We have all heard plenty of reminders to vote over the past few weeks. I submit one more request to you, to vote in the 2020 PCMS Election. Four PCMS members are running for election/re-election to the PCMS Board of Directors and we need all voting members to vote to affirm them. Please use this link to access the electronic ballot.

I also want to express my support of all PCMS physicians, especially those on the frontlines treating patients with COVID-19. We can all contribute to reducing the numbers of cases in Pueblo by continuing to encourage patients to wash their hands frequently, physically distance and wear masks. You may get questions about the public health orders, which among other things reduces the number of people who can gather in public and private spaces. Get more information here. The public health order expires Nov. 30. Be well.

The Colorado Medical Society Board of Directors met Friday, Nov. 6 to discuss many items of importance to Colorado physicians. I was pleased to attend my first CMS board meeting as the official PCMS representative. This meeting covered multiple topics of importance:

Lastly, these last few months have been trying on all of us. I would only encourage all of us, as a whole, to continue to practice at the highest level with the utmost ethical standards to fulfill our responsibility to our patients. Thank you for all you do. Recently medicine has been vilified, the pandemic is tough enough on its own, misinformation has been rampant, and burnout is high. First and foremost, please take care of yourselves and stay safe. You are appreciated.

The production of our Medical Directory for 2020 is finally complete. We will be distributing your printed booklet by postal mail within the next week or two. The traditional printed copy of our Medical Directory has been offered to members of PCMS for over 15 years. In August 2020, the Board of Directors voted to switch to a digital format in 2021. They agreed that online, the Medical Directory will increase brand awareness, amplify your online presence, improve your local visibility to the community and others, strengthen your business reputation, and you will show up more on Google where 95 percent of patients find a doctor.

We will post the Medical Directory on our website free to members plus offer it at a minimal cost as an email attachment to interested patients and community members. Choosing this online version also means that we can publish it more instantly, without having to sign off on a printer's proof or wait for weeks to have the booklet printed and delivered to us. And just as important, a digital online Medical Directory will allow us to update your listing easily when the content becomes outdated. Once you receive your 2020 printed booklet in the mail, we ask that you look over your listing and notify us immediately of any errors or updates. One error is too many; accuracy is our goal even more now that your listing will be online in 2021, and we appreciate everyone who notified us of errors and updates in our 2019 Medical Directory.

Of course, beginning a new venture such as this can be challenging and we are looking into it further, but PCMS is now committed to creating a high-quality online Medical Directory for you as an essential member benefit.

The Bipartisan Colorado Medical Political Action Committee (COMPAC) endorsed 75 candidates for state legislature this election based on their pro-medicine stances. 73 won their races. You can see the complete results for Colorado’s state legislature here.

COMPAC is unique for our thorough candidate interview process, which educates candidates on the minutia of physician priorities and vets them on their health care stance. We extend a grateful thank you to all the physicians and friends of medicine who participated in the process and contributed to COMPAC and the SDC. Read the complete article on CMS.org on how COMPAC-endorsed candidates performed at the polls here.

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs has launched a new GRIT Track: GRIT-4Health. GRIT-4Health is designed specifically to support and build resilience in the health care community, an industry that has been disproportionately impacted by the stress and impact of COVID-19. Participants will learn vital information and skills about how to build resilience: a person’s ability to cope with traumatic events and support those in the health care community, including peers, friends, and family. You can sign up for this new, free training even if you have already completed another GRIT track. Feel free to share with patients and others in our community. Find more information and sign up here.

In two months, each hospital operating in the United States is required to provide clear, accessible pricing information online about the items and services they provide in 2 ways: Comprehensive machine-readable file with all items and services, and a display of shoppable services in a consumer-friendly format. Read more in this FAQ from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

As the weather gets colder many people experiencing homelessness are in need of warm clothing, coats, hats, gloves, sleeping bags, tarps, and tents to stay warm and stay alive! Challenge your co-workers, faith community, classes or organizations to bring as many as possible. Pueblo Rescue Mission accepts donations daily at 728 W 4th St. Contact Kathy at 719-251-2136 or kathryncline@yahoo.com with any questions.

The Colorado Medical Society invites you to a Virtual Grand Rounds event: Colorado's COVID-19 Vaccination Operational Plan. It will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, Nov. 11, starting at 6 p.m. Physicians can earn up to 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Experts from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will speak about the draft plan recently submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and next steps for physicians. More details and accreditation statement here. Register here.

The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) is continuing its consideration of telemedicine policies and their effects on access, quality of care, budget, and provider and member experiences. The department will be hosting a stakeholder engagement meeting on Nov. 12, 4-5 p.m. In this session they will share the work they have been doing since the July Kick-off and ask for participant feedback. Register here.

PCMS is proud to join the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment and Pueblo Health Care to host COVID-19 roundtable events for the providers in our community. Join us for the next roundtable, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 12-1 p.m. via Zoom. 1 CME Credit available to providers who attend this presentation. Agenda and connection information here. Save the date for the final roundtables of the year: Dec. 9 and 30. Email herschlerd@pueblocounty.us for calendar invites.

This ECHO Colorado series provided in partnership with Children's Hospital Colorado offers clinically relevant topics for primary care providers (MD, DO, APP) who provide or are looking to build, expand, and improve care to preteens through young adults. Once completed, participants will be able to evaluate and manage common conditions in adolescent reproductive health. Over the course of six virtual sessions -- held Thursdays 7-8 a.m. Oct. 15-Nov. 19 -- the series will include an overview of adolescent reproductive health issues, best practices in adolescent contraception and common adolescent gynecology concerns. CME: This series will be reviewed and acceptable for up to six credits by the Colorado Academy of Family Physicians. Sign up here.

Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) Colorado is holding their 2nd Accredited Medical Symposium on the Health Effects of Oil and Gas Development on Dec. 5, 2020. The all-day, interactive online Zoom symposium will feature 12 speakers from across the country and will be both educational and inspirational. The morning will be a mixture of biology and physiology and start at the microscopic/cellular level and then expand to people and animals. The afternoon will focus on the environmental consequences and social injustice concerns that are associated with the Oil and Gas industry. Click here for information on speakers, topics, continuing education credits, and registration.

Later this month, the Colorado Medical Board will address the decision by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) to award the contract for physician peer-assistance mental health services in Colorado to a new vendor that will require physicians entering the program to sign a release of information form prior to undergoing evaluation. Unfortunately, some have stated that this loss of confidentiality is unimportant to physicians and that the average physician is not impacted by this erosion of privacy. Please consider adding your name to this petition to show the Colorado Medical Board and DORA that this issue is a critical patient safety concern, and will negatively impact the practice of medicine in Colorado.

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.

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

Visit our website at www.pueblocms.org