NCMS Voice | Fall 2019 | e-news from your Northern Colorado Medical Society
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President’s letter: Exciting news coming from the 2019 Thriving NOCO Summit
In this quarter's president's letter, NCMS President Lesley Brooks, MD, previews the 2019 Thriving NOCO Summit, of which NCMS is a sponsor, and gives members advance notice of some important data that will be unveiled at the event. The North Colorado Health Alliance, NCMS and other health care organizations sought data from CIVHC on emergency department utilization in our region and in hopes it will inform efforts to reduce health care costs.
Read more here.
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Executive update: Staff change and quick report on Legislative Night
NCMS co-interim executive directors Donna Sullivan, MD, and Kate Alfano talk about a staff transition and give a preliminary report on a very successful Legislative Night.
Read more here and see a few photos from legislative night below. Reach us anytime at
nocomedsoc@gmail.com. Interested in the executive director position or know someone who is?
Email us for the job description.
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NCMS Treasurer Jan Gillespie, MD, reports from her table with Rep. Jeni Arndt
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Briana Money, MD, talks about the public option at her table with Rep. Perry Buck and constituents
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Rep. Mary Young of Greeley gives a report from her table discussion
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Call for nominees for NCMS Physician of the Year
Do you know of a northern Colorado physician who goes above and beyond? Who provides our community with compassionate and caring medical service in practice, education or research; enhances the quality of his or her community; and/or serves as a credible role model to others? The NCMS Board of Directors seeks nominations for the 2019 Northern Colorado Medical Society Physician of the Year, the society's highest honor. Deadline: Dec. 1, 2019. The award will be presented at the NCMS Annual Meeting in early 2020. The awardee has the opportunity to be prominently featured in the 2020 NCMS Physician Directory and Patient Resource Guide.
Read more here and nominate an outstanding physician!
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2019 Thriving NOCO Summit: Stimulating Health Care Transformation in Northern Colorado - Nov. 6, 7:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
The North Colorado Health Alliance will present the Thriving NOCO Summit at the University of Northern Colorado on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 7:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. The focus is access to care, and there will be a breakout specifically on the CIVHC data request on emergency department utilization in northern Colorado that NCMS is partially funding. Other breakouts dive into what employers and communities are doing to address health care costs and improve access to behavioral health services. The keynote speaker is Kim Bimestefer, executive director of the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, and panelists include Margo Karsten of Banner Health, Mitzi Moran of Sunrise, Larry Pottorff of North Range, Carol Plock of the Health District, and Jeff Glasheen of UCHealth. Jeff Bontrager and Eli Boone of the Colorado Health Institute will give the closing talk. It is free to attend. Seats may still be available.
Find more information here.
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SOCI Trivia Night Fundraiser - Nov. 9, 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Make plans to attend a fundraiser for Systems of Care Initiative, Inc. (SOCI) on Nov. 9, 2019. This fun trivia night will also feature food, drinks, a silent auction and 50/50 raffles. Cost is $25 per ticket or $200 per table BUT NCMS has 40 tickets reserved for members and their guests as a perk of our sponsorship. Email
coaches@socicoaching.com to claim free tickets to the event for yourself and your guest(s). NCMS members and their guests will be seated at tables designated for the medical society. The event will be held at 301 E. Stuart St. in Fort Collins. SOCI, a community-based nonprofit, provides free services to help people complete their advance directives in Northern Colorado. Learn more about SOCI here. RSVP to
coaches@socicoaching.com or 970-449-6840.
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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. Though the investigation is still ongoing, the FDA updated a
Consumer Update on Oct. 4 warning the public to stop using products that contain Vitamin E acetate and tetrahydrocannabinoil (THC). They also have available a
Lung Illnesses Associated with Use of Vaping Products webpage to provide an overview of incidents and FDA’s actions to date, as well as recommendations for consumers, health care providers, and state health departments.
With nine outbreak cases and seven hospitalizations in Colorado as of Oct. 16, the
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment urges the public 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.
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State releases proposal for state option for health insurance coverage; Colorado Medical Society to provide comments by Oct. 25
After months of stakeholder meetings, the Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI) and the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) issued a draft report Monday on the development of a state option for health insurance coverage. The Colorado Medical Society, joined by component societies and medical specialty societies from around the state, has been actively involved in the stakeholder process by providing
testimony and other
comments, following the CMS Board of Directors’ stated hope to support a public option plan that increases competition in health insurance markets, reduces insurance premiums, facilitates quality improvement and administrative simplification, and inspires physician network participation. While a complete analysis of the proposal is underway, a key takeaway within the proposal is that it sets hospital rates at 175 to 225 percent of Medicare. Physician rates are
not affected by this proposed plan.
Read more here.
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Colorado Medical Society announces new leadership: CEO and officers
Bryan Campbell, FAAMSE, has been named Chief Executive Officer of the Colorado Medical Society, effective January 2020. Bryan moves to CMS from his most recent position as the CEO of the Duval County Medical Society (DCMS) in Jacksonville, Fla. 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. Sami Diab, MD, an oncologist in Denver, was elected CMS president-elect and will be inaugurated as CMS president in September 2020. David Markenson, MD, MBA, was installed as CMS president at the CMS Annual Meeting in September.
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Welcome, new members!
We welcome our new members to NCMS, the second largest component chapter of the Colorado Medical Society. Your membership connects you to your colleagues and a host of benefits through NCMS and CMS. Go to www.nocomedsoc.org or www.cms.org to learn more.
- Shadia M Alam, MD
- Danika Forgach, MD
- Alexandra E Garnett, MD
- Tara Hoff, MD
- Rebecca M Johnson-Paben, MD
- Ryan C Jones, DO
- Lacey N LaGrone, MD
- Michael L Larson, MD
- Shivanshu Madan, MD
- Cristina S McLaughlin, MD
- James A McReynolds, MD
- Caren E Millard, MD
- Nicholaus Mize, DO
- Rachael L Nemcic, MD
- Eric M Nyberg, MD
- Ross Sheline, MD
- Matthew R Shirazi, MD
- James Stewart, DO, MPH
- Maria W Tucker, DO
- Evan L Vincent, MD
- Sara M Vrabec, MD
- Jason C Warncke, MD
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Thank you to our "Friends of NCMS" annual sponsors
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