December 8, 2020 Issue 106
President’s Message: 2020: Reflections on a Challenging Year
It may be hard to believe but this is my last President’s Message for 2020.

Or perhaps for you, it isn’t hard to believe we’ve already come to the close of another calendar year. 2020 has certainly been a year unlike any other, and events like what we’ve experienced over the last nine months sometimes do funny things to our concept of time. Either way, I always find it important to acknowledge the close of one chapter and the opening of a new one.
Online Enduring CME Available: “COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery and Distribution: Next Steps for Kentucky,” Presented by KMA and CHFS
Last week’s webinar, “COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery and Distribution: Next Steps for Kentucky,” presented by KMA and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, is now available online as an enduring CME activity.

The one-hour program provides the latest information on the COVID-19 vaccine related to distribution, delivery and prioritization of vaccine receipt. Upon approval, Kentucky physicians will need to know how the process of distribution, delivery and administration of the vaccine.

The presentation is made by Emily Messerli, DNP, APRN, Immunization Branch Manager/COVID19 Healthy at Work/School Advisor for the Kentucky Department for Public Health.

Members can access the CME Activity here.

KMA, Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Kentucky Welcome Additional Partners for “Raise Your Guard, KY: Focus on Flu” 
The Kentucky Medical Association (KMA), the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky (FHKy) and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Kentucky have welcomed new partners to the “Raise Your Guard, KY” campaign for a special focus on flu vaccination across the state.

Aetna Better Health of Kentucky, Humana, WellCare of Kentucky and the Kentucky Hospital Association will join the original partners of the Raise Your Guard, KY campaign to amplify the importance of all Kentuckians receiving a flu shot, particularly amid the current COVID-19 pandemic. The “Raise Your Guard, KY: Focus on Flu” campaign will be primarily centered on social media, with each organization promoting the benefits of flu vaccination. 
Save the Date: KMA to Host Virtual “Advocacy in Action Month” in February 2021
KMA physicians are encouraged to engage with their legislators to promote priority issues as the Association hosts a virtual “Advocacy in Action Month” throughout February 2021.
Advocacy in Action Month will replace “Physicians’ Day at the Capitol,” the in-person KMA advocacy event held in Frankfort each year, out of concern for the health and safety of Kentucky’s physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There will be a number of ways members can participate, including a virtual member briefing that will discuss the Association’s legislative priorities for the session on Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. ET. Members will also be encouraged to reach out to their legislators each Tuesday during the month as part of the initiative’s “Talk Tuesdays” events, as well as to contribute to the Kentucky Physicians Political Action Committee (KPPAC) during “KPPACtion Day.”

More information on Advocacy in Action Month, as well as registration for the events, is forthcoming.
Mandatory Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances 
Kentucky Revised Statute 218A.182, passed by the General Assembly in 2019, mandates the electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS) in Kentucky effective January 1, 2021. The Kentucky mandate is similar to the federal Medicare Part D EPCS mandate effective January 1, 2021, but applies to all controlled substances prescribed in Kentucky, regardless of payer.
Guidance for Healthcare Personnel for Work While in Quarantine and Contingency and Crisis Staffing
The Kentucky Department for Public Health issued Guidance for Healthcare Personnel for Work in Quarantine or Isolation and Contingency and Crisis Staffing Strategies for Healthcare Facilities for healthcare workers who are exposed or contract COVID-19 and healthcare facilities experiencing these situations.
Additional Upcoming Webinars
Kentucky Hospital Association COVID-19 Dashboard

The latest update of the Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA) COVID-19 Dashboard is now available here. The dashboard is an effort to provide current information about hospitalizations and ICU bed usage rates due to the novel Coronavirus.
MEMBER NEWS
Mutchnick Featured in MD-Update magazine

KMA member Ian. S. Mutchnick, M.D., M.S., a neurosurgeon with Norton Children's Neurosurgery and assistant professor at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, was featured in MD-Update magazine for his work in neuroscience.
KMA Mourns the Loss of Former President Bobby Miller DeWeese, M.D.
KMA Past President Bobby Miller DeWeese, M.D., passed away November 25, 2020 at the age of 86. He served as KMA President from 1988-1989.
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