Volume 118, No. 11: November 2022 Edition

They Said It...


Have questions about renewing your license? The Pennsylvania Medical Society has an excellent resource page available for all PCMS members that covers many common questions. Members can also visit PAMED's CME section to take courses that can fulfill the conditions for license renewal, including the requirement for Child Abuse CE. As always, if you have need of assistance, feel free to reach out to us at stat@philamedsoc.org.

Things you should know...

Philadelphia Substance Use Data Dashboard 

Philadelphia lost 1,214 lives to overdose in 2020. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health continues to address substance use as they would any other health issue, working with partners to prevent overdoses, increase access to treatment, and provide harm reduction services to reduce the health impacts for people living with a substance use disorder. Please check out their Substance Use Data Dashboard, which provides connections to key local data on opioid, stimulant, and other drug use trends in Philadelphia.


The purpose of the Data Dashboard is to be a one-stop-shop for citywide data related to substance use and overdose trends. The Data Dashboard uses interactive data visualizations to provide community members, researchers, health professionals, and policymakers with timely data to track opioid, stimulant, and other drug use in Philadelphia.



For more information on the City’s response as well as treatment and harm reduction resources in Philadelphia, please click here.

Health Updates from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health

Use of Palivizumab to Prevent Hospitalization from Severe RSV Infection During 2022-23 Season

 

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released guidance related to the use of palivizumab to prevent hospitalization from severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection during the 2022-2023 season.

 

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes annual epidemics of acute respiratory illnesses in children, ranging from mild upper respiratory tract infections to severe lower respiratory tract disease including bronchiolitis or pneumonia. Currently, RSV activity in the United States remains variable by region. Recommendations for determining the timing of the onset and offset of seasonal activity are published and vary depending on whether antigen detection or molecular testing is used for surveillance.

 

With the shift in seasonality noted in 2021 and the current regional variability in interseason RSV cases, the AAP continues to support the use of palivizumab in eligible infants in any region experiencing rates of RSV activity at any time in 2022 similar to a typical fall-winter season. The AAP recommends initiating the standard administration of palivizumab, which consists of 5 consecutive monthly doses. The AAP will continue to monitor the interseasonal trends and update its guidance as needed if the RSV season extends longer than 6 months.


The full guidance from the AAP can be found here.

Monkeypox Updates: Testing, Treatment, and Vaccine Updates


Anyone who feels they are at risk for acquiring monkeypox is now eligible for vaccination. Any patient who feels that they are at risk for coming into contact with Monkeypox can now be vaccinated. They do not need to meet any further eligibility criteria.


Healthcare workers using appropriate PPE should collect lesion specimens with sterile non-cotton swabs. Swabs sent to commercial labs should be sent in viral transport media. It is not necessary or recommended to unroof, open or aspirate monkeypox lesions with sharps to increase sample yield.


Tecovirimat (TPOXX) should be considered for people who are pregnant and people who are breastfeeding or chestfeeding as well as those with or at risk of severe disease, with involvement of anatomic areas that might result in serious sequalae, pediatric populations younger than 8 years of age and people with a condition affecting skin integrity. Consider prolonged courses of Tecovirimat in individuals with severe cases and in those who are highly immunocompromised. Be sure to evaluate all patients to determine eligibility for TPOXX.


Please also consider informing patients about the Study of Tecovirimat for Human Monkeypox Virus (STOMP) for their voluntary participation. The University of Pennsylvania is a local site. Reach out to Bill Short, MD at 267-971-3275 for more information about referring a patient.


CDC consults are available for clinical teams treating patients with severe disease. Call the Division of Disease Control (DDC) at 215-685-6741 (business hours) or 215-686-4514 (after hours, ask for DDC on-call staff). You can view CDC’s Guidance for Tecovirimat Use here.

DEA Reminding Registrants to Renew Their License

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Registration and Program Support Section has identified countless Practitioners and Mid-Level Practitioners’ DEA Registration numbers whose Medical State Licensure and/or their Controlled Substance licensure numbers past their expiration date, which is in direct violation under Title 21 U.S.C. 8 2 3. To assist DEA’s registrant population, DEA is implementing a proactive alert email to remind registrants to renew their state authority in lieu of facing termination of their Federal DEA Registration number.


In the event DEA recognizes an expired state license, the registrant will receive an email 5 days after the expiration of the license, as a reminder to renew the license as soon as possible. If the license has not been corrected 30 days after expiration, the registrant will receive a second notification stating the registration is in jeopardy of having an Order to Show Cause terminate the registration due to non-compliance with Federal law and state compliance.


There are numerous ways to correct this issue which only takes a couple minutes. The quickest and most secure way to correct this discrepancy is to Make Changes to my DEA RegistrationIf you should need assistance, you can call the Registration Support number at 1-800-882-9539 between the hours of 8:30 am and 5:50 pm or find a Registration Specialist in your area.

Award Season

Do you know someone who deserves to be recognized for their devotion to the practice of medicine? Consider nominating them for one of our Annual Awards:

 

Strittmatter Award: Since 1923, the award has honored a PCMS physician who has demonstrated to the Society the most valuable contributions to the healing art, surgical or medical. Requirements: A physician colleague should submit a nominating letter and include the candidate’s current curriculum vitae. Please Email Eileen Ryan at PCMS: eryan@philamedsoc.org

 

Practitioner of the Year Award: Presented to a PCMS member for excellence in patient care and community service. Requirements: Physician colleagues, medical students and staff may send letters of nomination. Please include examples of community service. Click here to Nominate

 

The Dr. Vanitha Appadorai Vaidya Award for Humaneness in Medicine: Presented to a PCMS resident/fellow physician for his/her exceptional ability to work with people, patients, and their families, and for his/her understanding of human as well as clinical needs. Requirements: Medical students, physicians and professional staff are urged to submit nominating letters and include written examples of their nominee’s humaneness. Click here to Nominate

 

Cristol Award: Presented to a PCMS physician member who has made a significant contribution to the Society by furthering and enhancing the educational, scientific and charitable goals, purposes and functions of organized medicine. Requirements: Physicians and medical student members are encouraged to submit nominating letters. Send your nomination letters to eryan@philamedsoc.org. For more information or to nominate a member, please Email or call Eileen Ryan at 215-563-5344.

 

Nomination deadline is Friday, March 3, 2023.

CONTRACT CORNER BRIEFS
by Karen E. Davidson, Esquire

FOUNDATIONAL UNDERSTANDING


Building on our last two Contract Corner Briefs, another pillar of physician employment contracts is professional liability coverage. There are basically two types, “occurrence” and “claims made.”


Occurrence policies respond to claims arising from all periods during which the physician was covered (i.e., while employed and any claims arising after such employment ends). Claims made coverage only responds to claims arising while the physician is covered by the policy (i.e., while employed) unless an extended reporting endorsement (also known as “tail coverage”) is purchased to cover claims arising after employment ends. Tail coverage typically must be purchased within a short period thereafter (often 30 days) and cost between 100% - 200% of the annual premium. Specialties with higher premiums have higher tail costs.


If the party responsible for tail coverage is not clearly identified in the contract, the physician will be considered the responsible party. So, the employment contract should be clear. Care should also be taken because these contract provisions can be extensive, allocate financial responsibility depending on various circumstances (such as who ultimately terminates the contract and for what reason) and have significant implications.

Calendar of Events

November

Regional Overdose Prevention Coalition Conference


Date: Friday, November 18

Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm


The Regional Overdose Prevention Coalition is holding a virtual conference that will focus on families, specifically on what the Coalition’s systems and services can do to identify, understand, and address the needs of families impacted by substance use as well as the trauma experienced due to a substance-related loss.



Learn more and register here.

December

Aftershock; A Documentary Film Screening and Community Conversation


Date: Friday, December 2

Time: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Place: Widener University Alumni Auditorium, 1 University Place, Chester, PA 19013


The Foundation for Delaware County is holding a free in-person film screening of Aftershock, a 2022 documentary that highlights the US maternal health crisis. Speakers and honored guests for this event include:

  • Monica Taylor, PhD., Chair, Delaware County Council
  • Shawnee Benton Gibson, LMSW/FDLC and mother of Shamony Gibson
  • Omari Maynard, artist, parent and partner to Shamony Gibson
  • Desirée Israel, LCSW., Co-founder, Perinatal Mental Health Alliance for People of Color
  • Jawanza Bundy, PhD, CNM, WHNP-BC, RN, School of Nursing, Widener University
  • Onaje Muid, DSW, Fatherhood Coordinator, The Foundation for Delaware County
  • Shanna Williams, LCSW, MEd., Founder of S.W. Doula LLC


Learn more and register here

Negotiating and Understanding your Employment Contract


Date: Tuesday, December 13

Time: 7:00 pm

 

A free educational program for Residents, Fellows and young physicians. This webinar focuses on understanding the basic terms of most employment agreements and will examine specific contract clauses, what the legal terms mean in a practical sense, and why they matter. The presentation will also address common questions raised by physicians about employment agreements, and will offer practical advice on how to approach the contract review process.



Click Here to Register

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Philadelphia County Medical Society | stat@philamedsoc.org
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