Pueblo County Medical Society News
January 2017 - Volume 17, No. 1
Executive Director’s Message – Cheryl Law, MA, MNM
Happy New Year! I hope your 2017 is off to a good start and that you enjoyed a break over the holidays. Your medical society is now in full gear planning programs, education and resources for you, plus building partnerships with community organizations and working closely with the Colorado Medical Society. See more in this newsletter and stay tuned for exciting developments in 2017. And thanks, as always, for the opportunity to serve you. Don’t hesitate to contact me any time.

Cheryl
pueblocountymedsoc@gmail.com
719-696-9670 (office) / 719-281-6073 (mobile)
RAKE UP PUEBLO - TRiO Upward Bound at Pueblo Community College
Pueblo Executive Director Cheryl Law is thankful for the free services offered to her elderly parents by Rake Up Pueblo, a community service event organized by TRiO Student Support Services and TRiO Upward Bound at Pueblo Community College. TRiO Upward Bound is a college preparatory program that works with students from DHPH, Central, GOAL and East High school, and many of these students want to pursue a career in the health industry. We look forward to partnering with this and other organizations making a difference within our community.
Registration is now open for the CMS Physician Leadership Skills Series

As changes in Colorado health care accelerate, it is more important than ever to have well-trained and active physician leaders guiding the way. Thanks to a generous grant from the Physicians Foundation, the Colorado Medical Society presents the Physician Leadership Skills Series (PLSS) to help enhance physician leadership capacity in Colorado and provide current and emerging physician leaders with the knowledge and skills they need to serve their patients, their practice, their profession and their community.

The Physician Leadership Skills Series will feature eight innovative programs over the year aimed at deepening your awareness, developing crucial skills and equipping you with the tools and experience you need to lead tomorrow’s health care in Colorado.

The dates of the first three programs have been set and registration is open for the first program, Feb. 11 in Denver: Giving and receiving feedback / Building social capital. Find more information and links to register here. CMS is finalizing curriculum and speakers for the other events. This is a free program for CMS members; non-members are ineligible. 
Resource available for proposition 106, the “Colorado End-Of-Life Options Act”
The Colorado Medical Society’s office of general council has prepared information physicians should know about proposition 106, the Colorado End-Of-Life Options Act. Click here to read this important summary that includes a sample form for patients to request aid-in-dying medication.  
Combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria through antibiotic stewardship

Telligen Quality Innovation Network, Colorado’s Quality Improvement Organization, is currently recruiting outpatient health care settings to join an antibiotic stewardship program within their practices or clinics. Telligen’s support, which includes technical assistance, consultation, education, resources and tools, is provided at no cost to providers and partners who volunteer to join. Click on the links to access the Participation agreement and the Telligan Fact Sheet.  
Watch for the signs: Screen all patients for suicidal thoughts
Patients with suicidal thoughts or ideation appear occasionally in physician encounters. A consistent and formal screening process, and a response plan, will protect both the patient and the physician. To learn more about signs of suicidal thoughts, click here to access an article by Robin Diamond, MSN, JD, RN, senior vice president of patient safety and risk management, The Doctors Company.
UnitedHealthcare debuts Value-Based Care Payment Program

UnitedHealthcare has launched a Value-Based Care Payment Program in three Centura hospitals in Colorado, part of a program now in 25 markets nationwide and expected to expand to 40 markets in 2017, to help improve health outcomes and reduce costs for knee, hip and spine procedures.  

The Spine and Joint Solution gives UnitedHealthcare employer-sponsored plan participants access to surgeons and facilities that qualify as UnitedHealthcare Centers of Excellence, and accept bundled case rates for certain procedures, including knee and hip replacement, spinal fusion and spinal disc repair. The three facilities in Colorado are OrthoColorado Hospital in Lakewood, Porter Adventist Hospital in Denver and Penrose-St. Francis Health Services in Colorado Springs. Read more here.
Video: Evolving patient-facing technologies
In a 90-second video, The Doctors Company describes evolving patient-facing technologies. The federal government gave $30 billion to digitize the health care industry over the last five years, creating strong interest and advancements in health technology among technology companies. However, there are still things that must be worked out in order to ensure measurements in new tools are accurate, advice given to patients is appropriate, and that there is clear guidance when patients should see a doctor rather than manage their own care.

Watch the video here. To learn more about health care in the digital age, visit www.thedoctors.com/digitalmedicine. 
HIPAA webinar: Jan. 19 – Why Agile is 21st Century Compliance

This webinar will be held Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, 12 - 1:30 PM MST, and explores why Agile is the only compliance methodology suited for the 21st century and beyond. Register here.
MEDICARE UPDATES

New: Physician awareness of published policies or rules

Effective Feb. 21, 2017, all physicians or providers submitting claims to Medicare Administrative Contractors will be assumed to have known about a policy or rule when it is published in the federal regulations or if the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or a CMS contractor provided general or specific notice about a policy or rule. Read more here.

Refunds for erroneous charges to QMB enrollees

Effective March 8, 2017, all physicians or providers submitting claims to Medicare Administrative Contractors are instructed to refund any erroneous charged billed to individuals enrolled in the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary Program, which assists low-income beneficiaries with Medicare premiums and cost-sharing. Read more here.

EHR incentive programs: New attestation resources

The Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs attestation system is open through Feb. 28. Providers must attest by the deadline to avoid a 2018 payment adjustment. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released an attestation worksheet for eligible professionals. Visit the 2016 Program Requirements webpage for more information.

Medicare-covered wellness codes

Get your Medicare patients off to a healthy start by recommending the Initial Preventive Physical Examination (IPPE) or Annual Wellness Visit (AWV). Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicare covers these preventive services at no cost to patients.

  • The IPPE or “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit is a one-time service for newly-enrolled beneficiaries
  • The AWV is a yearly office visit that focuses on preventive health


For more information:

Visit the Preventive Services website to learn more about Medicare-covered services.
Board Officers: President: Henrique Fernandez, MD; Secretary: Ross Patrick, MD; Treasurer: Lev Asherov, MD; Past-President: Alfredo Vargas, MD; CMS Representative: Christine Nevin-Woods, DO |  Directors: Teresa Braden, DO; Thomas Greidanus, MD; Donald Luebke, MD; Robert Manguso, MD;  Julie Newburg, MD; James Roukema, MD; Vaishali Saini, MD; Robert Tonsing, MD; Atul Vahil, MD; James Valenzuela, MD |  Executive Director: Cheryl Law, MA, MNM
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