The 2020 Medscape National Physician Burnout and Suicide Report examined how different generations -- Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers -- experience and respond to the pressures of medical practice. Overall, 42 percent of physicians reported that they are burned out, down from 46 percent five years ago. But Generation X physicians report noticeably more burnout than other groups, 48 percent compared to 38 percent (Millennials) and 39 percent (Baby Boomers).  Read more here.

The Colorado Medical Society Medical Student Component (CMS MSC) held their second annual Medical Student Day at the Capitol on Jan. 21. Over the course of the afternoon, students interacted with the CMS lobby team and met with key state legislators influential in health care public policy. The event garnered high praise from participants and elected officials. Thanks to all who participated!

We know you are busy and there are many demands of your time. Still, we encourage you to consider getting involved with the Colorado Medical Society. There are many reasons to do so: to help others, do something important for the profession that is important to you, build your professional portfolio, gain new perspectives, explore your strengths and forge a support network among colleagues, to name a few. CMS has a number of ways for you to get involved; some take only a few hours while others require a larger time commitment. It’s less important which you choose and more important that you get involved in one way or another. Find something that fits your schedule and let’s make great things happen. Indicate your willingness to serve by completing the form here.

The American Medical Association, Colorado Medical Society and 98 other specialty societies and state medical societies sent a letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma in response to a request for information on identifying burdensome Medicare regulations that exceed state scope of practice laws and limit non-physician providers from practicing at the top of their license. This request for information is a follow up to the president’s executive order #13890: “Protecting and Improving Medicare for Our Nation’s Seniors.” The executive order specifically directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to propose reforms to the Medicare program, including ones that eliminate supervision and licensure requirements of the Medicare program that are more stringent than other federal or state laws. Per the federal CMS’s RFI, “these burdensome requirements ultimately limit health care professionals, including physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses, from practicing at the top of their professional license.” The physician organizations urge careful examination of potential impacts of expanding the scope of nonphysician providers. Read more here.

Throughout the 2020 Colorado legislative session, the Colorado Medical Society lobby team and the physician volunteers on the Council on Legislation will monitor all health care-related legislation under consideration by the General Assembly. COL meets frequently during the session to discuss these bills and take positions as needed. The CMS Bill Tracker is the go-to resource for all information pertaining to these bills. Access it here.

We need your help to make physician voices heard at the Colorado Capitol. Visit cms.org/contribute to support pro-physician, pro-patient lawmakers across Colorado! In 2018, COMPAC, the bipartisan political arm of CMS, endorsed 80 candidates, and COMPAC and the Small Donor Committee (SDC) contributed just under $130,000 to candidates who stand for physicians and their patients. These candidates went on to make incredible gains on behalf of organized medicine, thanks to your generous support. SDC gives money only to those who vote 100 percent with physicians on issues of liability. Make your voice heard. Contribute today!

Any individual over 18 can donate to COMPAC and the Small Donor Committee. Contribute up to $625 to COMPAC for the 2019-2020 election cycle. Contribute up to $50 to the Small Donor Committee for the 2019 calendar year. 

The Colorado Hospital Association, in partnership with the Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Behavioral Health, will host the 2020 Opioid Safety Summit on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at the Hyatt Regency Aurora - Denver Conference Center in Aurora, Colo. The conference will open with a keynote address from Vice Admiral Jerome Adams, MD, MPH, surgeon general of the United States, with a national perspective on solutions to the opioid epidemic. Other speakers will highlight the work of CO’s CURE and the Hospital Medicine Pilot. View the program brochure here.

Join us to honor our friend and colleague, Alfred Gilchrist, as he retires from his position as Colorado Medical Society CEO. His retirement celebration will be held Thursday, Jan. 30, 3-7 p.m. at CMS headquarters, 7351 E. Lowry Blvd., Denver, CO 80203.

The event will be casual / come-and-go at CMS headquarters, with drinks and appetizers served. RSVP here.

The deadline to nominate yourself or a colleague for CMS president-elect (one member elected) or the AMA delegation (two members elected) is Jan. 31, 2020. All members will vote in August. 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. Consider seeking a CMS leadership position! Read more here.

Save the date for the event of the year for Colorado physicians, the 2020 CMS Annual Meeting. It will be held Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, with programming scheduled during the day at CMS/COPIC headquarters in west Denver and the exhibitor reception and inaugural gala that evening at the Wings Over the Rockies Museum.