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April 25, 2024

In this issue

• May Top 5
• PHO Annual Meetings
• Supporting Your Practice: CI updates, population health outreach and more
• Additional Things to Know
• Epic Updates
• CME

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Physician Partners,



Thank you for staying engaged on important APP updates. View our May Top 5 slide for information on the following topics:

• CAV program virtual advance care planning
• Incentive checks
• Quality update
• CMD update
• Utilization update

As always, thank you for your partnership

Don Calcagno, President, APP | SVP, Chief Population Health Officer, Advocate Health

PHO Annual Meetings

Thank you to those who have already attended their PHO annual meetings. Your feedback is valuable to continuously make improvements for you, our patients and our communities. Stay tuned for more updates on how we’re putting your feedback into action.

Annual meetings for the Christ, Sherman, South Suburban and Trinity PHOs are coming up – add to your calendar using the links below.  

Medicare ACO Programs reminder: As a reminder, membership in APP for primary care physicians and APCs requires that you participate in our Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) or ACO REACH – CMS' value-based care program focused on promoting health equity and addressing health care disparities for underserved communities. We have heard of several external organizations asking our primary care physicians and APCs to join their MSSP or ACO REACH programs. Since you can only participate in one MSSP or ACO REACH program, joining a non-APP program would mean you were no longer an APP member. If you have been contacted by another organization and you have questions or concerns, contact your local Value-Based Care Director. 

Blue Cross Blue Shield mailing: This month, Blue Cross Blue Shield Commercial HMO members will receive a required mailing explaining options for routine/urgent care without an emergency department copay. This is sent to each policy holder. Translated and customizable versions to print will soon be available.

Operations update: View the latest operations update including Change Healthcare clearinghouse options, manual check runs and payments, and more.

Clinical Integration updates: View the latest clinical integration updates including urology chart measure deadline extended to April 30, HEDIS childhood immunization measures and PCV20. 

Population health outreach: View the patient outreach being conducted on your behalf to support quality outcomes and close quality care gaps.

Additional Things to Know

Catch the latest Connections: The latest edition of Advocate Health Connections details on our new strategic roadmap – REWIRE2030, latest happenings, CEO message and more. Read it here. 

Memory Care resources: To help with early detection and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia for our patients, new resources have been extended across the Midwest through the Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative. Learn more about opportunities and assessment tools available, including how to order an eConsult or use SmartSet for cognitive evaluations.

40+ Advocate nurses visited Springfield: Last week, Government Affairs hit the road to Springfield with several direct care nurses from across the Illinois market. Advocating for their practice and patients, the nurses met with dozens of state leaders and lawmakers, including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, Senate President Pro Tempore Bill Cunningham, Senate Minority Leader John Curran and House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel. Our nurses advocated for more protections for hospital workers against workplace violence, Medicaid Managed Care prior authorization reform and the Nurse Licensure Compact. Check out pictures from the day. 

Research Institute hosts annual HCSRN conference: Our Research Institute hosted this year’s Health Care Systems Research Network conference, showcasing scientific findings and spurring research collaboration. Read more and view event photos.  

Epic Update: Ambulatory Epic Connect: CT exam instructions, chart review – cardio tab, In Basket – patient message and more.



Epic Update: Hospital edition: Perioperative hyperglycemia management changes, new OpioidBPA, changes to BPAs, metro/cross hospital transfer ADT order change and more.

Continuing Medical Education

2024 ISMIE course offerings 

APP’s partnership with ISMIE affords our members free opportunities for Continuing Medical Education and Maintenance of Certification credit as well as discounts on malpractice premiums. Education is available on Workday Extended Enterprise Learning, including: 

• Addressing the elephant in the room: shame following medical errors 
• Managing anxiety and depression in your practice 
• Identifying and overcoming implicit bias to improve patient safety, outcomes and equity 

The annual Advocate Health Care required learning, including the mandatory compliance training, will be available in late summer. 

Milwaukee Heart Failure Symposium

Saturday, May 4, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Hear from experts the current challenges in global care of patients with heart failure and the strategies to help identify, evaluate and treat it. Hosted at the Milwaukee Marriott Downtown and online.

Upcoming CME

Virtual unless specified otherwise

April 26: MEDtalks: Interventional pulmonology from the hospital care perspective

May 1: Older Adults Timely Topics: Primary care psychiatry pearls

May 2: Scientific Grand Rounds: Choosing the right design for an implementation project

May 3: Advances in the management of solid tumors in children (virtual and in-person)

May 4: Milwaukee Heart Failure Symposium (virtual and in-person)

May 15: 9^th Annual South Region Primary Care Medicine Symposium (virtual and in-person)

May 16: MEDtalks: Menopause and the menopausal transition (primary care)

May 22: DE&I Clinical Quick Bites: Addressing transgenerational trauma

May 23: Cardiology for Primary Care Providers Conference

June 5: Scientific Grand Rounds: Identifying racial disparities in Long COVID diagnosis

June 21: 2nd Annual Pediatric Sleep Disordered Breathing Symposium (virtual and in-person)