Governor Announces Vaccination and Testing Updates |
For Long-Term Care Facilities, Health Care Facilities, and State Employees |
Governor Carney and the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services today announced that beginning September 30, staff in long-term care facilities and other health care facilities will be required to provide proof of vaccination or undergo regular testing to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 to vulnerable populations. The requirement will be formalized by the end of this month, which will be posted here.
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Statewide Mask Requirement For Schools, Child Care |
Public Health Emergency Order Extended |
Earlier this week, Governor Carney announced that, regardless of vaccination status, everyone kindergarten-age and older in K-12 schools and child care homes and centers must wear face coverings indoors effective on Monday, August 16. The requirement is for both public and private schools in Delaware. Child care centers and homes are strongly encouraged to require masks for children 2 years old to kindergarten inside their facilities. School sports athletes will also be required to wear masks for indoor practices and games played indoors. The Governor indicated that the indoor school sports masking decision does not preclude the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA) or any member school from instituting an outdoor mask mandate.
Additionally, state employees and visitors to Delaware state facilities must wear masks indoors, starting Monday, August 16, regardless of vaccination status. The Governor also formally extended the Public Health Emergency order in place to allow the State and medical professionals to continue COVID-19 vaccination and testing programs.
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Check For COVID-19 Vaccination In Back-To-School Physicals |
Pediatricians Part Of New Push To Get Students Their Shots |
The Biden Administration is requesting pediatricians to include COVID-19 vaccination in back-to-school sports physicals and encouraging schools to host their own vaccination clinics. The initiative is aimed at getting students back to in-person learning this fall. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine have partnered with the Biden Administration to issue guidance for physicians and form updates required for school physicals.
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CDC Recommends COVID-19 Vaccine For Pregnant Women |
Updated From CDC's Neutral Stance On Vaccine Safety For This Group |
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now recommended that pregnant and breastfeeding women be vaccinated against the coronavirus, after finding no increased risk of miscarriage among those who have been immunized. This guidance is in alignment with recommendations made by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, as well as other medical specialty groups.
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DPH Provides COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit |
Promote The Vaccine To Help Protect Your Patients |
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging the need to increase COVID-19 vaccination to prevent surges of cases through the late summer and early fall months. MSD previously shared a letter from Karyl Rattay, MD, Director of the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH), requesting you engage your patients about the COVID-19 vaccine. As someone who is trusted to make health care decisions, your voice and input matter. To help support you and your staff in promoting the COVID-19 vaccine to your unvaccinated patients, DPH has produced a comprehensive Health Care Provider COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit. Included in the toolkit is access to flyers, screensavers, posters, buttons, talking points, videos for office TVs, tips to increase/promote vaccination among staff, instructions to hold a Facebook Town Hall event for patients, and an order form for materials (you can print out materials within the toolkit or use the order form to order professionally produced quantities - all free of charge). Let us know how you are using the materials!
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Legislation Signed For Health Care Provider Loan Repayment |
Qualifying Sites Can Apply For Grants On Behalf Of Their New Providers |
To confront shortages of primary care health professionals in Delaware, Governor John Carney signed House Bill 48, legislation that establishes a Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program for primary care providers (primary care physicians [family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN, geriatrics, and psychiatry], nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists, and physician assistants) who have recently completed their graduate education. The program will be administered by the Delaware Health Care Commission, which may award education loan repayment grants of up to $50,000 per year for a maximum of four years. Priority consideration may be given to DIMER-participating students and participants in Delaware-based residency programs. Delaware health insurers will contribute up to $1 million to initially establish the program.
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Burkholderia Cepacia Complex Infections In Health Care Facilities |
Delaware Health Update issued |
The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) has issued a health update to provide the health care community with additional information regarding reports of Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) infections in health care facilities. Patients have developed Bcc infections, including bloodstream infections, after having undergone ultrasound-guided procedures in which MediChoice® M500812 ultrasound gel was used. Delaware does not have any cases of Bcc linked to ultrasound gels at this time.
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Physicians Foundation Survey On Practice and Wellbeing |
New Survey Examines How Pandemic Has Affected The Nation's Physicians |
The Physicians Foundation has released the results of a national survey, which finds that more than half (55%) of physicians know a physician who has considered, attempted, or died by suicide in their career. The 2021 Survey of America's Physicians: COVID-19 Impact Edition: A Year Later examines how COVID-19 has affected the nation's physicians more than a year since the start of the pandemic, from increased burnout rates to the continued epidemic of physician suicide.
A recent U.S. Senate-passed bipartisan legislation will help to prevent burnout, suicide, and mental and behavioral health issues in health care workers. The bicameral Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act is named after a physician who died by suicide while working on the frontlines of the pandemic in New York last year. The bill awaits action by the U.S. House of Representatives.
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United Nations' IPCC Report "A Code Red For Humanity" |
A Call To Action And Delaware's Participation In Insurer Climate Risk Survey
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Following a report released this week from the United Nations' (UN) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres referred to it as a "code red for humanity." Earth will reach a critical warming threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius within two decades and catastrophic weather events will intensify. Human greenhouse gas emissions have increased the global average temperature and warming is happening even faster than scientists previously thought. Newer data shows that methane in the atmosphere is the highest it's been in 800,000 years, largely because of a combination of natural gas leaks and unsustainable agriculture and cattle farming. Controlling methane could significantly lessen global warming in the coming decades. Authored by more than 200 scientists from over 60 countries, the report represents the most comprehensive and conclusive science on the climate crisis.
Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro announced Delaware's participation in the Insurer Climate Risk Disclosure Survey to assess the impacts of climate change on the insurance industry. U.S. Insurance Departments are working to evaluate risk and resiliency in responding to challenges to ensure continued market stability.
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Infrastructure Bill And Budget Resolution Passed By US Senate |
Medicare Payment Cuts Help Pay For The Cost |
Fierce Healthcare reports the $1 trillion infrastructure package that included funding for projects such as roadway improvements and broadband access was passed by the U.S. Senate and now goes to the House. Adding about $8 billion to pay for the package, starting in 2022 and running through 2031 a two percent payment cut to all Medicare payments would be implemented. Congress halted the cut last year due to the pandemic, with the moratorium extended several times and expiring after this year. The American Medical Association and American Hospital Association have expressed disapproval to congressional leaders with resuming the cuts due to the current surge in COVID-19 cases. Reuters reported this passage paved the way for the Senate to also approve a $3.5 trillion budget resolution addressing climate initiatives, paid leave, child care, education, and health care.
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Aetna Virtual Primary Care Initiative Announced
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A New Digital Health Care Solution |
Aetna, a CVS Health company, launched Aetna Virtual Primary Care, providing choice and convenience for members to receive primary care. Powered by Teladoc Health's physician-led care team model, the initiative is complemented by Aetna's provider network and CVS Health services. Aetna Virtual Primary Care is available for self-funded employers and provides eligible members access to coordinated health care services remotely and in person. Members have a continuous relationship with a virtual care physician beginning with the first comprehensive primary care visit, extending to every visit thereafter.
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Few Ties Between MIPS Scores & Better Surgical Outcomes |
Limited Evidence To Support Validity Of MIPS For Measuring Performance |
An exploratory study published in JAMA Network Open suggested limited evidence to support the validity of the physicians' Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for measuring physician performance. The research found no association between the weighted mean of a hospital's physician MIPS quality scores and the facility's rate of postoperative complications. The study reviewed a cohort of 38,830 clinicians from 3,055 hospitals that included anesthesiologists, orthopaedic surgeons, general surgeons, and other surgical specialists. It was noted that the study had several limitations, most importantly it did not control for multiple comparisons to avoid falsely concluding no association between the MIPS quality score and patient outcomes.
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Events And Educational Offerings |
Region 3 Opioid Task Force Recovery Models Virtual Town Hall |
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Region 3 will host a two-hour virtual Town Hall on Tuesday, August 17 from 9:45 a.m. to Noon. This is an activity planned by the Region 3 Opioid Task Force, which is comprised of federal, state, and local stakeholders from DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, and WV. This will provide a highly interactive opportunity to better understand models that work well and are known for supporting individuals on medication assisted treatment and their recovery transitions, including housing and employment issues. Information and registration.
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Buprenorphine 101: Prescribing And Referring |
Recent federal changes no longer require providers to go through the traditional 8-hour training to obtain their X waiver for prescribing limited amounts of buprenorphine. The 2-hour classes are available for providers to learn from subject matter experts about the basics of incorporating Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) into their treatment plans for patients with opioid use disorder. Two upcoming virtual classes remain: Thursday, August 19 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. and Tuesday, September 14 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Instruction will be provided on how to apply for an X waiver through SAMHSA. Training is open to all Delaware physicians, residents, medical students, and advance practice providers. Those applying for their X waiver at the end of the course will receive $750 in compensation, as well as 2.0 CME credits for full participation. The course offered on September 19th is specifically tailored to those working in emergency medicine settings.
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Third Annual "Health Challenge Delaware" |
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Progressive Health of Delaware is offering a free online event to help people lead healthier lives. You and your patients are invited to join for four zoom meetings beginning on Tuesdays in October in which you, your peers, and your mentor will work together on a healthy journey. Information and registration.
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The Margaret H. Rollins School of Nursing at Beebe Healthcare has been chosen as a 2021 Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing. The School of Nursing was the only hospital-based nursing diploma program to receive this award and shares this accolade with other prestigious schools such as Duke University, The University of Florida, Emory University, and the University of North Carolina. The award will be presented at the 2021 NLN Educational Summit in Washington, D.C. in September.
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Nemours Children's Health System |
Nemours Children's Health System, which operates A.I. duPont Hospital for Children, has become the third health care network in Delaware to require COVID-19 vaccinations for employees, following the footsteps of Trinity Health (which operates Saint Francis Healthcare) and ChristianaCare. All employees must receive the first dose of a two-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by September 1. The policy applies to all employees, including remote workers, contractors, students, temporary staff, and volunteers. Exemptions are only allowed for specific medical conditions and religious beliefs.
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Saint Francis Healthcare has updated its visitation policy to limit all non-essential traffic. One support person will be allowed. Accommodations will be made in special circumstances, such as end-of-life situations and disabled patients. Outside vendors are not permitted unless required for medical care.
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TidalHealth is operating under a modified visitation policy. Visitation is not allowed at any TidalHealth hospitals until further notice. Exceptions include end-of-life visitation and disabled patients. One support person will be allowed. Outside vendors are not permitted inside facilities unless required for medical care. Restrictions will remain in place as long as needed to protect patients and staff.
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Congratulations to the following physicians as we
celebrate their MSD membership milestone
anniversaries during the month of September.
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60 YEARS
Joyce W. Anderson, MD
50 YEARS
Remedios R. Abad, MD
Alexander D. Balan, MD
Howard Z. Borin, MD
Neil A. DeLeeuw, MD
Orville Keith Hamilton, MD
Kyo A. Kim, MD
Tomas Y. Kuon, MD
William E. Miller, MD
Ananth P. Nabha, MD
Wai W. Phoon, MD
Nabil F. Warsal, MD
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40 YEARS
Mehdi Balakhani, MD, DDS
Robert H. Hall, MD
Thomas K. Mammen, MD
Helen P. Ting, MD
Khaja G. Yezdani, MD
30 YEARS
Faith A. Brosch, MD
James Fierro, DO
Joseph A. Lieberman III, MD
Jonathan N. Saunders, MD
Janice E. Tildon-Burton, MD
Deborah A. Wingel, DO
Mark W. Wingel, DO
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20 YEARS
Brajesh N. Agarwal, MD
Andrea K. Arellano-Vu, MD
Scott W. Hall, MD
Amanda J. Kay, MD
Elliott H. Leitman, MD
Arun V. Malhotra, MD
Jianlong Mu, MD
J. Douglas Patterson, MD
Sonya N. Tuerff, MD
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Diane A. Adams, DO - OB/GYN, Saint Francis Women's Center, Newark
Swarnalatha Bheemreddy, MD - CD/NC, Partners in CardioVascular Health
Ashley D. Bloom - Medical Student, Bayhealth (PCOM)
Christine E. Burgert-Lon, DO-Surg&Cytopathology, ChristianaCare Pathology
James A. Costanzo, MD - Orthopaedic Surgery, First State Orthopaedics, PA
Grigory E. Gershkovich, MD - General Orthopaedics, First State Orthopaedics
Zubin Hussain - Medical Student, ChristianaCare (SKMC)
Moon Young Lee - Medical Student, Bayhealth (PCOM)
Megan M. McQuarrie, MD - Sports Medicine Fellowship, ChristianaCare
Alyssa M. Pallatta, DO - Internal Medicine Resident, Bayhealth
Sean R. Sussman, DO - Sports Medicine Fellowship, ChristianaCare
Jonathan P. Vecchiarelli, MD - Pain Mngmt/PM, Sussex Pain Relief Ctr.
Aaron M. Weaver, DO - Family Medicine, Saint Francis Family Medicine
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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.
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The Latin phrase Rerum Cognoscere translates to learn, examine, or become aware of facts or things. In this section, we highlight measurable items of interest in health care from MSD, Delaware, the US, and the world. |
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61%
Percentage of U.S. physicians reporting feelings of burnout over the past year.
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14%
Percentage of U.S. physicians reporting they sought medical attention for their mental health symptoms.
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46%
Percent of physicians reporting they withdrew or isolated themselves from others as a result of COVID-19's effects on their practice or employment situation.
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September 11 - Society of Critical Care Medicine, Fundamental Critical Care Support, hybrid event (this is the date of the in-person portion taking place at Bayhealth Kent Campus, Dover.
December 13 - 2021 Communicable Disease Summit "How 2020 Changed the World," 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., virtual and in-person at John H. Ammon Medical Education Center, ChristianaCare Newark Campus (limited to 70 in-person attendees).
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Was the information in this newsletter useful? If so, forward to a friend to let them know the value of your Medical Society of Delaware membership. |
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