WORD TO THE WISE
Newsletter: December 2019 - Volume 19, No. 12
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In this issue:
- Season's greetings!
- President's update: Dr. Marcel Junqueira reports on the PCMS Annual Dinner
- Update from your CMS BOD Rep: The science of kindness
- Events: Vaping webinar; Nightingale Awards; Judy Sykes Symposium
- Resources: Type 1 Diabetes telemedicine clinics; wildfire smoke education; PCMS database of physicians who have closed practices
- Member news roundup: Volunteers needed for middle school substance use education; dues; directory; articles needed
- News from CMS: Nomination period open for 2020 election
- News from AMA: E-learning module for blood pressure measurement
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Season's greetings!
On behalf of the Pueblo County Medical Society Board of Directors and staff, we extend warm holiday greetings to all of our provider members and your families. We have had a great year hosting and sponsoring collaborative, networking events for our members and disseminating information relevant to our patients, practices and community. We look forward to continuing to work with you all in the new year.
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UPDATE FROM YOUR PRESIDENT:
Marcel Junqueira, MD
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Report from the PCMS Annual Dinner and Election of Officers
Thanks to all the physicians and guests who joined us for the 2019 PCMS Annual Dinner and Election of Officers on Nov. 13. I am honored to have been officially elected President after serving a few months in an interim role. Also elected were PCMS Treasurer Kathleen Brown, MD, and new director, Jacob Mathew Jr., DO, plus two re-elected directors, Teresa Braden, DO, and Ross Patrick, MD. We recognized Tom Gredianus, MD, who finished his term as president and became immediate past president. He laid a strong foundation for me as I begin my term. We also recognized outgoing immediate past president Alfredo Vargas, MD, and outgoing director Julie Newburg, MD.
Also during the Annual Dinner we outlined our plan for 2020 on medical education, patient education, community services and advocacy, and presented a financial report. You're welcome to contact us at
contactus@pueblocountyms.org for more details on any of these items. Once again, I extend my gratitude to all of the physician members in our region and pledge to work as president to advance our mutual goals.
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UPDATE FROM YOUR CMS BOD REP: Brad Roberts, MD
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The science behind kindness
This time of year is always a wonderful opportunity for me to pause and consider whether I am focusing on what is truly most important; to reevaluate goals and look forward to the future with plans to do better. I appreciate that this time of reflection also comes during a holiday season in which society focuses on giving and thinking of others. I hope you will allow me to pause to reflect for a moment with my article for the newsletter as well.
In true medical fashion, I went to the peer reviewed literature to find out if there were any studies done on the physiologic benefits of kindness (I had also just watched the Mr. Rogers movie,
A beautiful day in the neighborhood, with Tom Hanks). Sure enough, I quickly found a paper titled ‘it’s good to be good: 2014 Biennial Scientific Report on health, happiness, and helping others by Stephen G. Post.
Read more here.
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Webinar: What providers need to know about vaping - Dec. 17, 12-1 p.m.
Join the CU Anschutz Department of Psychiatry, Behavioral Health and Wellness Program on Dec. 17 as they share essential information on Vaping, JUUL and Cessation. This webinar was developed to help clinical care teams, public health professionals, and any individuals working with youth and adults that use or who are exposed to vaping or other tobacco products navigate the rapidly shifting product landscape and support constructive discussions about vape use and cessation. The webinar is free, but registration is required. Take advantage of this learning opportunity and to share the invitation broadly with your colleagues and networks.
Register here.
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Now accepting applications for the 2020 Nightingale and Luminary Awards - deadline Jan. 15; awards presented in Pueblo March 27, 2020
Nominate an outstanding nurse for a Nightingale Luminary Award! The Nightingale Luminary Awards recognize nurses throughout Colorado who exemplify the spirit of the profession in the areas of advocacy, innovation and leadership. Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) and Nightingale Committees choose Nightingale Luminaries annually from among hundreds of nominations. Nominate a deserving and dedicated nurse from Southeastern Colorado who motivates others to strive for excellence. Nominations are open until Jan. 15. To nominate, go to
www.ColoradoNursesFoundation.com.
Read more here.
Then, save the date for the Nightingale and Luminary Award Ceremony in Pueblo on March 27, 2020. State Nightingale Awards will be presented in Denver on May 9, 2020.
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Save the date: Judy Sikes, PhD Scholarly Activity Symposium - April 15, 2020
Save the date for the Judy Sikes, PhD Scholarly Activity Symposium presented by Parkview Medical Center and the Graduate Medical Education Department. The symposium will be held on April 15, 2020 at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, Pueblo.
Dr. Teresa Braden, Director, and her committee have created an impressive educational and informational platform. The event has been approved for CME credits. Practitioners and nursing staff throughout southern Colorado are invited to attend the symposium. The following events will take place: oral presentations on cases, research and quality initiatives; poster presentations; judging of the events; prizes for top three oral presentations, best three posters in research/QI/safety and best three posters in clinical vignettes.
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Upcoming diabetes type 1 telemedicine clinics - starting in February 2020
Community partners will host pediatric telemedicine clinics for children and youth with type 1 diabetes, a much-needed service in our community, starting in February 2020. The telemedicine clinics will be held in the Pueblo Community Health Center’s school wellness centers at Pueblo County High School and Pueblo Centennial High School on specific Fridays through June 2020. Families will be able to attend their appointment in Pueblo and not have to commute to Colorado Springs or Denver. Please refer all pediatric patients directly to the Barbara Davis Center to schedule appointments, (303) 724-6748.
The clinics will be provided through community partnership with the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment, the Barbara Davis Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Pueblo County School District 70, Pueblo School District 60, Pueblo Community Health Center, Colorado State University-Pueblo Nursing Practitioner Program and Pueblo Medical Reserve Corps.
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Provider education: Wildfire Smoke and Your Patients’ Health
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop an online course,
Wildfire Smoke and Your Patients’ Health -- with continuing education credit provided by the CDC. The free course includes sections on health effects, populations at greater risk of experiencing health effects, air quality and smoke, actions to take before and during a wildfire to reduce smoke exposure, and available resources. The course takes about 45 minutes to complete and is intended for physicians, registered nurses, asthma educators and others involved in clinical or health education. It compliments the recently updated publication:
Wildfire Smoke: A Guide for Public Health Officials. More resources on Wildfire Smoke and Health can be found at the EPA’s
Smoke-Ready Toolbox for Wildfires.
Note: The November e-newsletter incorrectly implied that PCMS member Velma Campbell, MD, MPH, was presenting or teaching this online course. In actuality, she has seen the growing impacts of wildfire smoke in her practice and recommends colleagues and friends in Pueblo complete the course; she has no connection with the course, other than to recognize its value. We regret any confusion.
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PCMS webpage to assist providers with patient medical records
PCMS will offer a centralized online location for providers to post information where their patients can locate their medical records should the provider relocate, retire or close practice for any reason. Doctors closing practices unexpectedly and not notifying patients beforehand, sometimes causing an inability for patients to be able to locate medical records, is known by the Colorado Medical Board as "patient abandonment." The Medical Record Retention and Protection policy is available
here.
Please use the
Contact Us portal to let PCMS staff know if you would like to be added to the list and how your patients can access their records, and/or share this information with a provider who would like to be on the list and ensure patient medical records are easy to locate according to policy.
Read more here.
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Volunteer opportunity: Medical providers needed to provide education in district 60 middle schools
The Substance Use Response Ecosystem is working with the Pueblo County Medical Society, the Pueblo Department of Public Health, and school district 60 to provide education regarding substance abuse and dependence to middle school students in district 60. We are looking for interested health care providers who would be interested in helping.
We have developed an approximately 30 minute lecture with time for questions on how substance dependence works with specifics on vaping, alcohol, cannabis, opiates and methamphetamines. Our goal is to provide data-driven education to the students on substance abuse. You do not need to be an expert in substance abuse to help. We anticipate that anyone who has completed advanced level medical training such as physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants should be able to do it. It is something that many of us deal with in our practices. If there is a need for a refresher on any part of the topic we can also assist with providing the information if needed.
We anticipate the commitment to be relatively small, possibly only one or two mornings or afternoons for the year. We would love your help.
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ALERT: It's dues season; please renew your membership today!
You should have received your CMS and/or PCMS invoice for your 2020 membership dues. We encourage you to renew your membership with CMS,
the largest organization of physicians in Colorado that champions health care issues that improve patient care, promote physician professional satisfaction and create healthier communities statewide, and PCMS
that facilitates meaningful collaboration of medical professionals locally. Note that associate dues have increased to $150 per year. Contact
cheryl.law@pueblocms.org if you have any questions about your dues bill or if you do not receive one. Thank you for your continued support!
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Directory update
The 2019-2020 PCMS Directory has been completed and will be delivered to offices over the next few weeks. It will be mailed to all members and available to the public for purchase. Thanks for your support of this important resource!
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Urgent plea for physicians, NPs and PAs to write articles for the newsletter
We need physicians, NPs and PAs to write articles for us. Believe us, you don’t have to be a great writer to share your stories, advice, comments, research and so much more with others. All you have to be is willing!
You can send a paragraph in an email or Word doc.100-200 words is best because the whole story will be enclosed in the e-newsletter. Hyperlinks are great too. Our publisher will edit your work and send you a draft for final approval!
The publication deadline for the newsletter is generally the 7th or 8th of each month depending on the stories and any news deadlines.
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NEWS FROM THE COLORADO MEDICAL SOCIETY
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2020 CMS Election: Nominate yourself or a colleague today for a leadership position
The nomination period for the 2020 Colorado Medical Society all-member election is open through Jan. 31, 2020. The Colorado Medical Society encourages all members to consider nominating a colleague or self-nominating for one of the open leadership positions: president-elect (one position open) or AMA delegation (two positions open). The election manual, which contains all of the information a potential candidate needs about the duties, eligibility, requirements and election process, is available on the CMS website, as is the current list of declared candidates.
Read more here.
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NEWS FROM THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
AMA and American Heart Association launch new e-Learning module for proper blood pressure measurement
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As part of the American Medical Association’s national
Target: BP™ initiative with the American Heart Association (AHA), the AMA recently launched a blood pressure (BP) measurement e-Learning module called "Achieving Accuracy: BP Measurement." The new module is the first step in the organizations’ joint efforts to ensure every health care professional is re-trained to accurately and consistently measure BP based on guideline-recommended standards. As physicians are aware, hypertension is a leading risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and preventable death in the U.S. And physicians know that inaccurate BP readings can lead to diagnostic errors, which means getting an accurate reading is vital to treating the condition. This new module is available on the AHA’s e-Learning platform, AMA's Ed Hub platform and
TargetBP.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: Marcel Junqueira, MD; President-Elect: open position; Treasurer: Kathleen Brown, MD; Past-President: Tom Greidanus, MD |
Directors:
CMS Representative Brad Roberts, MD; Teresa Braden, DO; Ross Patrick, MD; Jacob Mathew Jr., DO; Cheryl Walker, DO; and Kevin Weber, MD |
Chief Executive Officer:
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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