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

In this issue: Update from your President: Cannabis Forum presents cautionary message Update from your CMS BOD Rep: 9 emerging themes in health care PCMS Directory alert: Submit your contact information changes ASAP! PCMS Events: Register for 3rd annual symposium, Annual meeting postponed, Holiday social canceled Other events: CMS legislative reception, wine tasting, food/ag summit, state of evidence for cannabinoids, "The Sip" fundraiser, Colorado Consortium events, drug take-back day Community resources: PCMS to relaunch database of physicians who have closed practices News: Why leadership matters for physician well-being News from CMS: Let CMS know about your issues with payers News from AMA: New AMA e-magazine on burnout

UPDATE FROM YOUR PRESIDENT: Tom Greidanus, MD

Cannabis Forum presented an important "cautionary message" PCMS was proud to partner with the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment (PDPHE) to present the Cannabis Community Forum on Aug. 8. Speakers included two emergency room doctors – our PCMS representative to the CMS, Brad Roberts, MD, and Karen Randall – and an addiction psychiatrist, Libby Stuyt, MD. All from Pueblo, the speakers shared their considerable education, experience and knowledge. As PDPHE said in their post-event report, the story they told is indeed a local one, but like the opioid story, there is a cautionary message for us all. Read more here.

Brad Roberts presents "Legalized Cannabis in Colorado Emergency Departments"

Karen Randall presents "Myths and Realities of Cannabis"

Physician speakers from left: Libby Stuyt, Randall, Roberts and myself (Greidanus)

UPDATE FROM YOUR CMS BOD REP: Brad Roberts, MD

Top 9 emerging themes in health care At the July 12 Colorado Medical Society Board of Directors meeting, board members heard from Paul Presken with the Colorado Health Institute on nine emerging themes in health care. Paul's environmental scan analyzed the Colorado health care system and national trends that will impact the state and nearly all of them were at least somewhat related to health care costs. His report preceded a board discussion on what should be included in the 2020 CMS operational plan. Pictured are board members during the small-group discussion portion of the meeting. From left: Iris Burgard, Brad Roberts, MD, CMS President Deb Parsons, MD, and C. Rocky White, MD. Read more here.

PCMS DIRECTORY ALERT

Don't forget! Make updates to your listing in the 2019 PCMS Directory The 2019 PCMS Medical Directory will be published on Sept. 27. Please email directory@pueblocms.org any and all updated contact information such as practice name, office phone numbers (including fax), and an updated professional photo by Monday, September 16, noon. You're also invited to place an advertisement. This exclusive opportunity gives you the chance to reach all PCMS members plus other medical professionals and patients throughout our region. View advertising rates here. Find more information on the PCMS website here.

PCMS EVENTS

Save the date for upcoming PCMS events in 2019 More details online at pueblocms.org/events ! Annual General Meeting - postponed to Wed., Nov. 13, 5:30 p.m. 3rd Annual Symposium on Updates in Primary Care - Sat., Oct. 12, 8 a.m. Holiday Social - canceled

Register today for the 3rd Annual Symposium: Primary Care Updates 2019 - Oct. 12 PCMS's 3rd Annual Symposium will provide the latest recommendations of medical topics important to the primary care provider. Join us to 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.

OTHER EVENTS

You're invited: Legislative Reception and Awards Ceremony Hosted by the Colorado Medical Society - Sept. 26 Join the Colorado Medical Society in celebrating another successful legislative session. CMS will host the Legislative Reception and Awards Ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 26, 6 - 7:30 p.m., at Walker Fine Art, 300 W 11th Ave, Denver, CO 80204. RSVP online at https://paperless.ly/33gESvc or by emailing emily_bishop@cms.org.

Enjoy a wine tasting with 80/Twenty Wines in Pueblo - Sept. 29 80/Twenty Wines in downtown Pueblo invites you to a special in-store wine tasting on Sunday, Sept. 29, 1-3 p.m. (come and go) at 415 N. Greenwood. Generally, the store is closed on Sunday but four times a year they are open for this popular event. There is no charge to attend but reservations are required. Call 543-9463 or email john@80twentywines.com by 5 p.m. on Sept. 26 to save your spot. There will be eight featured wines to taste, tasty food pairings (snacks), and discounts.

Save the date: 2019 Inaugural Food & Ag Summit in Pueblo - Oct. 2, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The Pueblo Food Project announced the 2019 Inaugural Food & Ag Summit in Pueblo will take place on Oct. 2, 2019, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. More information will be available soon. PCMS is actively involved in this group that was initiated by Pueblo's mayor and we strongly encourage our members to attend. Doctors' input on the food issue in Pueblo is critically important!

Controversies in Medicine and Policy Symposium: The State of Evidence for Cannabinoids - Scientific and Regulatory Issues - Oct. 4 Controversies in Medicine and Policy Symposium: The State of Evidence for Cannabinoids - Scientific and Regulatory Issues (CMP 2019) is an educational and accredited CME/CE live activity which, due to its multidisciplinary nature, will highlight the endocannabinoid system, its management, and relevant policy and laws. The faculty will speak from their expertise as physicians and lawyers in the marijuana industry. The event will be held in Denver on Oct. 4 at the Hilton Denver Inverness. CMP 2019 offers up to 7.5 CME / CE credits as well as 2 COPIC points. A simulcast streaming option is available for those not able to attend live. Find more information and register here.

"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.

Register today for the Consortium's annual meeting - Oct. 23 Join the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention to learn about what Colorado is doing to fight the opioid epidemic. This year's annual meeting, on Oct. 23, has been reformatted to allow more networking and focus on work in the communities. Once again, it will be held at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. An event the evening before is geared toward physician education featuring SCOPE (Safer/Competent Opioid Prescribing Education) of Pain with Boston University School of Medicine. Register for the Consortium's annual meeting (Oct. 23) here. Register for the physician education event (Oct. 22) here.

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.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

PCMS webpage to assist providers with patient medical records PCMS receives two to three phone calls a week from doctors’ offices or individuals requesting assistance locating patient medical records. A majority of the phone calls are from rural communities. A major reason for the inability to locate medical records appears to be doctors closing practices unexpectedly and not notifying patients beforehand, also known by the Colorado Medical Board as “patient abandonment.” While most of the doctors we’ve been able to locate have been diligently following the Colorado Medical Board’s policy for medical record retention and protection, some may need a refresher. To aid our providers and their patients, PCMS has now posted the Medical Record Retention and Protection policy on our website here and 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. 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

Study: Why leadership matters for physician well-being A recent article from the Harvard Business Review, " Better Work-Life Balance Starts with Managers," pulls information from an Italian study showing the importance of managers and leaders for the well-being of their employees. While not exclusive to physicians, the researchers assert that "employees who work with a supportive supervisor -- someone who offers emotional and practical support, who acts as a positive role model, and who is a creative problem-solver -- experience reduced work-life conflict, improved health, and increased fulfillment on the job and at home."

NEWS FROM THE COLORADO MEDICAL SOCIETY

Payer issues: CMS wants to hear from you! Did you know you have access to a searchable catalog of provider protection statutes that you can use in disputes with health plans? Know Your Legal Rights* contains decades of public policy victories that may assist you in your dealings with payers. Make sure the physicians in your practice are members of the Colorado Medical Society so you have access to this great resource today! As we approach the upcoming legislative session, CMS needs to hear from you concerning issues with payers that are impacting your practice. We can only be as effective as the intelligence we gather from those of you on the “front lines.” We need to hear from you! Please contact us at payerissues@cms.org with your payer issues. *Accessing Know Your Legal Rights requires a CMS member login. Member physicians’ staff can obtain their own login by contacting Tim Yanetta at tim_yanetta@cms.org .

NEWS FROM THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION Read the summer issue of AMA Moving Medicine: Changing the culture of burnout

Access the latest issue of the AMA's new digital magazine, AMA Moving Medicine. It is available to everyone, even non-members. The Summer 2019 issue explores the many ways physicians are changing the culture and stigma associated with physician burnout and is filled with articles you won't find anywhere else. Read AMA Moving Medicine now.

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: President: Thomas Greidanus, MD; President-Elect: open position; Secretary: Marcel Junqueira, MD; Treasurer: Robert Tonsing, MD; Past-President: Alfredo Vargas, MD; CMS Representative: Brad Roberts, MD |  Directors: 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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