Need continuing medical education (CME) credits before the end of the year? Family Medicine Foundation of Michigan (Michigan Academy of Family Physicians’ philanthropic arm) is hosting five live, virtual events this fall that are approved by AAFP for a total of 15 credits. Plus, our virtual "Stay on Course" package of 12 on-demand webinars can earn you an additional 13 CME credits. That's a grand total of 28 credits before Dec. 31!

With just days remaining before the Oct. 1 start of Fiscal Year 2021-2022, the Michigan Legislature sent a $70 billion omnibus budget bill to Gov. Whitmer that funds the state government. Included are investments in MAFP advocacy priorities, such as the Michigan State Loan Repayment Program and MIDOCS—important healthcare workforce programs—Healthy Moms Healthy Babies, Medicaid, and the Healthy Michigan Plan. Stay tuned as more budget work is to come, with nearly $7 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds not yet spent.

Per the Food and Drug Administration’s authorization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation, select Pfizer (not J&J or Moderna) vaccine recipients who completed their initial series at least 6 months ago are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot (65 years and older; 18+ who have underlying medical conditions; 18+ who work in high-risk settings, including physicians; and 18+ who live in high-risk settings.) In a letter to President Biden, AAFP puts forth policy recommendations needed to support primary care physicians in their work of administering vaccines and overcoming vaccine hesitancy.

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) emailed a bulletin on Sept. 22 to licensed prescribers and stakeholders concerning implementation of the state’s new electronic prescribing law. As of Jan. 1, 2022, prescribers in Michigan will be required to electronically transmit controlled and non-controlled substance prescriptions. At the same time that the administrative rules for governing this law are moving through the rule-making process, LARA’s Bureau of Professional Licensing is preparing the waiver process that will exempt e-prescribing in certain circumstances.

Sterling N. Ransone, Jr., MD, FAAFP was installed as AAFP President during a special virtual session of the Congress of Delegates on Sept. 28. Dr. Ransone, a third-year family physician, practices in Virginia and is an assistant clinical professor of family medicine and population health at Virginia Commonwealth University. Click here to learn about other members of the AAFP Board of Directors. The Congress of Delegates will consider policy resolutions in early February 2022. You can meet Dr. Ransone when he attends the 2022 Michigan Family Medicine Conference & Expo, July 7-10, at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island—save the dates!

The AAFP Degree of Fellow (FAAFP), marking its 50th anniversary in 2022, recognizes members who have distinguished themselves among their colleagues and in their communities through service to the specialty, the advancement of healthcare, and professional development through medical education and research. If you qualify for the Degree of Fellow and would like to participate in MAFP’s next convocation ceremony, taking place during the 2022 Michigan Family Medicine Conference & Expo, July 7-10, at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, email Denna Bunting at dbunting@mafp.com.

Membership in AAFP and MAFP affords you access to discounted CME and professional development events, networking opportunities, and a wide variety of resources, tools, and initiatives to support the practice of family medicine. While it’s impossible to put a monetary value on all of the benefits of membership, AAFP estimates the price tag is valued at $4,520. To continue receiving these benefits, renew your membership before Dec. 31.

You should have received the fall issue of MAFP’s quarterly magazine, Michigan Family Physician, delivered to your mailbox in the past few weeks. It is also available electronically (member username and password required). Feature articles cover reenvisioning family medicine residency education; scope of practice, telemedicine, and e-prescribing legislation; practicing globally; recruiting and retaining MAs; and more.

Are you an active member who identifies as a LGBTQ physician/physician ally and is interested in representing Michigan at AAFP’s National Conference of Constituency Leaders? NCCL is scheduled to convene Apr. 28-30 in Kansas City, MO. The role of an NCCL delegate is to help shape Academy policy pertaining to his/her special constituency. Plus, delegates earn CME credits, develop leadership skills, and have the opportunity to network with family medicine colleagues from across the country. MAFP will reimburse the selected delegates for conference registration and travel-related expenses. We are also seeking active members who identify as new physicians, minority physicians, international medical graduates, and female to apply for a delegate position.

A virtual meet-n-greet held on Sept. 30 kicked off the second cohort of the MAFP Resident Ambassadors Program. This program is designed to strengthen the relationship between MAFP and family medicine residency programs in the state, and to facilitate communications to increase residents’ awareness of the Academy, its benefits for residents, and how it supports residents and new physicians. Twenty-seven family medicine residents representing 24 of Michigan’s 38 residency programs are participating in the 2021-2022 program. If your program isn’t represented, it’s not too late to apply or appoint a resident ambassador.

In response to Pfizer’s report that new trial results show a lower-dose of its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for children ages 5-11 years, MAFP President Srikar Reddy, MD, FAAFP shared his insight in a Bridge Magazine article. Echoing the message of the CDC and other health authorities, Dr. Reddy said it’s important to vaccinate even healthy children because it also protects other more vulnerable people around them—including children who are immunocompromised, elderly relatives, and others.

Mary Marshall, MD, RN, FAAFP—a family physician in solo practice in Grand Blanc—shared her experience of practicing family medicine during the pandemic with a Crain's Detroit Business veteran health reporter. She sites the routine use of PPE, new ways of communicating with families due to lack of visitors in the hospital, and the increased use of virtual platforms. She also highlighted that she was able to keep her practice open and offer in-person visits because, "I had a trust relationship with my patients built up over 27 years. I was like an outpost because (many other primary care doctors) were working from home."

Andrew Lynch, a fourth-year Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine Student, and a colleague initiated a project to make WMed electronic health records available to patients in Spanish. With the enhanced accessibility, more than 300 primarily Spanish-speaking WMed patients can schedule appointments, update medication lists, read peer-reviewed information about medical conditions, view lab results, update medication lists, pay bills, and enter insurance info in their native language.

Do you have news to share about yourself, your practice, or a colleague? Email info@mafp.com.

This year marks the American Medical Student Association’s 22^nd National Primary Care Week (NPCW). The theme, “Health Outside of the Hospital,” centers on the impact of COVID-19 on communities and healthcare. AMSA works closely with AAFP to make NPCW a successful initiative for the promotion of primary care across the country. Click here for the week-long programming schedule that kicks off with a virtual "What is Primary Care" session hosted by AAFP on Oct. 4. The University of Michigan Family Medicine Interest Group is hosting a physician panel on Oct. 5 with family physicians who provide obstetric care; and, on Oct. 7, it is offering a primary care mixer for first- and second-year students interested in primary care to connect with senior medical students. Is your FMIG or program doing something special for National Primary Care Week? Email details to MAFP Director of Communications & Member Services, Dana Lawrence, at dlawrence@mafp.com.

Next Saturday, Oct. 9, marks the eighth annual Michigan Future of Family Medicine Conference--and opportunity for medical students to explore the specialty through panel discussions with family physicians, residency program directors, and faculty, and participate in clinical workshops. The cost is just $25!

Students who register for the Michigan Future of Family Medicine Conference also get access to the Michigan Family Medicine Residency Connection. This virtual networking program entails 30-minute live Q&A webinars with program directors, faculty and residents at various times Oct. 13-20. Click here for a list of the 18 programs that are participating.

“If you are like me, you have many questions about issues particular to being a female physician,” said Hima Chopra, MD, resident member on the MAFP Board of Directors and chief resident at McLaren-Oakland Family Medicine Residency in Pontiac. This prompted Dr. Chopra, in collaboration with MAFP and Family Medicine Foundation of Michigan, to develop a new event where female residents can network and Cask questions of practicing female family physicians. The in-person event is being held in Northville on Thursday, Oct. 21, 6:30-8:30 pm. Those unable to attend in person may benefit from the live panel discussion via Zoom on Sunday, Oct. 24, 6:30-8 pm. The cost is just $25 for resident members.

Building on the very successful MAFP Resident Ambassador Program, MAFP is seeking a student ambassador at each medical school in the state to strengthen the relationship between Michigan’s medical schools and the Academy, and increase awareness of the Academy and how it supports students, family medicine residents, and practicing family physicians. Click here to appoint or apply to serve as a student ambassador. This is a great addition to a CV and affords leadership development, peer recognition, networking with students of other schools, and learning how to be a voice for family physician.

MAFP Signs Letter Supporting Bill to Increase Seniors’ Access to Immunizations

MAFP joined state and national healthcare organizations in sending a letter to U.S. House and Senate leaders in support of the federal Protecting Seniors through Immunization Act. S. 912 / H.R. 1978 calls for eliminating Medicare Part D vaccine co-pays for patients, which will level the vaccine-access playing field and bring parity to cost-sharing coverage for all vaccines recommended for Medicare beneficiaries.

The federal Collaborate in an Orderly and Cohesive Manner Act (H.R. 5218) calls for amending the Public Health Service Act to invest in increased implementation of the collaborative care model in primary cre offices. This would achieved mainly through $30 million a year in grants targeted to physicians and practices treating underserved populations.

On Sept. 30, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury and the Office of Personnel Management issued an interim final rule with comment period to further implement the No Surprises Act – a consumer protection law that helps curb the practice of surprise medical billing. A stakeholder briefing on the interim rule is taking place on Oct. 4, 2 pm ET. AAFP expresses strong support for patient protections while calling for sharper focus on administrative simplification.

AAFP Asks CMS to Support Stability of Primary Care

The application is now open for both Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Phase 4 and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Rural payments. PRF Phase 4 is open to a broad range of providers who have experienced changes in operating revenues and expenses. ARP Rural is open to Medicare, Medicaid, or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) providers who serve rural beneficiaries. In order to streamline the application process and minimize administrative burdens, providers can apply for both or either program in a single application. HRSA is hosting a briefing session on Oct. 5, 3-4 pm ET.

The COVID-19 Vaccine Lot Number report, available via CDC’s Vaccine Code Set Management Service, can help identify expired inventory. The report is updated daily with COVID-19 vaccine lot numbers and expiration dates provided to CDC by vaccine manufacturers. If you have not yet registered for the report, visit CDC's Vaccine Lot Number and Expiration Date webpage and complete the registration form to request access. Expired vaccines must be removed immediately from storage units to avoid inadvertently administering them.

The expanding physician shortage in the U.S. is being blamed on myriad of reasons, including the exodus of healthcare professionals due to burnout from battling the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, a recent analysis shows that over the next five years, 21% (approximately 32,000) of family medicine, pediatric, OB/GYN, and other primary care physicians will move into retirement age.

On Sept. 20, The Detroit News published an editorial about the importance of everyone having a family physician for improving healthcare. This was published as the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Mackinac Policy Conference was taking place at the Grand Hotel, Sept. 20-23. Reimagining a health Michigan, in part by eliminating inequities in access to close the healthcare gap, was a main focus of this year’s conference that convened government, business, and thought leaders.

“There are no changes to the recommendation that all persons 6 months of age and older should be vaccinated against influenza, and the flu vaccine may be co-administered with other vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccines,” said Pamela Rockwell, DO, FAAFP (Ann Arbor), MAFP board member and the AAFP’s liaison to the ACIP. Click here for flu vaccine education resources from the CDC.

The U.S. Department of Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is accepting comments on criteria for determining areas with shortages of maternity care services—known as Maternity Care Health Professional Target Areas—in existing primary care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).

Following the announcement that Dr. Joneigh Khaldun is leaving her post as the state’s chief medical executive (CME) and chief deputy for health to pursue an opportunity outside of state government, Gov. Whitmer appointed Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian to take over as of Oct. 1. Dr. Bagdasarian, who has a background in internal medicine and infectious diseases, will serve as CME on an interim basis while a nationwide search is conducted to select Dr. Khaldun’s permanent successor.

AAFP has released two new resources to help members manage prior authorizations. One is a Family Medicine Practice Hack video that offers tips to help busy family medicine practices streamline the PA process. The other is a workbook template of sample cheat sheets that practices can customize.

The Robert Graham Center and Georgetown University co-sponsor a one-year fellowship and health policy and faculty development that is open to board-certified family physicians. Fellows work with Graham Center staff to address health policy questions of interest, culminating in a project for national dissemination. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

A baby dies nearly every other in Michigan due to an unsafe sleep environment. Click here for resources you can use to educate parents about safe sleep for their infants during October, Infant Safe Sleep Awareness Month, and beyond.

A recording is now available of the first in a series of clinician-focused webinars hosted by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) on the recently implemented (Apr. 2021) information blocking rule. In general, information blocking is a practice by a health IT developer of certified health IT, health information network, health information exchange, or healthcare provider that, except as required by law or specified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services as a reasonable and necessary activity, is likely to interfere with access, exchange, or use of electronic health information.

Family Medicine/Director, Leading Detroit Health Center

General Orthopedic Surgeon or Sports Medicine Physician, Synergy Health Partners, Livonia, MI

Find More Jobs | Post a Job