Each September, the American Medical Association honors women physicians, residents, and students during Women in Medicine Month. Women in Medicine Day is recognized on September 2nd. Update your Facebook profile image and get involved all month long with webinars, workshops, and online discussions. Learn more.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a health alert warning physicians and the public about the rise in prescriptions for the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin for use in the treatment or prevention of COVID-19. The CDC also cautioned about the risk of severe illness caused by ivermectin, which was seen in increased calls to poison centers. Use of ivermectin for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 has been demonstrated to be harmful to patients. Current National Institutes of Health (NIH) Treatment Guidelines state there is insufficient evidence to recommend either for or against the use of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19 outside of clinical trials. This recommendation is consistent with the Infectious Disease Society of America's Guidelines on the Treatment and Management of Patients with COVID-19, which suggests against the use of ivermectin in hospitalized patients and ambulatory persons with COVID-19, outside the context of a clinical trial. Additionally, there is no evidence to suggest that ivermectin can prevent you from becoming infected with COVID-19. For additional information see the FDA Information Page.

The American Medical Association (AMA), American Pharmacists Association (APhA), and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) issued a joint statement calling for an immediate end to the ordering, prescribing, or dispensing of ivermectin for prevention or treatment of COVID-19 outside of a clinical trial. The health care organizations are urging physicians, pharmacists, and other prescribers - trusted health care professionals in their communities - to warn patients against the use of ivermectin outside of FDA-approved indications and guidance.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is alerting health care facility risk managers, procurement staff, and health care personnel to stop using certain N95 respirators manufactured by Shanghai Dasheng Health Products Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Shanghai Dasheng). The Delaware Division of Public Health has also issued a Health Advisory with information on the revoked respirator certification. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) revoked all respirator approvals previously issued to Shanghai Dasheng because the company did not implement, maintain, and control a quality management system. All previously authorized Shanghai Dasheng respirators are no longer authorized for emergency use as a result of the loss of NIOSH approval. Refer to the FDA's Letter to Health Care Providers on how to identify affected respirators, recommendations, and reporting problems.

Children are going to hospitals at an increased rate due to rising COVID-19 transmission from the Delta variant, especially in areas with low vaccination rates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shared new resources for parents as in-person schooling resumes this fall. The information contains questions for parents to consider posing to learn more about their school's COVID-19 precautions and offers useful information on vaccines, masks, testing, contact tracing, quarantine/isolation, close contact precautions, sports and activities, special accommodations, community transmission, and more. Feel free to share with your patients.

The American Medical Association (AMA) announced a Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) code was ready for the third dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. The CPT Editorial Panel has expedited approval of a new administration code that is unique to a third dose of the current COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna.

To update its 2015 recommendation, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) commissioned a review to evaluate screening for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in asymptomatic, nonpregnant adults and preventive interventions for those with prediabetes. In a recommendation statement and evidence report published in the August 24th JAMA, the USPSTF concluded with moderate certainty that screening for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes and offering or referring patients with prediabetes to effective preventive interventions has a moderate net benefit. It recommends screening for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in adults who have overweight or obesity starting at age 35, five years earlier than currently advised. Clinicians should offer or refer patients with prediabetes to effective preventive interventions. Screening asymptomatic adults for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes may allow earlier detection, diagnosis, and treatment, with the ultimate goal of improving health outcomes.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the MicroTransponder Vivistim Paired VNS System (Vivistim System), a first-of-its-kind, drug-free rehabilitation system intended to treat moderate to severe upper extremity motor deficits associated with chronic ischemic stroke using vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). The Vivistim System was granted Breakthrough Device designation and is intended to be used, along with post-stroke rehabilitation therapy, in patients who have had ischemic stroke to electrically stimulate the vagus nerve. The Vivistim System, a prescription device, may be used in both clinical and at-home settings to provide VNS.

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware, which offers the state's Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plans, will increase base rates an average of 3% for the 2022 plan year. The rate change does not apply to Medicare, Medicaid, or those with group or individual policies outside the Marketplace. The announcement comes after extensive, in-depth independent actuarial reviews and a public comment period on the insurer's initial proposal of a 4% increase. Federal subsidies from the Biden-Harris Administration have cut consumer costs by 40% and will continue to be applied in the 2022 plan year. Residents are still expected to see savings despite the modest increase in the base rate. The Biden-Harris Administration's Special Enrollment Period (SEP) gave residents the ability to enroll in 2021 ACA plans between February 15 and August 15. An estimated 30,000 Delawareans are now covered by 2021 plans. Twenty-three percent of new and returning Delaware participants are enrolled in a plan costing $10 or less per month due to the American Rescue Plan. The SEP's success has led to proposals at the federal level for permanent open enrollment expansion as well as monthly enrollment opportunities. Premium assistance will continue through 2022, and a majority of Delaware marketplace enrollees will be eligible for these discounts that can reduce their monthly premiums.

Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro announced that Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware will issue rebates totaling over $12.3 million to some Delawareans. Residents who purchase insurance on the Delaware Health Insurance Marketplace, those who purchase Highmark Delaware plans outside of the marketplace, and Highmark small group policyholders may receive rebates as a result of the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) calculation. Communications will be sent to policyholders in September and checks for both individual policyholders and small groups will be sent the week of September 15. Not every policyholder will receive a rebate.

The importance of well-being is being elevated at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with the establishment of the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity in response to President Biden's Executive Order Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. This is the first office of its kind at the national level to address the health consequences of climate change and their disproportionate effects on poor communities. Its mission is aimed at understanding how planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions also affect human health. With the U.S. health sector responsible for 8.5% of the country's carbon emissions, the office will encourage hospitals to cut carbon emissions to result in greener, more environmentally friendly medical care. It will also identify communities vulnerable to extreme weather hazards caused by climate change and provide training to create a climate and health workforce to lessen the negative impact of climate change. MSD recently joined as a member of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health as a way for physicians to get involved in climate solutions.

According to a press release from ChristianaCare, the eBrightHealth Accountable Care Organization (ACO) achieved a quality score of 98.75% - its highest score yet - and reduced health care spending by $19.4 million in 2020, according to performance data from the federal agency that administers Medicare. This achievement marks the fifth consecutive year that the eBrightHealth ACO has reduced health care costs for its more than 40,000 beneficiaries in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. For the 2020 reporting period, eBrightHealth ACO consisted of four regional health systems (Bayhealth, Beebe Healthcare, ChristianaCare, and TidalHealth Nanticoke), six private primary care practices, and two federally qualified health centers (Westside Family Healthcare and La Red Health Center). Since January 1, 2020, eBrightHealth ACO has participated in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Pathways to Success Medicare Shared Savings Program two-sided risk model. Under the program, clinical partners are eligible for shared savings or liable for increased spending, if it occurs.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced that Connections Community Support Programs, Inc. (CCSP) has agreed to pay $15.3 million for two lawsuits brought by the federal government alleging health care fraud arising under the federal False Claims Act and violations of the Controlled Substances Act. Prior to filing for bankruptcy, CCSP provided a variety of mental health and addiction treatment services at numerous locations throughout Delaware, including the state's prison system. The settlements do not affect additional claims against CCSP and its former CEO.

Do your patients and their loved ones know the facts about how benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepines can benefit their well-being and also put them in harm's way? Awareness levels about the benefits and dangers of benzodiazepines are far below where they need to be. Delaware Health and Social Services (DHSS) has created tools to communicate with the communities you serve. From social media content to cards and posters and talking points, the information was created to help you talk with your patients effectively and ensure they use benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepines safely.

The American Medical Association (AMA) Council on Medical Education is currently soliciting candidates for AMA nomination opportunities with the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Committee on Certification, Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Review Committees in multiple specialties. The deadline for applications is Tuesday, September 7, 2021. Position descriptions and applications for each opportunity can be found at AMA Medical Education Leadership Opportunities.

Representative David Bentz (D-Newark, Christiana) has been a friend of medicine for the six years he has served in office. He served as chair of the House Health and Human Development Committee for most of his time in elected office. He was instrumental in our fight for primary care reform, mental health parity, and codifying telehealth services. With one year left in his current term, last week he announced he will not seek another term in 2022. According to Delaware media sources, others who announced they will not run for re-election include Sen. Ernie Lopez (R-Rehoboth Beach) and Rep. Gerald Brady (D-Greenville).

The National Health Service Corps Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (NHSC S2S LRP) application is now open through November 4 at 7:30 p.m. (ET). You may qualify for up to $120,000 in tax-free loan repayment for medical, nursing, or dental school student loans in exchange for a three-year service commitment in a high-need rural, tribal, or urban community.

The fourth annual National Physician Suicide Awareness (NPSA) Day will be recognized on September 17, 2021. NPSA Day is designed to bring awareness to the fact that physicians take their own lives at a greater rate than the average population. Resources are available, including accredited education modules and videos, to use to talk about this issue or become more educated, along with registration details for the Coalition for Physician Wellbeing September 17th webinar.

The goal in coming up with a drug name is to identify one that communicates the core aspects of its benefits. Names are submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Division of Medication Error Prevention and Analysis, which may reject names for being too similar to other drugs or suggesting superiority, effectiveness, or dosing. Pfizer and BioNTech emphasized immunization against COVID-19 and the vaccine's central mRNA technology, as well as encompassing the concepts of community and immunity, ultimately branding Comirnaty, which has been in use since December. "Co" is from COVID-19, "Mirna" represents mRNA, and "ty" comes from both community and immunity. Read the article from the Advisory Board's Daily Briefing.

Last week's article on the FDA's Approval of the Solid Tumor Diagnostic Test contained an error in the subheading. The subtitle incorrectly stated that the test identifies solid tumors that could turn cancerous. The MMR test is used in tumors that are already diagnosed as malignant. The test helps guide therapy and looks for inherited risk for cancer.

Pfizer Vaccines US Medical Affairs team will be hosting "Medical Updates: Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine" on Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m. (ET) and Thursdays at 12:00 Noon (ET) for the remainder of 2021. Sessions will be continuously updated to reflect new information and changes that evolve. Read more.

The Medical Society of Delaware will be co-sponsoring a web forum with the League of Women Voters on Monday, September 27 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. Several panelists will discuss various topics related to the health impacts of CO2 emissions produced by vehicles, including Senator Chris Coons and MSD member David Donohue, MD. Register.

The Department of Defense Autism Research Program is funding a training opportunity and research project to enhance the quality of healthcare for adults on the autism spectrum, a program hosted by Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Primary care providers - physicians, advanced practice nurses, and physician assistants - are invited to participate in videoconferencing sessions focusing on caring for the unique needs of autistic adults. Through this ECHO Autism program, you will learn skills that will help you care for a broad range of patients, including information on psychotropic medication management and how to help patients sleep. You can join the videoconferences from your home or office over lunch or a break. The program includes a series of trainings, which will meet for 1 hour every other week for 6 months. The next series will begin in November 2021. You will receive compensation for completing several study measures as well as earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for each session attended. Maintenance of certification Parts 2 and 4 are also offered. This program is being developed by autism specialists at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, the University of Virginia, and the University of Missouri-Columbia. Dr. Beth Malow, director of the Vanderbilt Autism Treatment Network site, is the Vanderbilt investigator for this project. For more information, or to be a part of this training program, please contact Janet Shouse, study coordinator, at Janet.Shouse@vumc.org or call (615) 875-8833.

Beebe Healthcare updated its visitor restrictions as of August 30th to allow inpatients one well visitor during visitor hours. Visitors are not permitted for COVID-19 patients and those under suspicion for COVID-19 except for special circumstances. Additional considerations are made for labor & delivery, surgery patients, and end-of-life patients. Pediatric patients may have two well parents or caregivers. Face coverings remain required at all Beebe care sites.

This week's spotlight is on Dakota Degenstein, Medical Student at Bayhealth in Dover (PCOM Class of 2023) Read more.

If you would like to be featured in the Spotlight section, please contact Michelle Seymour, Membership Manager. 

MSD's Membership Department is pleased to announce the newest members of the Medical Society of Delaware. Welcome to the third oldest medical society in the country! If you know someone interested in joining MSD, please contact Michelle Seymour at (302) 224-4905 or Michelle.Seymour@medsocdel.org with any questions or concerns.