News from The Physician Alliance

A bi-weekly newsletter from your physician organization

Friday, Oct. 8, 2021

Please save us in your contacts

The Physician Alliance has a new general information email address:

info@thephysicianalliance.org

All e-newsletters, education alerts, special announcements and other electronic communication will come from this new email. Please save this email in your contacts list to ensure our electronic communication makes it to your inbox!

Learn simple steps to market your practice during free webinar

With the expansive growth in digital marketing platforms, building an online presence for your practice and physicians can help retain and educate current patients, attract new patients and improve reputation. Don't miss the upcoming member-only webinar that will share tips and tricks for promoting your practice online.

How Google will impact your practice in 2022

Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021; 12:30-1pm

View flyer for more details.

This 30-minute lunchtime webinar will help you understand how to:

leverage Google to drive in more patients
show up in the “Google 3-pack”
use simple steps to build online reputation
use Google as a secondary website to promote practices
PLUS 3 simple tasks to do in 10 minutes to keep your practice ahead of competition

Presenter: Bobby Dimovski, founder/CEO, 4MJ Social

DON'T FORGET!

There are still spots available in these upcoming education programs!

Population health & quality updates

Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021; 12-1pm

Open to TPA PGIP practices to learn updates related to BCBSM quality programs and/or initiatives, and gain an understanding of performance reporting and performance improvement. Click for more information and to register.

What practices need to know about upcoming changes to telehealth policies

Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021; 8-9am

Practice management and patient care continue to be impacted by greater access and expanded usage of telehealth, changes to regulations, insurance payment policies and patient interests. Learn what's coming for telehealth and lessons learned to help improve telehealth practices. Click for more information and to register.

Webinars are complimentary and open to The Physician Alliance members only.

Educate patients on antibiotic use for colds and congestion

As the weather changes in Michigan, sneezing and congestion may start appearing more often in patients.

Most congestive illnesses are viral and antibiotics will not help the infection. While patients may want an antibiotic, believing it will help make them feel better, unnecessarily prescribing antibiotics isn't good for anyone.

Remind patients that taking unnecessary antibiotics will not cure the infection and may actually cause antibiotic resistance and increase costs.

Share other options to help relieve symptoms, including:

Rest
Avoid alcohol, smoke and fumes
Drink extra water and other liquids
For congestion, use cool mist vaporizer or saline nasal spray
For sore throat, suck on ice chips or use over the counter sore throat spray or lozenges (older children and adults only)

The Physician Alliance created education materials to share with patients presenting with a viral congestive infection:

6 facts you should know about using antibiotics for bronchitis poster
Managing bronchitis poster
Rx ‘non-prescription pad’ (antibiotics) flyer
Rx ‘non-prescription pad’ (PEDIATRICS antibiotics) flyer

Choosing Wisely is also a helpful resource for clinical recommendations for providers and patients.

Contact local facilities for Covid-19 booster shot

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently approved some people, including healthcare workers, to receive a Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine booster shot 6 months after their second dose administration.

Practice staff eligible and interested in receiving a Covid vaccine booster can contact local health departments, commercial retail chains (CVS, Rite Aid, Meijer, Ascension retail pharmacies, etc.), urgent care facilities (including some Ascension MyHealth Urgent Care locations) and similar entities to receive a booster shot. Some physician practices are also offering Covid vaccines. Please contact these locations directly for hours, appointments and to confirm booster dose availability.