Pueblo County Medical Society News
March 2017 - Volume 17, No. 3
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MESSAGE – Cheryl Law, MA, MNM

What can we do for you? How can we strengthen your society? Questions like these are what we are working on to revitalize your society and make it thrive again! I could use your help. Send me your comments and/or stories. I am available to listen to how we can continue to promote the science and art of medicine, the betterment of our community’s public health, and create unity, harmony and the wellbeing of your medical profession – major reasons why we exist.
For example, last week I attended an orientation hosted by the Pueblo City-County Health Department. It was in response to the article I had included in last month’s newsletter for community members to serve on a Community Board to prevent Pueblo youth substance abuse, delinquency, and violence. The meeting was insightful and well attended. To make a long story short, I joined the health department board, convinced it will be a promising avenue for us to connect with other community members to develop innovative “ prevention” strategies, addressing risk factors for adolescent problem behavior in Pueblo, Colo.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone! Are you one of the approximately 144,588 current U.S. residents who, per history.com, were born in Ireland?

Cheryl
pueblocountymedsoc@gmail.com
719-696-9670 (office) / 719-281-6073 (mobile)
MEET A MEMBER: ALFREDO VARGAS, MD

PCMS continues the “Meet a Member” series, launched last month, where you can be read about and be inspired by a colleague. You can nominate an outstanding PCMS physician (including yourself) by emailing pueblocountymedsoc@gmail.com.

Meet Alfredo Vargas, MD, an internal medicine physician who works in post-acute/longterm care. He is the PCMS Immediate Past President and has been involved in the medical society since moving to Pueblo in 1993. He has been married for 19 years and has five sons. 

Q: Who or what inspired you to pursue medicine?
A: I had planned to become a lawyer and was on that path when in my 20s I met some law students who were studying by memorizing previous cases. I decided I didn’t like the idea that everything had already been written, and it felt like too much memorization and repetition. I was always interested in interaction with people and that’s how I decided to try medicine. I haven’t looked back since. 

Q: What makes your community unique?
A: It's not to big and not too small, and there's enough of everything: outdoor activities and large metro areas nearby.

Q: Why is it important to you to be a member of PCMS?
A: I think it’s important to be involved to better understand and participate in this complex health care system, especially with the extensive rules and regulations and constant changes. Before becoming president, I was the PCMS treasurer for eight years and have been actively involved since I got here. PCMS has helped me understand and keep abreast of the political-medical environment. Had I not been involved, I wouldn't have as strong of a grasp of the challenges facing our profession.  

Q: What advice would you give to a resident or medical student preparing to practice in Pueblo County?
A: Be prepared to work with a population that is very diverse, has a large population in poverty and underserved, and a complex patient mix that includes co-morbid conditions. 

Q: In what way do you hope to see PCMS grow?
A:  We need to be the go-to organization to help Pueblo County physicians and other providers navigate through this complex health care system. 

2017 MEMBERSHIP DUES ARE DUE

Please renew your membership today! Final notices went out recently and should have been received in your office or home. If you should have questions regarding the billing, I would be happy to give you a call or send you an email if you prefer. You tell me! We want to hear what it will take to bring you back to the Pueblo County Medical Society. If you are one of the nearly 300 members who already renewed your membership, we want to personally THANK YOU! for believing in our cause to becoming the most innovative and cutting-edge organization to revolutionize the medical community here in the Pueblo region! 
2017 MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY

Please  contact our office with any address updates ASAP. We are in the process of putting together our database and soon publishing our 2017 pictorial membership directory. All members will be listed alphabetically with pictures, education information and office information included. Arrangements are being made for physicians, Podiatrists, PAs and NPs in Pueblo to come to the Pueblo County Medical Society and take pictures for the directory (also for our online website). The sessions will be free and you will be able to choose the picture you would like published in the directory and online. The purchase of pictures may also be an option at that time (very soft sell opportunity).    

SAVE THE DATE

Calling all members to please join us for our upcoming Board meeting on:

Wednesday, March 29, 2017
 5 to 7 p.m.
 Parkview Residents Conference Room, 315 W. 15th Street, Pueblo, CO

 Dr. Shaun Gogarty, one of the main principles for the Heroin Task Force in Pueblo, will be joining us to discuss the issue of tackling the ongoing opioid abuse epidemic in Pueblo.

All board meetings in 2017 will be held the last Wednesday of every other month at 5 pm. November is the exception as it will be combined with our Annual Meeting and the date will depend on the selection of a speaker and meeting location. We invite you to attend all board meetings!  

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS

Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce Legislative Breakfast series
Saturday mornings at the Pueblo Convention Center, 8 - 9:30 a.m., April 1 and April 22, sponsored by Parkview Medical Center; reservations are required - tickets are $20 for Pueblo Chamber members and $25 for non-members.  RSVP by emailing mariellenm@pueblochamber.net. 

I want to encourage all members to attend these events. These breakfasts are designed for citizens of Pueblo County to hear firsthand how legislation will affect your business and quality of life.

CMS Leadership Skills Series
The topic of the next program in CMS’s Physician Leadership Skills Series is "Multi-generational workplace." It will be held in Denver April 22, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Earn up to 3.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits. Find more information about this dynamic series at www.cms.org/events/leadership-skills and make plans to attend.

2017 COPIC Mock Trial Programs
Join COPIC’s legal team, claims consultants, and professional defense attorneys for one of its most popular education programs. The Mock Trial dissects a medical liability trial as YOU (the jury) weigh the evidence, listen to testimony, and ultimately render a verdict.   
 
Dates and locations:

  • Denver (COPIC) – Tuesday, May 23
  • Colorado Springs – Wednesday, June 7
  • Glenwood Springs – Wednesday, Sept. 13
  • Boulder – Tuesday, Oct. 10

Each program is an evening affair lasting from 6-9 p.m. with dinner included. COPIC-insured physicians will receive 2 COPIC points and 3 CME credits for attending. To register, please go to www.callcopic.com/education, look for “Mock Trials” under the listing of in-person seminars, and select a program date.

NEWS FROM COPIC

Apply for a grant from the COPIC Medical Foundation
 Do you have a program or initiative that needs funding support and can really make a difference in the health care community? Then apply for a grant from the COPIC Medical Foundation. The 2017 application deadlines are April 1 and Sept. 1.
 
Before submitting a full grant application for consideration, please make sure your program fits one of our grant funding guidelines:

  • The education and training of health care professionals
  • Development, implementation, or changes in health care-related systems, tools, and processes that improve outcomes
  • Pilot programs designed to improve medicine

Please note that we do not provide on-going grant support. Once approved for funding, your organization will be eligible for funding again after three years. For more information and to download a grant application form, please visit www.copicfoundation.org.
NEWS FROM THE COLORADO MEDICAL SOCIETY

We need members to work with the Colorado Medical Society on evolving issues in the practice of medicine. See below for ways you can represent our region on the state level.

  • CMS Council on Legislation openings – Two PCMS members are needed to represent our region and all Colorado physicians on the CMS Council on Legislation. Having a say in this process gives you a direct impact on the political events that influence changes in the daily practice of medicine.  If you’re interested in applying, please contact our office at your earliest convenience.

    Below are the dates for the COL meetings in 2017. Please place a hold in your respective calendars. Meetings are held in person or by teleconference on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and dinner will be served for in-person attendees. Adrienne Abatemarco, CMS Program Manager, Division of Government Relations, will send you a reminder for each meeting along with the agenda and call-in numbers. Here are the scheduled meetings: March 15 and 29; and April 12 and 26.

    If you have any questions, please contact Adrienne at adrienne_abatemarco@cms.org or 720-858-6322. 
  • CMS Board opening – One PCMS member is needed to represent our society on the CMS board of directors. Attend in person in Denver or call-in on behalf of our society, reporting back to members at our board meetings what was discussed. Please call our offices if you’re interested. 

    The next CMS board meeting is May 12, 2017, at CMS headquarters in Denver, CO. Lunch will be provided. CMS will send the board packet two weeks prior to the meeting, and a reminder and call-in numbers a week or so prior to the meeting. CMS board meetings are open to all members to attend in person or by teleconference; only seated board members may vote.
  • Central Line – Have you registered your interest areas in Central Line yet? Many of your colleagues have! Central Line is CMS’s new virtual engagement platform that gives members an opportunity to give your board representative input before and after votes on new CMS policy, give input to colleagues on policy proposals they submit, or submit policy proposals yourself. Designating your interest areas gives you the first look at any proposed policy that falls into the particular categories you’ve selected. Go to www.cms.org/centralline to log in.

NEWS FROM THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

Education: 3 Critical Factors To Help Guide Your Management Of Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is “common and complicated,” a new educational module on safe opioid prescribing for chronic pain begins. The interactive module helps physicians who use opioid analgesics for pain management or work with patients living with chronic pain gain a comprehensive understanding of the factors impacting chronic pain, the burden of chronic pain in the U.S. and treatment goals and modalities to reduce opioid-related harm. Read more at AMA Wire.

Physicians reject House ACA replacement bill 
The AMA released a statement from AMA President Andrew Gurman, MD, that the organization cannot support the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the intended Obamacare "repeal and replace." As introduced, it does not align with the health reform objectives that the AMA set forth in January to protect patients. Read more here.
MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES FOR SENIORS

According to the American Psychological Association, about 20% of seniors 65 and older meet the criteria for some kind of mental disorder. They also found that this age group is significantly less likely to receive mental health treatment, typically sticking to primary care doctors for all their needs.

While there is no substitute for seeing a mental health professional, it’s important for seniors to have access to the most current, comprehensive information about their mental health.

See the links below and consider sharing with your patients: 

FEDERAL CMS STREAMLINES ICD-10 RESOURCES

To streamline your access to resources, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has merged all up-to-date content from their Road to 10 website to their main ICD-10 site, cms.gov/ICD10. They are phasing out the Road to 10 site, with an anticipated completion date of April 3. After the successful transition to ICD-10, visits to the Road to 10 website dropped sharply, so they have made cms.gov/ICD10 the one-stop site for official CMS ICD-10 resources.  

Fun fact: The heart is the hardest working muscle in your body. If you live to be 100 years old, it will have beat more than 3 billion times.
WHAT WE'RE READING

A Republican U.S. House of Representatives lawmaker has introduced a resolution to overturn a controversial U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule that obligates employees to keep injury and illness records for five years. H.J. Res 83, a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act, targets OSHA’s rule that clarifies that employers have a continuing obligation to make and maintain an accurate record of each recordable injury and illness for five years. 

AMA Wire: Wellness And Work: 10 Things To Consider About Going Part Time
Physicians have no trouble citing compelling reasons to reduce their work hours—stress, bureaucracy and the feeling of missing out on one’s personal life, to name a few. But they can also face high hurdles to making the switch to a lighter workload, including medical school debt, career aspirations and pressure from employers. A health-care couple who made the break from full-time work shares 10 lessons they learned along the way.

Tales about a potential resolution that would allow health insurance Goliaths Anthem and Cigna to merge have sparked the AMA to urge the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to reject any offers to settle the Anthem-Cigna litigation.
Board Officers: President: Henrique Fernandez, MD; Secretary: Ross Patrick, MD; Treasurer: Lev Asherov, MD; Past-President: Alfredo Vargas, MD; CMS Representative: Christine Nevin-Woods, DO |  Directors: Teresa Braden, DO; Thomas Greidanus, MD; Donald Luebke, MD; Robert Manguso, MD;  Julie Newburg, MD; James Roukema, MD; Vaishali Saini, MD; Robert Tonsing, MD; Atul Vahil, MD; James Valenzuela, MD |  Executive Director: Cheryl Law, MA, MNM
This newsletter is intended for the members and interested persons of the Pueblo County Medical Society.  If you have received this and wish to opt-out call 719-281-6073 or use the “unsubscribe” link below.