They Said It...
“In my experience, I would have to say that during this pandemic, the number of people with behavioral health issues has increased way more than I have seen in the last 15 years. The number of suicide attempts and violence in general has increased. I saw people getting severely ill, both physically and mentally.” Dr. Natalia Ortiz-Torrent, immediate past president of PCMS and medical director of consultation and liaison psychiatry at Temple University Hospital, discussing the increase of gun violence in Philadelphia throughout the pandemic. You can read more about the topic in our latest edition of Philadelphia Medicine magazine.
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Things you should know... |
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Patients want docs, not NPs or PAs, leading their ER care |
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People recognize the incredible value of accessible, high-quality emergency medicine. According to a Medscape poll in August 2021, nearly 80% of adults trust a physician to deliver their medical care in an emergency, compared to a nurse practitioner (9%), physician assistant (7%) or nurse (5%).
You can read more at:
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What are the rules on prescribing Suboxone? |
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The practice guidelines that took effect at the end of April 2021 provided an exemption to the training requirement. Practitioners who utilize the training exemption are limited to treating no more than 30 patients at any one time.
Regardless of whether the practitioner opts for the training exemption, they must still submit a notification of intent (buprenorphine waiver application). The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will review the practitioner’s application within 45 days. If the waiver is approved, SAMHSA will send them a letter with their certification date. They will receive a letter from the DEA approximately 7-10 days later with their X-designation.
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City and state COVID-19 stats |
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Vaccine
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In Philadelphia, at least 87% of residents 18 and over have gotten one or more vaccine doses, and 71% are fully vaccinated. Of residents 12 and over, 80% have one dose and 66% are fully vaccinated. (Philadelphia Department of Public Health)
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Across Pennsylvania, at least 64% of all residents are vaccinated, including 71% of those 18 and over. (Pennsylvania Department of Health)
Cases
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Philadelphia's rolling average is 247 new cases per day, 11% lower than a week ago. Positivity rate is averaging 3.8%, down quarter-point from a week prior. (PDPH)
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Statewide, the rolling average is 4,202 new cases per day, 8% lower than a week ago. At last report, statewide positivity rate averaged 9.7%, up a tenth of a point from a week prior. (Pa. DOH)
Hospitalizations and deaths
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In the city, 195 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 (averaging 1% more than a week ago), including 20 on ventilators. Overall, 3,990 Philadelphians are known to have died of the disease, including 28 reported in the past seven days. (PDPH)
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Statewide, 2,929 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 (averaging 2% more than a week ago), including 668 in the ICU. Overall, 30,815 Pennsylvanians are known to have died of the disease, including 479 reported in the past seven days. (Pa. DOH)
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Make health information understandable during Health Literacy Month |
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October is Health Literacy Month. The CMS Office of Minority Health (OMH) is providing resources to help you better explain the services that are available to your patients through their health coverage:
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Review and share Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ “Coverage to Care Resources,” which help patients understand their health coverage and connect to primary care and the preventive services that are right for them. Resources are available in Spanish.
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Download “Coverage to Care Prevention Resources” to explain the preventive services available to adults, teens, children and infants for little or no cost under most health care plans. Resources are available in Arabic, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese.
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Share “Getting the Care You Need: A Guide for People with Disabilities,” which empowers patients with disabilities by explaining their rights to accessible care. This resource is available in Arabic, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese.
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View “Improving Communication Access for Individuals who are Blind or have Low Vision” and “Improving Communication Access for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing,” which outline how to assess practices for accessibility, develop communication plans and be prepared to implement accessible services.
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Review “Building an Organizational Response to Health Disparities – Resource Guide,” which describes resources and concepts key to addressing disparities and improving health care quality throughout an organization.
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Download the “Guide to Developing a Language Access Plan,” which helps assess programs and develop language access plans to ensure persons with limited English proficiency have meaningful access to care and services.
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Medicare open enrollment is underway |
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The Medicare Open Enrollment period occurs every year from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, with coverage changes taking effect Jan.1. Now is the time for beneficiaries to review their coverage options and make a choice that meets their health care needs.
Here are four ways that beneficiaries can compare plans and look at savings options:
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Find plans at Medicare.gov and do side-by-side comparisons of costs and coverage.
- Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048. Help is available 24 hours a day, including weekends
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Access personalized health insurance counseling at no cost, available from State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Visit shiptacenter.org or call 1-800-MEDICARE for each SHIP’s phone number. Many SHIPs also offer virtual counseling.
- Check eligibility for Medicare Savings Programs. People with Medicare facing challenges paying for health care may qualify for Medicare Saving Programs run by their state. These programs can help save money on premiums, prescription drugs, and other health care costs. If an enrollee's income for 2021 is below $18,000, it may be worth contacting the state’s Medicaid program about help that may be available to you. Contact 1-800-MEDICARE to find out where to apply.
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“Medicare & You” handbook available in Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese |
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the “Medicare & You” handbook is available in Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese. The handbook is being released as part of this year’s Medicare Open Enrollment Period and provides essential information on enrollment, program benefits, coverage options and rights.
Live assistance is also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week (except some federal holidays), both via live chat on Medicare.gov and by phone at 1-800-MEDICARE, which offers language interpreter services.
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October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month |
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October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence and health care are closely linked. According to a survey of contacts with the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 53% of respondents reported that an abusive partner has also controlled and/or restricted access to health care.
The Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) Office of Women’s Health and Bureau of Primary Health Care are working with the Administration of Children and Families and the National Domestic Violence Hotline to address these intersections.
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CAMP program with Dr. Lynch Nov. 11 |
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The Health Federation of Philadelphia is holding the next part of its Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy Speaker series: NY MATTERS: A Novel Program Facilitating ED MAT Initiation and Linkage to Care. The program will be led by Dr. Josh Lynch, founder and leader of New York MATTERS, a program providing access to MAT in the emergency department and rapid referrals to long term substance use treatment.
(If you do not have BlueJeans, you will be prompted to install it.)
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Dr. Rachel Levine sworn in as the nation’s first transgender four-star officer |
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Dr. Rachel Levine, former Pennsylvania health secretary and the U.S. assistant secretary for health, was sworn in Tuesday, October 19, as an admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Dr. Levine is the first openly transgender four-star officer to serve in any of the country’s eight uniformed services and the appointment also made her the organization’s first female four-star admiral. Previously she had become the first openly transgender person to be confirmed by the Senate for a federal office. In her role, Levine will lead a team of over 6000 officers who respond to public health crises and natural disasters. |
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Your feedback wanted: When and how will mask-wearing come to an end? |
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The Philadelphia County Medical Society wants to hear your opinion about mask regulations for physicians in response to the COVID pandemic and what you think it will take for the regulations to end. Your comments may be featured in our upcoming edition of Philadelphia Medicine magazine. Contact us at [email protected].
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Negotiating and Understanding Your Employment Contract
Date: Monday, Nov. 8
An 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.
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Child Abuse Prevention Training Program
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 9
Time: 7 to 9 p.m. ET
Our upcoming Child Abuse Prevention Training Program for the 2022 licensing cycle will be taking place on Nov. 9. All physicians renewing their license are required to submit documentation to verify the completion of at least two hours of approved continuing education in child abuse recognition. The program will be conducted as a Zoom video conference.
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Jefferson Hypertension Symposium 2021
Date: Friday, Nov. 12
Time: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET
The 3rd Annual Hypertension Symposium: Salt, Pseudo-Resistance and Sound Decision-Making will address challenging situations in patients with Hypertension. The program features a Keynote Address on: Salt and Hypertension: Why is There Still a Debate?
This course is designed for all healthcare professionals specializing in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Nephrology, Neurology, Endocrinology, Nutrition, Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Medicine.
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