September is Suicide Prevention Month

In observance of Suicide Prevention Month, we have prepared a variety of multimedia resources to help assess and address suicidality in your practice. 

• Watch the recording or view the slides from our last Mind Matters meeting, Managing Suicidal Patients in Primary Care
• New! Provider's Guide to Suicide Risk Assessment
• New on the Blog! Suicidality: Patient Engagement and Intervention

More MSHP Suicidality Resources

Find information about risk factors, warning signs, and suicide myths as well as short (1 minute or less) video tips with Anitha Iyer, PhD, Director of Behavioral Health Population Management, on our dedicated suicide prevention webpage. 

Managing the Patient with Multiple Chronic Diseases: Case Study Based Discussion

Join us Thursday, October 20, 2022, for our next CME event, Managing the Patient with Multiple Chronic Diseases. Our expert panelists will present a case of a patient with multiple chronic comorbidities and facilitate a discussion on evidence-based management and treatment guidelines. 

Kathryn R. Dubowski, MD

Assistant Professor, Medicine, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Xisui Shirley Chen, MD, MS

Clinical Assistant Professor, Medicine, General Internal Medicine

Icahn School of Medicine

at Mount Sinai

Jeffrey W. Olin, DO

Professor of Medicine

Icahn School of Medicine

at Mount Sinai

Join Us! Mind Matters ECHO

Mount Sinai Health Partners is hosting our next Mind Matters ECHO meeting on October 12, 2022 from 5:30-7:00 pm.

Dr. Joseph Tan, PhD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia Health System, will share lessons from UVA's integrated behavioral health care model. He will discuss key components of behavioral health integration, differences between collaborative care and primary care behavioral health models, and explain potential clinical benefits and cost savings. 

Downloadable Security Risk Assessment Tool



The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule requires that covered entities and their business associates conduct a risk assessment of their healthcare organization. As an MSHP provider, you, as a covered entity, are required to complete a HIPAA Security Risk Assessment annually during your reporting period. A risk assessment helps your organization ensure it is compliant with HIPAA’s administrative, physical, and technical safeguards. A risk assessment also helps reveal areas where your organization’s protected health information (PHI) could be at risk. To learn more about the assessment process and how it benefits your organization, visit the Office for Civil Rights' official guidance. You may also download this risk assessment tool to help you through the process and watch a video on how to use it. 

EmblemHealth Consultation Code Reimbursement Changes

• Consistent with CMS, EmblemHealth/ConnectiCare will not reimburse outpatient consultation codes 99241 – 99245, and inpatient consultation codes 99251 – 99255
• This is relevant to those who do both outpatient and inpatient consultations and are PCPs

Cigna's COVID-19 September Updates

Cigna shared their September COVID-19 updates, including a reimbursement update for antibody treatment.

Empire Evaluation and Management Services for COVID-19 Testing

Effective with dates of service on or after September 1, 2022, Empire BlueCross BlueShield (“Empire”) will facilitate review of selected claims for COVID-19 visits reported with evaluation and management (E/M) services submitted by professional providers to align with CMS reporting guidelines. When the purpose of the visit is for COVID-19 testing only, reimbursement for CPT code 99211 (office or other outpatient visit) is allowed when billed with place of service office (11), mobile unit (15), walk-in retail health clinic (17), or urgent care facility (20). Claims for exposure only may be affected. In short, Don’t bill for the testing ONLY when you are also evaluating for symptoms say or exposure. Professional providers are encouraged to code their claims to the highest level of specificity in accordance with ICD-10 coding guidelines. Read more.

EmblemHealth September 2022 Newsletter

Emblem shared their September 2022 newsletter.

New Study on Diagnosing and Managing Chronic Kidney Disease in Men Versus Women

A new observational cohort study found that women were less likely to receive a CKD diagnosis, visit a nephrologist, have their creatinine and albuminuria measured, or to receive guideline-recommended therapies. Differences in comorbidity did not explain these discrepancies and were similar among high-risk groups, among patients with evidence-based indications for medications, and among patients with confirmed CKD at retesting. Efforts to improve and ensure equitable health care between the sexes could have important implications for justice and could reduce the burden of CKD.

Communicate with local pharmacies to help support patient's medication adherence 

Medication adherence is a valuable part of patient care, and we are particularly focused on improving adherence with statins, ACEI/ARBs, and non-insulin diabetes medications. Collaboration with local pharmacies helps provide enhanced patient care and outcomes.

What we do

The MSHP pharmacy team may contact local pharmacies to confirm medication adherence and intervene should there be any identifiable barriers. We can then work with the patient and prescriber to try to resolve any issues.

What you can do

Consider making an introductory call to your local pharmacists, or stop in to meet them. This connection can open lines of communication when patients are in need of refills, have medication questions, or when patients do not pick up their prescriptions.

We also suggest prescribing 90 day supplies when possible for improved adherence with chronic medications.

Cost barriers

Patients with Medicare Part D living in New York may be eligible for NYS EPIC, an income-based co-payment assistance program. 

Primary Care

Ken Chan, DO

Internal Medicine

Primary Partner Care Physicians, PLLC

New Hyde Park, NY

Specialty Care

Peter E. Ashman, MD

Otolaryngology

ENT and Allergy Associates

New York, NY

Alan F. Cohen, MD

Otolaryngology

ENT and Allergy Associates

Bronx, NY

Barak J. Greenfield, MD

Otolaryngology

ENT and Allergy Associates

Plainview, NY

Jennifer B. Meko, MD

General Surgery

Telemedicine Associates, PC

Brooklyn, NY

Jason S. Pruzansky, MD

Hand Surgery

Jason Pruzansky, MD

New York, NY

Anthony J. Razzano, MD

Gastroenterology

Diamond Medical Group

Wantagh, NY

Advanced Care Practitioners

Christine Bonavita, NP

Nurse Practitioner

Gynecology & Integrative Women's Care, PC

New York, NY

Alex Z. Clark, NP

Nurse Practitioner

Gynecology & Integrative Women's Care, PC

New York, NY

Ayse Z. Ertamay, PA

Physician Assistant

ENT and Allergy Associates

Fresh Meadows, NY

Bronwyn R. Fleming-Jones, CNM

Certified Nurse Midwife

Lower Manhattan Medical Care PC

New York, NY

Susan Gisonda, NP

Nurse Practitioner

Gynecology & Integrative Women's Care, PC

New York, NY

Alice A. Kufs, NP

Nurse Practitioner

ENT and Allergy Associates

Levittown, NY

Elena Levy, PA

Physician Assistant

ENT and Allergy Associates

Fresh Meadows, NY

Rochelle Lipshutz, CNM

Certified Nurse Midwife

Lower Manhattan Medical Care PC

New York, NY

Gloria Y. Pak, NP

Nurse Practitioner

Our Kid's MD

New York, NY

Jane P. Riccobono, NP

Nurse Practitioner

Gynecology & Integrative Women's Care, PC

New York, NY

Jessica R. Scott, NP

Nurse Practitioner

Gynecology & Integrative Women's Care, PC

New York, NY

Tafiea A. Stokes, NP

Nurse Practitioner

Gynecology & Integrative Women's Care, PC

New York, NY

Bianca M. Villar, NP

Nurse Practitioner

Gynecology & Integrative Women's Care, PC

New York, NY

Complete Your Privacy Training and Practice Communication Requirements This Month

All providers must complete the HIPAA: Privacy and Security MSHP Education Program 2022 training course in the Clinical Integration Learning Center (online via the Provider Portal) and the Practice Communication Requirement (verifying your practice profile) by the end of this month. For details, please refer to the 2022 Clinical Integration Program Requirements Timeline Checklist for Primary Care Providers. Please do not delay in completing them.



Questions? Your Population Health Manager and/or Population Health Specialist are available to answer any questions you may have. Feel free to also contact us at mshp@mountsinai.org or 877-234-6667.

Medical Malpractice Insurance Discount

In our effort to provide support and value to your practice, we wish to remind you that as a member of MSHP’s clinically integrated network, you are eligible to receive discounted rates on medical malpractice insurance offered by TDC Group, an organization founded and led by physicians.

Please refer to this flyer for more information on this offer, including examples of premium rates. You may request a quote at thedoctors.com/nyquote or by contacting Brian Dalton at TDC Group at Brian.Dalton@thedoctors.com.