On June 24, all MAFP members were emailed the official Annual Meeting notice on behalf of MAFP Vice President and Corporate Secretary Glenn Dregansky, DO, FAAFP.

Included in the notice is the link to free registration, the meeting agenda, the slate of new 2021-22 Board candidates, six proposed resolutions up for discussion and voting, “Academy” Award winners, and other materials for the meeting taking place on Saturday, July 24, 12-2 pm ET. The Awards Celebration will begin immediately following the meeting, at approximately 2 pm.

Registration is also open for these Annual Meeting-affiliated events:

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is conducting an assessment to understand the impact of newly promulgated rules for substance use disorder program licensure. All Michigan physicians with a Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 Waiver (also called X-waiver or DATA 2000 waiver) are invited to participate in the assessment to provide input on barriers and facilitators affecting buprenorphine prescribing for the treatment of opioid use disorder. The anonymous survey can be completed in 25 minutes or less and a $20 e-gift card will be provided upon completion.

MAFP is offering a variety of CME on-demand webinars, including single sessions and those that are part of our “Stay on Course” year-long package. Several of the webinars also count toward/meet the State of Michigan’s training requirements for medical licensure on the topics of clinical ethics, human trafficking, and pain and symptom management. Once you complete a webinar and corresponding post-webinar survey, MAFP staff will report your CME credit(s) earned to AAFP and send you a CME certificate for your records.

The Wayne State University School of Medicine Office of Graduate Medical Education announced the promotion of Eleanor King, MD to program director of Wayne State University/Rochester Hospital Family Medicine Residency, effective July 1. Dr. King, a Michigan native, first joined the family medicine faculty as a clinical assistant professor in 2018 and previously served as associate program director.

AAFP’s liaison to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), Pamela Rockwell, DO, FAAFP of Ann Arbor, shared insight on the committee’s latest meeting held online June 23-25. Topics of discussion included the state of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on the safety of vaccines and possible COVID-19 booster vaccines, draft recommendations for a dengue vaccine, and proposed recommendations on the use of certain influenza vaccines for the 2021-2022 influenza season, as well as guidance on the use of zoster and pneumococcal vaccines. Dr. Rockwell also serves on the MAFP Board of Directors.

Mohammed Aamir Saiyed, MD, a first-year resident at Central Michigan University Family Medicine Residency, has been selected as a 2021 scholar in AAFP’s year-long Family Medicine Leads Emerging (ELI) Leader Institute. This program focuses on ensuring the future of the specialty by increasing the number of future family medicine leaders and provides training for this important role. Family medicine residents entering their first or second year, and medical students entering their second, third, or fourth year when the program begins are eligible to apply. Dr. Saiyed’s work as an ELI scholar will focus on personal and practice leadership.

Winners of the 2021 Family Medicine Leads (FML) Scholarships for attending AAFP’s National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students have been announced. Included among the 200 scholarship recipients are 32 student and resident members of MAFP. The program provides $200 scholarships to cover the cost for students and residents to attend this year’s virtual National Conference, July 29–31 (registration is open!). These scholarships are made possible by donations from family physicians across the country and are awarded to student and resident Academy members for their interest in family medicine and commitment to providing patient-centered care.

Six posters of MAFP members are among more than 100 selected to be on display at AAFP’s National Conference of Family Medicine Residents & Medical Students, July 29-31. Posters will be displayed electronically on the virtual National Conference platform. Poster presentations were selected for display in the categories of research, clinical inquiry, community project, and educational program.

Do you have news to share about yourself, your practice, or a colleague? Email info@mafp.com.

MAFP is gearing up for AAFP’s National Conference and Student and Resident Congress sessions and wants to hear from resident and student members! Do you have an issue/area of concern that you would like introduced as a resolution for consideration by the Student or Resident Congress? Resolutions that are passed by the Congresses have the potential to impact AAFP policy and initiatives. Click here to email your ideas to your 2021 Michigan Delegation:

MAFP has once-again transitioned its traditional Friday-night Michigan reception at Shark Bar in downtown Kansas City to a pre-conference virtual reception and kick off through Zoom. Bring your own beverage and food to enjoy as you mix and mingle with fellow MAFP members on July 28, 6:30-7:30 pm ET. Learn about Academy initiatives that can enhance your family medicine journey, facilitate making connections and developing mentors, and helping advance your career. There will be time for a live Q&A. Register today and spread the word to your colleagues!

Now in its eight year, Family Medicine Foundation of Michigan’s Future of Family Medicine Student Conference will be held virtually on Saturday, Oct. 9. Thank you to CMU Medical Education Partners for co-hosting the conference! The cost is just $25 for access to:

Join the Academy’s Key Contacts Advocacy Network to Ensure the Future of Family Medicine  

Legislators and policymakers need to hear from family physicians, whose unique perspectives and expertise are invaluable resources in the fight for family medicine. AAFP’s Key Contact program provides everything needed to create and leverage opportunities to educate elected officials on the issues that most affect family physicians' practices, patients, and communities. More specifically, key contacts:

Watch this short video about AAFP’s Key Contacts program for more information. Already have a working relationship with a member of Congress? Note it here and join Key Contacts today. For more information, please contact Heather Cutler, AAFP’s senior manager of political affairs & member engagement.

Renewing efforts to bring COVID-19 vaccines to more family physicians is included in the Biden-Harris Administration’s plans for increasing vaccine access and uptake. Other strategies include door-to-door education and encouraging parents to get their children vaccinated during back-to-school and well child visits. Findings from a new national poll show that 53% of unvaccinated Americans said they would prefer to get vaccinated at their doctors’ office.

Due Nov. 1

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has begun distributing 2021 Alternative Payment Model (APM) incentive payments. Physicians participating in CMS’ Quality Payment Program who have met the criteria to be Qualifying APM Participants are eligible for the payments. If you think you are eligible for a bonus and didn’t receive one, it may be because CMS can’t verify your billing information. CMS has created a zip file for downloading that includes an Excel spreadsheet listing the names of qualifying participants whose billing information the agency is unable to verify. If your name is on that list, contact Medicare using instructions given in the billing information collection form that is also included in the zip file. Nov. 1 is the deadline for verifying your information so CMS is able to issue your incentive payment.

Physicians who need to report in the reporting period 1 of the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Provider Relief Fund have until Sept. 30 to submit their information as part of the post-payment reporting process. Updated reporting requirements were published on June 11. Several resources are available to assist providers in the reporting process, including user guides, frequently asked questions, and a provider support line (866.569.3522).

Recall of LeadCare® Blood Lead Tests

Magellan Diagnostics, Inc. and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have issued a recall notice concerning the use of some LeadCare® Blood Lead Tests (certain LeadCare II, LeadCare Plus, and LeadCare Ultra test kit lots). These lots were distributed between October 27, 2020, and June 15, 2021. The use of these devices may cause serious injuries because they might underestimate blood lead levels. The FDA has identified this as a Class I recall, the most serious type of recall.

On July 1, the Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury, and the Office of Personnel Management, issued an interim final rule that will restrict excessive out-of-pocket costs to consumers from surprise medical billing and balance billing.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revoked the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for non-NIOSH-approved disposable respirators (effective July 6) and for decontamination and bioburden reduction systems (effective June 30). As of the effective date of the revocations, these devices will no longer be authorized for use by healthcare personnel in healthcare settings. These actions are in follow-up to the May 27 letter in which the FDA recommended a transition away from non-NIOSH-approved disposable respirators as well as from reusing decontaminated or bioburden-reduced disposable respirators.

Residency Requirement Revisions Available for Review

A special issue of Family Medicine from the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine offers a look at articles informing the revised family medicine residency requirements announced in 2020 by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Article topics include practice as curriculum, length of training, workforce diversity, rural health, behavioral health, and the social accountability of graduate medical education. An open comment period is likely to be offered in November before the revisions go the ACGME Board of Directors for consideration. If approved, the new requirements are likely to be implemented in July 2022.

As of Aug. 1, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ new reimbursement policy for office-based Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) treatment and Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) treatment provided by primary care physicians in an office-based setting will go into effect. The policy includes reimbursing primary care physicians and other primary care providers for services related to AUD/OUD through the Medicaid Fee-for-Service program, as long as qualifying criteria is met.

MDHHS Bulletin Clarifies Coverage of Asynchronous Telemedicine Services

Crain’s Detroit Business is accepting nominations for its Notable Rising Star in Health Care award. Nominees should be early- to mid-career professionals in the healthcare space who have made significant contributions to the profession, their organizations, and the community, and who have potential to rise to the highest ranks of healthcare leadership. Winners will be honored in a special Crain’s Detroit Business section on Oct. 4.

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program (STAR LRP) awards eligible providers with up to $250,000 of loan repayment in exchange for six years of full-time service at an approved facility.

AAFP Foundation’s Family Medicine Discovers Rapid Cycle Scientific Discovery and Innovation (FMD RapSDI) funds practicing family physicians to generate new evidence and innovative models for “what works” in real-world primary care settings. Two practicing family physicians will be selected as 2022 FMD RapSDI scholars and will receive a $40,000 grant for project-associated costs and/or to offset time/salary required to conduct research. Online program information sessions are being held on July 27 at 12 am-1 pm ET and Aug. 12 at 1:15-2 pm ET.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is accepting nominations of new members for its National Advisory Council, which advises the Secretary of Health and Human Services and AHRQ Director on research activities and priorities. To fill these positions, the agency seeks individuals who can contribute varied perspectives on the healthcare system and on AHRQ’s research focus to promote improvements in healthcare safety, quality, accessibility, equity, and cost-effectiveness. The seven new members will begin their three-year terms in Spring 2022.

AAFP’s new comprehensive on-demand program, made-up of a series of CME activities that rolled out individually in the spring, is designed to provide in-depth education on how to provide the behavioral healthcare support your patients, yourself, and your care teams need as a result of the impact of COVID-19. Now bundled together, this on-demand educational series allows you to engage and learn at your convenience with content focused on the impacts on patients, practice reimbursement, and physician and team wellness. Access to this online content ends June 25, 2023.

Take Advantage of FamilyDoctor.org to Educate Your Patients

Use familydoctor.org as a resource to answer patient questions. With over 900 patient-friendly articles, in English and Spanish, you may use this resource to help your patients feel more at ease about any physical, mental, or emotional health issue they may be facing.

AAFP has updated the Tar Wars campaign Presentation and Program Guide tools, giving participants cutting-edge resources to educate school-aged children about the harms and costs of tobacco use. Tar Wars is an education campaign owned and operated by AAFP; its tools are free to use by anyone interested in participating in the program.

The AAFP Proficiency Testing Program (AAFP-PT) is the only CMS-CLIA-approved laboratory proficiency testing provider to focus on the unique needs of physician office laboratories, urgent care centers, and small hospital laboratories. If you’re one of the majority of family physicians who have chosen to streamline the care you offer patients by performing many of your own laboratory tests using AAFP Proficiency Testing, you may now access the program’s 2022 specimen catalog and lab order forms.

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