WORD TO THE WISE Newsletter: October 2019 - Volume 19, No. 9

In this issue: Leadership update: Dr. Marcel Junqueira, MD, to become interim PCMS president Update from your CMS BOD Rep: We need Pueblo doctors at a special award presentation Friday (tomorrow)! PCMS Events: Register for 3rd annual symposium, plus save the date for the 2019 Annual Meeting - Nov. 13 Other events: Landfill discount day, MHAP luncheon, "The Sip" fundraiser, Colorado Consortium events, drug take-back day Community resources: Recycle Coach, PCMS database of physicians who have closed practices News: 9 Colorado cases of respiratory illness related to vaping News from CMS: New leadership chosen News from AMA: AMA fights burnout with new Practice Transformation initiative

LEADERSHIP UPDATE

Dr. Marcel Junqueira, MD, to become Interim PCMS president The Pueblo County Medical Society Board of Directors announced today they have named Dr. Marcel Junqueira, MD, as the Society’s interim president. Dr. Thomas Greidanus, MD, who has served as PCMS president since 2017, recently began a needed leave of absence due to health issues. Dr. Junqueira, who has served as PCMS secretary, will undertake Dr. Greidanus’ official executive duties during his leave. The Board of Directors unanimously recommended that Dr. Junqueira become the interim president immediately until elections take place at the society’s annual meeting on Nov. 13. Read more here.

UPDATE FROM YOUR CMS BOD REP: Brad Roberts, MD

Help us recognize Senate President Leroy Garcia at a special award presentation TOMORROW, Friday, Oct. 4 The Colorado Medical Society will present an award to Senate President Leroy Garcia tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 4, for his excellent support of physicians’ health policy issues in the 2019 Colorado General Assembly -- specifically his work behind the scenes on the Professional Review Act Sunset bill. The presentation will be held between 8 and 8:30 a.m. at Solar Roast, 226 N. Main St. in Pueblo. We need more physicians to attend in their white coats! Please attend if you are able.

ALERT: It's dues season; please renew your membership today! You should have received an invoice for your 2020 membership dues. I encourage you to renew your membership today to allow PCMS to continue our mission to facilitate meaningful collaboration of medical professionals in Pueblo County through social networking, education and advocacy. 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 did not receive one. Thank you for your continued support!

PCMS EVENTS

TIME IS RUNNING OUT! Register today for the 3rd Annual Symposium: Primary Care Updates 2019 - Oct. 12 Join PCMS and your colleagues for the 3rd Annual Symposium to get the latest recommendations on medical topics important to the primary care provider and learn new strategies of care. There is no cost to attend. Breakfast and lunch are provided. RSVP here. Topics: Cardiology, Endocrinology, Nephrology, Pulmonology and Technology. Target audience: Family physicians, general internists, physician assistants, and spouses/guests. Thank you to our platinum event sponsor, AstraZeneca, and bronze event sponsor, Health Colorado!

Platinum sponsor - PCMS 3rd Annual Symposium: Primary Care Updates

Save the date for the PCMS Annual General Meeting - Wednesday, Nov. 13, 5:30 p.m. More details will be posted soon on pueblocms.org ! Mark your calendar for the PCMS Annual Meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 13. Location to be determined. During the meeting we will hold elections for the board of directors. The open positions are: President (one position) President-elect (one position) Director (two positions)  Please send nominations or self-nominations to PCMS CEO Cheryl Law at cheryl.law@pueblocms.org by close of business on Monday, Oct. 14, COB with "Board Nomination" in the subject line. Then watch for the slate of nominees for elected positions to be emailed to the full membership in advance of the meeting.

OTHER EVENTS

Discount Day at the Landfill for city of Pueblo residents: Oct. 5, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Fall Discount Day at the Southside Landfill, Highway 78 West, will be Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. This event is for residents of the city of Pueblo to dispose of items at a discounted rate. Valid ID or current utility bill with current address is required. Prices are $5 per car/truck, cash only, no bills over $20, no credit cards. Trailers 40 percent discount off gate rate/$26 minimum fee. All loads must be covered and secured to receive discount. No businesses, hazardous waste, electronics, or tires. Go to pueblohealth.org for more information or contact the Southside Landfill at 719-948-2900.

Join MHAP for their next luncheon: Wednesday, Oct. 9, 11:30 a.m. Mental Health America-Pueblo will hold their next luncheon on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Table 67 on The Riverwalk, 102 S. Union Ave. in Pueblo. The topic is “peers and their work in the field of recovery” with speakers Rod Rushing and Scott Brasselero. They will address peers and the important role they play in helping those with substance use disorder and in helping to shape and create communities that are truly recovery orientated and stigma free. RSVP to mhapueblo@gmail.com by Oct. 3 to ensure adequate food orders. Cost is $16 for MHAP members and $21 for non-members with a $5 attendance certificate charge.

"The Sip" fundraiser benefitting the Colorado State Fair Foundation - Oct. 19 Join the Colorado State Fair Foundation for "The Sip" on Saturday, Oct. 19 to support youth experiences at the Colorado State Fair, all while enjoying an evening of tasting from some of Colorado's finest wineries, breweries, and distilleries, amazing food, live music, a live auction of several very unique "experience" packages at a truly unique western venue. The Sip will be held at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame & Museum of the American Cowboy, located at 101 Pro Rodeo Dr. in Colorado Springs. We hope that you join us as we honor the 2019 Outstanding Service Award recipients. Find more information and buy tickets here.

2019 Provider Education Symposium and Colorado Consortium Annual Meeting – Oct. 22-23 Registration is open for the 2019 Provider Education Symposium hosted by the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Provider Education work group. This evening educational event will be held Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019, 5:30 - 9 p.m., at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Register here. Registration, a poster session, and hors d'oeuvres will be available at 5 p.m. This event is free of charge.  This year, the Consortium is collaborating with Boston University School of Medicine to present SCOPE (Safer/Competent Opioid Prescribing Education) of Pain. SCOPE of Pain is an in-depth training that focuses on effective communication skills and the potential risks and benefits of opioids for managing acute and chronic pain. The training includes the assessment of opioid misuse risk and recognition and treatment of opioid use disorder. Earn credits for CME and ABIM MOC Part II.  The following day, the Consortium will host their seventh annual meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019, 8:30 a.m. - 4:15 p.m., also on CU Anschutz campus. Click here to register for the consortium annual meeting.

Encourage your patients to clean out their medicine cabinets for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day - Oct. 26 National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will be held on Oct. 26, 2019, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This event aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. Pueblo citizens can turn in prescription medications to the Pueblo Police Department parking lot, 200 S. Main, Pueblo, CO 81003. Needles and sharps, mercury, oxygen containers, chemotherapy or radioactive substances, pressurized canisters, and illicit drugs are NOT accepted. Find more information at www.dea.gov.

Vanguard Skin Specialists is pleased to welcome Landon Barton, PA, and Jennifer Garrick, NP, to our Pueblo office! Landon has a BA in Integrative Physiology from UC Boulder and a Masters in PA studies from the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Landon specializes in skin exams and diagnosis of skin cancer. Jennifer has been practicing dermatology in Arizona. She has a nursing degree from Regis University and completed her Nurse Practitioner program at BYU. She enjoys all aspects of medical dermatology and caring for patients of all ages. Services at our Pueblo location include dermatology, Mohs surgery, plastic surgery, and skin cancer diagnosis and treatment. We have six providers here, including three physicians, two physician assistants, and a nurse practitioner. 5700 N. Elizabeth Street, Pueblo, CO 81008 719-543-1111

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment launches Recycle Coach Digital Assistant for where to dispose and recycle in Pueblo Residents of the city and county of Pueblo looking to reduce their household waste and become better recyclers can utilize the new Recycle Coach platform, part of a network that enhances communication of recycling information and local collection events. Users can access Recycle Coach for free from their computers, mobile devices, or through digital assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Home.  With Recycle Coach, residents can: Find where to dispose of recyclable items and learn about local collection events Become recycling experts with a comprehensive “What Goes Where?” search tool, including local disposal information for household items Find collection requirements for every item, including the appropriate drop-off location for those that aren’t accepted  Download the Recycle Coach app at the iTunes Store and Google Play. Learn more at recyclecoach.com.

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.

NEWS

FDA presents new webpage on respiratory illnesses associated with use of vaping products CDPHE reports current Colorado outbreak at 9 cases The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are working closely with state and local health officials to investigate incidents of severe respiratory illnesses associated with the use of vaping products. While the investigation is ongoing, FDA has created a Consumer Update to provide information for consumers to help protect themselves, as well as a new Lung Illnesses Associated with Use of Vaping Products webpage to provide an overview of these incidents and FDA’s actions to date, as well as recommendations for consumers, health care providers, and state health departments. Though data has not yet been conclusive, the FDA recommends consumers avoid products that contain Vitamin E acetate and tetrahydrocannabinoil (THC)-containing vaping products. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the American Medical Association go one step further, encouraging people to avoid all e-cigarette products. CDPHE asks clinicians and local health departments who become aware of cases of this outbreak to report them to the Disease Reporting Line: 303-692-2700 or 303-370-9395 (after hours). If the patient has the product in hand, providers should safely collect and hold it, and contact CDPHEs Disease Reporting Line so that the product can be collected by CDPHE for potential testing.

NEWS FROM THE COLORADO MEDICAL SOCIETY

CMS elects, inaugurates and hires new leaders for president-elect, president and CEO There have been quite a few changes in leadership over the past two months: Colorado Medical Society members elected Sami Diab, MD, of Denver to be president-elect; David S. Markenson, MD, MBA, of Cherry Hills Village, was sworn in as president at the 2019 Annual Meeting; and the board of directors announced that they selected Bryan Campbell, FAAMSE, to be the new chief executive officer effective January 2020. Campbell moves to CMS from his most recent position as the CEO of the Duval County Medical Society in Jacksonville, Fla. DCMS is the oldest and largest county medical society in Florida, founded in 1853 and with nearly 2,000 members. Outgoing CMS CEO, Alfred Gilchrist, will retire at the end of 2019 following 15 years in this position and 20 years at the Texas Medical Association.

NEWS FROM THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION AMA intensifies campaign to end physician burnout

The American Medical Association announced an escalation in its efforts to fight the root causes of physician burnout and dissatisfaction with the launch of the Practice Transformation Initiative. The new course of action strengthens the AMA’s resolve to advance evidence-based solutions that increase joy in medicine. While the frequency, causes and impact of professional fatigue and burnout among physicians have been well researched, actionable solutions have had much less rigorous analysis. As a result, information on effective interventions remains limited. The mission of the Practice Transformation Initiative is to fill the knowledge gaps regarding effective interventions to reduce burnout. The initiative will support research and advance evidence-based solutions by collaborating with organizations who are committed to the practice transformation journey. Participating health systems and practices will take on improving joy in medicine by using validated assessment tools to measure burnout; field-testing interventions that are designed to improve workflows, applying practice science research methodology to evaluate impact and sharing best practices within an AMA facilitated learning community. Read more here.

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.

Board Officers: Interim President: Marcel Junqueira, MD; President-Elect: open position; Secretary: open position; Treasurer: Robert Tonsing, MD; Past-President: Alfredo Vargas, MD; CMS Representative: Brad Roberts, MD |  Directors: Thomas Greidanus, MD; Julie Newburg, MD; Ross Patrick, MD; Cheryl Walker, DO; Kevin Weber, MD | Chief Executive Officer : Cheryl Law, MA, MNM

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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