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July 7, 2022
Second Session Ends for Delaware 151th General Assembly
New Session to Start January 2023
The second session of the 151st General Assembly gaveled to a close after midnight July 1st. A Legislative Round-Up communication will be send to the membership following this week's newsletter communication. The Legislative Round-Up will provide a comprehensive report on legislation relevant to health care.
Community Listening Forums to Address Opioid Pandemic
Opportunity for Feedback and to Inform on How Funds Should Be Directed
The month of July begins a series of statewide listening forums hosted by Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long and Attorney General Kathleen Jennings addressing the opioid pandemic. Delaware’s newly established Prescription Opioid Settlement Fund Distribution Commission is working to abate and remediate the opioid epidemic in Delaware through financial support from the opioid settlement fund. This work includes efforts to treat, prevent, and reduce opioid use disorder and the misuse of opioids throughout the State of Delaware. Clients, families, advocates, physicians, clinicians, service providers, and all other stakeholders, are encouraged to attend these public forums and share their valuable perspectives, experiences, and ideas on how to address the opioid epidemic. The individuals and communities directly affected by the addiction crisis have unique insight on the kinds of resources and strategies the State needs to bring to bear.
 
The tour will begin in Sussex County on July 7 at Delaware Technical Community College’s Georgetown Campus. Additional community meetings will be held in New Castle County on July 11 at Delaware Technical Community College’s Stanton Campus and on July 25 at the Delaware Technical Community College’s Terry Campus in Dover. All community forums are scheduled from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Read the news release. Click for details on the July 7th (DelTech, Georgetown) Community Forum event and how to participate virtually via Zoom.
New Book Details How the DEA Lost to the Opioid Industry
Reveals How Lobbyists, Lawmakers, and Attorneys Thwarted Efforts to Stop Flow of Pain Pills
A new book, American Cartel: Inside the Battle to Bring Down the Opioid Industry, provides a documented dive into the culpability of the drug companies behind the staggering death toll of the opioid epidemic. A definitive investigation and expose of how some of the nation's largest corporations created and fueled the opioid crisis. It is the story of how underdogs prevailed over corporate greed and political cowardice, persevering in the face of predicted failure, and how they found some semblance of justice for the families of the dead during the most complex civil litigation ever seen. American Cartel is the story of those who were on the front lines of the fight to stop the human carnage. Along the way, they suffer a string of defeats, some of their careers destroyed by the very same government officials who swore to uphold the law, before they begin to prevail over some of the most powerful corporate and political influences in the nation. Available for preorder on Amazon and other sites.
COVID-19 Resources for Pediatricians, Family Physicians
For Use With Families of Children Under Age 18
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has provided a toolkit that has resources for pediatricians, family physicians, parents, and community activists who want to help increase confidence in and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in the communities they serve. Developed in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics, it includes information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and new, culturally tailored materials from the HHS COVID-19 Public Education Campaign and its team of multicultural experts. The toolkit contains a variety of materials to help build vaccine confidence with parents and guardians of patients, including a letter template and text messages for physicians to keep parents and guardians informed about COVID-19 and vaccines, FAQs about consent for minors, and tips for talking with vaccine-hesitant people. The materials also include flyers, posters, social media messages and graphics, videos, and even a Vaccination Badge Sticker to give to kids once they’ve been vaccinated. HHS will regularly update this toolkit, so please check back for new materials. Materials can be found at: https://wecandothis.hhs.gov/resource/pediatricians-and-family-physicians-toolkit

The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) has Delaware-specific materials for physicians to share that can be accessed at covidmaterialsde.com. These materials can be directly downloaded or print quantities of items may be requested for free. DPH also has a separate web page of materials available to help motivate parents of children 6 months and older to get their children vaccinated for COVID-19. This website can be found at: parents toolkit page on COVIDMaterialsDE.com. The page has been updated to include three different sections for each of the age ranges, with under five being at the top of the page. These materials can be ordered for free to have quantities on hand. Materials included are: palm card, poster, newsletter and email content, and office scripts to encourage vaccination. Most of these resources can be used as part of the communications tactics you already implement.
Pharmacists Authorized to Prescribe Paxlovid with Limitations
May Improve Access for Some Patients at High Risk for Severe COVID-19
On Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revised the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir), to authorize state-licensed pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid to eligible patients, with certain limitations to ensure appropriate patient assessment and prescribing of Paxlovid. When testing positive for COVID-19, patients should first consider seeking care from their regular health care provider or locating a Test-to-Treat site in their area. Read details.
Monkeypox Testing Efforts
Labcorp to Begin Testing, Doubling Nationwide Testing Capacity
On July 6 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a statement regarding monkeypox testing efforts. Labcorp will begin testing for monkeypox using CDC’s orthopoxvirus test (which detects all non-smallpox related orthopoxviruses, including monkeypox). The ability of commercial labs to test for monkeypox is a key pillar in the comprehensive strategy to combat this disease, not only by increasing testing capacity, but also by making it more convenient for physicians and patients to access tests by using existing physician-to-lab relationships. Labcorp will offer this testing at its largest facility in the United States and will be able to accept specimens from anywhere in the country. Labcorp expects to be able to perform up to 10,000 tests per week, which will double the current capacity provided through CDC’s Laboratory Response Network (LRN), which itself has rapidly expanded testing capacity over the last seven weeks. Delaware continues to have no cases of monkeypox as of this date.

Also being shared is an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Phase 3 Efficacy Trial of Modified Vaccinia Ankara as a Vaccine Against Smallpox, which contains much of the data presented that led to the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of Bavarian Nordic JYNNEOS vaccine for monkeypox.
MSD Mailing Address Change
Effective Immediately
With the plans for the sale of the MSD building progressing, MSD has secured a post office box to receive all incoming mail. Please change your records to our new mailing address effective immediately:
Medical Society of Delaware
PO Box 8155
Newark, DE 19714
Healthy Women, Healthy Babies Mini-Grants
Seeking New Mini-Grantees for Funding Cycle Beginning November 1
The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) is seeking applicants for mini-grants to improve maternal and infant health outcomes in Delaware using community-based approaches. This is a new cycle of funding for an ongoing initiative that had its first funding cycle in 2019. This cycle of funding will begin November 1, 2022 and will be for 20 months of funding through June 30, 2024. It is anticipated that two new mini-grantees will be funded for the new cycle of funding, who will each receive up to $50,000 for the grant period. DHSS is seeking actionable, community-based interventions designed to support identified high-risk communities across the state. DHSS will host a webinar for interested applicants on Monday, August 1, 2022 at noon (12PM), and a recording of the webinar will be available following the presentation. To register for this webinar visit: https://healthmanagement.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8pn6LXcvQ6WymHdBG2BRNA. 

Organizations that wish to apply must submit a brief “intent to apply” email by Friday, August 12, 2022. Information about this intent to apply will be provided in the webinar on August 1, 2022. Eligible organizations will then be invited to make an oral presentation the week of August 22, 2022 with short written follow-up proposals due on Thursday, September 15, 2022. Funds will be awarded November 1, 2022. Eligible applicants and their proposed projects must have a 501(c)3 status.
DPH Recognized as a Health People 2030 Champion
Fifth Iteration of the Healthy People Initiative
The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) was recognized by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) within the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a Health People 2030 Champion. As a Healthy People 2030 Champion, DPH has demonstrated a commitment to helping achieve the Healthy People 2030 vision of a society in which all people can achieve their full potential for health and well-being across their lifespan. Healthy People 2030 is the fifth iteration of the Health People initiative, which sets 10-year national objectives to improve health and well-being nationwide.
Implicit Bias Review of CMS Innovation Center Models
Findings Now Available
The CMS Innovation Center announced the publication of its blog, entitled “CMS Innovation Center Tackles Implicit Bias” in Health Affairs Forefront. The blog details the findings from an assessment of potential implicit bias in three experimental models. The goal of this internal review was to determine whether implicit bias may be present in the existing models’ designs, and, if so, if it has led to the unintentional exclusion of certain beneficiary groups.
The assessment focused on three established payment and service delivery models: Kidney Care Choices Model, Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model, and Million Hearts® Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Model. For the purpose of this exercise, “implicit bias” was defined as “a differential impact created or exacerbated, without intention, by an algorithm, set of sequential rules, or standard processes within a model, with a particular focus on racial and ethnic groups”. Potential biases among the models included the use of a race-adjusted kidney function measure, as well as a financial structure that may have inadvertently disincentivized providers to offer joint replacement surgery to Black and low-income individuals. The results of this analysis are informing broader efforts to address bias across the Center’s models and align with the Innovation Center’s goals of advancing health equity and increasing focus on underserved populations. Visit the CMS Innovation Center Strategy webpage for additional information regarding this work.
Study Provides Window Into Telehealth's Changing Contours
FAIR Health's New Data Brief Released
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth has undergone notable growth. It has been used for a wide array of health conditions and services that were overwhelmingly rendered in an office setting prior to COVID-19’s emergence; these include mental health conditions, which have remained the most common telehealth diagnosis nationally throughout the pandemic. These and other findings on the changing nature of telehealth can be found in FAIR Health’s new data brief released, The Evolution of Telehealth during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multiyear Retrospective of FAIR Health’s Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker.
 
The study provides a window into telehealth’s changing contours using over two years of private healthcare claims data from FAIR Health’s Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker, a free, online tool that has tracked month-to-month changes in telehealth since the spring of 2020. Focusing on the period from January 2020 to March 2022, the brief reports on monthly changes in telehealth’s utilization, top diagnoses and top procedure codes—in addition to other descriptive aspects of this venue of care—at national and regional (Midwest, Northeast, South, West) levels. Supported by infographics with vivid data visualizations, the brief also shows how the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker itself has evolved to meet the needs of healthcare stakeholders. 
ABMS Member Boards Accelerate Resident Outreach
Earlier Outreach to Residents to Familiarize With Board Certification
Most residents first encounter an American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Member Board when they are applying for certification at the end of training, but some Member Boards are looking to make that interaction occur sooner. A few boards are advancing early resident engagement by forming advisory panels, conducting routine surveys, and even inviting residents to attend special meetings. Learn how the American Boards of Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedic Surgery, Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Pathology, Preventive Medicine, Psychiatry and Neurology, and Radiology are reaching out sooner to residents to familiarize them with all that board certification has to offer, and better support residents and fellows through the certification process.
OSHER Lifelong Learning Institute - Learning for the Fun of It!
Explore, Discover, Expand Your World - For Adults 50+
Hosted by the University of Delaware (UD), the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) provides a unique learning cooperative for adults aged 50 plus. There are no tests, no degrees, no in-state residence required. With over 300 courses offered online or in person this coming fall, OLLI classrooms bring together lifelong learners from across Delaware and immediate surroundings to experience the benefits of lifelong learning and connect with a vibrant community of adult learns at the OLLI Wilmington and OLLI Kent/Sussex programs. Classes are offered on a wide array of subjects at locations across Delaware and online through Zoom. All classes are taught by experienced OLLI instructors from Delaware and the region. Participants pay a low membership fee, not a tuition charge. Benefits of membership include unlimited OLLI course registration, educational discounts; UD course audit, email and library privileges, and more, plus courses are open to members' spouses or partners who are any age.

This is a great opportunity for physicians looking to expand their knowledge and experiences beyond the practice of medicine, or perhaps your patients are looking for ways to spend their time more productively or seeking friendship and social interaction.

For more details and to register, visit olli.udel.edu. Fall registration begins August 3rd, with classes starting September 6. Click for flyer information.
MSD Joins DNREC for Beach Cleanup in September
Public Beach Cleanup at Cape Henlopen State Park - September 17th
Register today to participate in MSD’s first ever Beach Cleanup. The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) will host a public beach clean up at Herring Point, Cape Henlopen State Park on Saturday September 17th from 10 am to 12 pm. MSD is looking for members to join in the fun while we help keep a Delaware landmark litter free! Join us after the event for lunch and an opportunity to catch up with your fellow MSD members! A small group is invited to join - please register soon - space if very limited!
Hospital News
Bayhealth
As many local athletes and their families start preparing for next season, Bayhealth is making it easy to check the often left-until-the-last-minute sports physicals off the list. Bayhealth will provide free sports physicals on Saturday, July 23rd from 8 a.m. to noon. Registration is open and the event will take place at Bayhealth Family Medicine, 1074 S. State St., Dover. This event reflects Bayhealth's commitment to provide access to care and strengthen the health of the community. Even if a physical isn't required for sports participation, some athletes or parents may simply feel safer getting themselves or their loved ones checked out before physical activity. Community members may visit Bayhealth.org/Free-Physicals to learn more and register. Appointments are limited.

Bayhealth took a giant leap forward in telepathology by launching a new system at its Sussex Campus. Telepathology is the process of performing pathology—testing and tasks to diagnose disease—at a distance using electronic methods. Produced by Remote Medical Technologies (RMT), the system used is now elevating care locally for Bayhealth patients. It can lead to a reduced hospital stay, less waiting and anxiety, getting started earlier on treatment, and being scheduled sooner for necessary procedures. This telepathology solution allows pathologists and cytologists to analyze samples and share results instantly and securely without being on site, thus speeding up the diagnostic process. For the health system, it improves turnaround time and productivity, reduces travel expenses, and helps manage the reduced staffing levels that labs nationwide are experiencing.
COVID-19 County Check
Know Your COVID-19 Community Level
COVID-19 Community Levels are a tool provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data. Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area. Take precautions to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 based on the COVID-19 Community Level in your area. 

Information as of 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 7th:
  • Kent County - Medium
  • New Castle County - Low
  • Sussex County - Medium
COVID-19 Information Finder
"Rerum Cognoscere"
The Latin phrase Rerum Cognoscere translates to learn, examine, or become aware of facts or things. In this section, we highlight measurable items of interest in health care from MSD, Delaware, the US, and the world.
43,000
Number of people killed on US roads in 2021, the highest number in 16 years.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
139
Number of fatalities on Delaware roads in 2021, the highest number since 2006.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
62%
Percent increase in Delaware highway fatalities in 2022 compared to the same time period last year.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Upcoming Events
August 6 - 33rd Annual Update in Cardiology, 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Changed to Hybrid event: virtual and in-person. (Rescheduled from March 5)
August 18-20 - International Conference on Nutrition in Medicine, Grand Hyatt Washington, Washington, DC.
August 25 - Mid-Atlantic Alliance for Climate and Health 2022 Climate and Health Conference, 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m., virtual.
September 10 - 26th Annual Diabetes Update, 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., virtual.
September 17 - DNREC Public Beach Cleanup, Herring Point, Cape Henlopen State Park, Lewes, DE, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Registration is limited.
September 21 - MSD Presidential Reception, 6:00 p.m., JD Shuckers, 21710 Roth Ave, Georgetown, DE
September 22 - MSD Retirement Planning Session, 6-7:30 p.m., virtual.
October 5&6 - Delaware Academy of Medicine/Delaware Public Health Association and Delaware Chapter of the American Planning Association Joint virtual 2022 Fall Conference.
October 13-15 - SAVE THE DATE! International Conference on Physician Health (ICPH), Hyatt Regency, Orlando, FL. Sponsored jointly by the AMA, Canadian Medical Association, and British Medical Association.
October 22 - 2022 John Scholz Stroke Education Conference, 8:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Registration will open on August 22nd.
October 25 - 26th Annual Delaware Healthcare Forum, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Delaware Technical Community College, Terry Campus, Dover.
November 1, 2, 3 - SAVE THE DATES! MSD Annual Meeting (Council Meeting, Holding Company Board of Directors Meeting, Educational program), all beginning at 6:00 p.m., virtual.
November 5 - MSD "It's OBVIOUS" Campaign for Kids 5k Run/Walk, Rockford Park, 9:00 a.m., 9th St and Tower Rd, Wilmington.
November 5 - SAVE THE DATE! MSD Inaugural Gala, Smyrna Opera House
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The information contained herein is solely informational, planned in accordance for a diverse membership audience. This communication reflects news and announcements that have been made available to MSD and is not intended to exclude other pertinent material. The content published is proposed to represent facts of interest and provide awareness to the members. MSD reserves the right to determine what information is relevant to its membership.
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