WORD TO THE WISE
Newsletter: August 2021 - Volume 21, No. 8
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In this issue:
- Update from your president: Peer assistance win
- Update from your CMS BOD rep: DEI work and delta variant
- PCMS Update: Board of Directors meeting
- News and resources: Reps needed on CMS COL and COMPAC board, medical board passes confidentiality policy, burnout workshop
- Events: Legislative action update, COVID-19 roundtable, NCMS virtual education series, Dr. Matthew Sumpter Memorial Cardiac Symposium, Robert Hawkins dinner, PCMS Annual Symposium
- News from CMS: Register for in-person or virtual annual meeting
- News from AMA: What physicians wish patients knew about the delta variant
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UPDATE FROM YOUR PRESIDENT: Marcel Junqueira, MD
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Confidential peer assistance to continue with vendor named and new medical board policy in place
A win for Colorado physicians and patient safety, the Colorado Medical Board has concluded the vendor selection process for peer assistance services. They selected the Colorado Physician Health Program, which has in place an agreement for maintaining confidentiality in peer assistance services with some exceptions. Additionally, the Colorado Medical Board passed policy 10-28 in May that will guarantee confidentiality in peer assistance services for most licensees seeking help.
We know that physicians who fear retribution to their licensure or professional reputation are much less likely to seek help when they need it. Especially now, during the COVID-19 pandemic when physicians are being pushed to the breaking point, it is vital to our wellbeing to have these measures in place. Thank you to the leaders and members of PCMS and the Colorado Medical Society for your advocacy on this issue.
PCMS continues to urge the public to receive a COVID-19 vaccination if they have not yet done so, particularly as the delta variant circulates in our county and cases and hospitalizations creep higher. Please reply to this email with any suggestions for actions PCMS can take to support you in your work to combat the pandemic. Stay well.
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UPDATE FROM YOUR CMS BOD REP: Brittany Carver, DO
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CMS works for greater inclusion of all CMS members
As a county with a high minority population, I am excited to report that the Colorado Medical Society is taking an active role in DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). At our most recent board meeting, the Nova Collective presented a detailed presentation with recommendations to help us move forward together toward a more inclusive culture. These plans extend from member engagement, to more inclusive everyday language, to personal thought processes, to representation in leadership positions. This is the first of many steps in the right direction for us all as a whole.
On another note, we are at a potential major turning point in the course of the pandemic. Hospitals across the nation are short staffed, burnout is at an all-time high, people are leaving medicine in droves. The labor shortage has already started to and will become a very big, very real, problem for us all. The delta variant is creating a surge again, vaccination hesitancy is definitely not helping the situation, and the hospitals are at or near capacity daily. It’s only August. Acuity recently has been very high as a result of multiple factors too. We are at a crucial point. We can work together and help change the future trajectory or we can continue on the path we are on and the system will break and we will all suffer. This is the time to lead. This is the time to step up and take care of our loved ones and our community. This is why we followed our calling into medicine. We owe it to ourselves, our colleagues, and our patients to remain faithful and dedicated to the four tenants of medical ethics: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice. Please, be part of the solution.
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Meeting notice: PCMS Board of Directors
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Date/Time: Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, 6 p.m.
Location: Pueblo Country Club, 3200 8th Ave., Pueblo, 81008.
Meeting is in the Pikes Peak Room located to the right of the entrance to the clubhouse.
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Interested in serving on CMS's Council on Legislation or the COMPAC Board of Directors?
Thank you to Terrance L. Lakin, DO, MPH, for his service for three years as PCMS representative on the CMS Council on Legislation. With his relocation out of town, we now have a vacancy on COL representing Pueblo. Email cheryl.law@pueblocms.org if you are interested in serving on COL or the board of directors for the non-partisan Colorado Medical Society Political Action Committee (COMPAC) and she will share the job description and application form.
CMS has also placed a call for applicants to all committees. Appointments will be made in September. Read more here about the different committees and how to volunteer.
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Colorado Medical Board passes policy protecting confidentiality in physician peer assistance services
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Learn skills to cope with and prevent burnout through online workshop
The Northern Colorado Medical Society held a virtual workshop last month: Navigating the Whirlwind: Burnout, COVID-19 and Your Personal Path Forward. During the webinar, Dike Drummond, MD, the Happy MD, walked attendees through an interactive, high energy workshop teaching them how to recognize and prevent burnout, lower stress and build a more balanced life. The recording is available here.
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2021 Legislative Action Update: Thursday, Aug. 12, 12-1 p.m.
Pueblo Health Care and the Pueblo County Medical Society are proud to host the 2021 Legislative Action Update, presented by Bryan Campbell, FAAMSE, CEO, Colorado Medical Society. Thursday, Aug. 12, 12-1 p.m.
- Legislative Wins
- 2021 Anticipated Challenges
- Rx Drugs
- Billing Indigent Patients
- Telemedicine
- Mental Health
- Health Equity
- Public Health Workers
- Failed Bills
- Ways to be Involved
- Q&A
Join Zoom Meeting:
Meeting ID: 845 5903 5101
Passcode: 506689
Dial in: 1-346-248-7799
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Next COVID-19 Provider Roundtable: Aug. 11, 12-1 p.m.
The next COVID-19 Provider Roundtable will be held Aug. 11. Zoom Meeting URL or join by phone: 888-475-4499; Meeting ID: 922 1777 4016; Passcode: 285455. 1 CME Credit available to providers who attend this presentation. *Evaluation must be returned to receive CME credit* Return to: Sandra Proud - fax 584-4038 or email: sandra_proud@parkviewmc.com.
Additional resources:
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.
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NCMS Virtual Education Series: Feeding a Need: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Nutrition Care - Aug. 19, 6-7 p.m. MST
1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
Northern Colorado Medical Society, with support from Colorado Medical Society, presents the next event in the NCMS Virtual Education Series: "Feeding a Need: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Nutrition Care." Attendees will learn more about nutrition for physicians' self-care and drawing scope of cultural nutrition competency. Speaker: Tamaan Osbourne-Roberts, MD. Physicians can earn up to 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Full accreditation information available on the registration page. Register here.
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Friday, Aug. 27 - Saturday, Aug. 28
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Save the date for the PCMS 5th Annual Symposium (in-person event)
PCMS is planning the 5th Annual Symposium in October 2021. The purpose will be to educate and connect primary care providers with specialists to discuss the latest procedures offered to treat patients. A post-Covid discussion will also be included. The venue will be in-person depending on the pandemic. There will be no cost to attend. More details are coming soon. If you’re interested in participating as a volunteer speaker or have a recommendation for content, contact cheryl.law@pueblocms.org.
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NEWS FROM THE COLORADO MEDICAL SOCIETY
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Register today for the CMS Annual Meeting - Sept. 17; in-person event at Wings Over the Rockies or online
Join the Colorado Medical Society for the 151st Annual Meeting, Friday, Sept. 17, as we gather as a community to celebrate the incredible work of our physician members and the new frontiers that lie ahead.
Hear the Presidential Address from Mark B. Johnson, MD, MPH, following his swearing-in and join us as we recognize outgoing CMS President Sami Diab, MD.
In-person guests will enjoy live music, delicious food, cocktails, a silent auction and raffle drawings. Meet new colleagues and reconnect with old friends while also exploring the exhibits of the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum - where history meets the future.
We welcome all physicians and medical students!
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NEWS FROM THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
What doctors wish patients knew about the dangerous delta variant
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The Delta variant was first identified in India in December and spread rapidly through the country. It then spread to Great Britain, which led to rising numbers of infections and deaths. In the United States, the first delta variant case was identified in March with cases rapidly multiplying across the country.
Two physicians took time to share what patients need to know about the Delta variant: AMA Chief Health and Science Officer Mira Irons, MD, and Sandra Fryhofer, MD, an Atlanta general internist and Chair-elect of the AMA Board of Trustees who serves as the AMA’s liaison to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Read their top takeaways here.
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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.
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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
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This newsletter is intended for the members and interested persons of the Pueblo County Medical Society. If you have received this and wish to opt-out call 719-281-6073 or use the “unsubscribe” link below.
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