| Please
Welcome the Newest Members of MCMS |
Richard
Adam MD
Sarwat Malik, MD
|
Brian
Heppard MD
Tamara Prill MD |
T.
Catherine Maldjian MD
|
| Your
County Medical Society at Work |
|
·
As of this writing, MCMS is awaiting the arrival (from the
Health Department) of 800 more doses of Influenza vaccine.
The vaccine will be distributed to local medical practices.
The MCMS Board of Directors will meet with Tim McCormick
and Sam Huston on February 10th to discuss the Unity/Via
merger.
· MCMS spoke with the media
regarding the Rochester Health Commission, the proposed
Unity/Via merger, Influenza vaccine supply, and childhood
obesity.
· Over 50 physicians attended
the Keeping the Hope Alive: Spotting and Stopping Potential
Physician Suicide program presented by Michael Myer MD and
Carla Fine. The program was very well received. The Physician
Suicide Task Force will reconvene to discuss next steps.
Anyone who is concerned about a physician colleague can
contact MCMS for assistance.
· MCMS is working with PriMed,
URMC, Aetna, and RCIPA to bring a CME series to Rochester.
Details will follow.
· MCMS and local credentialing
coordinators met with the Center for Affordable Quality
Healthcare (CAQH) to participate in a demonstration of the
use of a web-based credentialing application. Feedback from
this session will be used to modify the current CAQH web-based
form so that it captures information needed to be credentialed
by health plans as well as hospitals. Currently, the MCMS
copyrighted Uniform Application Form fills this need.
· Phase 2 of the Physician
Workforce Study continues. The Financial Issues subgroup
is reviewing ways to establish thresholds to determine specialty
shortages, examining benchmark income data sources and looking
at ways to improve efficiencies. The Making Rochester a
More Attractive Place to Practice Medicine subgroup is looking
at ways to showcase Rochester to residents and fellows.
Strategies include mortgage relief and social events. The
Collaboration subgroup began a review of barriers to collaboration
and development of strategies to overcome them.
· MCMS participates in Demand
Treatment!, CTAAB Advisory Board, Finger Lakes Health Systems
Agency Board, Preferred Care Provider Relations Committee,
Excellus BCBS Corporate Medical Policy Committee, the United
Way Health Care Campaign, the Adult Immunization Coalition,
the Community Transition Task Force, the Women's Health
Partnership, READII (Racial and Ethnic Adult Disparities
In Immunization), Creating the Network: Moving from Challenges
to Opportunities for our Youth and Leapfrog, Community Guidelines
and Reducing Medical Errors initiatives of the Rochester
Health Commission(RHC), as well as the RHC Board.
· MCMS leadership continues
to meet monthly with representatives from Excellus BCBS
Rochester Region and Preferred Care.
|
| MCMS
Welcomes New MSSNY Executive Vice President |
William
R. Abrams New Head of NY State Medical Society Lake Success,
NY (1/6/2004) -William (Rick) Abrams, former COO of the American
Health Care Association, has been appointed Executive Vice
President of the Medical Society of the State of New York
(MSSNY). Mr. Abrams succeeds Charles N. Aswad, MD, who has
served as MSSNY's Executive Vice President since 1993. Before
joining the American Health Care Association in 2000, Abrams
spent 10 years as Vice President and then President and CEO
of the New Jersey Association of Health Care Facilities. Prior,
he had worked for New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean in a variety
of assignments, including: Ombudsman for the Institutionalized
Elderly, Director of Government Relations in the New Jersey
Department of Health, Deputy Attorney General and Assistant
Counsel to the Governor. Mr. Abrams earned his BA from the
University of Minnesota and his JD, cum laude, from Seton
Hall University School of Law.
|
 Battle
of the Bands: The JD's vs. MD's… |
|
At
the Crowne Plaza on Saturday, March 6, 2004 - 6:30 to 11:00
PM. Tickets price is $75 per person which includes food
from Tony Gullace - Max of Eastman Place, wine from Century
Liquor, beer and loads of entertainment. Bands include:
 Attorney
Brian McCarthy and the Showvinistics
Dr.
Dick Bolt and the Tullamore Celtic Band
Attorney
Ernie Santoro and Doubletake
Dr.
David Siegel and Dance or Die
Attorney
Mike Cooney's Special Counsel
Dr.
Charlie Oster and Bandit
Dr.
Bob Russo and The Referrals
Honorary
Chairman - Mayor Bill Johnson
Pete
Dobrovitz, Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters
of Greater Rochester & Darren Mark, from WOKR13
Drum
Extravaganza with John Beck, former Principal Timpanist
Rochester Philharmonic
The
School of the Arts Jazz Combo & the Evan Smoker Trio
The Commission Project is sponsoring the event. Co-producers
include: The Monroe County Bar Association, The Monroe County
Medical Society, and prime8media. The event proceeds will
benefit the following charities: St Joseph's Neighborhood
Center - sponsored by the Medical Society, Foundation of
the Monroe County Bar - Supporting the charitable, educational,
civic & humane purposes of the Bar, and The Commission Project.
Tickets are available through MCMS or from Ticketmaster.
The Ticket Express line can be reached at (585) 232-1900.
Or, send a check ($75per) to The Commission Project, 500
Panorama Trail, Rochester NY 14625
|
| It's
Not Too Early to Order Influenza Vaccine for the 2004-05 Season |
Flu
vaccine procurement is getting a lot like holiday season advertising.
(I swear I saw Santa carving a Halloween pumpkin this year.)
Yes, I am reminding you to order flu vaccine for 2004-05 before
the 2003-04 season is over. Aventis is currently pre-booking
vaccine at $85 per vial. Vaccine can be pre-booked at VaccineShoppe.com
|
| HHS
Says, "I've Got Your Number" |
After
years of discussion, the Federal Register published the final
rules regarding the issuance of unique National Provider Identifier
(NPI) numbers for all healthcare providers in the country.
The number would be a 10 digit identifier which, when implemented,
will replace all legacy numbers such as UPINs, Blue Cross
and Blue Shield numbers, CHAMPUS numbers, Medicaid numbers
and numbers assigned by individual health plans. HHS says
the single identifiers will greatly simplify processing of
claims. The numbers system is slated to go into effect in
May 23, 2005. Physicians, according the HHS, need not apply
for their number until that date. MSSNY will be providing
members with complete information on procedures for applying
for their number.
|
| Fighting
Obesity in Children |
Working
closely with the New York State branch of the American Academy
of Pediatrics and with the MSSNY Rural and Preventive Health
Committee, MSSNY has issued a memorandum of support for S.4556
(Rath) and A.6563-A (Galef), a bill that would prohibit the
sale to pupils of food and drink of minimal nutritional value
in vending machines on school grounds or property during the
school day. One of the most alarming trends in the obesity
epidemic that is sweeping the country is the effect upon the
pediatric population. In the MSSNY white paper entitled Weight
Management: Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles, MSSNY has pledged
to work towards the goal of advocating proper nutrition within
the schools and to support efforts to afford good nutritional
choices, especially in vending machines and in the lunchroom
or cafeteria. Various health care organizations, including
the Medical Society of the State of New York, and other groups
met this week to discuss possible collaboration on childhood
obesity. The objective of the workgroup is to develop a forum
in which the organizations will work together on a public
policy agenda for preventing and curtailing the obesity in
children. The American Heart Association and the American
Cancer Society are spearheading this workgroup. (ELLMAN, CLANCY)
|
| Integrative
Health Committee |
The
next meeting of the Integrative Health Committee will take
place on February 18th at 7:00 PM in the MCMS Conference Room.
The meeting topic: Spirituality and Healing will be presented
by Sue Starpoli and Nina Livingston.
|
| Upcoming
MCMS Programs/Events |
| 02/11/2004 |
Best
Office Practice Tips Roundtable Discussion - Survival
Series |
| 03/04/2004 |
Technology
Day: The e-practice at Strathallan |
| 03/06/2004 |
Battle
of the Bands: Doctors vs Lawyers at Crown Plaza |
| 03/10/2004 |
Communicate
with Impact - Ginny Hronek - Survival Series |
| 03/16/2004 |
MSSNY
Legislative Day |
| 03/29/2004 |
MSSNY
Immunization Program at Mario's Via Abruzzi |
| 04/07/2004 |
Ask
the Carrier |
| 04/07/2004 |
Starting
a New Practice |
| 05/05/2004 |
MCMS Annual
Meeting |
| 05/12/2004 |
Personnel Issues
Workshop presented by Underberg and Kessler LLP |
| 06/09/2004 |
Clinical
Law a Panel Discussion |
| 06/17/2004 |
Workers' Compensation
Educational Seminar |
Breast Imaging with a Clinical
Twist, directed by Wende Logan-Young, MD and sponsored by
the University of Rochester, School of Medicine & Dentistry
for a maximum of 16 category 1 credits toward the AMA Physician's
Recognition Award. April 30 - May 1, 2004 at the Hyatt Regency
Rochester, Rochester, New York. Radiologists, who today are
assuming an ever increasing role in the diagnosis of breast
cancer, need expertise in: 1) Clinical presentation of benign
and malignant breast disease, 2) Indications for and methods
of performing ductography, fine needle aspiration cytology,
and core needle biopsy, 3) Breast imaging, including special
views for evaluating the screening and diagnostic patient,
ultrasonography, CAD, MRI, scintimammography and 4) the successful
management of a breast clinic. Upon completion of this course,
participants should be better able to combine clinical and
imaging expertise to enable greater accuracy of breast cancer
diagnosis.
For further information, contact Kim Cooper at (585) 442-8432
x184 or kimc@ewbc.com.
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