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 ET.

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

The Division of Immunization within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services re-issued a memo originally sent to all healthcare professionals in the state in mid-May, urging immediate action to help Michigan children and adolescents get up to date on all recommended vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that the dramatic decline in childhood vaccinations during the pandemic has the potential of raising the risk of other outbreaks when schools reopen. CDC recommends administering the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as routine childhood and adolescent vaccinations.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a rule aimed at strengthening the U.S. healthcare workforce, which, by 2023, is predicted to be 139,000 physicians short, including 55,200 primary care physicians, by 2033. The proposed rule calls for allocating 1,000 new Medicare-funded full-time equivalent medical residency positions to certain hospitals, including ones in rural areas and in communities with a scarcity of healthcare professionals. The intent is to phase in new positions at a rate of 200 slots per year beginning in fiscal year 2023. Click here to review the proposed rule published in the Federal Register.

MAFP, Family Medicine Foundation of Michigan, and Family Medicine Political Action Committee share their 2020 annual report, which highlights benchmark data, recognizes family physicians who have reached 50 years-plus of Academy membership (congratulations!), and presents the organizations' financial positions as of Dec. 31, 2020.

To ensure you receive time-sensitive information impacting family medicine, such as action alerts, the latest must-know news, and new continuing medical education events, we invite you to sign up for MAFP text messages. We promise to use this mode of communication sparingly - so when you receive a text message, you know it's important. To sign up, simply text MIFMCONNECT to 52886.

Last year, cybersecurity breaches in the U.S. increased by 11%, with nearly four out of five cases involving a healthcare professional or organization. This affected one in every 10-healthcare consumers. Whether your practice is big or small, or you are independent or employed, you are equally at risk for a cyber attack. This webinar hosted by MAFP and Family Medicine Foundation of Michigan will arm you with the information you need to identify the most common threats and strategies for preventing cyber criminals from being successful. Complete the webinar and submit your CME survey by Aug. 7 to receive 1 CME credit. And check out this latest news, Health Cos. Must Prepare for Growing Ransomware Threat.

MAFP physician members Dr. Chris Bush, Dr. Rob Jackson, Dr. Paul Thomas, and President-elect, Dr. Srikar Reddy, weighed in on the importance of overcoming COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in a June 13 article published by Crain’s Detroit Business. “Vaccine hesitancy remains a major hurdle to reaching the desired 70 percent vaccinated goal set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state of Michigan,” and physicians acknowledge that “talking a patient into getting vaccinated doesn’t always work, but it relies on trust doctors have built up over years of treating individual patients.”

John VanSchagen, MD, FAAFP (Grand Rapids) has been appointed interim chair of the Department of Family Medicine at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. He replaces Dr. Bengt Arnetz, who retired. Dr. VanSchagen has been a senior associate chair in the department since 2014 and an MAFP member since 1991.

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

The 2021 AAFP National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students will take place virtually, July 29-31. AAFP student and resident members considering a career in family medicine are invited to attend this one-of-a-kind virtual event full of networking, connections with residency programs, educational sessions, and more. Don’t miss your chance to explore all that family medicine has to offer!

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. The cost is just $25! Highlights include:

Summer is the ideal time to talk directly with your state senator about opposition to House Bill 4355. This bill, which passed the Michigan House and is awaiting consideration by the Senate Health Policy & Human Services Committee, would allow for out-of-state licensed physicians and other healthcare professionals to provide telehealth services to Michigan residents without obtaining a Michigan License. The Senate is scheduled to only be in session this summer on June 30, July 15, July 27, and August 25. During the remainder of the summer, senators will be in district. Contact your senator and the Senate Health Policy & Human Services Committee via email and/or phone, and click here to learn the dates when your senator will be in district attending events and/or hosting community meetings.

As the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 state budget finalization deadline of July 1 nears, the Michigan House of Representatives passed its budget proposal this week. Included is funding for several MAFP priorities, such as MIDOCs, the Michigan State Loan Repayment Program, and the Healthy Michigan Plan. Also included is funding for expanding the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies program from 6 months of postpartum Medicaid coverage for new mothers and their babies to 1 year. The Senate has yet to pass its budget proposal.

A bi-partisan, bi-cameral package of House bills was announced on June 23, which call for expanding the availability of medications for treating opioid use disorder and naloxone standing orders to community organizations. Through this legislation, hospitals that treat over 50 overdoses a year will receive funding to build capacity to offer OUD treatment medications.

House Bill 5086, introduced in the Michigan House and taken up by the House Health Policy Committee this week, calls for amending abortion provisions within the state’s Public Health Code. The bill, among other things, requires that physicians provide information on life-limiting and prenatally diagnosed conditions, prevents physicians from performing abortions before determining whether a fetal heartbeat is detectable, and mandates that, if a fetal heartbeat is detected, physicians offer women the option of hearing or seeing evidence of the fetal heartbeat. Testimony on HB 5086 was sharply divided, most notably regarding a provision that requires physicians to inform patients of treatment options for reversing the effects of mifepristone before taking misoprostol. Both sides expressed concern for patients’ best interest, and opponents advocated against legislatively mandating the practice of medicine.

The newly introduced bipartisan Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act (S. 1988) calls for continuing several telehealth emergency measures enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill’s provisions, among other things, allow payment parity for audio-only telehealth services for clinically appropriate appointments, expand coverage for asynchronous telehealth services, authorize Medicare coverage for audio-only telehealth services, and permanently allow Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers to serve as distant sites for providing telehealth services. The bill has support from AAFP and several other influential healthcare-related organizations.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized an extension of the shelf life for Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine from three months to 4.5 months, when kept at refrigerated temperatures of 36-46° Fahrenheit. Physicians who have the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in their inventory should visit www.vaxcheck.jnj to confirm the latest expiration date.

Upon assessment of the state of Michigan’s post-pandemic personal protective equipment (PPE) stockpile, it has been determined the state has the capacity to reduce its current stockpile numbers. To accomplish this, all agencies/organizations are being asked to project current and future PPE needs and complete the survey to indicate needs. Upon fulfillment of the resource request, the requesting agency will be responsible for storage and maintenance of PPE. The deadline to order PPE from the state is June 30.

For the duration of the federally declared COVID-19 public health emergency, Michigan Medicaid will cover monoclonal antibody COVID-19 infusions and their administration for COVID-19 treatment. The established separate coding and enhanced reimbursement for administration of the infusions in the beneficiary’s home or residence reflects the complex products and monitoring requirement.

While the 2021 round of the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program ended May 31, the following loan assistance programs are still active:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration, is releasing revised reporting requirements for recipients of Provider Relief Fund (PRF) payments. With the goal of reducing burdens on smaller practices, the revisions expand the amount of time providers have to report information and extend key deadlines for expending PRF payments for recipients who received payments after June 30, 2020. 

AAFP is among co-signers of a statement on the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines, issued following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ June 23 meeting. “The vaccines are safe and effective, and they prevent COVID-19 illness. They will help protect you and your family and keep your community safe. We strongly encourage everyone age 12 and older who are eligible to receive the vaccine under Emergency Use Authorization to get vaccinated, as the benefits of vaccination far outweigh any harm.”

On June 22, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (MIOSHA) updated emergency COVID-19 rules for healthcare employers went into effect, superseding all previous emergency rules of the administration. Mandates are included for infection control, such as requiring healthcare employers to “provide and ensure that employees wear face masks,” physical distancing, physical barriers, patient screening and management, and more. These rules align with federal guidance and will remain in effect until Dec. 22.

Just announced! It’s a dynamic lineup you won’t find anywhere else. Don’t miss your chance to hear dynamic Main Stage keynotes during AAFP’s Family Medicine Experience (FMX), Sept. 28-Oct. 2. Prepare to break boundaries in a post-COVID world with the help of an anti-racism activist, a Ted Talk legend, a CBS News senior medical correspondent, and an evidence-based expert. Plus, you’ll hear from Academy leadership on what’s happening to advance family medicine. Register at the early-bird rate by July 16 to save. Family medicine research e-poster abstracts are due July 9.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services added 2019 Quality Payment Program (QPP) performance information to the Doctors and Clinicians section of Medicare Care Compare and the Provider Data Catalog.

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recently launched the We Treat Hep C Initiative aimed at eliminating hepatitis C and improving access to treatment among Michigan Medicaid and Healthy Michigan Plan beneficiaries. As part of the initiative, Michigan Medicaid removed the prescriber prior authorization requirement for preferred HCV medication. To support Michigan’s efforts to eliminate hepatitis C, MDHHS has partnered with several entities to offer trainings and resources.

 

Health professionals eligible for the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program—including family physicians and other members of the care team—can receive up to $250,000 in exchange for a six-year, full-time service commitment at an expanded variety of SUD facility types. Eligible sites may also apply to become approved for the program. Applications are due by July 22 at 7:30 pm ET. Application Q&A sessions are being held on July 9, 16, and 20.

The Health Resources and Services Administration is updating all automatically designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) scores. This phase of the Shortage Designation Modernization Project (SDMP), also called the 2021 National Shortage Designation 2.0, is tentatively planned for this summer. Changes in HPSA scores may affect a facility's competitive status for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), Nurse Corps Scholarship, and Nurse Corps Loan Repayment programs. (Side note: NHSC New Site applications are due July 1.)

 

For each of the last four years (2016-2019), Michigan has led all other Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) states and territories in the proportion of mothers who sleep their babies in spaces without loose or soft bedding. While this practice has improved over time across all PRAMS sites, the rate of improvement by Michigan mothers has kept pace, allowing the state to remain ranked first each year. Click the link above and scroll to pages 63-75 for a comprehensive look at infant safe sleep data.

AAFP has expanded its LGBTQ Health Toolkit webpage to include member perspectives, patient care resources, policy statements, and educational offerings.

Thanks to support from the CVS Health Foundation, AAFP members have free access to several new tobacco cessation resources, including a number of tools that focus on e-cigarettes.

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has launched an interactive data dashboard to highlight current trends in fatal/non-fatal drug overdoses among Michigan residents. The dashboard is also useful for monitoring overdose prevention and substance use disorder treatment services. Provisional data through November 2020 identified 2,417 overdose fatalities across Michigan.

The Agency on Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has developed a new tool to help primary care practices find resources on patient screening and referral, consider what approaches work best for their practice, and understand how to use collected information to address patients’ social needs, tailor their care, and maximize reimbursement.

On Jan. 1, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services implemented changes to evaluation and management (E/M) codes for office and other outpatient visits. This article published by our friends at the Kentucky Academy of Family Physicians (KAFP) outlines changes for medical decision-making and office visit guidelines through the new E/M codes. The article was authored by past KAFP president, Don Swikert, MD, and appeared in the Spring 2021, edition 50 of the KAFP Journal.

This new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report shows that many Michigan children have missed recommended blood lead testing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to May 2019, the number of Michigan children tested for elevated blood lead levels decreased by 83% in May 2020. Medicaid requires all children to be tested at 12- and 24-months of age. Children between 36 and 72 months who were not previously tested must be tested at least once. No amount of lead in the body is considered safe, and in Michigan, a blood lead level of 4.5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) or higher is considered elevated. At 4.5 µg/dL or greater, lead education, environmental investigations, and additional medical monitoring should be established to lower the blood lead level.

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Outpatient Family Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI

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