October 13, 2022

In this issue

• Medicare annual election period
• Meridian Medicaid enrollment
• Chicago magazine 'Top Brain Doctors'
• Hypertension resources
• Epic updates



Note: When accessing APP Pro links below, you may need to sign in again if you are not taken directly to the referenced page or information.

Medicare Annual Election Period: What you need to know

The Medicare Annual Election Period (AEP) begins on Oct. 15 and your patients may have questions. Learn more about Medicare Advantage (MA) and benefits to patients, our partnership with Devoted Health to offer MA plans and more.

Meridian Medicaid Enrollment​

In response to requests from multiple APP physicians, the Meridian Medicaid enrollment was loaded into Cerner as a scorable population for the CI Program. This affords those physicians taking care of these patients the opportunity to earn a per patient payment on the Meridian patients. Due to the late add, APP has adjusted targets on impacted metrics to mitigate any impact to the minimum threshold score of 65% required for incentive eligibility.

As a reminder, all physicians who have reached the minimum performance threshold of 65% receive a per patient payment for any “met” patient regardless of target achievement.

Chicagoland area physicians recognized as 'Top Brain Doctors'​

The October issue of Chicago magazine recognizes 25+ Advocate Aurora physicians in the Chicagoland area who were nominated by their peers in the 'Top Brain Doctors' list. View those recognized.

Clinical Integration weekly update: View the latest program update. 

Patient outreach: We are conducting patient outreach on your behalf to support quality outcomes and close quality care gaps. Read more.

Alleviating Hypertension in our communities: Learn the ways to help your patients prevent or control their hypertension through Epic, NowPow, home blood pressure cuffs, nursing visits and more. Read on.

Comprehensive Annual Visits: Comprehensive Annual Visits are in-home or virtual visits offered to support your Medicare Advantage patients with open care gaps. Learn more.

Aerosol Generating Procedure Update: We’ve updated guidance on the need for pre-procedure COVID testing in cases involving intubation. Remove space With the revised aerosol-generating procedure list, pre-procedure testing and the use of N95s, face shields and air exchanges if intubation is used with a paralytic agent are not required. Learn more: AGP Overview | FAQ

COVID booster approved for ages 5 and up: The CDC approved updated COVID boosters for children ages 5 and up, which will help offer greater protection against the original COVID strain in addition to omicron subvariants. Parents and guardians can schedule the updated booster beginning Oct. 25 through their children’s physicians or the COVID hotline, with scheduling open Oct. 27 via LiveWell or aah.org/vaccine.

Make your flu shot appointment now: APP aligned physicians on staff at Advocate Aurora Health hospitals are required to receive a flu vaccine by Nov. 9. Advocate Aurora Employee Health Flu Clinics are now open through Oct. 28. This year validating your flu shot received at an outside location has also been made easier with TrackMy. If you choose to obtain a vaccine at on offsite location, be sure to bring a vaccine verification form.

Ebola virus alert: While there are no suspected, probable or confirmed Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) cases reported in the United States at this time, physicians should be alert for and evaluate any patients suspected of having EVD, particularly among people who have recently traveled to affected areas in Uganda. Read more.

Protecting patient privacy: Protecting our patient’s information is critical in keeping their trust in all situations, including reproductive care. Learn how.

Updated POLST form: A revised POLST (Practitioner Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) form has been issued by the Illinois Department of Public Health, with significant changes in format and signature requirements. For guidance on use of the new form, and how to respond to old forms, view SBAR.

Epic Update: Ambulatory Epic Connect: Med refill protocols, clinical note sharing, Haiku/Canto reminder and more.

Epic Update: Hospital edition for Physicians and APCs: Additional clinical notes and test results available in LiveWell, isolation orders paneled with lab orders, interventional cardiology – post procedure order set changes and more.

Leadership Announcement

Melanie Gordon, MD, has been appointed as Population Health Medical Director of Health Equity, effective Aug. 28.

Advancing Research

Digital Therapeutics - A New Frontier: Join Advocate Aurora Research Institute’s Scientific Grand Rounds on Thursday, Oct. 27, noon-1 p.m. The session, “Digital Therapeutics: A New Frontier,” will be presented by Steven Driver, MD, Medical Director of Digital Therapeutics. Attendees may earn 1.0 CME credits. Register today.

Visit today! Advocate Aurora Research Institute launched a new website to showcase its robust research program and services.

Continuing Medical Education

Human Values Forum

A fair and equitable allocation of scarce medical resources: Lessons from the pandemic

Thursday, Oct. 19, noon–1:30 p.m.

This year’s keynote speaker will be Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, who will discuss how the scarce resource allocation framework has changed because of the COVID pandemic. 

Upcoming CME



Oct. 14: Live Webinar: Chronic Condition Management with Case Studies

Oct. 14: Financial therapy: Couple/family conversations about money and emotions

Oct. 19: Human Values Forum: Scarce medical resources – Lessons from the pandemic

Oct. 19: Project ECHO Memory Care series

Oct. 20: MEDtalks: Sports-related concussions 

Oct. 21: Rene Arcilla Symposium: Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery – The Fontan

Oct. 22: Making Sense: The New Cancer Screening Guidelines 

Oct. 27: Scientific Grand Rounds: Digital therapeutics – A new frontier

Nov. 4: 10th Annual Advanced Heart Failure Symposium

Nov. 4: 18th Annual Trauma Symposium

Nov. 5: Electrophysiology for primary care

Nov. 9: Multidisciplinary Echocardiology Conference

Nov. 11: Blinded by bias