MMS
News and Announcements
MMS Survey:
High Satisfaction with Health Care, Affordability Remains Important
Seven years into health care reform,
and despite longer wait times for appointments with physicians, Massachusetts
residents remain as satisfied with the health care they receive as they were
before reform began and are finding access to the care they need without
difficulty, according to a public opinion poll released this week by the MMS.
The poll also revealed that residents
think the cost of care is the most important health care issue, that residents
have limited knowledge and unfavorable opinions of the new types of health
plans and care models, and that more adults are using the emergency room for
care.
“This year’s survey has good news for
patients and physicians as well as some warning signs,” said MMS President Ronald
Dunlap, M.D. Read more about the 2013 MMS
Public Opinion Survey.
News coverage:
MMS Testifies in
Opposition to Advanced Practice Nursing Regulations
MMS this week expressed serious concerns about
proposed regulations that ignore significant statutory requirements, while
pursuing a goal of furthering expanded scope of practice and diminished
oversight and supervision requirements for nursing. Read
the full testimony.
Mass. Physician Deadline for Head
Injury/Concussion Training is September 2013
As part of
sports-related head injury legislation enacted in 2010, there is a requirement that by September 2013, physicians,
nurse practitioners, certified athletic trainers, and neuropsychologists
providing medical clearance to students for return to play shall verify that they have received
Department-approved training in traumatic head injury assessment and management
or have received equivalent training as part of their licensure or continuing
education. Read details, and
access links for free training programs here.
October
Deadline for Physicians to Make Medicare Service Provider Changes
Massachusetts physicians who bill Medicare need to confirm through
their billing workflow and vendors that they will be ready for the change to
National Government Services on October 25, 2013. NGS is providing a series of
webinar workshops to explain the details of this change. The first is scheduled
for Monday, Aug. 19. See
more information and registration details here.
Benefit Buzz: Free Webinar, Dinner Seminar from
athenahealth
- Improving Patient
Collections: Creating a Self-Pay Policy at Your Practice: Wednesday,
August 14, 2013, 12:15 p.m. More details and
registration.
- Private Physician Dinner: Thriving Through Health Care Payment Reform
Join
athenahealth for a free private dinner at 6 p.m. on August 14 at the Andover
Inn and discover a steady path to financial health during the rapidly changing
healthcare environment. Seating is limited. Download details and
registration form. (.pdf, 2 pgs)
Education Programs and Events
Live
CME Activities
Solid Tumor Virtual
Seminar Series
Treating Solid Tumors
in an Era of Increasingly Personalized Medicine: Improving Outcomes in NSCLC
and HNSCC
Wednesday,
August 14, 2013, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Live Streaming Virtual Conference. No fee to attend.
Physician Leadership
in the Changing Health Care Environment
Executive Leadership
Certificate Program, sponsored with the Heller School for Social Policy and
Management, Brandeis University
- Session
I – Friday, September 20, 2013, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, September
21, 2013, 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (at Brandeis)
- Session
II –Friday, January 24, 2014, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, January 25,
2014, 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (at MMS)
- Session
III – Friday, May 9, 2014 8:00 a.m. to
8:00 p.m. and Saturday, May 10, 2014, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (at
Brandeis)
Certificate requires attendance at all three sessions. For more information please call (800) 322-2303, x7306.
The Impact of Genomic
Testing on the Treatment of Lung Cancer
Thursday,
November 7, 2013, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Hilton
Boston-Dedham, Dedham, MA
Call
(800) 322-2302, ext. 7317 for more information.
Women’s Leadership
Forum: Women in Medicine – Competition, Collaboration, and Team Leadership
Thursday,
September 26, 2013, 5:45 to 8:00 p.m.
Principles of
Palliative Care and Persistent Pain Management: Tools to Integrate Into Your
Practice
Friday,
September 27, 2013, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Caring for the Caregivers IX: How do we Reduce Physician
Stress and Burnout?
Thursday,
October 3, 2013, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
CME Accreditation
Orientation
Tuesday,
October 15, 2013, 8:30 to 11:45 a.m.
Managing Workplace Conflict
Thursday,
October 17, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday, October 18, 2013, 8:00 a.m. to
3:00 p.m.
The
above activities have been approved for AMA
PRA Category 1 Credit™
Online
CME Activities
In
the United States, breast cancer is the second leading cause of death after
lung cancer. Colorectal cancer (CRC)
remains the 3rd most commonly diagnosed cancer among men and women
and the second overall leading cause of cancer-related death.
The following FREE Risk Management CME activities
encompass the most recent guidelines on screening initiation, screening
intervals and screening follow-up:
Coming Soon – Cervical Cancer Screening: Navigating the Jungle
For
a complete list of MMS online CME activities, visit www.massmed.org/cme.
This Week in Health Care
Atrius
to Begin Affiliation with Lahey
Atrius Health has begun a strategic
affiliation
with Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington.
New
Bedford VA Outpatient Clinic Gets Major Expansion
The
outpatient clinic at
the VA Medical Center in New Bedford, which serves thousands of patients each
year, is about to undergo a $3.5 million expansion.
Health
Insurer Clarifies Compounded Drug Policy
Harvard Pilgrim is affirming that medically
necessary compounded medications will be covered under its new policy.
Experts
Tell Businesses: Start Preparing for ACA
Are businesses in for a bumpy ride on the road to
health care reform?
Battle
Between Hospitals, Nurses May Go To Vote
The
trade group representing nurses is pledging to put the "sweat equity"
of its 23,000 members behind a push to impose statutory
nurse-to-patient ratios.
How
"The Berwick Report" May Play Out In Massachusetts
A WBUR interview with Dr. Donald
Berwick, candidate for Massachusetts governor, about his report on the National
Health Service in Britain and how his work in the United Kingdom may influence
Massachusetts healthcare.
Obesity
Rates Drop Slightly in State's Low-Income Preschoolers
In
Massachusetts, obesity rates among
low-income preschoolers fell very modestly over a three-year period. Related
news: Worcester County women may be
living longer and working out more, but they're still gaining weight, according to a new
AMA study.
