They Said It...

“Serving as a member of AMA, PAMED, and PCMS has enabled me to dive deep into the health policy arena. Through my involvement, I have been able to attend the annual AMA and PAMED HOD conferences as a voting delegate which has kept me abreast of pressing policy issues. Being immersed in key discussions between physicians and students from all over the country has broadened my understanding of the American medical landscape.” Heta Patel, 3^rd Year Medical Student at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, speaking about her involvement in organized medicine. You can read her full interview in our Fall 2023 Edition of Philadelphia Medicine magazine.

If you are interested in writing an article for Philadelphia Medicine, please contact us at stat@philamedsoc.org. We are accepting articles for both the newsletter and magazine.

Measles is a dangerous virus, especially for babies and young children. It is spread through the air when someone who has measles coughs, sneezes, talks or even just breathes. Germs can stay in a room for two hours after someone with measles has left. Fortunately, Philadelphia has high community immunity. At least 93% of children are fully vaccinated against measles by age 6. However, about 90% of unvaccinated people who have close contact with an infected person will get measles. Children younger than 5 years of age and adults older than 20 years of age are more likely to suffer from complications.

Measles spreads more easily than other respiratory viruses. You can get infected and pass measles on to other people even before you have a rash. This is why it is so important to remind anyone who thinks they have been exposed to stay home and contact their healthcare provider for next steps.

Philadelphia locations and exposure dates are updated here.



• Please check the list in the above link to see if you have been exposed.
• Use the above link to learn if you are immune to measles, to find the measles vaccine (MMR) and receive updates on this response in real time.

Click here to download a Measles Fact Sheet from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System and Doylestown Health are pursuing a merger. The health systems announced earlier this month that they have signed a letter of intent under which Doylestown Health, parent company of Doylestown Hospital in Bucks County and one of the region's last independent community hospital operators, will become part of Penn Medicine. Doylestown Health, like most health systems in the region, has struggled financially due to rising expenses for supplies and the ongoing labor shortage. The merger process is expected to take most of the year to complete. The next step is for the organizations to complete their due diligence and sign a definitive agreement before submitting it to the appropriate federal and state regulators for approval.

Lawmakers in Harrisburg want to address the issue of high health care costs and understand the impacts the recent increase in for-profit hospital ownership has had in Pennsylvania. So last week they introduced legislation to establish a moratorium for 24 months on the transfer of ownership of a hospital or health system in Pennsylvania if the acquiree or the acquirer is a for-profit entity, and directed the Joint State Government Commission to study for-profit hospital and health system ownership, including the causes for the increase in for-profit ownership and the costs/benefits of for-profit versus non-profit ownership. If passed into law a moratorium on approvals of new for-profit hospitals will give them the time needed to conduct a comprehensive review of for-profit hospitals and their impact on health care in the state. 

Crozer-Chester Medical Center’s surgical residency program lost its accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The program was expected to shut down on January 12, but a deal was reached between both parties to keep it open until ACGME provides Crozer with its concerns. The residency program, which has 15 filled resident positions, was withdrawn "under special circumstances" on ACGME's website. ACGME's policies and procedures list states that its review committee can withdraw a sponsoring institution or program's accreditation in the event of "a catastrophic loss of resources, including faculty members, facilities, or funding" or "egregious non-compliance with accreditation requirements."

Back in Fall 2019 the closure of Hahnemann University Hospital left more than 580 residents and fellows without a program accredited by the ACGME. All residents and fellows from every specialty at Hahnemann had been scattered across the country within the span of a month. Many paid exorbitant fees to break their leases. Many had to extend their residency training to prove themselves again to another institution.

Einstein Medical Center also announced recently that its pediatric residency program would be shutting down. Current residents will still be able to complete their three-year training. Einstein Healthcare Network was acquired by Jefferson in 2021. 

Back in mid-December, immigration advocates and Philadelphia City Council members voted on Bill No. 230649, the culmination of three years’ worth of work; the bill passed, 14-1. The ordinance now requires hospitals to obtain a patient or their proxy’s written consent after explaining the repatriation process in their preferred language. A hospital may not take further steps, the bill states, “if a patient has refused to consent to the repatriation.” Instead, the hospital should ascertain the non-citizen’s eligibility for a program—local, state, or federal—to cover their care and assist them or their caregiver to enroll in it. The ordinance also requires the hospital to report compliance with the repatriation protocol to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and to provide an annual repatriation summary to the City Council’s Committee on Public Health and Human Resources. It would also allow patients to sue a hospital for physical, emotional, or economic damages caused by the violation of the protocol. The Bill was signed by the Mayor on December 22, 2023 and took effect immediately. 

The nomination period for our 2024 awards season is still open. If you know a Philadelphia colleague or mentor that deserves to be recognized, please fill out one of our online nomination forms. Nominations are now open for:

• The Strittmatter Award – Our most prestigious scientific award for physicians who have made the most valuable contributions to the healing art, surgical or medical.
• Practitioner of the Year Award – For physicians that demonstrate excellence in patient care and community service.
• Vanitha Appadorai Vaidya, MD Award for Humaneness in Medicine – For Resident/Fellow physicians who work skillfully with people, patients, and their families and understand human as well as clinical needs.
• Cristol Award – For PCMS members who have made valuable contributions to the Society.

Awardees will be honored by PCMS during our formal President's Installation event in early June, 2024. Deadline is March 4.

⏰ It's time to renew your PCMS/PAMED membership! Renew now to maintain access to great member benefits like our License Resource Center. www.pamedsoc.org/PayMyBill. Thanks also to everyone that has already renewed. 

How to Improve Your Business Strategy Without an MBA

Date: Thursday, February 8

Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Place: The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, 19 S 22nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Our second Doctors Lounge will feature a panel discussion on how you can improve your business skills in healthcare with or without having to obtain an MBA. Learn how you can better position yourself as a credible participant in discussions about organizational direction or in decisions that affect your professional life or specialty. 

Learn More and Register Here

Child Abuse Prevention Training Program

Date: Tuesday, February 13

Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Our upcoming Child Abuse Prevention Training Program for the 2024 licensing cycle will be taking place on February 13. All physicians renewing their license are required to submit documentation to verify the completion of at least two hours of approved continuing education in child abuse recognition. The program will be conducted as a Zoom video conference. Space is limited.

Learn More and Register Here

Negotiating Key Employment Contract Terms

Date: Tuesday, February 27

Time: 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM

The Philadelphia County Medical Society invites all residents, fellows and young physicians to attend this upcoming educational program on negotiating key employment contract terms.

This free webinar focuses on:

• Four key employment contract areas
• Analyzing specific contract terms
• Understanding what the legal terms mean in a practical sense, and why they matter
• Common questions raised by physicians about employment agreements
• Practical advice on how to approach the contracting process

Learn More and Register Here

Understanding the Military Experience

Date: Friday, April 5

Time: 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM

Star Behavioral Health Providers is providing training to help health care providers better understand the needs of service members, veterans and their families. The training is free and comprised of three tiers that must be taken sequentially. Multiple dates are available.

To Register:

Visit: https://starproviders.org/providers-tier-training/

1. To narrow the search, under Search Available Trainings in the Training drop-down menu select the tier (i.e., One, Two, Three or Sustainment) that you want to attend, and you will be able to search available trainings for just that tier.
2. Registration is a two-part process. Part 1: complete the online registration form; Part 2: complete the pre-training survey. The link will be provided on the last page of the registration form. Note: Your registration is not complete, and your seat is not reserved until both parts of the process have been completed.
3. You will not be able to register for Tiers Two, Three or Sustainment until you have completed the prerequisites for each.

AHRQ Safety Program for Telemedicine: Improving Antibiotic Use

This is a free 18-month program, beginning in June 2024, that seeks to promote appropriate antibiotic use while maintaining patient satisfaction and reducing potential side effects in patients seen via telemedicine. The program consists of brief educational presentations about best practices to optimize antibiotic prescribing in the telemedicine environment. Participants will have access to technical assistance, coaching, webinars, and practical tools to implement improvements in their practice. CME credits will be offered at no charge for participants. 

Learn More and Register Here