The third-wave surge continues to impact all of Colorado, I extend my gratitude and encouragement to all physicians, especially our frontline providers, who are working hard caring for patients at great personal risk. As the ICU director of Parkview Medical Center -- which at the time of this writing was at 100 percent capacity -- I see the struggle on the faces of my colleagues and fear in patients' eyes. I want to use this last column of 2020 to remind you that we are fighting the good fight, and I thank you for continuing to encourage your patients, friends, neighbors and community members to work even harder to follow public health guidance to socially distance, wear masks in public, wash hands and stay home when they are sick. I wish all of you happy holidays and health in the New Year.

Some good news amidst the pandemic, on Nov. 10, a district judge ruled against the procurement process by which DORA sought out and awarded the contract for the physician peer services in Colorado. There is still quite a long process ahead regarding this topic and situation, so please, if you have not already, sign the CMS petition or email specific relevant information to president@cms.org.

Along those same lines, COVID numbers are climbing locally, and in November, we as a county were top five in the entire country for new cases per 100,000 people. The hospitals are feeling it, your clinics are feeling it, the community is feeling it, and risk for burnout is at an all-time high. Please, lean on each other as colleagues during these times and check on your friends and family. The holidays are traditionally a tough time for mental health in general, and this year can only be expected to be extra difficult for many. Please, continue to be vigilant with hand washing, social distancing, and PPE protocols. If you are having difficulties or need to just vent, please reach out. Together, we will get through this.

No matter where this holiday seasons finds you, here’s hoping you are surrounded with love and health. I wish you all the fondest season’s greetings and continued happiness into the New Year.

Join the fun and enter your most memorable holiday story in our PCMS member contest. Winner to be announced in our January e-newsletter and will receive a $100 gift card. The winning story will be posted on our blog and published in our January e-newsletter. No story is too proud! Take a picture to go along with your story and email both to staff@pueblocms.org. Let us also know why you deserve to win. 

Contest runs through midnight on Jan. 5 when the New Year cherub will make her pick. Hint: The cherub loves sentimentality and extremely effective tear-jerking stories about love, community, family and peace on earth, goodwill to all. 

Here are the rules: 

Gov. Jared Polis called a Special Session of the 72nd General Assembly that convened yesterday, Monday, Nov. 30 at 10 a.m. Though no bills are directly related to physicians or health care at this time, the Colorado Medical Society and Pueblo County Medical Society are closely monitoring developments. There are seven target areas for action: small business relief, child care support, housing and direct rental assistance, increasing broadband access, food insecurity, utilities assistance and public health response.

If you're in active practice, you're seeing patients donned in PPE. Consider these two strategies for humanizing your patient interactions:

Plus, get the support you need by joining the Lighworker Forum for weekly support sessions for doctors and other health care workers. Zoom sessions are held 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. MT. Enter your email address here to receive meeting notices.

The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has finalized its Transparency in Coverage rule, part of a larger effort to ensure price transparency across the health care sector. This rule requires significant disclosures of the prices of items and services by private health insurers. Notably, it requires plans and issuers to disclose the following pricing information to the public:

The American Medical Association opposed efforts to compel disclosure of negotiated rate information, raising concerns about the impacts on competition. Read the AMA's comments here.

There are so many great businesses in our region; in these tough times we can help support them with a focused effort of sharing and buying local this year. You can help promote businesses during this holiday season. Fill out this form about your favorite local business to be shared by Action22 in their email blasts and on their social media. Also tag any of your social media posts with #buylocalCO2020.

Colorado prescribers and health care providers can now access free, online education modules on topics related to opioid prevention and pain management. Developed with provider input from the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention’s Provider Education Work Group, these modules have been certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ (full accreditation information in the link below). Ten modules are available now on topics such as fibromyalgia, benzodiazepines, acupuncture, and motivational interviewing for discontinuing opioids. Start exploring topics, and access insights today.

The Colorado Medical Society and Colorado Psychiatric Society are proud to present an important Virtual Town Hall: Colorado's Behavioral Health Blueprint, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 6 - 7:30 p.m. Learn about outcomes of the Governor’s Behavioral Health Task Force and potential legislation in the 2021 session of the legislature. This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. More information here. Register here.

Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) Colorado is holding their 2nd Accredited Medical Symposium on the Health Effects of Oil and Gas Development on Dec. 5, 2020. The all-day, interactive online Zoom symposium will feature 12 speakers from across the country and will be both educational and inspirational. The morning will be a mixture of biology and physiology and start at the microscopic/cellular level and then expand to people and animals. The afternoon will focus on the environmental consequences and social injustice concerns that are associated with the Oil and Gas industry. Click here for information on speakers, topics, continuing education credits, and registration.

Two COVID-19 Provider Roundtable meetings will be held in December, on Dec. 9 and 30. See connection information below or email herschlerd@pueblocounty.us for calendar invites.

Plus, view the PowerPoint slides from the Nov. 18 COVID-19 Provider Roundtable here. The Provider Roundtable is sponsored by PCMS, the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment and Pueblo Health Care.

*Evaluation must be returned to receive CME credit* Return to: Sandra Proud - fax 584-4038 or email: sandra_proud@parkviewmc.com

Parkview Medical Center is accredited by the Colorado Medical Society to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Parkview Medical Center designates this live activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity

Health organizations quickly adapted to delivering care via telehealth during the COVID-19 crisis. However, a strategic approach is critical to the sustainability of telehealth well beyond the pandemic. The goal of this three-part series is to provide support for telehealth delivery and sustainability through brief updates on best-practices and extended Q&A with leading telehealth implementation experts: Prime Health Executive Director Rachel Dixon and Telehealth Consultant Sam Lippolis. Three weekly ECHO sessions held virtually, Wednesdays 12 - 1 p.m. MT, Jan. 13 - 27, 2021. Registration will be capped at 30. Limit three participants per practice. Sign up here.

The Colorado Medical Society and House of Medicine have been asking physicians and medical students for weeks to sign a petition expressing extreme concern with the loss of confidentiality in physician peer assistance counseling. More than 3,600 have answered this call to action; thank you! This signature-gathering was in preparation for the quarterly Colorado Medical Board meeting originally scheduled for Nov. 19, where further resistance to the preserving confidentiality of peer assistance services was expected by medical board staff. On Nov. 17, with no explanation, CMB cancelled the meeting. It is clear that our voices are being heard, and it more critical than ever that as many Colorado physicians and medical students as possible sign the petition if you have not already. CMS continues our advocacy with you and for you, especially in this time of extreme pressure on physicians. We are pivoting to other strategies to continue our pressure to maintain confidentiality and will update members soon.

MISSION: Facilitating meaningful collaboration of medical professionals in Pueblo County through social networking, education, and advocacy! 

VISION: To create a medical society that serves as a venue for collaboration for the betterment of healthcare in Pueblo County, and improve the practice of medicine and life of medical professionals, locally.

Board Officers: President: Marcel Junqueira, MD; President-Elect: open position; Secretary: Kathleen Brown, MD; Treasurer: Robert Tonsing, MD; Past-President: Tom Greidanus, MD | Directors: CMS Representative Brittany Carver, DO; Teresa Braden, DO; Jacob Mathew Jr., DO; Ross Patrick, MD; Brad Roberts, MD; Cheryl Walker, DO; and Kevin Weber, MD | Chief Executive Officer: Cheryl Law, MA, MNM

Visit our website at www.pueblocms.org