MSSNY eNews: September 1, 2021 – Number of Adults Who Oppose COVID-19 Vaccine at New Low, Poll Finds


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Number of Adults Who Oppose COVID-19 Vaccine at New Low, Poll Finds
The number of Americans strongly opposed to getting a COVID-19 vaccine is at the lowest level seen since the vaccines were released, according to latest findings from the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

Each week since March 2020, Axios/Ipsos has polled a nationally representative group of U.S. adults about the pandemic. The latest iteration included 1,071 adults polled from Aug. 27-30.

Covid statisics chart

1. Only 20 percent of Americans said they are not likely to get the vaccine, representing the lowest figure since the survey’s creation. This figure peaked at 63 percent last September.

2. The percentage of adults who said they are not at all likely to get vaccinated also fell to 14 percent.

3. In the last week, the number of parents who say they’ll likely get their kids vaccinated has also increased. About 68 percent said they would or already have vaccinated their children.

4. Thirty-one percent said they were not likely to get their kids vaccinated, down from 43 percent who said the same between Aug. 13-16.

To view the full survey, click here.
–Bean, Becker’s Hospital Review



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Urge Your Members of Congress to Push Back Against Steep Medicare Cuts for 2022
Physicians are urged to contact their Representatives in Congress to urge them to join a letter demanding action to prevent a nearly 10% cumulative cut to Medicare physician payment in January 2022.  Ask your representative to sign-on NOW! Reps. Ami Bera, MD (D-CA) and Larry Bucshon, MD (R-IN) recently circulated a “Dear Colleague” letter to send to US House leadership highlighting the financial uncertainty within the Medicare payment system and the dangers facing the physician community if Congress fails to enact legislation to address these problems.

In what amounts to a “perfect storm” of payment cuts going into effect on January 1, 2022, physician practices face the following stack of Medicare financial hits:

  • Expiration of the current reprieve from the repeatedly extended 2% sequester stemming from the Budget Control Act of 2011. Congress took action earlier this year to prevent the 2% cut but that authorization expires 1/1/22.
  • Imposition of a 4% Statutory “PAYGO” sequester resulting from passage of the American Rescue Plan Act. Should lawmakers fail to act, it will mark the first time that Congress has failed to waive Statutory PAYGO.
  • Expiration of the Congressionally enacted 3.75% temporary increase in the Medicare physician fee schedule (PFS) conversion factor to avoid payment cuts associated with budget neutrality adjustments tied to PFS policy changes.
  • A statutory freeze in annual Medicare PFS updates under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) that is scheduled to last until 2026, when updates resume at a rate of 0.25% a year indefinitely, a figure well below the rate of medical or consumer price index inflation.

This would result in a combined 9.75 % payment cut on January 1! And all of this comes at a time when physician practices are still recovering from the emotional and financial impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency. It’s time to give New York’s and our country’s physicians the peace of mind they deserve as they continue to fight on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic without having to worry if their practices will survive these potentially catastrophic cuts.

MSSNY has been working together with the AMA and other state and specialty medical associations to prevent these cuts from going forward. A strong collection of bipartisan cosigners to the Bera-Buchson letter will help demonstrate to House and Senate leadership that this confluence of payment cuts needs to be prevented via legislation ASAP.  Please contact your Representative today and urge them to show their support by signing on to Reps. Bera and Bucshon’s “Dear Colleague” letter.


Info for Physicians on Health Care Worker Vaccination Mandate
The New York Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC) approved an emergency regulation to be adopted by the NYS Department of Health requiring health care workers in all Article 28 regulated settings – hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, dialysis facilities, etc. – to be vaccinated against Covid.  This includes physicians and other care providers who may not be employed directly but who provide care at these health care settings (such as a physician with privileges at a hospital or who sees patients at a nursing home).  There is an exemption for health care workers for documented medical contraindications, but after objection from various groups including MSSNY, the proposed “religious exemption” to this vaccination requirement was dropped from the regulation.

Based upon the recommendation of MSSNY’s Emergency Preparedness and Infectious Disease Committees, MSSNY President Dr. Joseph Sellers recently issued a statement supporting mandatory vaccination of health care workers as one important step to increase our vaccination rate and reduce the spread of Covid: MSSNY Applauds NYS COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate for Healthcare Workers 

The regulation will require health care workers at hospitals and nursing homes to have a first dose by September 27, and for other Article 28 regulated settings, by October 7.  The regulation will be effective for 90 days.

According to the regulation, an acceptable medical exemption to the required vaccine is where a “licensed physician or certified nurse practitioner certifies that immunization with COVID-19 vaccine is detrimental to the health of member of a covered entity’s personnel, based upon a pre-existing health condition”.  It further provides “the requirements of this section relating to COVID-19 immunization shall be inapplicable only until such immunization is found no longer to be detrimental to such personnel member’s health.”  Furthermore, it instructs these covered health care entities that “the nature and duration of the medical exemption must be stated in the personnel employment medical record, or other appropriate record, and must be in accordance with generally accepted medical standards, (see, for example, the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), and any reasonable accommodation may be granted and must likewise be documented in such record”.

Moreover, as with other mandatory vaccinations, physicians or other care providers risk disciplinary sanction for certifying a medical exemption without an adequate medical justification for doing so.


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Tip of the Week: Does Your Office Do Pre-Visit-Planning?
Does your office staff conduct pre-visit planning before your patients come in for their appointment?  It’s a great opportunity for staff to compile a list of various ancillary tests/screenings that have been completed or will need to be completed soon. Having the pre-visit planning done prior to the patient arriving at the office will save time because everything is listed in one single document. Organizations often have different EHR systems, which can cause items to get lost in the mix and add administration time to your schedule. Pre-visit planning allows clinical staff to collect this information—allowing you to focus on the patient rather than administration tasks.

Additional advantages to pre-visit planning:

  • Assists in patient engagement
  • Improves practice efficiency
  • Saves money

Click here for an example of a pre-visit planning sheet. Contact Heather Lopez, MSSNY’s Director of Physician Payment & Practice at 518.465.8085 X332 | hlopez@mssny.org with any questions or concerns. Happy planning!


CDC Health Alert for Physicians Re Anti-Parasitic Drug Ivermectin for COVID-19
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a health alert warning physicians and the public about the rise in prescriptions for the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin for use in the treatment or prevention of COVID-19. The CDC also cautioned about the risk of severe illness caused by ivermectin, which was seen in increased calls to poison centers.

Current NIH Treatment Guidelines state that there is insufficient evidence to recommend either for or against the use of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19 outside of clinical trials.   This recommendation is consistent with the Infectious Disease Society of America’s Guidelines on the Treatment and Management of Patients with COVID-19, which suggests against the use of ivermectin in hospitalized patients and ambulatory persons with COVID-19, outside of the context of a clinical trial. Additionally, there is no evidence to suggest that ivermectin can prevent you from becoming infected with COVID-19.

After receiving multiple reports of people who have been hospitalized after self-medicating with ivermectin intended for animals, the FDA recently reminded the public that:

  • FDA has not approved or issued an Emergency Use Authorization for ivermectin for use in treating or preventing COVID-19 in humans. Ivermectin tablets are approved at very specific doses for some parasitic worms, and there are topical formulations for head lice and skin conditions. Ivermectin is not an anti-viral.
  • Taking large doses of this drug is dangerous and can cause serious harm.
  • If you have a prescription for ivermectin for an FDA-approved use, get it from a legitimate source and take it exactly as prescribed.
  • Never use medications intended for animals on yourself. Ivermectin preparations for animals are very different from those approved for humans.

For additional information see the FDA Information Page and the FDA Ivermectin FAQ.


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MSSNY Seeks Physicians and Practices to Participate in New Telehealth Initiative
The Medical Society of the State of New York is pleased to announce a new telehealth initiative in cooperation with the Physicians’ Foundation and the American Medical Association. MSSNY is seeking 5-10 physician and/or institutional based practices involved in various stages of telehealth.  This telehealth initiative is a year-long project and will allow practices to optimize and measure telehealth in all settings.

Telehealth is now a viable platform for physicians to provide clinical services such as for management of patients with chronic conditions. MSSNY is interested in helping physicians, especially those in small practices, implement telehealth to augment services currently offered to patients.

In 2020, the Physicians Foundation launched a collaboration with the American Medical Association called The Telehealth Initiative (TTI). TTI was designed to bolster implementation support at the state- level by equipping state medical associations with telehealth programming that could build on existing offerings.

As part of the project, MSSNY and the AMA will work together to develop relevant educational content, resources, measurement tools, and evaluation support to help practices with telehealth implementation.  MSSNY, as part of this program, will be part of a national network and support needed to establish and maintain strong relationships with physicians, practices, and health systems interested in implementing, optimizing, or sustaining telehealth. In addition to providing ongoing support, this year’s program will emphasize the importance of realizing the true value of virtual care.

MSSNY is seeking interested physicians and practices interested in participating in the program and will commit to collaborating with the MSSNY, the Physicians Foundation, and the AMA, to optimize telehealth and measure the value of telehealth in their settings. The collaborative will provide training through virtual events as well as opportunities to network and learn from peers.

For those interested in being part of this initiative, please contact Cayla Lauder, Program Coordinator, at clauder@mssny.org or Pat Clancy, Sr. VP/Managing Director of Public Health and Education, at pclancy@mssny.org


NGS Virtual Conference: Medicare Preventive Services
The National Government Services Provider Outreach and Education (POE) Team is hosting a special virtual conference on 9/14, 9/15, and 9/16 focusing on Medicare Part B Preventive Services. Each session will begin with a presentation, followed by a Q&A.  There are no associated charges for this virtual conference and you may register for as many sessions as you’d like.

The three-day conference will wrap up with the Jurisdiction K/Jurisdiction 6 (JK/J6) Part B Ask-the-Contractor Teleconference (ACT) with focus on Medicare Preventive Services. During this ACT call, you will have the opportunity to ask any outstanding questions you have about the topic and get answers from the POE Team Consultants.

To register, click here and select the link(s) to view and register for sessions. Please note: All times listed are eastern time.

Note: Since a Medicare Administrative Contractor is presenting this information, each session will also be eligible to receive one Medicare University Credit (MUC) and one continuing education unit (CEU) with the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) per hour of education, if you are a certified professional coder. Please remember, if you will be reporting CEUs to the AAPC, you will need to keep your email registration confirmation as proof of session for any future AAPC audit. If you do not have a registration confirmation in your name, you will not be able to report CEUs with the AAPC. Please note: MUCs/CEUs are not available for the Ask-the-Contractor Teleconference.

 

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DOH COVID-19 Vaccine Update for Physicians
The FDA granted full licensure for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine on August 23, which applies to the use of this vaccine in the 16+ population.  The vaccine also continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA) for adolescents 12 through 15 years of age and for the administration of a third dose in certain (moderately or severely) immunocompromised individuals.  This vaccine will now be marketed as Comirnaty (koe-mir’-na-tee).  DOH encourages you to reach out to your patients who have not yet been vaccinated to let them know about this development and encourage them to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

​The FDA also approved an amendment to the EUA for Pfizer-BioNTech extending the expiration dates of COVID-19 Vaccine from six to nine months. The extended expiration date is effective immediately for all currently available batches that have not yet expired and have been maintained in ultra-cold storage. Note: The expiration date extension does NOT apply to vials dated July 2021 and earlier.

Vaccination providers that have Pfizer vaccine in storage must:

  1. Mark the appropriate carton and vials with the new expiration date and
  2. Update the expiration date in the NYSIIS or CIR inventory module.

The extension of vaccine expiration applies to any vaccine that has been stored in a manner consistent with the storage guidelines that have been in place to this point. Specifically:

  • Vaccine moved from ultra-cold storage to standard frozen storage and back once to ultra-cold storage
  • Vaccine in a standard freezer for a total of up to 14 days
  • Vaccine in a refrigerator for a total of up to 31 days, including vaccine that was previously in a standard freezer for 14 days

All of the above conditions are consistent with the existing storage guidance.  Vaccine stored under these conditions can be used until the correct beyond-use datebased on the vaccine storage conditions, or the updated expiration date, whichever occurs first.  Vaccine cannot be used after the new expiration date, even if the storage-determined beyond-use date would be after the updated expiration date.

Cartons and vials of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine with an expiry date of August 2021 through February 2022 printed on the label may remain in use for 3 months beyond the printed date as long as authorized storage conditions between -90°C to -60°C (-130°F to -76°F) have been maintained.  Note: the ultra-cold temperature range has been broadened to include -90° C (-130°F).  Frozen vials stored at -25°C to -15°C and refrigerated vials (2°C to 8°C) are NOT eligible for a 3-month use extension.

Updated expiry dates for vaccine maintained in ultra-cold storage are shown below.

Printed Expiry Date Updated Expiry Date
August 2021 November 2021
September 2021 December 2021
October 2021 January 2022
November 2021 February 2022
December 2021 March 2022
January 2022 April 2022
February 2022 May 2022

No changes have been made to the vaccine itself to enable extension of expiry dating. This change is based on stability data generated on batches manufactured over approximately the past nine months of COVID-19 vaccine development, from the batches that supplied early clinical trials through the commercial scale batches currently in production.

Currently available vaccine will not have an updated NDC.  Please refer to the current EUA Fact Sheet for information.

Additional information on Pfizer storage and handling may be found at:
Administration Overview for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine | CDC


 

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Classified Ads Available for:

Physicians’ search services • allied medical placements • locum tenens • practice valuation • practice brokerage • practice consulting • real estate

For help, information or to place your ad, call Roseann Raia at 516-488-6100 ext. 302 

For the MSSNY 2021 Ad Rate Sheet, please click here.


FOR SALE: Established Concierge Internal Medicine Practice. Southern Florida
Contact: PlanAhead2023@gmail.com


Office Space for Lease – Great Neck, NY
Large, fully equipped space available for lease up to 7 days per week. Includes onsite parking and is close to mass transit. Call 516-972-2986 for info.


Rheumatology Practice Opportunity – Great Neck, NY
Opportunity available at an established rheumatology practice in Great Neck, NY. Looking for a dedicated physician to join, share or merge practices. Fully equipped office with onsite parking and proximity to mass transit. Contact 516-972-2986 for more info.

AIDS Institute’s Office of the Medical Director for a Public Health Physician II
Health Research, Inc. (HRI) has a job opening within the AIDS Institute’s Office of the Medical Director for a Public Health Physician II. Please distribute this announcement widely through your networks. Interested individuals can apply for this position through the HRI website.

Medical Office and Medical Practice (Upper East Side)
79th St near Lexington / Park. 750 sq Ft beautiful, street entrance, medical office for sale with a 25 + yr internal medical practice for sale. Office is in move in condition. Physician retiring. Waiting room. Secretarial area for 3. 1 Consult room. 2 exam Rooms 2 Toilets. Please contact: 917-770-8700 / email drklein@att.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MSSNY eNews: August 27, 2021 – Health Care Worker Vaccination Mandate Approved by Key Public Health Committee

Insurance Hassles? We Can Help

Colleagues:

As physicians, we know all too well how hassles with insurance companies can get in the way of our first and foremost responsibility and primary concern—taking care of our patients. Each of us attended medical school to learn how to be a physician, not to spend hours of wasted time dealing with denied claims, prior authorizations, and other insurance issues.

MSSNY’s new Director of Physician Payment and Practice, Heather Lopez, is here to help.  In the few weeks since she came on board, Heather has already worked to advocate for physicians and patients in disputes with commercial and public payors regarding claim payment and rules limiting the physician-patient relationship and access to quality, affordable care. She works with MSSNY leadership and staff to identify larger problems and trends in claim payment or limits on physician practice that impact patient care.

Under Heather’s direction, the department of Physician Payment and Practice maintains an effective liaison with third party health insurers, administrators, managed care entities and pertinent federal and state agencies on behalf of MSSNY members. She is an expert in Medicare, Medicaid, Workers Compensation, Auto No-Fault, traditional indemnity, and managed care plans and provides education, guidance, and general assistance to MSSNY members with health insurance related issues.

Additionally, Heather analyzes physician complaints and advocates for solutions with insurers and regulators, as well as with both federal and state public payors and identifies trends or common sets of problems faced by physicians and patients that may be subject to solutions through legislative or regulatory action.

Heather comes to MSSNY with a wealth of experience and knowledge in the health care arena. And she’s here to help you—our MSSNY members. Please contact Heather directly at 518.465.8085 X332 | hlopez@mssny.org with a specific issue—or just to chat about the ways she can help you going forward.

Joseph Sellers, MD, FAAP, FACP
MSSNY President.


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Health Care Worker Vaccination Mandate Approved by Key Public Health Committee
The New York Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC) approved an emergency regulation to be adopted by the NYS Department of Health requiring health care workers in all Article 28 regulated settings – hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, dialysis facilities, etc. – to be vaccinated against Covid.  This includes physicians and other care providers who may not be employed directly but who provide care at these health care settings (such as a physician with privileges at a hospital or who sees patients at a nursing home). There is an exemption for health care workers for documented medical contraindications, but after objection from various groups including MSSNY, the proposed “religious exemption” to this vaccination requirement was dropped from the regulation.

Based upon the recommendation of MSSNY’s Emergency Preparedness and Infectious Disease Committees, MSSNY President Dr. Joseph Sellers recently issued a statement supporting mandatory vaccination of health care workers as one important step to increase our vaccination rate and reduce the spread of Covid: MSSNY Applauds NYS COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate for Healthcare Workers.

The regulation will require health care workers at hospitals and nursing homes to have a first dose by September 27, and for other Article 28 regulated settings, by October 7.  The regulation will be effective for 90 days.

According to the regulation, an acceptable medical exemption to the required vaccine is where a “licensed physician or certified nurse practitioner certifies that immunization with COVID-19 vaccine is detrimental to the health of member of a covered entity’s personnel, based upon a pre-existing health condition”.  It further provides “the requirements of this section relating to COVID-19 immunization shall be inapplicable only until such immunization is found no longer to be detrimental to such personnel member’s health.”  Furthermore, it instructs these covered health care entities that “the nature and duration of the medical exemption must be stated in the personnel employment medical record, or other appropriate record, and must be in accordance with generally accepted medical standards, (see, for example, the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), and any reasonable accommodation may be granted and must likewise be documented in such record”.  regulation will be effective for 90 days.


MSSNY President Discusses COVID Vaccine Confidence and COVID Cases Among Children
Cheddar TV News (8/25) interviewed MSSNY President Joseph R. Sellers, MD, who discussed the rise in COVID-19 cases among children and how schools and parents can handle the coronavirus. Dr. Sellers recommended, “Reach out to your doctor. Talk to them about the safety for your child, about immunization for your child. If parents are hesitant, let’s overcome that hesitancy with some information. Let’s follow the science.” Watch the interview here.
Dr. Sellers at a news interview


Students Who Have a Bad Experience in Medical School More Likely to Regret Career, Study Finds
Students who said they were mistreated during their first two years of medical school were more likely to report exhaustion and career regret by the time they graduated, according to findings published Aug. 9 in JAMA Network Open.

Researchers used data from the 2014-2016 Association of American Medical Colleges Medical School Year 2 Questionnaire, and another questionnaire completed by the same students during their last year of medical school. Data from 14,126 medical students across 140 U.S. medical schools were included in the analysis.

Overall, nearly 23 percent of respondents reported mistreatment in the first two years of medical school. This group was more likely to report higher levels of exhaustion and disengagement, compared to students who didn’t report a negative experience. Of the group that reported mistreatment, 18.8 percent reported career regret by the time of graduation.

At the same time, students who reported positive learning experiences, such as better interactions with faculty, were more likely to report higher empathy, lower exhaustion scores and lower engagement scores by the time they graduated. Better student-to-student interactions were also tied to a lower chance of reporting career regret during the last year of medical school, the findings showed.

“The findings of this cohort study suggest that medical students who experienced mistreatment and perceived the learning environment less favorably were more likely to develop higher levels of exhaustion and disengagement, lower levels of empathy, and career regret compared with medical students with more positive experiences,” researchers said. “Strategies to improve well-being, empathy, and experience should include approaches to eliminate mistreatment and improve the learning experience.”

–Carbajal, Becker’s Hospital Review


Take a Listen to MSSNY’s Podcast: Virtual CME Offerings at HOD; The COVID-19 Delta Variant; and an Update on MSSNY Lobbying Efforts


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Urge Governor to Sign into Law 2 Bills to Assist Patients to Receive Needed Medications
With Governor Hochul taking office this week, this is a good time to contact her office to urge that she sign into law legislation passed at the end of the Legislative Session critical to helping patients to be able to receive the medications they need as well as to ensure greater oversight over pharmacy benefit formulary development practices. A letter or tweet can be sent from here: Urge Gov. Hochul to SIGN two RX bills – Regulating PBMs and Restricting Mid-Year Formulary Changes.

The first bill (A.1396, Gottfried/S.3762, Breslin), will provide greater accountability and transparency of the practices of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). The bill was significantly revised from the version that passed the Legislature in 2019, but vetoed, to address concerns raised in your veto message. The bill would require that PBMs be licensed by the Department of Financial Services (DFS) and adhere to standards established by DFS. The bill would also provide for the disclosure of all possible revenue streams and terms and conditions that they place on their networks of pharmacies. MSSNY has supported greater oversight and regulation of PBMs as one manner to address restrictive formularies and excessive prior authorization requirements that interfere with patients obtaining needed medications.

The second bill (A.4668, People-Stokes/S.4111, Breslin), would significantly limit the ability of health insurers to move medications to higher cost-sharing tiers for their prescription drug formularies during a policy year. A substantially similar passed the Assembly and Senate in 2019, but was vetoed. To address concerns raised in the 2019 veto message, the new legislation would prohibit the applicability of a mid-year formulary change for those patients who were on the medication at the beginning of the policy year, or suffer from a condition for which the medication is part of a treatment regimen, for that condition. However, other mid-year formulary changes could still occur.


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Better Medicare Alliance Releases Report on Social Determinants of Health
Better Medicare Alliance recently released a report highlighting innovative approaches to addressing social determinants of health for Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries. Conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago on behalf of Better Medicare Alliance’s Center for Innovation in Medicare Advantage, the report found there was a dramatic increase in plan activity to address social needs within MA particularly in the areas of social isolation, transportation, housing, and food.

NORC’s research also showed that barriers to further SDOH innovations remain which include technology limitations, misaligned incentives, and the disconnect between health care systems and social services.

The report proposes potential solutions to spur greater investment in SDOH, including:Medicare Chart


Last Chance to Nominate a Colleague for MSSNY’s Bernstein Award
The Medical Society of the State of New York is accepting nominations for the 2020 Albion O. Bernstein, MD Award.  The deadline for applications has been extended to September 7, 2021. This prestigious award is given to:

“…the physician, surgeon or scientist who shall have made the most widely beneficial discovery or developed the most useful method in medicine, surgery or in the prevention of disease in the twelve months prior to December 2020.”

This award was endowed by the late Morris J. Bernstein in memory of his son, a physician who died in an accident while answering a hospital call in November 1940.

The $2,000 award will be presented to the recipient during a MSSNY Council Meeting.

Nominations must be submitted on an official application form and must include the nominator’s narrative description of the significance of the candidate’s achievements as well as the candidate’s curriculum vitae, including a list of publications or other contributions.

To request an application, please contact:

Committee on Continuing Medical Education
Miriam Hardin, PhD, Manager, Continuing Medical Education
Medical Society of the State of New York
99 Washington Avenue, Suite 408
Albany, NY 12210
518-465-8085
mhardin@mssny.org


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New NGSMedicare.com Walkthrough and Open Q&A Webinars
NGSMedicare will release a redesigned provider content website that will contain all content that is now available but with an easier and more intuitive look and feel. As they transition to the new site, they are conducting webinars for providers to attend in order to gain an overview of the new provider content website and ask questions about NGSMedicare.com.

Sign up for one of the following webinars to learn about the new provider content website. All times listed are eastern time. The NGSMedicare Crosswalk Reference compares the existing website with the new website.

Date Registration Time
8/30/2021 New NGSMedicare.com Walkthrough and Open Q&A 1:00-2:00 p.m.
8/31/2021 New NGSMedicare.com Walkthrough and Open Q&A 2:00-3:00 p.m.
9/1/2021 New NGSMedicare.com Walkthrough and Open Q&A 1:00-2:00 p.m.
9/2/2021 New NGSMedicare.com Walkthrough and Open Q&A 2:00-3:00 p.m.
9/3/2021 New NGSMedicare.com Walkthrough and Open Q&A 1:00-2:00 p.m.
9/7/2021 New NGSMedicare.com Walkthrough and Open Q&A 2:00-3:00 p.m.
9/8/2021 New NGSMedicare.com Walkthrough and Open Q&A 1:30-2:30 p.m.
9/9/2021 New NGSMedicare.com Walkthrough and Open Q&A 2:00-3:00 p.m.
9/14/2021 New NGSMedicare.com Walkthrough and Open Q&A 3:00-4:00 p.m.
9/15/2021 New NGSMedicare.com Walkthrough and Open Q&A 3:00-4:00 p.m.
9/16/2021 New NGSMedicare.com Walkthrough and Open Q&A 4:00-5:00 p.m.
9/21/2021 New NGSMedicare.com Walkthrough and Open Q&A 9:30-10:30 a.m.
9/22/2021 New NGSMedicare.com Walkthrough and Open Q&A 2:30-3:30 p.m.
9/23/2021 New NGSMedicare.com Walkthrough and Open Q&A 2:00-3:00 p.m.
9/27/2021 New NGSMedicare.com Walkthrough and Open Q&A 10:30-11:30 a.m.

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10 States with Highest COVID-19 Case Increases in Last 2 Weeks
New daily COVID-19 cases in the U.S. have risen 29 percent over the last two weeks, with 47 states and the District of Columbia seeing cases trend upward, according to data tracked by The New York Times.

Case averages were decreasing only in Louisiana, Missouri and Arkansas.

Below are 10 states with the highest 14-day case increase. Data is taken from state and local health agencies and was last updated Aug 24.

South Dakota
14-day change: 352 percent increase
Cases per 100,000 people: 27

West Virginia
14-day change: 160 percent increase
Cases per 100,000 people: 52

North Dakota
14-day change: 128 percent increase
Cases per 100,000 people: 28

Vermont
14-day change: 105 percent increase
Cases per 100,000 people: 25

Rhode Island
14-day change: 98 percent increase
Cases per 100,000 people: 28

Tennessee
14-day change: 86 percent increase
Cases per 100,000 people: 87

Indiana
14-day change: 82 percent increase
Cases per 100,000 people: 47

Oregon
14-day change: 78 percent increase
Cases per 100,000 people: 50

Delaware
14-day change: 77 percent increase
Cases per 100,000 people: 33

Ohio
14-day change: 77 percent increase
Cases per 100,000 people: 27

–Masson, Becker’s Hospital Review


Classified Ads Available for:

Physicians’ search services • allied medical placements • locum tenens • practice valuation • practice brokerage • practice consulting • real estate

For help, information or to place your ad, call Roseann Raia at 516-488-6100 ext. 302 

For the MSSNY 2021 Ad Rate Sheet, please click here.


FOR SALE: Established Concierge Internal Medicine Practice. Southern Florida
Contact: PlanAhead2023@gmail.com


Office Space for Lease – Great Neck, NY
Large, fully equipped space available for lease up to 7 days per week. Includes onsite parking and is close to mass transit. Call 516-972-2986 for info.


Rheumatology Practice Opportunity – Great Neck, NY
Opportunity available at an established rheumatology practice in Great Neck, NY. Looking for a dedicated physician to join, share or merge practices. Fully equipped office with onsite parking and proximity to mass transit. Contact 516-972-2986 for more info.

AIDS Institute’s Office of the Medical Director for a Public Health Physician II
Health Research, Inc. (HRI) has a job opening within the AIDS Institute’s Office of the Medical Director for a Public Health Physician II. Please distribute this announcement widely through your networks. Interested individuals can apply for this position through the HRI website.

Medical Office and Medical Practice (Upper East Side)
79th St near Lexington / Park. 750 sq Ft beautiful, street entrance, medical office for sale with a 25 + yr internal medical practice for sale. Office is in move in condition. Physician retiring. Waiting room. Secretarial area for 3. 1 Consult room. 2 exam Rooms 2 Toilets. Please contact: 917-770-8700 / email drklein@att.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MSSNY eNews: August 25, 2021 – MSSNY Press Statement on FDA Full Use Authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine


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MSSNY Press Statement on FDA Full Use Authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine

Statement attributable to:
Joseph R. Sellers, MD, FAAP, FACP
President
Medical Society of the State of New York

“The Medical Society of the State of New York welcomes and supports the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s full use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and we continue to be grateful for the science that has made this vaccine a reality. We again encourage patients with questions about the efficacy and safety of the vaccine to speak with their trusted physician.

“The importance of getting every eligible American vaccinated against this deadly virus cannot be overstated. Our hope is that the country takes another important step forward in changing the face of the COVID-19 pandemic with the full approval of the Pfizer vaccine and that those Americans who did not have confidence in the emergency authorization of the vaccine will now roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated unless their physician documents a contraindication.

“We hope that the full approval of the vaccine will make it easier for schools and workplaces to require vaccination against the coronavirus. As American children head back into the classroom, it is more important than ever to immunize those who are eligible. Since young children are not yet eligible to receive the vaccine themselves, we must do everything we can to keep them—and their vulnerable family members—safe and healthy.

“MSSNY and its physicians are committed to ensuring that all New Yorkers are immunized against this deadly virus.  Throughout the years, vaccines have saved lives and we are confident that the COVID-19 vaccines will help us end this pandemic.”


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Dr. Sellers in Albany Times Union Re Full FDA Approval for Pfizer Vaccine
The Albany (NY) Times Union (8/23, Bump) reports that following the FDA’s full approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, “local health officials said they expect to see increased demand at upcoming vaccination clinics as a result of the decision, and some have even ordered additional shipments of the Pfizer vaccine to accommodate an uptick.” The move also “is expected to trigger a slew of new vaccine mandates at schools, hospitals, and businesses nationwide.”

Medical Society of the State of New York President Joseph R. Sellers, MD, “issued a statement Monday saying he hopes the decision makes it easier for schools and workplaces to require vaccination against coronavirus – especially with a new school year approaching.”


Practice Tip from MSSNY’s Director of Physician Payment and Practice: The Importance of the “Daily Huddle”
Do you ever have days when you and your staff are not “choreographed” well and no one is on the same page? A quick huddle can fix that. A huddle at the beginning of the shift allows for you and your team to connect on what the day looks like. It also opens the opportunity to prepare for scenarios that may take longer than expected or may be sensitive.

Good communication is key.

One of the biggest mistakes in communication is to assume that it has happened. When you or your office manager run a quick huddle before you start the day, you can be confident that communication has indeed occurred. What should be included on your huddle sheet? Click this link to view an example and download it to your laptop or desktop.

The huddle should take no longer than 5 minutes. It is strictly to get everyone on the team on the same page and tackle the day in unison. An office that huddles in the morning runs much more smoothly than one that does not. Give it a try! If you have any questions, contact Heather Lopez, MSSNY’s Director of Physician Payment & Practice: 518.465.8085 X332 | hlopez@mssny.org. Heather will share steps on how to effectively start huddling.


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Physician-Focused Webinar on Information Blocking Requirements of the 21st Century Cures Act
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is hosting a series of webinars to discuss the information blocking requirements of the 21st Century Cures Act. This initial webinar is a physician-focused presentation covering key aspects of their regulations focused on information blocking and is an opportunity to ask questions and get answers from ONC’s experts.

Join ONC on September 14, 2021 from 1-2 pm EST for the first in a series of clinician-focused webinars on the information blocking regulation. ONC experts will explain how ONC supports secure, appropriate sharing of electronic health information and how information sharing leads to more affordable and equitable care and improved care quality.

Hear answers to questions such as:

  • What is information blocking and why should I care?
  • Why is information sharing so important?
  • What information needs to be shared and with whom?
  • What are the allowable exceptions and when do they apply?

Register for the Webinar →

Note: If you’re unable to join the live presentation, you can still register to receive a link to access a recording of the webcast.


Participate in the 2021 CAQH Index
The CAQH Index Report is an annual publication, which is the industry source for tracking and benchmarking health plan and provider adoption of fully electronic administrative transactions. It also estimates the industry cost savings opportunity, an amount that declines as adoption and efficiency grows. For more information visit the Resources Page.

For more than 20 years, CAQH has delivered technology-enabled solutions, operating rules and research to help health plans, providers, government entities and vendors connect, exchange information and operate more efficiently.

To participate in the 2021 survey, please click here. All data will be kept confidential and only aggregated deidentified data will be reported. Please submit your responses by August 30th.

A printable Medical PDF version of the survey is also available. Note: If you complete the survey via PDF, please email your completed survey to us – you do not need to enter the data online.

For more information about the CAQH Index, please visit www.caqhindex.org. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call us at (202) 517-0377, or email IndexHelp@norc.org.

Data collection ends in two weeks. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to receive a $150 incentive and a customized benchmark report comparing your organization to national estimates.


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Registration Now Open: CME at HOD Live Webinars
MLMIC and MSSNY announce seven live continuing medical education (CME) webinars on Friday, September 17, 2021, from 9:00 am – 5:30 pm.  The 2021 MSSNY House of Delegates will be held entirely via Zoom.  CME events will take place virtually through Zoom webinars.  Register now by clicking on the links below, and please note that your Zoom links will be emailed to you prior to each webinar you register for.

Click Here to Register for MLMIC Continuing Medical Education Programs from 9:00 am-12:00 pm

9:00-10:00 am Beyond the Behavioral Health Unit: Managing Mental Health

Faculty:           Mark Ambrose, DNP, MBA, RN, Donnaline Richman, BSN, MN, Esq

Educational Objectives:

  • Assess the mental health needs of patients in clinical areas outside of behavioral health units.
  • Recognize associated liability risks and the factors that impact claims of medical malpractice.
  • Evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on patients and healthcare professionals.
  • Develop risk management strategies to promote staff and patient safety.

10:00-11:00 am In My Defense: The Perspective of a Physician in a Malpractice Suit

Faculty:           John W. Lombardo, MD, FACS

Educational Objectives:

  • Describe how a medical malpractice lawsuit begins, and the feelings that a defendant physician can experience.
  • Explain the purpose of the deposition and the best way to handle a plaintiff attorney’s questions.
  • Review the trial process and the emotional impact that it can have on the defendant physician.
  • Outline strategies that can help support the defendant physician during the litigation process.

11:00 am-12:00 pm 2021 Healthcare Law Review

Faculty:           Nancy E. May-Skinner, Esq.

Educational Objectives:

  • Discuss legislative and case law developments in 2020-2021.
  • Discuss the current laws and regulations associated with COVID-19.
  • Recognize the significant liability concerns for physicians practicing during the pandemic.
  • Describe the current status of telehealth laws and regulations.

Accreditation Statement

MLMIC Insurance Company (MLMIC) is accredited by the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

MLMIC designates each live activity for a maximum of 1.0 𝘼𝙈𝘼 𝙋𝙍𝘼 𝘾𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙤𝙧𝙮 1 C𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. 

Disclosure Statement

MLMIC relies upon faculty participants in its CME programs to provide educational information that is objective and free of bias. In this spirit and in accordance with the guidelines of MSSNY and the ACCME, all speakers and planners for continuing medical education activities must disclose any relevant financial relationships with commercial interests whose products, devices or services may be discussed in the content of a CME activity, that might be perceived as a real or apparent conflict of interest.

The planners and faculty participants do not have any financial arrangements or affiliations with any commercial entities whose products, research, or services may be discussed in these materials.

Click Here to Register for MSSNY Continuing Medical Education programs from 1:00-5:30 pm

1:00-2:00 pm MSSNY Presents: Steps to Physician Wellness & Resiliency

Faculty:           Frank Dowling, MD

Educational Objectives:

  • Review the warning signs that stress, depression, anxiety or substance use may impact work or personal life
  • Identify strategies to increase personal empowerment toward making positive change, including self-assessment tools
  • Recognize self-monitoring strategies for stress-related problems and know when to seek professional assistance

2:10-3:10 pm MSSNY Presents: Medical Matters*: Questions & Answers About the COVID-19 Pandemic

Faculty:           William Valenti, MD & Bonnie Litvack, MD (moderator)

Educational Objectives:

  • Identify frequently asked questions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Discuss what has been learned about SARS CoV2 since the inception of the pandemic in 2019
  • Examine the dynamic circumstances that continue to encompass COVID-19 including lingering symptoms after initial recovery

3:20-4:20 pm MSSNY Presents: Overloaded: The Heavy Toll of Racism & Poverty on Mental and Physical Health

Faculty:           Wade Norwood, CEO Common Ground Health

Educational Objectives:

  • Examine the role of racism and poverty on physical and mental health outcomes
  • Recognize prevalent inequities in the social determinants of health
  • Review socioeconomic burdens that negatively impact physical and mental health
  • Identify organizations and behaviors that are available to remediate systemic biases

4:30-5:30 pm MSSNY Presents: Veterans Matters**: Substance Use Disorders in Veterans

Faculty:          Thomas Madejski, MD

Educational Objectives:

  • Identify Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) in Veterans
  • Discuss evidence-based psychosocial strategies to treat Veterans with SUDs
  • Discuss Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Veterans with alcohol or opioid use disorders
  • Identify barriers to diagnosis and treatment of SUDs in Veterans and methods to overcome them

Accreditation Statement
The Medical Society of the State of New York is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Medical Society of the State of New York designates each live activity for a maximum of 1.0 𝘼𝙈𝘼 𝙋𝙍𝘼 𝘾𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙤𝙧𝙮 1 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙨™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Disclosure Statement
The Medical Society of the State of New York relies upon faculty participants in its CME programs to provide educational information that is objective and free of bias.  In this spirit and in accordance with the guidelines of MSSNY and the ACCME, all speakers and planners for continuing medical education activities must disclose any relevant financial relationships with commercial interests whose products, devices or services may be discussed in the content of a CME activity, that might be perceived as a real or apparent conflict of interest.

The planners and faculty participants do not have any financial arrangements or affiliations with any commercial entities whose products, research or services may be discussed in these materials.

* This program is supported in whole by a DHHS grant entitled New York State Hospital Preparedness Program

**This program is supported in whole by a grant from the New York State Office of Mental Health.


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Classified Ads Available for:

Physicians’ search services • allied medical placements • locum tenens • practice valuation • practice brokerage • practice consulting • real estate

For help, information or to place your ad, call Roseann Raia at 516-488-6100 ext. 302 

For the MSSNY 2021 Ad Rate Sheet, please click here.



FOR SALE: Established Concierge Internal Medicine Practice. Southern Florida
Contact: PlanAhead2023@gmail.com

Office Space for Lease – Great Neck, NY
Large, fully equipped space available for lease up to 7 days per week. Includes onsite parking and is close to mass transit. Call 516-972-2986 for info.


Rheumatology Practice Opportunity – Great Neck, NY
Opportunity available at an established rheumatology practice in Great Neck, NY. Looking for a dedicated physician to join, share or merge practices. Fully equipped office with onsite parking and proximity to mass transit. Contact 516-972-2986 for more info.

AIDS Institute’s Office of the Medical Director for a Public Health Physician II
Health Research, Inc. (HRI) has a job opening within the AIDS Institute’s Office of the Medical Director for a Public Health Physician II. Please distribute this announcement widely through your networks. Interested individuals can apply for this position through the HRI website.

Medical Office and Medical Practice (Upper East Side)
79th St near Lexington / Park. 750 sq Ft beautiful, street entrance, medical office for sale with a 25 + yr internal medical practice for sale. Office is in move in condition. Physician retiring. Waiting room. Secretarial area for 3. 1 Consult room. 2 exam Rooms 2 Toilets. Please contact: 917-770-8700 / email drklein@att.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MSSNY eNews: August 20, 2021 – House of Delegates Goes Virtual-Only in September

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Colleagues:

I—along with so many of my MSSNY colleagues—was very much looking forward to meeting in person in Saratoga next month for our House of Delegates meeting. But the Delta variant of COVID-19 has forced us to reassess, shift gears, and change our plans.

With the uptick in COVID-19/Delta cases and the increased ability of the Delta variant to transmit to others despite vaccination status, we in MSSNY leadership agreed it was time to re-evaluate our plans for the HOD. It was a tough call, but I am confident that we have made the right decision to hold our 2021 House of Delegates meeting on Saturday, September 18 on a virtual-only platform. Our first priority is to keep our physicians, staff, and guests safe and healthy.

The reference committee reports are under construction and will be posted on the MSSNY website by September 3 as originally planned.  Once posted, MSSNY members will be able to add comments in the report.

I hope you will make plans to participate in the CME events on Friday, September 17, which will also be held on Zoom.  We have many offerings, including In My Defense: The Perspective of a Physician in a Malpractice Suit, Steps to Physician Wellness and Resiliency, Medical Matters:  COVID Questions and Answers, and Veterans Matters:  Substance Use Disorders in Veterans. Visit the HOD CME page for a full listing and to register.

And, finally, I want to thank our HOD Speaker Dr. Bill Latreille, Vice Speaker Dr. Maria Basile, and our MSSNY staff for their hard work in transitioning to a virtual meeting. We will keep you informed as plans for the meeting are finalized.

Joseph Sellers, MD, FAAP, FACP
MSSNY President.


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MSSNY Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund
The devastating 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck the southwestern region of Haiti killed nearly 2,000 people and injured close to 10,000. Unfortunately, those numbers are expected to rise. The disaster resulted in toppled buildings and homes and damaged infrastructure and roads, cutting off access to some areas in the southwest, and forcing many to flee their homes in fear that they may collapse.

The people of Haiti desperately need help. Please consider making a donation to the MSSNY Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund. Donations will be sent to organizations assisting Haiti with urgent needs, including medical supplies and equipment.


MGMA Raises Concerns to CMS Re EFT Fees Charged to Physicians by Health Plans
The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) has written to the CMS to raise strong concerns with the growing incidence of fees being charged to physician practices by health plans and/or their payment processing vendors in order to receive payments via electronic funds transfer (EFT).  The MGMA letter notes that “Given that CMS has a both a statutory requirement and the authority to prohibit EFT fees, the industry guidance removed by the prior administration in 2017 should be reposted or clearly restated by CMS in a definitive manner. If CMS will not provide clear guidance, we ask the agency to expeditiously and clearly state why it is not using its legal authority to prohibit these abuses.”

MSSNY has also been working with the American Medical Association to bring examples to CMS regarding health insurers inappropriately charging physician practices for EFT and will report back as these efforts continue.  For more information, please contact Heather Lopez, MSSNY’s Director for Physician Payment & Practice, at hlopez@mssny.org


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MSSNY President Dr. Sellers Discusses Vaccine Misconceptions on WUTR/WFXV/WPNY
WUTR/WFXV/WPNY reports: “As COVID-19 cases rise throughout the area, physicians are encouraging everyone to get vaccinated. Dr. Joseph Sellers, President of the Medical Society of the State of New York tells us about the misconceptions that are still making people hesitant.

‘Physicians’ focus right now is vaccinating the unvaccinated and they want those who do not have confidence in vaccines to reach out. You need to talk to someone you trust with the background and knowledge to help you through this. And that’s usually the medical providers—the doctors—that have been taking care of you in other aspects of your life,’ said Sellers.”

Watch the full report here.


United Hospital Fund (UHF) Study Finds American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Provides Big Savings for New Yorkers When Buying Health Insurance
According to a new study by UHF, “A Shot in the Arm: American Rescue Plan Act Boosts Health Coverage Affordability”, which was released in July, health insurance costs have been reduced for many New Yorkers since the enactment of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) into law this past March. The study highlights the impact of one portion of this massive bill, which expands subsidies for health insurance coverage, including for income eligible New Yorkers obtaining commercial health insurance coverage through New York’s Health Insurance Exchange. Moreover, it provides premium tax credits to higher-income individuals and families ineligible for financial help under the ACA. (Those who earn more than 400% of the Federal Poverty Level- FPL).

The study details “before and after” scenarios which showed a significant reduction in premiums and savings for consumers in Queens, Tompkins County in central New York, and Erie County in western New York. Specifically, it notes that an individual in Queens earning just above the income eligibility threshold for free coverage under New York’s Essential Plan (approximately $25,600) are seeing premiums for plans bought at the New York State of Health marketplace decrease by over 75 percent, from $128 to $31 per month, while a family of four at the same income level will save more than $2,300 annually with the lower ARPA premiums.

In lower-cost Erie County, a family with an income of about $65,500 annually will receive a 50 percent reduction in premiums, from $457 per month to $220. Savings for families earning slightly more than the ACA subsidy limit (400% FPL, or approximately $104,800) are especially dramatic. In Tompkins County, for instance, family premiums dropped from $1,899 per month to $746, producing annual savings of more than $13,700.

To read the full UHF HealthWatch report: https://uhfnyc.org/publications/publication/ARPA-boosts-health-coverage-affordability/. It is the first in a two-part series on health coverage provisions in the ARPA. The next installment will focus on extra help for people who have lost their jobs or job-based health insurance. MSSNY staff will continue to follow this issue and provide new information as it becomes available.


Win 2 PIT or 2 Lawn Tickets to Dave Matthews Band at SPAC on 9/18!
Through the generosity of Dr. Gregory Pinto, Dr. Natalie Adler, and Aimana ElBahtity, MSSNYPAC donors can enter to win 2 PIT section or 2 lawn seats for the Dave Matthews Band playing Saturday, September 18, 2021 at 7:30pm at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.  Registration and qualified entry are required.  To register text MSSNYPAC DMB to 52886 and follow the prompts.  To qualify for PIT tickets, donate $500 to MSSNYPAC for each entry.  To qualify for lawn seats, donate $100 to MSSNYPAC for each entry.   Two winners will be chosen on 9/8/21 among qualified registrants.  Donations made to MSSNYPAC between 9/14/20 and 9/7/21 can be used to qualify.  The higher your donation, the greater your chances to win!  Join, renew, or increase your membership today!  Contact Jennifer Wilks at mssnypac@mssny.org or 914-933-7722 with any questions.  View the MSSNYPAC events page for further details.


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MSSNY Insurance Tip: How Are You Verifying Your Patients’ Insurance?
Have you ever received a zero-dollar payment/denial from an insurance company that says, “members’ coverage terminated prior to service rendered”?  There are multiple reasons how this could happen BUT there is only ONE way to ensure it does not. The answer is very simple:  verify the insurance. Train your staff to get into the habit of verifying insurance at every visit. This will help to reduce denials and save time for your billing and office staff. Once the patient presents, request the insurance card every time and verify that what you have in your EHR system is indeed the most current. Too many times we see Mr. or Mrs. Jones and say, “Everything the same?” and the patient’s response is yes without even knowing what you are looking at in the system.

Remember the “Triple R” rule:

REQUEST: The insurance card

READ: Compare the information on the card VS your EHR system

RE-ENTER: Update the EHR with the correct information and file

Software enhancements are also available. Check out insurance eligibility verification software like iPAS through the Pelitas company. This type of software is integrated into your EHR system that provides current insurance information for your patients.

At the end of the day, getting your AR days down to a minimum is going to help your practice. Saving your staff time will assist in boosting morale and effectiveness.


MSSNY President Dr. Sellers Discusses Open Notes on WNYT-TV
In an interview with WNYT-TV Albany, NY (8/19, Zahn), Medical Society of the State of New York President Joseph R. Sellers, MD, said recent federal laws require that hospitals and physician practices provide patients with their personal medical records. While there are some provisions for sensitive records to remain segregated from patients, “virtually all your records are open to you,” he said. Dr. Sellers added, “You have a right to get them.”


ClearClix Banner Ad

 


Classified Ads Available for:

Physicians’ search services • allied medical placements • locum tenens • practice valuation • practice brokerage • practice consulting • real estate

For help, information or to place your ad, call Roseann Raia at 516-488-6100 ext. 302 

For the MSSNY 2021 Ad Rate Sheet, please click here.


FOR SALE: Established Concierge Internal Medicine Practice. Southern Florida
Contact: PlanAhead2023@gmail.com


Office Space for Lease – Great Neck, NY
Large, fully equipped space available for lease up to 7 days per week. Includes onsite parking and is close to mass transit. Call 516-972-2986 for info.


Rheumatology Practice Opportunity – Great Neck, NY
Opportunity available at an established rheumatology practice in Great Neck, NY. Looking for a dedicated physician to join, share or merge practices. Fully equipped office with onsite parking and proximity to mass transit. Contact 516-972-2986 for more info.

AIDS Institute’s Office of the Medical Director for a Public Health Physician II
Health Research, Inc. (HRI) has a job opening within the AIDS Institute’s Office of the Medical Director for a Public Health Physician II. Please distribute this announcement widely through your networks. Interested individuals can apply for this position through the HRI website.

Medical Office and Medical Practice (Upper East Side)
79th St near Lexington / Park. 750 sq Ft beautiful, street entrance, medical office for sale with a 25 + yr internal medical practice for sale. Office is in move in condition. Physician retiring. Waiting room. Secretarial area for 3. 1 Consult room. 2 exam Rooms 2 Toilets. Please contact: 917-770-8700 / email drklein@att.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HHS Statement on Plan for COVID-19 Booster Shots


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Joint Statement from HHS Public Health and Medical Experts on COVID-19 Booster Shots
Today, public health and medical experts from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the following statement on the Administration’s plan for COVID-19 booster shots for the American people.

“The COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States continue to be remarkably effective in reducing risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, even against the widely circulating Delta variant. Recognizing that many vaccines are associated with a reduction in protection over time, and acknowledging that additional vaccine doses could be needed to provide long-lasting protection, we have been analyzing the scientific data closely from the United States and around the world to understand how long this protection will last and how we might maximize this protection. The available data make very clear that protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection begins to decrease over time following the initial doses of vaccination, and in association with the dominance of the Delta variant, we are starting to see evidence of reduced protection against mild and moderate disease. Based on our latest assessment, the current protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death could diminish in the months ahead, especially among those who are at higher risk or were vaccinated during the earlier phases of the vaccination rollout. For that reason, we conclude that a booster shot will be needed to maximize vaccine-induced protection and prolong its durability.

“We have developed a plan to begin offering these booster shots this fall subject to FDA conducting an independent evaluation and determination of the safety and effectiveness of a third dose of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines and CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issuing booster dose recommendations based on a thorough review of the evidence. We are prepared to offer booster shots for all Americans beginning the week of September 20 and starting 8 months after an individual’s second dose. At that time, the individuals who were fully vaccinated earliest in the vaccination rollout, including many health care providers, nursing home residents, and other seniors, will likely be eligible for a booster. We would also begin efforts to deliver booster shots directly to residents of long-term care facilities at that time, given the distribution of vaccines to this population early in the vaccine rollout and the continued increased risk that COVID-19 poses to them.

“We also anticipate booster shots will likely be needed for people who received the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine. Administration of the J&J vaccine did not begin in the U.S. until March 2021, and we expect more data on J&J in the next few weeks. With those data in hand, we will keep the public informed with a timely plan for J&J booster shots as well.

“Our top priority remains staying ahead of the virus and protecting the American people from COVID-19 with safe, effective, and long-lasting vaccines especially in the context of a constantly changing virus and epidemiologic landscape. We will continue to follow the science on a daily basis, and we are prepared to modify this plan should new data emerge that requires it.

“We also want to emphasize the ongoing urgency of vaccinating the unvaccinated in the U.S. and around the world. Nearly all the cases of severe disease, hospitalization, and death continue to occur among those not yet vaccinated at all. We will continue to ramp up efforts to increase vaccinations here at home and to ensure people have accurate information about vaccines from trusted sources. We will also continue to expand our efforts to increase the supply of vaccines for other countries, building further on the more than 600 million doses we have already committed to donate globally.”

The statement is attributable to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Dr. Janet Woodcock, Acting Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration (FDA); Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General; Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH); Dr. Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); Dr. Rachel Levine, Assistant Secretary for Health; Dr. David Kessler, Chief Science Officer for the COVID-19 Response; and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, Chair of the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force.

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NYS Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker to Convene NYS Clinical Advisory Task Force Re COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters
Statement From New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker:

“Today, the Biden administration’s public health and medical experts announced that a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines will be needed to maximize vaccine-induced protection and prolong its durability, recognizing that many vaccines are associated with a reduction in protection over time, and acknowledging that additional vaccine doses could be needed to provide long lasting protection.

As with previous FDA emergency use authorizations (EUAs) of COVID-19 vaccines and subsequent EUA modifications to date, following the FDA’s independent evaluation and the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) official recommendations, I will immediately convene New York State’s Clinical Advisory Task Force. I will seek advice and recommendations from this group of independent experts to inform the State’s COVID-19 vaccination program guidance regarding the administration of COVID-19 vaccine booster doses. When this FDA authorization and the ACIP recommendations are available, the Department will complete this process quickly as it has in the past and act swiftly, as we have already been planning for this development.

We are proud that the Department’s study, ‘New COVID-19 Cases and Hospitalizations Among Adults, by Vaccination Status’ published today by the CDC, which demonstrated the vaccine’s effectiveness against severe outcomes such as hospitalization caused by COVID-19, contributed to our federal health experts’ national guidance today. The vaccines remain the best way for New Yorkers to protect themselves, their families and communities from COVID-19 and its most severe outcomes, and I continue to urge all eligible New Yorkers to get vaccinated as soon as possible. I thank the millions of New Yorkers who have already done so.”


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MSSNY Statement on COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate for Healthcare Workers

Statement Attributable to:
Joseph R. Sellers, MD, FAAP, FACP
President, Medical Society of the State of New York 
 

“The recent dramatic rise in COVID cases nationally and in parts of New York further demonstrates the need for vaccination as the best single measure to protect individuals and the public from infection.  The Medical Society applauds the actions taken today by New York State to require immunization of all healthcare workers.  Experts on our Infectious Diseases and Emergency Preparedness Committee, among others, recently made a similar recommendation for physicians and other healthcare workers.  MSSNY supports science and stands ready to assist the State in this effort.”


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USA Today Network: MSSNY President Dr. Joseph Sellers Says Group Supports Science and is Ready to Assist NYS in Vaccine Mandate for Healthcare Workers

On Monday, outgoing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an order “that all health care workers in the state, including staff at all hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities and other congregate care settings, must get at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine by Sept. 27.” In a press release, Cuomo stated the Health Department “will issue special orders intended to prevent a ‘danger to the health of the people’ to compel the health care workers to get vaccinated, with limited exceptions for those with religious objections or medical exemptions.” The Lower Hudson Valley (NY) Journal News (8/16, Robinson) says the Medical Society of the State of New York “applauded the mandate,” with MSSNY President Dr. Joseph Sellers saying the group “supports science and stands ready to assist the state in this effort.”


CMS Announces Plans to Recalculate Some MIPS Scores Due to Technical Issue
The Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) has announced it will be updating the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) performance feedback and final scores for some clinicians for performance year 2020 and the associated MIPS payment adjustment information for payment year 2022. The AMA reported that CMS made them aware that certain MIPS participant scores for 2020 were inadvertently miscalculated due to a technical issue. As a result, CMS is recalculating all scores to ensure their accuracy and plans to update both the 2020 scores and related 2022 payment adjustment information in the next few weeks. CMS also advised that the deadline to submit an appeal, or targeted review request, would also be extended. Please see the note below for more information.

CMS advises that physicians can view current MIPS performance feedback, final score, and payment adjustment on the Quality Payment Program website.  Physicians can access their 2020 MIPS performance feedback, 2020 final score, and 2022 payment adjustment information by:

  • Going to cms.gov/login
  • Logging in using your HCQIS Access Roles and Profile (HARP) system credentials; these are the same credentials that allowed you to submit your 2020 MIPS data

If you don’t have a HARP account, please refer to the Register for a HARP Account and Connect to an Organization documents in the QPP Access User Guide and start the process now.

For Shared Savings Program ACOs, please note that beginning August 5, 2021, you will be able to create a HARP account and manage your account in the ACO Management System (ACO-MS). Contact your ACO to find out how you can obtain a HARP account via ACO-MS. If you have any questions, please contact the ACO Information Center at SharedSavingsProgram@cms.hhs.gov or 1-888-734-6433 (Option 1).

CMS further notes that, to learn more about the information in your performance feedback, review the following 2020 MIPS Performance Feedback Resources:


Physicians Can Help Unvaccinated Become Confident In COVID-19 Vaccines, MSSNY President Says
In an interview with WNYT-TV Albany, NY (8/12, Zahn), Medical Society of the State of New York President Dr. Joseph Sellers discussed addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and misinformation, saying, “Our game plan is to help people get confidence in making the right decisions for themselves and their families. And I think the best way to do that is to talk to those who you trust for the rest of your healthcare decisions, and that is your medical team, your physician and other healthcare clinicians who are taking care of you through your other healthcare needs.”


New CPT Codes for Third Doses of COVID-19 Vaccines
The  AMA announced that the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) code set is ready for the rollout of third doses of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. The CPT Editorial Panel has expedited approval of a new administration code that is unique to a third dose of the current COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna. A new administration code for a third dose of the current COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer was announced by the AMA on July 30.

The two vaccine administration codes are effective for immediate use as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized third doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna for certain people with weakened immune systems.

For quick reference, the CPT codes and long descriptors assigned to third dose administration of the current Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are:

Pfizer
0003A – Immunization administration by intramuscular injection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (coronavirus disease [COVID-19]) vaccine, mRNA-LNP, spike protein, preservative free, 30 mcg/0.3 mL dosage, diluent reconstituted; third dose

Moderna
0013A – Immunization administration by intramuscular injection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (coronavirus disease [COVID-19]) vaccine, mRNA-LNP, spike protein, preservative free, 100 mcg/0.5 mL dosage; third dose

These CPT codes and descriptors are used to report the actual work of administering the vaccine, in addition to all necessary counseling provided to patients or caregivers and updating the electronic record.

Short, medium and long descriptors for all the new vaccine-specific CPT codes can be accessed on the AMA website, along with several other recent modifications to the CPT code set that have helped streamline the public health response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the COVID-19 disease. To help ensure accurate coding and reporting of COVID-19 vaccines and immunization services, the AMA offers a code finder resource to help identify the appropriate CPT code combination for the type and dose of COVID-19 vaccine provided to each patient.

Questions on CPT coding and content should be directed to the CPT Network.


Date Change: White House Virtual Conversation on Health Systems, Providers, and the Vaccination Effort Has Been Rescheduled for Monday, August 23 at Noon
The White House COVID-19 Response Team invites MSSNY members to a White House Virtual Conversation on Health Systems, Providers, and the COVID-19 Vaccination Effort. The event was postponed and is now scheduled for Monday, August 23 from 12:00 – 1:00 PM ET. The event will focus on the significant progress that has been made in activating providers in the vaccination effort, as well as a number of best practices health systems and providers have committed to in order to further increase vaccine confidence and uptake.

Click the following link during the event to attend:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Iwkc7ZkK6w


August 16 Updated Guidance for the New York State COVID-19 Vaccination Program
Click on the following links from the New York State Department of Health for updated guidance on the COVID-19 vaccination program:

Click to view HEALTH ADVISORY: Additional mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose after an initial 2-dose COVID-19 mRNA vaccine series for immunocompromised people.

Click to view Guidance for COVID Vaccine Providers.

 


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Classified Ads Available for:

Physicians’ search services • allied medical placements • locum tenens • practice valuation • practice brokerage • practice consulting • real estate

For help, information or to place your ad, call Roseann Raia at 516-488-6100 ext. 302 

For the MSSNY 2021 Ad Rate Sheet, please click here.


Office Space for Lease – Great Neck, NY
Large, fully equipped space available for lease up to 7 days per week. Includes onsite parking and is close to mass transit. Call 516-972-2986 for info.

Rheumatology Practice Opportunity – Great Neck, NY
Opportunity available at an established rheumatology practice in Great Neck, NY. Looking for a dedicated physician to join, share or merge practices. Fully equipped office with onsite parking and proximity to mass transit. Contact 516-972-2986 for more info.

AIDS Institute’s Office of the Medical Director for a Public Health Physician II
Health Research, Inc. (HRI) has a job opening within the AIDS Institute’s Office of the Medical Director for a Public Health Physician II. Please distribute this announcement widely through your networks. Interested individuals can apply for this position through the HRI website.

Medical Office and Medical Practice (Upper East Side)
79th St near Lexington / Park. 750 sq Ft beautiful, street entrance, medical office for sale with a 25 + yr internal medical practice for sale. Office is in move in condition. Physician retiring. Waiting room. Secretarial area for 3. 1 Consult room. 2 exam Rooms 2 Toilets. Please contact: 917-770-8700 / email drklein@att.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MSSNY eNews: August 13, 2021

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Interested in Participating in MSSNY’s Telehealth Initiative?

Colleagues:

Telemedicine is undoubtedly here to stay. Many physicians who had limited experience with telemedicine prior to the COVID pandemic quickly learned to adapt to it. And we’ve discovered how helpful it is in many different situations, including monitoring our patients with chronic conditions and reaching populations who may have difficulty with transportation and access like the elderly, disabled, and underserved populations. Access to mental health care has improved in many locations with chronic shortages of physicians and therapists.

The key, in my opinion, is integrating telemedicine into physician practices so that those patients who benefit more from in person visits still have that option.

I am pleased to announce that MSSNY will be helping physicians provide the best use of these tools for extending access to our patients with our new telehealth initiative in cooperation with the Physicians’ Foundation and the American Medical Association.  MSSNY is seeking 5-10 physician and/or institutional based practices involved in various stages of telehealth.  This telehealth initiative is a yearlong project and will allow practices to optimize and measure telehealth in all settings. If you are interested in being part of this initiative, please contact Cayla Lauder, MSSNY Program Coordinator, at clauder@mssny.org or Pat Clancy, MSSNY Sr. VP/Managing Director of Public Health and Education, at pclancy@mssny.org.

As part of the project, MSSNY and the AMA will work together to develop relevant educational content, resources, measurement tools, and evaluation support to help practices with telehealth implementation.  MSSNY, as part of this program, will be part of a national network and support needed to establish and maintain strong relationships with physicians, practices, and health systems interested in implementing, optimizing, or sustaining telehealth. In addition to providing ongoing support, this year’s program will emphasize the importance of realizing the true value of virtual care.

And remember that MSSNY has a telemedicine member benefit partnership with CareClix. MSSNY members receive the discounted rate of $50 per month for the license fee with no start-up costs—for a total of $790 in savings. The CareClix user-friendly HIPPA compliant platform enables physicians to conduct routine virtual visits with patients in any location. CareClix believes that implementing and managing a Chronic Care Management module requires much more than just a traditional telemedicine platform with videoconferencing. To learn more about CareClix: careclix.com/for-providers/.

Joseph Sellers, MD, FAAP, FACP
MSSNY President.


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FDA Authorizes Extra Vaccine Doses for Immunocompromised Patients
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration yesterday amended the emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for both the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine to allow for the use of an additional dose in certain immunocompromised individuals, specifically, solid organ transplant recipients or those who are diagnosed with conditions that are considered to have an equivalent level of immunocompromise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is scheduled to meet today to discuss further clinical recommendations regarding immunocompromised individuals. Today’s action does not apply to people who are not immunocompromised.

“The country has entered yet another wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the FDA is especially cognizant that immunocompromised people are particularly at risk for severe disease. After a thorough review of the available data, the FDA determined that this small, vulnerable group may benefit from a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna Vaccines,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “Today’s action allows doctors to boost immunity in certain immunocompromised individuals who need extra protection from COVID-19. As we’ve previously stated, other individuals who are fully vaccinated are adequately protected and do not need an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine at this time. The FDA is actively engaged in a science-based, rigorous process with our federal partners to consider whether an additional dose may be needed in the future.”

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is currently authorized for emergency use in individuals ages 12 and older, and the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine is authorized for emergency use in individuals ages 18 and older. Both vaccines are administered as a series of two shots: the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is administered three weeks apart, and the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine is administered one month apart. The authorizations for these vaccines have been amended to allow for an additional, or third, dose to be administered at least 28 days following the two-dose regimen of the same vaccine to individuals 18 years of age or older (ages 12 or older for Pfizer-BioNTech) who have undergone solid organ transplantation, or who are diagnosed with conditions that are considered to have an equivalent level of immunocompromise.
Read the FDA press announcement in its entirety here.


MSSNY President Dr. Sellers’ Press Interview on Instilling Vaccine Confidence in Patients
MSSNY President Dr. Sellers was interviewed this week by Benita Zahn on Albany’s WNYT for a segment on Health Beat entitled “Getting People Vaccinated.” In a wide-ranging interview, Dr. Sellers talked about many vaccine-related topics, including the issue of combating vaccine misinformation and the important role physicians play in instilling vaccine confidence in patients. Watch the WNYT Health Beat interview with Dr. Sellers here.


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MSSNY Members are Invited to Join the White House Virtual Conversation on Health Systems, Providers, and the COVID-19 Vaccination Effort
The White House COVID-19 Response Team invites MSSNY members to a White House Virtual Conversation on Health Systems, Providers, and the COVID-19 Vaccination Effort. The event is next Wednesday, August 18, from 12:00 – 1:00 PM ET. The event will focus on the significant progress that has been made in activating providers in the vaccination effort, as well as a number of best practices health systems and providers have committed to in order to further increase vaccine confidence and uptake. Click here for a formal PDF invitation with details on the event and a link to view it.


New York’s Individual Health Insurance Market will Increase by 3.7% for 2022
Superintendent of Financial Services Linda A. Lacewell announced today that the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) premiums in New York’s individual health insurance market will increase by 3.7% for 2022. She also announced that, in the small group market, insurers requested premium increases of 14.0% on average, for 2022, which DFS reduced to 7.6%.  Over 1.1 million New Yorkers are enrolled in individual and small group plans. Read August 13 DFS press release here.


New Survey Highlights Importance of Physician Support Systems
The recent 2021 Survey of America’s Physicians, COVID-19 Impact Edition: A Year Later examines how COVID-19 has affected the nation’s physicians more than a year since the start of the pandemic, from increased burnout rates to the continued epidemic of physician suicide.

As the survey reveals the negative effects of COVID-19 on physicians’ wellbeing, the findings also highlight the key role of support systems. Nearly all (89%) physicians cite their family as essential in supporting their wellbeing, followed by friends (82%) and colleagues (71%).

Institutions also provide support in meaningful ways. Fifty-three percent of physicians said their medical practice or group has been helpful to their mental health and wellbeing, while 35% reported similar benefits from their hospital or health system.

Also, more than 70% of physicians indicated they believe a multi-pronged approach needs to be taken to address mental health conditions, burnout, and/or suicide prevention, including confidential therapy, counseling or a support phone line, the availability of peer-to-peer support groups, and evidence-based professional training to prevent burnout, behavioral health conditions, and suicide.

MSSNY’s Peer-to-Peer (P2P) program provides physicians, residents, and medical students the opportunity to talk with a peer about their life stressors.  Physicians may engage in a one-time confidential discussion with a peer supporter—an individual trained to share experiences, listen without judgment, and validate feelings. MSSNY has established a confidential helpline phone number (1-844-P2P-PEER) and an email address (p2p@mssny.org) so that physicians may be connected with a peer 24 hours a day/7 days a week. In addition to offering a trained, empathetic ear, peer supporters may provide information on specific resources that can offer further support, provide positive coping skills, or connect physicians to professionals for more focused assistance. 


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Check Out MSSNY’s CME Website for More than 60 CME Programs
MSSNY’s CME website, https://cme.mssny.org offers more than 60 CME programs. Of particular topical interest are the Emergency Preparedness modules on Brucellosis, Glanders, Melioidosis & Tularemia, and the one on Plague.  It was recently announced that a 10-year-old child in Colorado died after contracting plague.  Plague has been reported in six Colorado counties as well as being found in chipmunks in Lake Tahoe, California.  Additionally, recent reports show that melioidosis has been found for the first time in United States soil in Georgia, Kansas, Texas, and Minnesota leaving two dead.  The CDC is recommending that doctors be aware of melioidosis symptoms.  You can learn more about melioidosis and plague at the MSSNY CME site by viewing the Emergency Preparedness CME programs entitled: Brucellosis, Glanders, Melioidosis, and Tularemia and Plague.

View all MSSNY’s timely and relevant CME programs at https://cme.mssny.org.  Please note that you will need to create an account if you haven’t already done so.

For additional information or assistance with the website contact Melissa Hoffman at mhoffman@mssny.org.


MSSNY’s Bernstein Award Nominations Due September 7
The Medical Society of the State of New York is accepting nominations for the 2020 Albion O. Bernstein, MD Award.  The deadline for applications has been extended to September 7, 2021. This prestigious award is given to:

“…the physician, surgeon or scientist who shall have made the most widely beneficial discovery or developed the most useful method in medicine, surgery or in the prevention of disease in the twelve months prior to December 2020.”

This award was endowed by the late Morris J. Bernstein in memory of his son, a physician who died in an accident while answering a hospital call in November 1940.

The $2,000 award will be presented to the recipient during a MSSNY Council Meeting.

Nominations must be submitted on an official application form and must include the nominator’s narrative description of the significance of the candidate’s achievements as well as the candidate’s curriculum vitae, including a list of publications or other contributions.

To request an application, please contact:

Committee on Continuing Medical Education
Miriam Hardin, PhD, Manager, Continuing Medical Education
Medical Society of the State of New York
99 Washington Avenue, Suite 408
Albany, NY 12210
518-465-8085
mhardin@mssny.org


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Classified Ads Available for:

Physicians’ search services • allied medical placements • locum tenens • practice valuation • practice brokerage • practice consulting • real estate

For help, information or to place your ad, call Roseann Raia at 516-488-6100 ext. 302 

For the MSSNY 2021 Ad Rate Sheet, please click here.


Office Space for Lease – Great Neck, NY
Large, fully equipped space available for lease up to 7 days per week. Includes onsite parking and is close to mass transit. Call 516-972-2986 for info.

Rheumatology Practice Opportunity – Great Neck, NY
Opportunity available at an established rheumatology practice in Great Neck, NY. Looking for a dedicated physician to join, share or merge practices. Fully equipped office with onsite parking and proximity to mass transit. Contact 516-972-2986 for more info.

AIDS Institute’s Office of the Medical Director for a Public Health Physician II
Health Research, Inc. (HRI) has a job opening within the AIDS Institute’s Office of the Medical Director for a Public Health Physician II. Please distribute this announcement widely through your networks. Interested individuals can apply for this position through the HRI website.

Medical Office and Medical Practice (Upper East Side)
79th St near Lexington / Park. 750 sq Ft beautiful, street entrance, medical office for sale with a 25 + yr internal medical practice for sale. Office is in move in condition. Physician retiring. Waiting room. Secretarial area for 3. 1 Consult room. 2 exam Rooms 2 Toilets. Please contact: 917-770-8700 / email drklein@att.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MSSNY eNews: August 11, 2021 – MSSNY Congratulates Incoming Governor Kathy Hochul


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MSSNY Congratulates Incoming Governor Kathy Hochul
In a statement released to the press today, MSSNY President Dr. Joseph Sellers congratulated Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul as she prepares to take office as the first female Governor of New York.

Following is the MSSNY press statement:

Statement Attributable to:
Joseph R. Sellers, MD, FAAP, FACP
President
Medical Society of the State of New York

“MSSNY congratulates Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul on her ascension to become the first female Governor in New York State history.  She has a significant history of working to protect our State’s public health, both in New York and while she was in Congress.

“With COVID-19 cases again significantly on the rise, New York’s physician community pledges our continued assistance to her Administration to help promote vaccine awareness as well as working with her to address the many other public health challenges we face impacting New Yorkers’ ability to receive needed medical care.”


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MSSNY Seeks Physicians and Practices to Participate in New Telehealth Initiative
The Medical Society of the State of New York is pleased to announce a new telehealth initiative in cooperation with the Physicians’ Foundation and the American Medical Association.  MSSNY is seeking 5-10 physician and/or institutional based practices involved in various stages of telehealth.  This telehealth initiative is a year-long project and will allow practices to optimize and measure telehealth in all settings.

Telehealth is now a viable platform for physicians to provide clinical services such as for management of patients with chronic conditions. MSSNY is interested in helping physicians, especially those in small practices, implement telehealth to augment services currently offered to patients.

In 2020, the Physicians Foundation launched a collaboration with the American Medical Association called The Telehealth Initiative (TTI). TTI was designed to bolster implementation support at the state- level by equipping state medical associations with telehealth programming that could build on existing offerings.

As part of the project, MSSNY and the AMA will work together to develop relevant educational content, resources, measurement tools, and evaluation support to help practices with telehealth implementation.  MSSNY, as part of this program, will be part of a national network and support needed to establish and maintain strong relationships with physicians, practices, and health systems interested in implementing, optimizing, or sustaining telehealth. In addition to providing ongoing support, this year’s program will emphasize the importance of realizing the true value of virtual care.

MSSNY is seeking interested physicians and practices interested in participating in the program and will commit to collaborating with the MSSNY, the Physicians Foundation, and the AMA, to optimize telehealth and measure the value of telehealth in their settings. The collaborative will provide training through virtual events as well as opportunities to network and learn from peers.

For those interested in being part of this initiative, please contact Cayla Lauder, Program Coordinator, at clauder@mssny.org or Pat Clancy, Sr. VP/Managing Director of Public Health and Education, at pclancy@mssny.org.


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CDC Study Finds Benefits of COVID-19 Vaccines Outweigh Risks
A study issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines used in the U.S. outweigh the risk of serious adverse events seen in a relatively small number of Americans. The findings were published yesterday in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The CDC found that the impact of a few cases of a rare nerve disorder, blood vessel clots, and heart infections following the shots was surpassed by thousands of prevented COVID-19 cases.


Win 2 Tickets to Dave Mathews Band Concert at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on September 18th
Through the generosity of MSSNY members Dr. Gregory Pinto and Dr. Natalie Adler of Saratoga, MSSNYPAC donors can enter to win two lawn seats for the Dave Matthews Band concert on Saturday, September 18, 2021 at 7:30 pm at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

Registration and qualified entry are required.  To register, text MSSNYPAC DMB to 52886 and follow the prompts.  To qualify, donate $100 to MSSNYPAC for each entry.  A single winner will be chosen on 9/8/21 among registrants who have donated $100 or more to MSSNYPAC between 9/14/20 and 9/7/21.

The higher your donation, the greater your chances to win!  Join, renew, or increase your membership today!  Contact Jennifer Wilks at mssnypac@mssny.org or 914-933-7722 with any questions.



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Public Health Experts Want President Biden to Take Immediate Action to Prevent New Coronavirus Variants
The Washington Post (8/10, Diamond, Abutaleb) reports scores of “public health experts, scientists and activists on Tuesday demanded that President Biden take urgent steps to confront the global spread of the coronavirus, warning that without immediate action to inoculate the rest of the world, newer variants are likely to emerge – including ones that may evade vaccines’ protection.” The experts, who numbered more than 175, wrote, “We urge you to act now. … Announcing within the next 30 days an ambitious global vaccine manufacturing program is the only way to control this pandemic, protect the precious gains made to date, and build vaccine infrastructure for the future.”


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Classified Ads Available for:

Physicians’ search services • allied medical placements • locum tenens • practice valuation • practice brokerage • practice consulting • real estate

For help, information or to place your ad, call Roseann Raia at 516-488-6100 ext. 302 

For the MSSNY 2021 Ad Rate Sheet, please click here.


Office Space for Lease – Great Neck, NY
Large, fully equipped space available for lease up to 7 days per week. Includes onsite parking and is close to mass transit. Call 516-972-2986 for info.

Rheumatology Practice Opportunity – Great Neck, NY
Opportunity available at an established rheumatology practice in Great Neck, NY. Looking for a dedicated physician to join, share or merge practices. Fully equipped office with onsite parking and proximity to mass transit. Contact 516-972-2986 for more info.

AIDS Institute’s Office of the Medical Director for a Public Health Physician II
Health Research, Inc. (HRI) has a job opening within the AIDS Institute’s Office of the Medical Director for a Public Health Physician II. Please distribute this announcement widely through your networks. Interested individuals can apply for this position through the HRI website.

Medical Office and Medical Practice (Upper East Side)
79th St near Lexington / Park. 750 sq Ft beautiful, street entrance, medical office for sale with a 25 + yr internal medical practice for sale. Office is in move in condition. Physician retiring. Waiting room. Secretarial area for 3. 1 Consult room. 2 exam Rooms 2 Toilets. Please contact: 917-770-8700 / email drklein@att.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MSSNY Congratulates Incoming Governor Kathy Hochul 

For Immediate Release
August 11, 2021  

 

MSSNY Congratulates Incoming Governor Kathy Hochul

 

Statement Attributable to:
Joseph R. Sellers, MD, FAAP, FACP
President, Medical Society of the State of New York  

“MSSNY congratulates Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul on her ascension to become the first female Governor in New York State history.  She has a significant history of working to protect our State’s public health, both in New York and while she was in Congress.

“With COVID-19 cases again significantly on the rise, New York’s physician community pledges our continued assistance to her Administration to help promote vaccine awareness as well as working with her to address the many other public health challenges we face impacting New Yorkers’ ability to receive needed medical care.”

 # # #

Founded in 1807, the Medical Society of the State of New York is the state’s principal non-profit professional organization for physicians, residents and medical students of all specialties. Its mission is to represent the interests of patients and physicians to assure quality healthcare services for all.

 

Media Contact:
Roseann Raia | Communications Division
Medical Society of the State of New York
865 Merrick Avenue
Westbury, NY 11590
516.488.6100 x302 | rraia@mssny.org

 

 

MSSNY eNews: August 6, 2021

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Voice Your Opinion at Reference Committee Hearings This Weekend

Colleagues:

MSSNY’s Reference Committee hearings to discuss House of Delegates (HOD) resolutions will be held virtually this weekend in advance of the HOD meeting in September. And because these meetings are being held virtually this year, MSSNY members have a unique opportunity to join the debate—without ever leaving home.

This is your chance to voice your opinion on the Resolutions that will be deliberated further at the HOD—and to have an impact on issues that are important to you.

The schedule for the House Committee on Bylaws and the Reference Committees is below. MSSNY’s Speaker Dr. William Latreille and Vice Speaker Dr. Maria Basile request that everyone who wishes to participate in the reference committee hearings pre-register. This applies to those who plan to listen and those who intend to provide testimony.  Each link below brings you to a registration page to each committee hearing.

I encourage all MSSNY members to sign up and engage in robust debate with your physician colleagues from all around New York State.

Friday, August 6 

House Committee on Bylaws – 5 PM

Governmental Affairs A – 6 PM

Saturday, August 7 

Socio-Medical Economics – 9 AM

Public Health & Education – 1 PM

Sunday, August 8

Reports of Officers & Admin Matters – 9 AM

Governmental Affairs B – 1 PM

Our Speaker and Vice Speaker ask everyone to remain professional and succinct in their testimony.  The opportunity to comment will be limited to 2 minutes and no one will be permitted to speak twice on the same item of business until everyone in the queue has spoken.

Each resolution is hosted on dropbox.com so that comments can be posted. We encourage you to do so since it allows the reference committee members to refer to those comments when it is time to draft their reports.  Click here for the complete list of MSSNY HOD Resolutions.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the Reference Committee hearings this weekend!

Joseph Sellers, MD, FAAP, FACP
MSSNY President.


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2021 MSSNY House of Delegates – Resolutions and Reports
The links below will direct you to dropbox.com where the 2021 MSSNY HOD Resolutions are hosted. While a Dropbox account is not required to view the resolutions, a Dropbox account is required to post any comments on the individual resolutions. A Dropbox account is free to sign up or you can also sign in with your existing Google or Apple account. Using the Dropbox desktop app and/or mobile app is also encouraged.

House Committee on Bylaws

House Committee on Bylaws Report – 2021 HOD
2021-1 Create MSSNY IMG – Ethnic Medical Associations Section

Government Affairs – A

50  Physician-driven Medical Assistant Specialty Training in the Office Setting
51  Uniform Standard of Care in Liability Cases
52  Hospital Closures in Vulnerable Neighborhoods in NYS
53  Patient Protection from  Insurance Company Contract Disputes
54  Site of Service Availability
55  Enforcement of Administrative Simplification Requirements
56  We’re Mad as Hell and We’re Not Going to Take it Any More
57  Prioritizing People First – Upholding our Oath & Code of Conduct by Endorsing the Improved and Enhanced Medicare for All Act
58  Prioritizing People First -Upholding our Oath & Code of Conduct by Endorsing the NY Health Act

Governmental Affairs Sunset Report

Government Affairs – B

100  Telehealth
101  Fifteen Month Lab Standing Orders
102  Increasing the Physician Workforce in New York State
103  Optimizing the Online SNAP to Advance Health Equity
104  COVID-Related Mental Health Coverage
105  Reciprocal Telehealth Agreements
106  Medicare Advantage Plan Mandate

Public Health & Education

150  Electric Scooters
151  Requiring Physician Participation in the Planning and Development of Accredited Continuing Education for Physicians
152  Fifteen Month Prescribing
153  Require Methadone Dispensers to report to I STOP – PMP
154  Nursing Home Medical Directors Registry
155  Physician Burnout
156  Eliminating Health Disparities in New York City
157  Support Physicians Providing Gender Affirming Care for Youth

Public Health and Education Sunset Report 

Reports of Officers-Admin Matters

200  September 11 as a National Holiday
201  UN International Radionuclide Therapy Day Recognition
202  IMG Membership
203  Physician-Scientist Committee
204  Promotional Period for Membership (“18 months for 12 months”)
205  MSSNY Membership Dues Multiyear Discount Program and Other Innovative Membership Levels

Report of Officers and Administrative Matters Sunset Report

Socio-Medical Economics

250  Insurance Coverage for Cooling – Cold Cap – Therapy
251  Prohibition of Insurer Processing Fee on Claims
252  Third-Party Insurer Abuse of Modifier 25 Policy
253  Compensation for Appealing Denials to Insurance Companies
254  CPT Denials- Service- Preauthorization Denials
255   Prior Authorization – CPT Codes for Fair Compensation
256  Improving Workman Compensation MTG Compliance by Insurers

Socio-Medical Economics Sunset Report 

Click here for a combined PDF of All Resolutions


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New Survey Reveals 55% of Physicians Know a Physician Who Considered, Attempted, or Died by Suicide
The Physicians Foundation yesterday released the results of a national survey, which finds that more than half (55%) of physicians know a physician who has considered, attempted or died by suicide in their career. The 2021 Survey of America’s Physicians, COVID-19 Impact Edition: A Year Later examines how COVID-19 has affected the nation’s physicians more than a year since the start of the pandemic, from increased burnout rates to the continued epidemic of physician suicide.

Over the past year, COVID-19 has greatly impacted physician wellbeing and mental health, with over 6 in 10 physicians (61%) reporting they experienced feelings of burnout. This is a significant increase from the 40% of reported physicians in 2018. Yet only 14% of physicians reported they sought medical attention for their mental health symptoms. If left untreated, burnout can cause more cases of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance use and lead to suicidal thoughts for physicians, directly impacting physician suicide rates.

Physician suicide has been a public health crisis long before the COVID-19 pandemic. While suicide is the ultimate consequence of rampant, unchecked burnout, there are many mental health challenges that physicians experience. For example, 46% of physicians noted they withdrew or isolated themselves from others, while 34% cited feelings of hopelessness or having no purpose as a result of COVID-19’s effects on their practice or employment situation.

Additionally, 8% of physicians indicated they have increased their use of medications, alcohol or illicit drugs weekly as a result of COVID-19’s effects on their practice or employment situation, showing a significant 10% decrease in reported increased usage as compared to last year.

Read the full survey results here. Next week’s MSSNY Enews will highlight additional information from the survey, including the key role of support systems.


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As HOD Reference Committee Testimonies Begin Today, Now Is The Time To Support MSSNYPAC
The core values of MSSNYPAC support are goodwill and diplomacy.  The policies being considered and debated today and throughout the weekend form the framework for the legislative agenda that MSSNY will adopt and pursue in the coming year.

MSSNYPAC represents the confluence of the healthcare policy formation process, the voices of politically active physicians and their allies in New York State, and the political reality that policy-makers are elected officials.  Your support of MSSNYPAC allows physicians increased access to policy-makers and provides opportunities to interact more personally, build friendly rapport, and find common ground. Join, renew or increase your support today at www.mssnypac.org/contribute.  Contributors during this weekend-long event will receive a thank-you gift pack by mail.

ATTENTION: Your donation could win you 2 tickets to see DAVE MATTHEWS BAND in Saratoga this September! Visit www.mssnypac.org/events to learn more about this special opportunity.


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MSSNY Member Dr. Nassim Discusses his Experiences as a Physician with the US Olympic Team in Tokyo: Take a Listen!
This week, Dr. Nassim took a short break from his duties as a physician with the US Olympic team in Tokyo to speak with MSSNY about everything from what a typical day in the Olympic Village is like for him to the biggest medical challenge he has faced in Tokyo, and from public health lessons learned to his favorite Olympic sport! Take a listen to MSSNY Podcasts: A Conversation with Dr. Ariel Nassim at the Tokyo Olympics.


States Ranked by Percentage of Population Who Have Received at Least One COVID-19 Shot
Vermont has the highest percentage of its population who’ve received at least one COVID-19 vaccination, according to the CDC’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution and administration data tracker.

The CDC’s data tracker compiles data from healthcare facilities and public health authorities. It updates daily to report the total number of people in each state who have received at least one COVID-19 shot. The numbers reported by the CDC may vary from the numbers published on individual state public health websites, as there may be reporting lags between the states and the CDC.

As of 6 a.m. EDT June 8, a total of 171,731,584 Americans had received at least one shot, or 51.7 percent of the country’s population, according to the CDC’s data.

1. Vermont
Number of people vaccinated with at least one dose: 447,248
Percentage of population vaccinated with at least one dose: 71.68
  1. Massachusetts
    Number of people vaccinated with at least one dose: 4,679,528
    Percentage of population vaccinated with at least one dose: 67.89
  2. Hawaii
    Number of people vaccinated with at least one dose: 958,412
    Percentage of population vaccinated with at least one dose: 67.69
  3. Maine
    Number of people vaccinated with at least one dose: 866,222
    Percentage of population vaccinated with at least one dose: 64.44
  4. Connecticut
    Number of people vaccinated with at least one dose: 2,296,853
    Percentage of population vaccinated with at least one dose: 64.42
  5. Rhode Island
    Number of people vaccinated with at least one dose: 658,185
    Percentage of population vaccinated with at least one dose: 62.13
  6. New Jersey
    Number of people vaccinated with at least one dose: 5,485,974
    Percentage of population vaccinated with at least one dose: 61.76
  7. New Hampshire
    Number of people vaccinated with at least one dose: 826,476
    Percentage of population vaccinated with at least one dose: 60.78
  8. Pennsylvania
    Number of people vaccinated with at least one dose: 7,660,201
    Percentage of population vaccinated with at least one dose: 59.84
  9. New Mexico
    Number of people vaccinated with at least one dose: 1,229,899
    Percentage of population vaccinated with at least one dose: 58.66
  10. Maryland
    Number of people vaccinated with at least one dose: 3,540,416
    Percentage of population vaccinated with at least one dose: 58.56
  11. California
    Number of people vaccinated with at least one dose: 22,990,099
    Percentage of population vaccinated with at least one dose: 58.18
  12. Washington
    Number of people vaccinated with at least one dose: 4,425,789
    Percentage of population vaccinated with at least one dose: 58.12
  13. District of Columbia
    Number of people vaccinated with at least one dose: 409,540
    Percentage of population vaccinated with at least one dose: 58.03
  14. New York State
    Number of people vaccinated with at least one dose: 11,093,949
    Percentage of population vaccinated with at least one dose: 57.03

Read the entire list here.

–Anderson, Becker’s Hospital Review


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Classified Ads Available for:

Physicians’ search services • allied medical placements • locum tenens • practice valuation • practice brokerage • practice consulting • real estate

For help, information or to place your ad, call Roseann Raia at 516-488-6100 ext. 302 

For the MSSNY 2021 Ad Rate Sheet, please click here.


Office Space for Lease – Great Neck, NY
Large, fully equipped space available for lease up to 7 days per week. Includes onsite parking and is close to mass transit. Call 516-972-2986 for info.

Rheumatology Practice Opportunity – Great Neck, NY
Opportunity available at an established rheumatology practice in Great Neck, NY. Looking for a dedicated physician to join, share or merge practices. Fully equipped office with onsite parking and proximity to mass transit. Contact 516-972-2986 for more info.

AIDS Institute’s Office of the Medical Director for a Public Health Physician II
Health Research, Inc. (HRI) has a job opening within the AIDS Institute’s Office of the Medical Director for a Public Health Physician II. Please distribute this announcement widely through your networks. Interested individuals can apply for this position through the HRI website.

Medical Office and Medical Practice (Upper East Side)
79th St near Lexington / Park. 750 sq Ft beautiful, street entrance, medical office for sale with a 25 + yr internal medical practice for sale. Office is in move in condition. Physician retiring. Waiting room. Secretarial area for 3. 1 Consult room. 2 exam Rooms 2 Toilets. Please contact: 917-770-8700 / email drklein@att.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MSSNYeNews: August 4, 2021

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10 Great Summer Reads for Physicians
From the intricacies of the immune system to the first year of residency, these books cover the compelling, the strange, and the meaningful aspects of medicine — as well as the personal triumphs and tragedies of life as a doctor.

An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives by Matt Ritchel

Elegant Defense BookGiven the impact of the coronavirus and COVID-19 vaccines on the immune systems of millions of people around the world, few topics may be as compelling or timely as immunology. Written before the pandemic but powerfully describing the intricate mechanism that can heal cuts, fight cancer, and battle viruses, An Elegant Defense weaves together biology, research, and medical history with four patients’ personal experiences — including a childhood friend of author Matt Ritchel. Ritchel, a Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist, takes readers on an intimate exploration of the body’s primary defense mechanism and its ability to heal or hurt.

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Cover of book: Real Doctor

The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly: A Physician’s First Year
by Matt McCarthy, MD
Bestselling author Matt McCarthy, MD, offers an inside look at the often humbling and even heart-wrenching first year of medical residency. Now an associate professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in Manhattan, McCarthy shares his journey by capturing encounters with specific patients. Among them are the terrifying struggle to keep one critical care patient alive and the chance to soothe another with tales from his pre-medicine days as a minor league baseball player. Writing with honesty and humor, McCarthy delves into key concerns for young physicians, including the fine balance between a commitment to patients and the need for self-care.


Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
by Mary Roach
Cover of book: CadaversIn Stiff, bestselling science writer Mary Roach manages to playfully describe body-snatching, decomposition, and other such sensitive topics without dishonoring the dead. As today’s medical educators weigh the value of virtual cadavers against once-living humans, Roach’s book offers a glimpse into the services that corpses have provided for centuries. In clear — yet sometimes creepy — detail, she describes their myriad uses, from car crash tests to plastic surgery practice. And, as Roach notes, “for every surgical procedure developed … cadavers have been there alongside the surgeons, making history in their own quiet, sundered way.”

 


Womb With a View: Tales from the Delivery, Emergency and Operating Rooms
by Rebecca Levy-Gantt, DO
Cover of book: WombChapters in this book by OB-GYN Rebecca Levy-Gantt, DO, bear some playful titles, including “My Upside Down Night With a Butt-Side Down Baby.” Throughout, Gantt shares moments of sublime joy, from her medical education to her private practice in Napa, California. But her slim memoir — it’s less than 100 pages — also captures many tough moments witnessing fragile lives enter the world. “When things go wrong in [OB-GYN], they often go horribly wrong, unexpectedly wrong,” leaving families, friends, and providers profoundly affected, she writes. Despite inevitable losses, Gantt remains passionate about her chosen field these many decades later. Of witnessing a birth for the first time, she recalls: “This, I thought, was pretty freaking amazing.”

 


Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death, and Brain Surgery
by Henry Marsh, CBE, FRCS
Cover of book: Do No Harm
Henry Marsh, CBEM FRCS, one of Britain’s foremost neurosurgeons, has spent decades operating on the human brain: the home of all thought, feeling, reason, and memory. In Do No Harm, Marsh reviews some of his greatest triumphs and most painful failures, honestly sharing the stress of surgeries — sometimes lasting 10 hours or more — in which a minor misstep can cause horrible damage. This New York Times bestseller is an intimate look inside the organ Marsh calls “as great as the stars at night.” But it’s also a glimpse into the hearts of the physicians who have the blessing and the burden of tinkering inside it.

 



Hundreds of Interlaced Fingers: A Kidney Doctor’s Search for the Perfect Match

by Vanessa Grubbs, MD
Cover of book: Hundreds of Interlaced FingersWhen Vanessa Grubbs, MD, began dating Robert Phillips, she was a primary care physician and he was an aspiring politician with advanced kidney disease. Soon, she volunteered one of her kidneys to save the life of the man who would later become her husband. But Hundreds of Interlaced Fingers — named for Grubbs’ impression of how kidneys look — is another kind of love story as well. Grubb ultimately became fascinated by the kidneys and trained to become a nephrologist. In this intimate memoir, Grubb captures her own journey, beginning with her childhood as an African American girl growing up in a small North Carolina town. She also looks at medicine more broadly, including the painful difficulties of the transplant system and the inequities people of color face in it.

 


Open Heart: A Cardiac Surgeon’s Stories of Life and Death on the Operating Table
by Stephen Westaby, PhD, FRCS
Cover of book: Open HeartStephen Westaby, PhD, FRCS, has performed more than 11,000 cardiac surgeries. Yet the Oxford University cardiologist and researcher remains enthralled by the organ that pumps 31.5 million times each year. In Open Heart, he details such intricate maneuvers as repairing a hole in an infant’s heart — and does so with an artist’s eye. In fact, Westaby was once a painter. “I simply shifted from brush on canvas to scalpel on human flesh,” he writes. Both vocations require a keen attention to detail, which is one of his strong suits. Sometimes harder for him, admits Westaby, is the warm communication necessary for connecting with frightened patients and their families.

 


The First Cell: And the Human Costs of Pursuing Cancer to the Last
by Azra Raza, MD
Cover of book: First CellDespite COVID-19-related setbacks, 2020 saw the arrival of more than 20 new cancer medications. Azra Raza, MD, a cancer researcher and physician at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City, would not necessarily applaud that outcome. She believes that many cancer medications are of dubious value — adding little time to a patient’s life at great financial and physical costs. Instead, she argues for more focus on detecting and treating cancer early. The cause for Raza is personal: She served as her husband’s oncologist until he died from leukemia two decades ago. In The First Cell, Raza interweaves powerful images — a mother curled up in the bed of her dying son, for example — with her opinions on such crucial questions as when treating a patient’s incurable cancer no longer makes sense.


Letter to a Young Female Physician: Notes from a Medical Life
by Suzanne Koven, MD
Cover of book: Young Female PhysicianWatching a new class of interns, Suzanne Koven, MD, a primary care physician at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, felt an urge to pen them a missive describing what she wished she had known early in her career. “Even more, I yearned to tell my younger self what I wished I’d known,” she notes in Letter to a Young Female Physician. Koven’s decades of experience include varied forms of sexism, including being told that “no self-respecting man would go to a lady urologist.” But her dedication to medicine is staunch, manifest in her decision to volunteer in a COVID-19 clinic despite concerns about her own health. Koven also honestly reveals her many moments of insecurity as a provider, as a mother, and as a daughter who failed to recognize her mother’s heart disease. From burnout to body image, she shares her personal journey toward a deeper appreciation of her gifts and a greater acceptance of her imperfections.


Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science
by Atul Gawande, MD, MPH
Cover of book: ComplicationsPerforming surgery can be an exhilarating opportunity to heal and an intense gamble with dangerously high stakes, notes Atul Gawande, MD, MPH, a New Yorker columnist and surgeon at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

In Complications, Gawande shares chilling tales of physician errors and complex stories of medical mysteries. He holds up a mirror to both doctors and patients, from the burned-out doctor who regrettably refuses to quit to the boy with a football-sized tumor enveloping his lung. Gawande also explores major issues in medicine, including how hospitals can train young doctors while protecting patients from inexperience. Throughout, he makes clear that, with a closer look, one can see just “how messy, uncertain, and also surprising medicine turns out to be.”

This article was reprinted with permission from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).


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AMA Summary of the CY 2022 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Proposed Rule
The CY 2022 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed rule, released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 13, 2021, covers diverse topics, including the CY 2022 Rate Setting and Medicare Conversion Factor, Evaluation/Management (E/M) office visit services, telehealth and other services involving communications technology, and updates to the Quality Payment Program (QPP) through Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) activities, methodology, payment adjustments, and the Promoting Interoperability performance category, amongst other provisions.

Read the American Medical Association (AMA) summary of the proposed rule here.

CMS is requesting that comments be submitted no later than September 13, 2021. The AMA will share a draft comment letter in response to the proposed rule prior to this submission deadline.


NYSDOH Health Advisory: Clinical Considerations for COVID-19 Vaccine for Patients with Myocarditis and Pericarditis
Click here to read the full Health Advisory from the New York State Department of Health regarding clinical considerations for COVID-19 vaccine administration for people with a history of myocarditis and pericarditis.


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Lay Public Links Traditional White Coat with Physician Experience and Professionalism, Survey Study Indicates
In a study appearing in JAMA Network Open, about 500 laypeople were asked to rate professionalism and guess the job classes of male and female models in different types of clothing often worn by healthcare workers. HealthDay (8/3, Murez) reports that according to the survey, which sought public perceptions on physician attire and professionalism in the US, “the lay public still appears to associate the traditional white coat with experience and professionalism.” Survey responses revealed that a majority perceived physicians “in white coats as more experienced, professional and friendly than those wearing a fleece or a softshell jacket.”


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Are You a Physician who is Retiring or Changing Your Practice Situation as a Result of the Pandemic?
MSSNY has been approached by several media outlets interested in speaking with New York physicians who are retiring or changing their practice situation as a result of the pandemic. If you are in this situation and are interested in speaking with the press, please contact Julie Vecchione at jvecchione@mssny.org.


Calling All Dave Matthews Band Fans! Win 2 Tickets to Concert at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on September 18th!
Through the generosity of MSSNY members Dr. Gregory Pinto and Dr. Natalie Adler of Saratoga, MSSNYPAC donors can enter to win two lawn seats for the Dave Matthews Band concert on Saturday, September 18, 2021 at 7:30 pm at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

Registration and qualified entry are required.  To register, text MSSNYPAC DMB to 52886 and follow the prompts.  To qualify, donate $100 to MSSNYPAC for each entry.  A single winner will be chosen on 9/8/21 among registrants who have donated $100 or more to MSSNYPAC between 9/14/20 and 9/7/21.

The higher your donation, the greater your chances to win!  Join, renew, or increase your membership today!  Contact Jennifer Wilks at mssnypac@mssny.org or 914-933-7722 with any questions.


 

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Classified Ads Available for:

Physicians’ search services • allied medical placements • locum tenens • practice valuation • practice brokerage • practice consulting • real estate

For help, information or to place your ad, call Roseann Raia at 516-488-6100 ext. 302 

For the MSSNY 2021 Ad Rate Sheet, please click here.


Office Space for Lease – Great Neck, NY
Large, fully equipped space available for lease up to 7 days per week. Includes onsite parking and is close to mass transit. Call 516-972-2986 for info.

Rheumatology Practice Opportunity – Great Neck, NY
Opportunity available at an established rheumatology practice in Great Neck, NY. Looking for a dedicated physician to join, share or merge practices. Fully equipped office with onsite parking and proximity to mass transit. Contact 516-972-2986 for more info.

AIDS Institute’s Office of the Medical Director for a Public Health Physician II
Health Research, Inc. (HRI) has a job opening within the AIDS Institute’s Office of the Medical Director for a Public Health Physician II. Please distribute this announcement widely through your networks. Interested individuals can apply for this position through the HRI website.

Medical Office and Medical Practice (Upper East Side)
79th St near Lexington / Park. 750 sq Ft beautiful, street entrance, medical office for sale with a 25 + yr internal medical practice for sale. Office is in move in condition. Physician retiring. Waiting room. Secretarial area for 3. 1 Consult room. 2 exam Rooms 2 Toilets. Please contact: 917-770-8700 / email drklein@att.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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