APP Key Messages | July 8, 2021

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July 8, 2021

In this issue

Culture of Safety Survey
2019 MACRA Payment
Supporting Your Practice

Your Voice Matters - Take the Culture of Safety Survey

From Carrie Nelson, MD, System Vice President/CMO, Population Health and Health Outcomes, Advocate Aurora Health, Chief Clinical Officer, APP

Safety is our top priority. You play a critical role in leading by example to support our teams in delivering safe, high quality care. We’re looking for your input on Advocate Aurora's overall safety efforts as we progress on our journey to zero serious safety events by 2025.

You have received a link to the survey in your email. Search “Perceptyx” to find the confidential survey sent from our external vendor - and it only takes 10 minutes to complete. Read on for examples of our successes since the last survey.

Screening guidelines reminder: Physicians should self-screen at home prior to coming into an Advocate Aurora Health facility using the same screening questions we use for patients, visitors and vendors. Read screening guide for details. Entering into an Advocate Aurora facility, use of ID badge for access or signing/clocking into work equates as the attestation that self-screening has been completed. Positive screening results should be reported to Employee Health. Use of the SafeCheck app is a support tool for physicians screening if needed but it is not required.

Epic Transformation

EpicCare Link update: Site verification is currently underway. A Site Administrator from each practice will need to log in and verify that all users are still current, or remove any that have left the practice. The practice account will be locked if this is not completed by July 15. Review tip sheet.

Next quarterly Epic upgrade Aug. 25: Advocate Aurora Health Epic upgrades are now on a quarterly cadence. Watch for more details, including education dates and materials, upgrade benefits and additional resources.

Driving Success

2019 MACRA payment: We are pleased to share the good news that our 2019 MSSP ACO participants began to receive their MACRA Advanced APM (AAPM) 5% lump sum bonus this week. In total, CMS will distribute $25 million among our ACO participants. This is a testament to your ongoing commitment to delivering safe, high quality care at a lower cost and an example of our national leadership in population health. The payment code associated with the bonus is “CMMI QPP NGS.” Learn more in this fact sheet. If you have not received your payment, view this announcement from CMS on how to expedite your payment.

Supporting Your Practice

Clinical Integration program: Review latest update.

Lung screening campaign launches: When it comes to lung cancer, early detection means treatments are more effective. We’ve launched a lung cancer screening campaign to raise awareness about this life-saving annual screening, especially for those at greater risk of lung cancer due to their smoking history. The campaign encourages consumers to take our lung health risk assessment as well as to talk to their PCP about lung screening. Coming soon: a toolkit to support primary care clinicians in ordering lung screenings and more.

Pharmacy and therapeutics updates: Review the latest summary of activity from the Advocate Aurora Pharmacy and Therapeutics system and ambulatory committees, including the addition of avelumab (Bavencio) for outpatient use, new inpatient criteria for bevacizumab and a new RhIG (Rhophylac) protocol.

Helping seniors live well: Advocate Aurora provides resources to help seniors make an informed choice about which Medicare coverage is best for their health and wellness, which may include Medicare Advantage plans. You can direct patients with questions to advocatehealth.com/medicare for resources and upcoming free monthly educational virtual seminars.

Please "Read more" for additional important updates:

NEW Transmission-based Isolation and Deisolation resource guide
Patient outreach
Government enewsletter
Team Advocate - Chicago Marathon

Connecting LGBTQ patients with expert clinicians

As part of our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Advocate Aurora Health is dedicated to providing expert, culturally competent care for our LGBTQ patients. In addition to routine care needs, these patients can have unique health needs that are best served by clinicians with interest, experience and training in inclusive and affirming health services. Advocate Aurora’s LGBTQ Health Program is building a database of clinicians who are interested and able to serve this patient population. This database will be made available on our websites and other channels to make it easy for LGBTQ patients to find the clinician who is the best fit for them.

Any medical group or APP aligned physician or APC who self-identifies as providing inclusive and affirming health services for LGBTQ patients is encouraged to complete a short application process by emailing aah-lgbtqhealth@aah.org with the subject line: “AAH LGBTQ Health Program Clinician”. This is a voluntary program. Questions may be directed to aah-lgbtqhealth@aah.org.

Elevating Our Expertise

Chicagoland physicians recognized by peers

Chicago magazine has named more than 25 Advocate Aurora Health physicians in Illinois among Chicago’s Top Doctors in heart care. The list, featured in the magazine’s June 2021 issue, recognizes physicians across Chicagoland who were nominated by their peers. See all of the Advocate Aurora physicians who were recognized.

Advocate Aurora headlines Capitol Hill roundtable

Carrie Nelson, MD, System Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Population Health & Health Outcomes, and Chief Clinical Officer, APP, recently participated in a Capitol Hill virtual panel discussion along with other leading health care policy experts focused on how value-based payment models are helping to advance health equity. Read more.

Your research is changing lives

Read this month’s Advocate Aurora Health Research Institute update which includes findings from our 16K team member participant COVID-19 study, cancer rates in younger populations and more.

Continuing Medical Education

14th annual highlights of ASCO: A review of the latest updates in cancer

July 17 | 7:30 a.m. - noon

Learn the latest in cancer treatment as various Advocate Aurora Health and guest speakers review practice-changing clinical updates and findings highlighted at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting. Highlights include advances in clinical and translational research, identifying emerging trends and strategies designed to improve the quality of symptom management and survivorship care, and evaluating tools and resources in specific areas of cancer management that can be used to achieve effective cancer care delivery and improve the patient experience.