The Michigan Osteopathic Association House of Delegates (HOD) will take place Saturday, April 30, 2022. The HOD will be virtual and has been moved from the traditional Spring Convention in order to adhere to the American Osteopathic Association's HOD timeline of submitting resolutions to their HOD.
Resolutions must be submitted by February 18, 2022
The MOA relies on the support and participation of its members in shaping the health policy of tomorrow. Submitting resolutions for action directly influences the MOA advocacy agenda.
Delegates to the MOA HOD must be submitted by February 18, 2022
Even if you have never served as a delegate before, the MOA welcomes you to join at this most important event. Contact your component society to learn more about how you can be a delegate or submit resolutions.
Who Can Author and Introduce Resolutions?
Any MOA member in good standing may author a resolution; however, introduction of resolutions to the House of Delegates is limited to delegates, alternate-seated delegates, component associations, MOA Departments, Councils, or Board of Trustees. Non-delegate status members in good standing should contact their component association for assistance in identifying an appropriate channel for resolution introduction.
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New OSHA Rule on Employers and COVID-19
The MOA leadership has received several inquiries regarding the new OSHA rule requiring all employers with 100 employees to implement a policy regarding mandatory COVID-19 vaccine, here’s a link to the fact sheet. All family physicians may want to become more aware of this new rule as patients ask questions about medical exemptions, allergies, and other concerns related to a mandatory vaccine. Below are links to information that is currently avilable.
SHRM Article:
FEDERAL REGISTER WITH PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ENDING 12/6/2021:
OSHA Fact Sheet:
White House Fact Sheet:
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Scope of Practice Legislation:
MOA, joins efforts to protect physician-led, Team-based care with MiAACT
Trained experts. Compassionate caregivers. A true team of individuals, each playing an essential role and doing their part—with the patient at the center of it all.
It’s the kind of care Michigan patients expect for themselves and their loved ones. And frankly, we believe it’s the kind of care they all deserve.
With that in mind, we’re excited to announce we’ve joined a new coalition— Michigan for Advancing Collaborative Care Teams (MiACCT) that solely focused on preserving and strengthening the health care teams we all rely on for our care. And we believe it’s a coalition that couldn’t have come at a better time.
David Best, DO, the president of the Michigan Osteopathic Association (MOA) said ”Patients trust the Team-based health care where doctors supervise and collaborate on direct care and prescribing medications. Senate Bill 680 would authorize nurse practitioners to make decisions, formerly made by physicians, without additional training.”
Every day, across the country, powerful special interest groups work to undermine the team-based approach to health care all in the interest of making a buck. The policies they promote take physicians, away from their patients and jeopardize the patient care and safety in the process.
Thankfully, MiACCT is here to fight back.
Made up of a growing number of health care providers and patient advocacy organizations united and committed in the belief that the time-tested, physician-led, patient-centered model of care is the very best way to increase health care access without compromising patient safety or quality of care, MiACCT exists to fight for what’s best for Michigan’s patients. That’s what they need. That’s what they deserve. And we’re happy to be a part of it.
The MOA also enlisted support from the Ingham County Osteopathic Association, Wayne County Osteopathic Medical Association, the Oakland County Osteopathic Medical Association and the Macomb County Osteopathic Medical Association.
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Make sure your Senator knows Nurse Practitioners should be part of the care team, not independent from it and to vote NO on Senate Bill 680
Senate Bill 680 was recently introduced in the Michigan Senate that will allow for full independent practice for nurse practitioners (NPs). Under the bill, not only would NPs be allowed to provide direct care without physician supervision or collaboration, they would also be allowed to prescribe opioids and other controlled substances. Further, the bill wouldn’t even require additional training or education for NPs.
We know this isn’t what’s best for patients. They want and deserve a robust care team that collaborates for their best interest. The way to do that is NOT creating silos of care. It’s NOT putting those with less training and experience in charge of their care. Let your Senator know this isn’t the right plan for Michigan’s patients.
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COVID-19 Vaccine for Kids 5 - 11 Years | What's the Latest? with Dr. Nick Gilpin
Dr. Gilpin from Beaumont Health is fantastic. Well-measured delivery of facts and information that help our communities be safe and stay healthy.
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MOA President Supports 2021 SOMA Monster Dash |
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MOA President David Best, DO, ran in the annual, MSUCOM & SOMA D.O. Monster Dash 5K. Dr. Best finished first place in his age group and third overall.
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Michigan’s Health and Aging Services Administration offer online discussion
Michigan’s Health and Aging Services Administration recently released Bulletin MSA 21-19, which expands access to services by updating and expanding reimbursement for treatment for Alcohol Use and Opioid Use Disorders provided by primary care providers in office-based settings. Join us for one of these 60-minute virtual discussions about how providers can screen and identify patients with potential mild to moderate AUD and OUD, available office-based treatment options, and how to successfully bill for services rendered.
Meeting ID: 850 9011 2971, Passcode: 363657
Phone only: Dial 1-312-626-6799, enter Meeting ID and Passcode
Thursday, November 18, 2021, 1:00 – 2:00 pm EST
Target Audience: Providers, including Physicians (MD/DO), Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Clinical Nurse Midwifes, Pediatricians, Licensed Psychologist, Licensed Social Workers (Master’s level), and others.
Thursday, December 2, 2021, 10:00 – 11:00 am EST
This discussion will focus on the mechanics of billing for services
Target Audience: Administrators responsible for patient billing for provider practices.
Presenters:
Laura Kilfoyle
Reference and Benefits Section, Medicaid Policy Division
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Bureau of Medicaid Policy, Operations & Actuarial Services
Cara Poland, MD
Board Certified Addiction Medicine Physician
Assistant Professor, Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine
Nicole Salava
Provider Analyst, Provider Relations
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Dusan Stojicic
Associate Director, Substance Use Disorders and Justice-Involved Populations
Community Catalyst
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Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule Affects Telehealth, Vaccines, More
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently released the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule for calendar year 2022, which includes updates to Medicare payments under the schedule and other Medicare Part B issues effective Jan.1.
Provisions of the rule will:
- Reduce the conversion factor by $1.31, from $34.89 to $33.58, to accommodate budget neutrality with changes in relative value units and the expiration of the 3.75% payment increase provided in the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act.
- Extend eligible telehealth services that were added to the Medicare telehealth services list during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) through Dec. 31, 2023. This will allow for more time for stakeholders to gather data and submit support for requesting that services be permanently added to the Medicare telehealth services list.
- Implement an in-person visit requirement at least every 12 months to qualify for telehealth service payment.
- Include audio-only communications technology when used for telehealth services for the diagnosis, evaluation or treatment of mental health disorders furnished to established patients in their homes under certain circumstances.
- Delay the start date for compliance actions related to electronic prescribing of controlled substances to Jan. 1, 2023, and delay the compliance start date for Part D prescriptions written for beneficiaries in long-term care facilities to Jan. 1, 2025.
- Delay the penalty phase of the appropriate use criteria program to Jan. 1, 2023, or the Jan. 1 that follows the declared end of the COVID-19 PHE, whichever comes later.
- Pay $30 per dose for the administration of the influenza, pneumococcal and hepatitis B virus vaccines, and maintain the current payment rate of $40 per dose for the administration of the COVID-19 vaccines. In addition, make the additional payment of $35.50 for COVID-19 vaccine administration in the home through the end of the calendar year in which the ongoing PHE ends.
- Define and clarify policies for split (or shared) evaluation and management visits, which can be billed by the physician or practitioner who provides the substantive portion of the visit.
- Allow physician assistants (PAs) to bill Medicare directly for their professional services, reassign payment for their professional services, and incorporate with other PAs and bill Medicare for PA services.
- Delay the increase in the quality performance standard Accountable Core Organizations must meet to be eligible to share in savings until program year 2024.
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Autumn CME Sessions offered On Demand |
The Autumn CME sessions will be available on demand beginning Nov. 15.
For Autumn CME opportunities, we will offer the same speakers and sessions that were planned for the in-person event in an On Demand platform offering 23 AOA Category 1-A credits or 23 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits TM
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Click on headline for full article
These CME webinars from AOIA are scheduled in November.
There are three prominent theories on attention, said author and developmental molecular biologist John Medina, PhD.
The AOA accreditation agency will continue to oversee educational requirements for the growing profession, including 37 Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine in 58 locations.
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AOA Advocacy & Engagement
All AOA members receive the monthly DO Engage newsletter via email. The DO Engage is the AOA’s electronic newsletter detailing current legislative and regulatory activity, and updates on issues that directly affect our members. Please remember to check your inboxes for this newsletter containing important policy updates. Additionally, available within the AOA OAN Action Center, you will find archived editions of the DO Engage Newsletter.
Join the Osteopathic Advocacy Network (OAN). The AOA is working on your behalf every day, but you are the best advocate for the osteopathic profession and your elected officials must hear from you.
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Coalition Newsletter for November 8, 2021 |
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Kids ages 5 to 11 now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine, parents urged to vaccinate
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), doctors and state public health leaders are urging Michigan parents to get their children ages 5 to 11 vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 pediatric vaccine, which received emergency use authorization for this age group from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and was recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on Nov. 2.
MDHHS is recommending providers begin vaccinating children ages 5 to 11 years as soon as possible.
In Michigan, there have been more than 201,000 confirmed COVID cases in those age 19 and younger, and 20 deaths have been reported in ages 10 to 19 as of Nov. 2. More than 450 children under the age of 12 become infected with the virus each day.
Based on data provided by Pfizer, the vaccine was shown to be nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic disease from COVID-19 in this age group. The pediatric formulation of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is administered as a series of two doses, 21 days apart, at one-third the amount of the adult dosage. Clinical trial participants demonstrated a strong immune response one month after the second dose. The most commonly reported side effects, typically lasting one to three days, were pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, chills, muscle pain, fever and joint pain. With the exception of pain at the injection site, more children reported these side effects after the second dose than after the first dose.
More than 825,000 Michigan children will now be eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. With more than 4,000 vaccine providers across the state, including family physicians and pediatricians, urgent cares, local health departments, federally qualified health centers and pharmacies, there are plenty of providers and vaccines available for eligible children. MDHHS has ordered 287,700 doses for the initial rollout, which is the full allocation provided by CDC for the launch of vaccination efforts. Vaccines will be available immediately beginning Nov. 3, and parents can find a vaccine by visiting Vaccines.gov or by calling 211.
Vaccination is the best protection against COVID-19. To date, more than 42% of children ages 12 to 15 have received their first dose the safe and effective Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
Data from the FDA and CDC show that children 5 to 11 years of age account for approximately 9% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. overall, and approximately 40% of pediatric cases. COVID-19 has infected 1.9 million children ages 5 to 11 nationwide and hospitalized 8,300. About one-third of hospitalized children required treatment in the ICU. 146 children have died, and over 5,000 have developed Multisystem Inflammatory Disorder (MIS-C).
From January to October, unvaccinated Michiganders accounted for 93.1% of COVID cases, 90.7% of hospitalizations and 90.5% of deaths.
COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Resources
Vaccine distribution and education is vital to getting Michiganders vaccinated. New resources for helping to educate Michigan residents can be found with the following links:
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Connecting the Dots: The Link Between Oral and Vision Health to Overall Well-Being
Thursday, November 18,12-1 pm
Oral and vision well-being is often described as the window to a person’s overall health. The eyes, mouth, teeth and gums can offer clues to other conditions and ailments in the body. And maintaining good oral and vision health can prevent tooth decay and loss, vision impairments, and help deter more serious issues such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
During this one-hour Master Class webinar, Lisa Knowles, DDS, dental director, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and Paul Kimbro, OD, Henry Ford Health System, will discuss the importance of oral and vision health and its connection to overall well-being. They’ll also address the fallout of COVID-19 that has included lapses of dental and vision care. This session will help employers understand the need and full value of specialty benefits, focusing on dental and vision coverage as part of their organization’s health plan. Attendees will also receive tools and resources to help encourage and implement better oral and vision health in the workplace.
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Membership Renewal
The 2022 membership renewal notices have been sent through email and USPS mail. A reminder—90% of your yearly dues can be deducted on your tax returns.
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Healthcare Organization COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates: A Risk vs. Benefit Analysis
By Solveig Dittmann, RN, BA, BSN, CPHRM, CPPS
Despite many months of public and private efforts to make vaccines widely available across the United States, approximately 48% of the general population remains unvaccinated. To date, over 500,000 healthcare workers have contracted coronavirus. Of these, over 3,600 workers have died. As recently as June 2021, it was estimated that one of every four hospital workers with direct patient contact was still unvaccinated.
Following a period of contraction, the rise of the highly transmissible delta variant in December 2020 has put many healthcare organizations in a similar or even worse situation compared to their circumstances during the pandemic’s peak.
Many organizations have “reached the breaking point with soft efforts to encourage vaccination” and are considering vaccine mandates. On March 31, 2021, Houston Methodist broke ground by becoming the first major academic medical center to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for its 26,000 employees. Soon after, it extended the mandate to 7,500 private practice physicians with hospital privileges. In response, 117 employees sued the organization, claiming it could not require a vaccination mandate as a prerequisite for employment. A federal judge dismissed this suit. As of June 28, Houston Methodist’s employee vaccination rate was 99%.
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MDHHS COVID-19 Vaccine information
This webpage will have valuable information to support COVID-19 Vaccine Providers in the successful implementation of the COVID-19 Vaccination Program. It will also be home to a live MDHHS COVID-19 Provider Toolkit. This toolkit is currently being worked on and as soon as it becomes available, we will get a message out. This webpage will be partnered with CDC to provide important and timely education as it is arriving.
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Strategic Partner Career Opportunity Spotlight:
Beaumont Health
Physician Careers
Compassionate, extraordinary care, every day.
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JOB POSTING AT MSUCOM
Assistant Professor-Fixed Term
Job no: 715240
Work type: Faculty/Academic Staff
Major Administrative Unit / College: College Of Osteopathic Medicine
Department: Osteopathic Medical Specialties Com 10034467
Sub Area: FAS- Fac./Acad Staff
Salary: Salary Commensurate with Experience
Location: East Lansing
Categories: Education/Training, Fixed Term Faculty, Part Time (1-49.9%), Union
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The MOA has developed an online Learning Center to deliver CME in a virtual format. Our Spring and Autumn sessions were a tremendous success with over 900 attendees. These sessions can still be accessed, along with other CME sessions, all qualifying for AOA Category 1-A CME credits.
These sessions can be accessed at any time by clicking the link below. Evaluations are within the system and can be taken after you have viewed the program.
Upcoming CME Opportunities
On Demand CME programs
Single session CME Credits
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September 4, 2021, saw the passing of Charles H. Franckowiak, DO
July 7, 2021, saw the passing of Howard D. Proctor, DO
July 3, 2021, saw the passing of Joseph Richert, DO
June of 2021, saw the passing of Ronald W. Wadle, DO
An obituary is unavailable at this time
May 19, 2021, saw the passing of John Bodell, DO
April 15, 2021, saw the passing of Bruno Borin, DO
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