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MMS News & Announcements
Interim Meeting 2012 Opens; Will Vote On 29 Resolutions
Members of the MMS House of Delegates today began reviewing 29 resolutions at its 2012 Interim Meeting, with votes on the proposals scheduled for tomorrow. MMS President Richard V. Aghababian, M.D., opened the proceedings with a review of the events of past six months, which included Supreme Court's affirmation of the Affordable Care Act, passage of the state payment reform bill, and the approval of the medical marijuana ballot question. He urged the delegates to "maintain our collegiality and cohesiveness as physicians, even when certain issues threaten to divide us. We must recognize diversity of opinion, but not allow those disagreements to define us." Video and a full transcript of the President's Report are available here.
H. Eugene Lindsey, M.D., president and CEO of Atrius Health, delivered the 2013 MMS Annual Oration, titled "Working Together: From Guild to Enterprise." Physicians are watching their profession rapidly transform from the guild-oriented practice of medicine to an enterprise-oriented industry one might call ''Big Med.'' "One could say that we are now a guild under siege," said Dr. Lindsey. Read more about the Annual Oration.
The day concluded with the MMS Ethics Forum, "Serving Two Masters - What Practicing Cost-Conscious Medicine Means for Patient Care and the Public Trust" delivered by James Sabin, M.D., Director of the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Ethics Program, and Martin Samuels M.D., Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. More on the Ethics Forum here.
December Physician Focus TV: Doctor's Rx is Physical Exercise
The December edition of Physician Focus examines the place of physical exercise and activity in overall health. Guests are endocrinologist Stuart Chipkin, M.D., and Barry Braun, Ph.D., an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Massachusetts School of Public Health and Health Sciences. Hosting this edition is Frederick Buckley Jr., M.D., a general surgeon and Vice Chair of the Massachusetts Medical Society Committee on Nutrition and Physical Activity. Watch the program online here, or check the listings of your local public access television stations for airtimes. Physician Focus episodes are also available for download on iTunes.
MMS Annual Awards Nomination Deadline: December 10
Nomination applications for the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award, Special Award for Excellence in Medical Service, Award for Distinguished Service to the Massachusetts Medical Society, Grant V. Rodkey, M.D., Award, Henry Ingersoll Bowditch Award for Excellence in Public Health, and the Committee on History Essay Award must be received by December 10.Click here for more information on these and other MMS awards, or to obtain a nomination application.
What You Should Know to Achieve the New Meaningful Use Stage 2 Standard
Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012 at 12:15 p.m.
Meaningful Use Stage 2 requirements pose a greater challenge for providers than the objectives in Stage 1. Join athenahealth experts for a live webinar as they discuss the details of the higher thresholds and compulsory core measures. Register today.
Education Programs & Events
Live CME Activities
8th Annual Women's Cardiac Health Conference
Friday, February 1, 2013, 8:00 a.m.to 3:00 p.m.
Preventing Falls in Older Patients: A Provider Tool Kit WEBINAR
Wednesday, February 6, 2013, noon to 1:30 p.m., via live webinar.
The Impact of Effective Communication on Patients, Colleagues, and Metrics
Friday, February 8, 2013, 8:00 a.m. to noon.
How to Prepare for ACOs,
Wednesday, February 27, 2013, 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Call (800) 322-2302, ext. 7306 for more information.
Managing Workplace Conflict
Thursday, March 7, 2013, 8:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m., and Friday, March 8, 2013, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
SAVE THE DATE
9th Annual Public Leadership Forum
Thursday, April 3, 2013
MMS Headquarters, Waltham, MA
The above activities have been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
Online CME Activities
* Also available in print. Call (800) 322-2303, ext. 7306.
For additional risk management online CME activities, visit www.massmed.org/cme.
Contact us at MMSContinuingEducation@mms.org
This Week in Health Care
Gov Stands by Health Chief Amid Lab Scandal
Gov. Deval Patrick reiterated his support for Health and Human Services Secretary JudyAnn Bigby, MD, late this week, despite criticism from House Republican leadership for the administration's handling of the crime lab and compounding pharmacy crises.
Facing Drug Shortage After Meningitis Outbreak, MGH Pharmacy Fills Supply Gap
MGH isn't the only hospital in Massachusetts taking these steps, says Dr. Gary Kerr, chief pharmacist at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.
City Suitors Vying for Two Regional Massachusetts Hospitals
Two hospitals -Jordan Hospital in Plymouth and Lawrence General Hospital- are looking for bigger, city medical partners and expected to make decisions soon.
Towns Look to Restrict Medical Marijuana Sales in Municipalities
Amid concerns about medical marijuana being diverted for recreational use after it becomes legal Jan. 1, municipal officials across the area are pondering whether and how they might restrict cannabis sales within their borders
Harvard Pilgrim Seeks Conn. Expansion
Harvard Pilgrim seeks to expand its presence in Connecticut., citing federal law that will require tens of thousands of residents there to seek coverage.
Study: Medical School Debt Hard On Some PCPs
Most young doctors who choose a career in primary care will be able to pay off medical school debt of about $160,000, the median among medical school graduates in 2011, within 10 years even as they raise a family in a high-cost urban area. More coverage: WBUR interview with the study's senior author, John Wiecha, assistant dean at the Boston University School of Medicine.Interview
Southcoast-BMC Partnership Focuses on Cancer Trials
Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care is partnering with Boston Medical Center to offer patients cutting-edge clinical trials.
Brigham Doctors Implant Less Invasive Defibrillator
The procedures marked the first New England implantations of the new subcutaneous heart defibrillator, or S-ICD, built by Natick-based Boston Scientific Corp. Doctors call it a breakthrough treatment in preventing sudden cardiac fatalities, the most common cause of death in the United States.
