, most recently, deployed to the Philippines following Typhoon Yolanda. After Hurricane Katrina, he played a strategic role as director of the Mass Casualty Triage Unit at the New Orleans Convention Center.
With breakfast and lunch included, plus up to 5.5
AMA PRA Category 1 Credits and giveaways, you’ll leave feeling satisfied with tools to ensure you can be your best selves for the good of your families and patients. The $50 registration fee will be waved when you enter the code "FREE."
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Thanks to all who attended an impressive PCMS Annual Meeting
By Leslie (Les) Nordman, PCMS Volunteer
All 30 attendees seemed impressed with Pueblo County Medical Society’s 2018 Annual Meeting. Providers were especially candid about two aspects of the meeting: the Annual Report, which for the first time ever was printed in full color, and the video presentation, Pioneers: Pueblo County Medical Society, 1881-1929, which was very inspirational.
"History is usually deadly boring," one physician said. "Teachers suck all the life out of it. But you did not do that." Based on the discussion afterward, the video presentation seemed to instill in attendees a sense of accomplishment and connection as a member of such a great legacy as that of the early pioneers of PCMS.
The venue, Table 67 on Pueblo's Historic Riverwalk, was likewise inspiring. Tables were decorated tastefully, in a fall theme and the event registration was quick and painless. The meal was free of charge and undeniably satisfying, even the gluten-free offerings. Even the hostess at the cash bar, with its official "pour size” of wine, really stood out and offered attendees a greater range of enjoyment and appreciation for the event.
All told, the 2018 Annual Meeting of Pueblo County Medical Society was a success.
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UPDATE FROM YOUR CMS BOD REP
Election Day is coming and your Colorado Medical Society is prepared to engage our elected officials for your benefit
Colorado goes to the polls Nov. 6 to elect members of the Colorado general assembly and a new Colorado governor. Whomever is elected -- U.S. Rep. Jared Polis (D) or State Treasurer Walker Stapleton (R) -- has much to consider as chief executive of our great state, including the extremely complex issue of health care.
The Colorado Medical Society and Pueblo County Medical Society are clear in our asks: that we want to uphold patient and physician protections; continue to shrink the pool of uninsured individuals which are otherwise a burden to safety net providers, local tax bases and private sector premiums; and continue the gains toward mitigating the opioid crisis started by the previous administration.
Anyone interested in becoming more active in advocacy should consider joining me, Dr. Tom Greidanus and CMS lobbyists for a meeting at 8 a.m. on Oct. 17 with state Rep. Daneya Esgar. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss issues affecting the practice of medicine and health care initiatives in which Rep. Esgar is interested. Contact
cheryl.law@pueblocms.org if you are interested in attending.
Stay tuned for more updates on the issues important to physicians as the November elections are decided and the new governor and General Assembly begin their work in January 2019.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
We strongly encourage all members and spouses to consider volunteering on a committee to plan a future PCMS event. Contact Cheryl at
cheryl.law@pueblocms.org
to volunteer or add your
event to our upcoming event calendar.
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Pueblo County Medical Society Events
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Heal the Healer Wellness Symposium - Oct. 13
Healer, heal thyself from the inside out! Join PCMS for a transformational, interactive experience at the 2018 Heal the Healer wellness symposium. Be equipped with practical tools necessary to go beyond surviving to thriving.
The highly regarded symposium will be held Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., and features keynote speaker Dr. Dan Diamond, MD, along with other inspiring speakers plus free breakfast and lunch, 5.5
AMA PRA Category 1 credits, and lots of free giveaways!
Register today!
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Holiday Social - Nov. 2
Members, we cordially invite you and your guest to join us at our annual Holiday Social, Friday, Nov. 2, 2018, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., at The Clink Lounge, 140 Central Main St #222, Pueblo, CO 81003. Appetizers and wine and beer will be provided!
Please click
here to register by Monday, Oct. 29. Space is limited.
We hope to see you there!
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Dinner program: The 2nd Annual Breast CME Conference - Tonight! Oct. 10
Approved for 2 CME credits
5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
The Pinery at the Hill
775 W. Bijou St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80905
Please join us for the 2nd Annual Breast CME Conference. Attendance is open to providers, nurses, office managers and referral coordinators.
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Annual Comprehensive Lung and Breathing Summit - Oct. 25-27
11.5 approved CME credits
Enjoy a meet-and-greet social Thursday night followed by a day and a half of informative, educational and experiential presentations and discussions.
Oct. 25-27, 2018 at The Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado Springs.
Register here.
Reserve your room early at the Broadmoor with the exclusive UCHealth negotiated rate of $171 per night;
click here.
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National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day - Saturday, Oct. 27
The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office and Pueblo Police Department have joined the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) efforts to help the nation dispose of old, unused prescription medications. Saturday, Oct. 27 is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. Throughout the city and county of Pueblo there will be free drop off locations where these medications will be collected.
The day provides citizens with a free and anonymous way to rid themselves of these medications and has become a highly requested happening in our community. The event is important to local law enforcement agencies because when these items are turned in they can no longer be abused or stolen. We encourage everyone to go through cabinets, drawers, and medicine chests in their home and take old prescriptions to one of the drop-off locations.
The DEA developed the program to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposal, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of these medications. Pueblo law enforcement officers will be at each location to provide both the safety and the education promised by the program.
Pueblo locations will be collecting between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Oct. 27.
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NEWS FROM THE COLORADO MEDICAL SOCIETY
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Colorado Medical Society testifies before opioid committee
The 2018 House-Senate Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Interim Study Committee met in July, August and September to continue their work to address the opioid epidemic in Colorado. On Aug. 22 and Sept. 24, the bipartisan legislative group heard testimony from physicians, including that of Colorado Medical Society liaison Donald Stader III, MD.
Stader, a practicing emergency medicine specialist, testifying specifically on draft legislation under consideration by the Interim Study Committee, emphasized that the physicians of Colorado stand with the members of the committee and are committed to collaborate in sustained, systematic efforts to reverse the opioid epidemic. He presented recommendations that the CMS Prescription Drug Abuse Committee developed for the legislators' consideration for possible next steps to address the opioid crisis:
- Increase access to care and decrease use of opioids using multi-modal approaches and alternatives to opioids;
- Ensure that insurance coverage works for opioid addicted patients; and
- Bolster the clinical workforce that operates as a team to care for patients and families experiencing substance use disorder (SUD).
He also shared CMS concerns about mandating e-prescribing of controlled substances, mandating opioid-related CME as a condition of licensure, and extending the three-year timeframe on prescription fill limits and PDMP checks passed into law this year, all under consideration by the interim study committee. This portion of his testimony also included support for several of the draft bills under consideration.
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MEMBERS ON THE MOVE - Looking for submissions!
This section of the PCMS newsletter highlights members who are making a difference in our community or medical field. We encourage all members to
send us a note about your professional or personal achievements, philanthropy, or those of a colleague that you think should be featured. Email
cheryl.law@pueblocms.org
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NEWS FROM THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
Congress passes new opioid package
In early October, Congress reached agreement on legislation to address the opioid epidemic. The House and Senate passed H.R. 6, the "SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act," with overwhelming majorities in both chambers. The legislation touches on almost every aspect of the epidemic, including numerous provisions supported by physicians that will expand access to substance-use disorder (SUD) prevention and treatment programs. The final bill also retained some provisions with which physicians had raised concerns, primarily related to mandates on physicians and duplicative requirements in state and federal programs. The American Medical Association, Colorado Medical Society and Northern Colorado Medical Society will keep you informed as the numerous provisions in H.R. 6 are implemented.
Read more here.
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IT'S HERE! ANNOUNCING THE LAUNCH OF OUR NEW WEBSITE!
Pueblo County Medical Society is proud to announce the launch of our newly redesigned website,
www.pueblocms.org. We have a brand new look, redesigned with you in mind!
We encourage everyone to visit and explore the site, discovering the spectrum of material in our new Patient Education Library, Event Calendar or About Us page that presents our current Board of Directors and staff member.
Our Membership and Provider pages are currently under construction but will be available soon to members and visitors. Every member will be provided a web page to add content including professional photo, bio and website link. Our website will also allow visitors to "Find A Provider," which we get calls on weekly.
We will continue to upgrade and expand our website resources to deliver the most updated and relevant information possible; we hope you’ll find it easier to navigate and find what you’re looking for quickly and efficiently.
If you have any questions or feedback you would like to share with us, please do so by filling out the form on our new Contact Us page.
To stay connected on social media, click the link below to like us on Facebook and join the members-only group!
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Connect with PCMS on Facebook!
PCMS now has a Facebook page with a members-only group. Click
here to "like" the page
then request access to join the group. The private group will be moderated by PCMS staff who appreciate receiving your suggestions --
and pretty much any information (e.g., recommendations for contractors, babysitters, questions, news, events) -- you would like us to consider sharing with group members. We look forward to connecting with you! Questions? Contact Cheryl at
719-281-6073 /
cheryl.law@pueblocms.org
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MISSION:
Fa
cilitating meaningful collaboration of medical professionals in Pueblo County through social networking, education, and advocacy!
VISION:
To
c
reate a medical society that serves as a venue for collaboration for the betterment of healthcare in Pueblo County, and improve the practice of medicine and life of medical professionals, locally.
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Board Officers:
President: Thomas Greidanus, MD; President-Elect: Open position; Secretary: Ross Patrick, MD; Treasurer: Robert Tonsing, MD; Past-President: Alfredo Vargas, MD; CMS Representative: Brad Roberts, MD |
Directors:
Julie Newburg, MD, Cheryl Walker, DO, Kevin Weber, MD |
Executive Director:
Cheryl Law, MA, MNM
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This newsletter is intended for the members and interested persons of the Pueblo County Medical Society. If you have received this and wish to opt-out call 719-281-6073 or use the “unsubscribe” link below.
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