Change is Needed in Idaho's Abortion Laws Before it is Too Late
By John Werdel, MD
To those who witnessed the fall of Roe v. Wade and the implementation of Idaho’s total abortion ban, the medical community accepts that broad access to abortion is no longer an option in Idaho. What most do not realize is the dramatic impact criminalizing medical care is having on recruitment and retention of physicians who care for Idaho’s pregnant women. We need residents and legislators to fully understand and appreciate what is at stake.
As the medical director of women’s health care at St. Luke’s Health System, I am witnessing first-hand the impact of these laws on all physicians who give advice and care to pregnant women. These providers are terrified and constantly second-guessing their decisions. Not because of the restrictions on broad access to abortion, but because they can no longer safely manage and advise their patients who have pregnancy complications.
Complicated pregnancies are not rare; the average is 30 per week for the St. Luke’s Health System alone. These complications may require the termination of the pregnancy to protect the health of the mother or end a fatal fetal defect. But physicians dealing with these complications could be facing felony charges from such care and have no choice but to defend these medical decisions in court. What reasonable physician wants to take that chance? Many are deciding it is not worth the risk.
A recent survey shows that more than 45% of OBGYN physicians are currently considering or exploring relocation out of Idaho. In the last six months, three of the maternal fetal medicine physicians (high-risk pregnancy specialists) in our state have decided to leave Idaho.
Family medicine and generalist OBGYN physicians, who manage the vast majority of pregnant patients in our state, are also signaling a desire to limit their practice, retire early or leave Idaho. Recruitment of new physicians to Idaho has been virtually impossible since late summer 2022, which should be setting off alarm bells throughout Idaho. Again, it is NOT the restrictions on “elective” abortion that are driving this unfolding nightmare. Physicians do not want to practice in Idaho; they do not want to live and raise a family in a state that criminalizes care that is both medically appropriate and necessary.
It is not too late. Legislators in this session could make simple changes in the laws and allow for appropriate and medically necessary exceptions in the cases of terminations. This would allow the doctor and the patient to make these often heart-wrenching decisions, without the fear of prosecution hanging over their heads.
Obstetrical care is complex, and a nuanced approach is required. If we do not rewrite these laws during this legislative session, we will lose more physicians. Recruitment will remain difficult if not impossible. This will lead to provider shortages, increased access issues, substandard and unsafe care.
| | |
Physician Recovery Network Program Update
Since 1993, the Physician Recovery Network (PRN) has confidentially served physicians and physician assistants struggling with substance use disorder. It provides confidential recovery from impairment without necessarily jeopardizing one’s medical license. Historically, the Idaho Board of Medicine (BOM) has contracted with the IMA, which then subcontracted program management to Southworth Associates, who worked with the physician-led PRN committee. While re-awarding the contract in 2019, BOM found it was out of compliance with state procurement processes and worked to put it out for competitive bid.
At about the same time, Governor Brad Little combined 47 self-governing agencies into the Idaho Division of Occupational & Professional Licensure (IDOPL) to address Federal Trade Commission concerns and create administrative efficiency. Eventually, the PRN contract was reshaped by the IDOPL Health Division to combine multiple health professions’ recovery programs into a single contract to serve licensees of various types (e.g., physicians, pharmacists, dentists, veterinarians). Finally, this January, IDOPL awarded the contract directly to Southworth Associates. Throughout this time, IMA has strongly defended the effectiveness of the PRN committee’s performance over the years and fought against any dilution with the new contract going forward.
As of April 1, the Physician Recovery Network (PRN) will be called the Health Profession Recovery Program (HPRP). HPRP is a confidential, non-coercive program that aids with prevention, identification, intervention, and rehabilitation for licensed medical professionals: physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and other health division licensees. IDOPL agrees that the PRN Committee is an example of a successful partnership between physicians and the professionally trained recovery staff of Southworth and IDOPL and has decided to leave it intact.
If you or a medical professional you know is struggling with substance use or mental health issues, please get in touch with Southworth and Associations or IDOPL directory. IDOPL is committed to supporting licensees seeking appropriate substance abuse interventions or mental health care. This is what professionals do and HPRP stands by ready to assist. Your inquiry about the HPRP process for yourself or somebody you care for is confidential.
Southworth Associates: (844) 521-0523
Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses: (208) 577-2489
| | |
** With MIEC Guest Speaker, Kathy Kenady. | |
Stay Informed During the 2023 Idaho Legislative Session!
Throughout the legislative session, the IMA publishes weekly Legislative Reports and the IMA Bill Tracker with comprehensive, up-to-date information on the activities of the Idaho Legislature.
| |
 | |
How Prior Authorization Disrupts Patient Care—and How We Can Fix It
93% of physicians surveyed by the AMA in 2021 said that prior authorization delays access to necessary care, and even worse, 34% of physicians reported that prior authorization has led to a serious adverse event for a patient in their care. Physicians know they spend an inordinate amount of time dealing with the hassles of prior authorization, but when patients are being harmed because of it—it’s clear something has to change.
Register now for this webinar on Thurs., March 23 at 11 a.m. CT/Noon ET
AMA President Jack Resneck Jr., MD, hosts this webinar to dig further into the current state of prior authorization and how the AMA is working to fix it. Heather McComas, PharmD, director, Administrative Simplification Initiatives, AMA, and Emily Carroll, JD, senior legislative attorney, Advocacy Resource Center, AMA, will join Dr. Resneck to talk about the latest reform efforts and how you can get involved. You’ll also hear about results of the AMA’s latest prior authorization survey conducted at the end of 2022.
| | | | |
|
Massive Budget Cuts to Idaho Childcare Pressures Parents and Childcare Providers to Take Action
Many childcare providers in Idaho took financial hits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several have continued using federal grants provided by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to help offset these funding complications. However, the Idaho Legislature’s Joint Finance Appropriations Committee voted on Feb. 27 not to distribute any remaining ARPA childcare funds — neither the $36 million in federally funded grants that Health and Welfare would distribute from July through September or the $43 million in remaining federal allocations for Idaho to spend on childcare grants until July.
The funds have been used in various ways to keep Idaho Childcare providers afloat and the doors open, sometimes subsidizing employee salaries where there was a shortage of people to fill these positions in the first place.
After learning about the budget cuts, Idaho Childcare providers and parents took to the Idaho Capital steps to show their unity and protest the vote outcome as well as to try to persuade lawmakers to the funding in time to route the federal grants to childcare providers in Idaho, instead of returning the money to the federal government to be reallocated to other states.
On the morning of March 1, childcare providers received an email from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
“Because the budget request was not approved, March 2023 will be the final childcare grant payment, and this final payment amount may be modified due to limitations in our budget,” said the email, signed by the department’s childcare program manager.
Childcare providers have stated that they will have to raise tuition by 7-10%, so the burden will inevitably fall on the parents, and this amount will likely not even be enough. The budget approved by JFAC must also be supported in the House and Senate. It hasn’t yet come up for a vote in either chamber.
| |
New AMA Resources
The following are resources from the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Professional Satisfaction and Practice Sustainability unit:
Podcasts
Episode 45:
No One Left Behind: Expanded Peer Support and Second Victim Syndrome
Dr. Alicia Pilarski, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Associate Chief Medical Officer, and Medical Director of the Supporting Our Staff (SOS) Peer Support Program for Froedtert Hospital & Medical College of Wisconsin, shares her experience building an expanded peer support program for the entire health care team. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Episode 46:
Reframing Compassion Fatigue: Compassion as a Tool for Combating Burnout
Dr. Rola Hallam, British-Syrian consultant anesthetist, humanitarian and founder of CanDo, a social enterprise that enables local, frontline health care workers to provide health care to their own war-affected communities, shares the story of her “valley of darkness” and how compassion can be a tool to combat burnout. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Private Practice Simple Solutions Learning Sessions
Private Practice Simple Solutions: Support Staff Recruitment
This eight-week session focuses on recruiting and retaining support staff for your private practice. Session one available on demand, Session 2 launches March 28. Register now.
Private Practice Simple Solutions: Team-Based Care
Using the AMA STEPS Forward® Team-Based Care Toolkit as a guide, this eight week session covers topics such as pre-visit planning, expanded rooming and discharge, team documentation, prescription management, and EHR in-basket management. Launches April 4, 2023. Register Now.
Webinars
Supporting Private Practices: AMA & Medline University
Tuesday, March 7 | 10:15 a.m. CT
Learn how to use the AMA STEPS Forward® Private Practice Playbook to your advantage in this open access webinar designed to help physicians streamline employee training in their private practices. Register Now
Exploring Physician-led Innovation through Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship
Thursday, March 16 | 11 a.m. CT
Hear a live panel of physician entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs discuss their journey towards building the future of health. Presented by the Future of Health Immersion Program and AMA STEPS Forward® Innovation Academy. Register Now
Actionable Insights: Key Steps to Engaging Patients in Psychosocial Interventions
Thursday, March 23 | 10 a.m. CT
Experts will discuss the spectrum of brief psychosocial interventions along with how best to use them to help address behavioral health needs for both adult and pediatric patient populations. Presented by the BHI Collaborative and AMA STEPS Forward® Innovation Academy. Register now
Publications
High cost of broken relationships
This BMJ Quality & Safety editorial co-authored by Dr. Christine A. Sinsky, AMA Vice President of Professional Satisfaction, offers recommendations on how to decrease the high costs of physician turnover by prioritizing relationships and reducing burnout.
Funding Research on Health Workforce Well-being to Optimize the Work Environment
This JAMA Viewpoint article co-authored by Dr. Christine A. Sinsky, AMA Vice President of Professional Satisfaction, outlines the importance of federal funding to support research on system interventions that promote clinician well-being.
Reports
2022 Telehealth Impact Report (pdf)
This newly updated report offers a thorough overview of AMA’s efforts to aggressively expand digital medicine advocacy, research, and resources to better understand the specific needs around telehealth and digitally enabled care.
Events
The American Conference on Physician Health: Call for Abstracts
Last chance to submit an abstract for ACPH 2023! Especially interested in showcasing research focused on the connection between health information technology and physician well-being. Deadline is March 15.
The American Conference on Physician Health: Sponsors & Exhibitors
Show your dedication to prioritizing physician health by becoming an ACPH 2023 Exhibitor and/or Sponsor! Learn more at the ACPH 2023 Sponsors & Exhibitors website.
|  | |
|
Topics
Thursday, March 16
Fraud and Abuse Laws II: Applying the Laws to Common Provider and Patient Arrangements
RSVP HERE
Thursday, March 30
Fraud and Abuse Laws III: Reporting, Repaying, and Responding to Noncompliance
RSVP HERE
Thursday, April 13
Telehealth
RSVP HERE
Thursday, April 27
EMTALA
RSVP HERE
** Webinars are from 12:00 - 1:00 pm
| |  |
Have You Ordered Your HCPCS Book Yet?
HCPCS 2023 Level II Professional Edition provides your practice a quick and accurate coding reference. Along with the most current HCPCS codes and regulations included in the codebook, you'll have everything needed for accurate medical billing and maximum reimbursement. Organized for quick and accurate coding, HCPCS Level II 2023 Professional Edition (Spiral) codebook includes the most current Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System codes and regulations, which are essential references needed for accurate medical billing and maximum permissible reimbursement.
The books are already at the IMA office and can be picked up, shipped, or delivered today! As part of your membership, the Idaho Medical Association offers most coding, billing, and reference manuals at a significant discount. This saves you and your office money when you provide your staff with the tools to help you ward off unwelcome challenges to your revenue.
To order a 2023 HCPCS book or review a list of other coding books we have available at a discount, please Click here for the 2023 publications order form.
If you have questions or if there is a type of book you don’t see but would like to purchase, please contact Rebecca Adams at [email protected] or 208-344-7888.
| | |
 | |
Family Medicine Residency of Idaho - Nampa (Educational Faculty - Family Medicine Physician)
Opportunity for an Educational Faculty member at our Family Medicine Residency program in Nampa!
The Role – Combination of Inpatient / Outpatient; 3 half-days Clinic, 3 half-days Precepting and 2 half-days Admin time per week. Average of 1 Call Night/ week at Nampa St. Luke's. Work 4 days/ week, including Call.
Who We Are – At Full Circle Health, our vision is that every Idaho community is healthy and thriving through our commitment to outstanding care and the education of tomorrow's healthcare leaders.
Our Guiding Principles - We lead with accessibility, education and compassion on a quest for better. Better health care, better communities, better lives for the people of Idaho.
- Open Doors: We welcome all members of the community emphasizing access to care for those with limit choices.
- Open Minds: As a Teaching Health Center, we focus on creating an environment of inclusion and learning through our multiple Residency and Fellowship programs across the Treasure Valley.
- Open Hearts: Compassionate care is at our core!
Benefit Information - We offer a well-rounded benefits package including everything you need.
Education
Licensure/ Certification
- Must have the ability to be fully credentialed, licensed and privileged;
- Unrestricted Idaho license;
- Maintain Board certification via ABFM;
- Unrestricted Board of Pharmacy and DEA registration and all necessary federal narcotics and controlled substance numbers and licenses;
- Eligible to participate in Medicare, Medicaid and third-party payors that contract with Full Circle Health.
Other
- Our organization is a tobacco-free workplace.
- We require immunizations for all staff including COVID-19 vaccine and annual influenza vaccine as a requisite for employment. Newly hired staff who are not able to be vaccinated due to medical reasons or sincerely held religious beliefs must apply for vaccination exemption prior to employment
For more information please email [email protected]
Full Circle Health - Nampa Clinic
(Clinical Faculty - Family Medicine Physician)
Opportunity for a Clinical Faculty member at our growing Family Medicine clinic in northern Nampa!
The Role - Outpatient only, combination of 6 half-days Clinic, 1 half-day Admin time and 1 half-day Attending per week. Work 4 days per week; Clinic from 8:30am – 5:00pm, Monday - Friday.
Who We Are – At Full Circle Health, our vision is that every Idaho community is healthy and thriving through our commitment to outstanding care and the education of tomorrow's healthcare leaders.
Our Guiding Principles - We lead with accessibility, education and compassion on a quest for better. Better health care, better communities, better lives for the people of Idaho.
- Open Doors: We welcome all members of the community emphasizing access to care for those with limit choices.
- Open Minds: As a Teaching Health Center, we focus on creating an environment of inclusion and learning through our multiple Residency and Fellowship programs across the Treasure Valley.
- Open Hearts: Compassionate care is at our core!
Benefit Information - We offer a well-rounded benefits package including everything you need.
Education
Licensure/ Certification
- Must have the ability to be fully credentialed, licensed and privileged;
- Unrestricted Idaho license;
- Maintain Board certification via ABFM;
- Unrestricted Board of Pharmacy and DEA registration and all necessary federal narcotics and controlled substance numbers and licenses;
- Eligible to participate in Medicare, Medicaid and third-party payors that contract with Full Circle Health.
Other
- Our organization is a tobacco-free workplace.
- We require immunizations for all staff including COVID-19 vaccine and annual influenza vaccine as a requisite for employment. Newly hired staff who are not able to be vaccinated due to medical reasons or sincerely held religious beliefs must apply for vaccination exemption prior to employment
For more information please email [email protected]
| | | | | |
