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MSSNY eNews: October 6, 2021

October 6, 2021 admin

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Calling Exceptional Women Physicians!
MSSNY’s Medical, Educational and Scientific Foundation (MESF) is holding leadership seminars for women on three Saturday mornings in October that cover various topics, including women physicians and their legislative impact featuring NYS Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins and Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy; how CEOs and medical administrators deal with women physicians; and wellness and women physicians.

Jon Chilingerian, PhD is the facilitator for the virtual series, which will be split into three segments on October 16, 23 & 30 beginning at 8 a.m. Case studies and other resource materials will be sent to registrants. The program is open to all women physicians, including residents, and medical students. Following is more specific information on each of the three segments:

Saturday, October 16 (8 am-11:30 am): “Albany, Women Physicians and Their Legislative Impact.” This session will include presentations by Patricia Clancy, MSSNY’s Senior Vice President/ Managing Director of Public Health and Education; Bonnie Litvack MD, MSSNY Past President, Chair of MESF; and NYS Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins and Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy.

Saturday, October 23 (8 am-11:30 a.m): “How Do CEOs and Medical Administrators Deal with Women Physicians?” This segment focuses on a presentation by Jon Chilingerian PhD on effective clinical leadership for women physicians. Dr. Jody Gittel’s presentation will cover what women physicians need to know to effectively operate in a male-dominated health care world. M. Monica Sweeney, MD, MPH, FACP and Palma Shaw, MD, FACS, RPVI will share their experiences in a male-dominated health care world.

Saturday, October 30 at (8 am-11:30 am): “Wellness and Women Physicians.” This segment focuses on the challenges women physicians face as they advance in their medical education or medical practice—while faced with family and other life stressors. Stress and burnout, which impacts women with greater frequency and severity, will be discussed in this segment. It will include a presentation by Jo Shapiro MD of Brigham and Women’s Hospital who will focus on peer-to-peer relations. Carol Bernstein MD from Einstein School of Medicine will talk about gender differences in burnout. In addition, Frank Dowling, MD will review his experience with MSSNY’s peer-to-peer (P2P) program and the importance of women reaching out to a peer to discuss those life stressors.

Female physicians, residents or medical students are encouraged to register for this event by sending an email to Pat Clancy at pclancy@mssny.org or by calling her at 518-465-8085. Please provide your name and contact information to her by October 8, 2021.

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 this live activity for a maximum of 9.0 AMA PRA Category 1 credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Physician Advocacy Urged to Pushback Against HHS’ Insurer-Biased Interpretation of No Surprises Act
Physicians are urged to contact Senators Schumer and Gillibrand as well as their respective Representative in Congress to ask that they request that the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) revise its recently announced regulations to implement provisions of the “No Surprises Act”, establishing a federal independent dispute resolution (IDR) process for out of network surprise bills. A letter or tweet can be sent using this link: Urge Congress to Urge HHS to Revise Independent Dispute Resolution Regulations

Physician and hospital groups across the country have uniformly criticized the HHS regulations as a gross deviation from the law passed by Congress last December. The Congressional intent articulated in the No Surprises Act was to create an IDR process to protect patients that was appropriately balanced and did not favor either the insurer or the physician in claims disputes. Specifically, the final language adopted by Congress required the arbiter to consider numerous factors, including patient acuity or complexity of services, demonstrations of previous good faith efforts to negotiate in-network rates and previously contracted rates, in addition to the insurers’ median in-network rate, without specifying that one factor take precedence over another.

However, instead of following the statutory language, HHS and other federal agencies designed an IDR process that heavily favors health insurance companies in payment disputes. The language in the rule directs the IDR arbiter to give priority to the insurer-calculated median in-network amount, called the qualifying payment amount (QPA), over the other considerations noted above. It also imposes a number of requirements on the arbiter if they decide to make a decision that deviates from the insurer-determined QPA. This effectively ties the hands of the arbiter.

In a statement released to the press last week, MSSNY President Dr. Joseph Sellers said that “In implementing the Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) process for resolving patient surprise medical bills – a process that New York physicians has strongly supported for many years – HHS has clearly sought to put its thumb on the scale in favor of multi-billion-dollar insurance companies.”

AMA President Dr. Gerald Harmon noted “The interim final regulation issued late yesterday to implement the No Surprises Act ignores congressional intent and flies in the face of the Biden Administration’s stated concerns about consolidation in the health care marketplace. It disregards the insurance industry’s role in creating the problem of surprise billing at the expense of independent physician practices whose ability to negotiate provider network contracts continues to erode.”

With the law scheduled to take effect January 1, 2022, MSSNY intends to work with the AMA and other allied groups to advocate for needed changes to the regulation to ensure that the IDR process is implemented in a way that better achieves balance in the IDR process, to protect care availability in hospital emergency departments. Again, a letter can be sent from here: Urge Congress to Urge HHS to Revise Independent Dispute Resolution Regulations

NYS Department of Financial Services Issues Report and Recommendations to Reduce Health Care Costs & Simplify New York’s Complex Healthcare System:
MSSNY Part of Broad-Based Group of Stakeholders Appointed to Take Deep Dive into the Issues
After a year-long project working with a broad-based group of stakeholders known as the Health Care Administrative Simplification Workgroup which included MSSNY, the New York Medical Group Management Association (NYMGMA), the New York Health Plan Association, the Greater New York Hospital Association, the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS), Medicaid Matters, and a host of others, the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) delivered a report to the New York State Legislature with 25 recommendations to reduce health care costs and complexities for the benefit of patients, providers, and health insurers. The Workgroup was created by statute in 2020 to study, evaluate and make recommendations about how to address these important issues.

Administrative costs are estimated to be as much as 30% of total health care costs. The Workgroup recommended solutions to address administrative inefficiencies and reduce costs for the benefit of all health care stakeholders, including most importantly patients. The recommendations contained a number of targeted steps recommended by MSSNY. While they do not alleviate the need for comprehensive legislation to address unnecessary and excessive administrative burdens imposed by health insurers, if implemented as intended it could help to somewhat reduce these hassles.

Among the recommendations included in the report:

Simplify Prior Authorization Health plans should clearly identify services that require prior authorization and annually review these services to identify where prior authorization and repeat prior authorizations can be removed. Reducing these requirements helps patients gain quicker access to necessary care.

Simplify Credentialing To expedite credentialing decisions, Health plans should use uniform credentialing applications including standardizing additional information requested and implement online portals or telephone hotlines for providers to obtain meaningful information on the status of their applications.

Encourage Electronic Claims Submission Providers should submit claims electronically, where possible, instead of by paper or facsimile, and health plans should accept claims that are submitted electronically, as well as accept medical record documentation through their portals.

Make Clinical Review Criteria More Transparent Health plans should post their clinical review criteria on their websites and make them available within five days of a request. This easy access to clinical review criteria allows patients to be better informed about when care is covered for specific health conditions. Health plans should adopt evidence-based and peer reviewed clinical guidelines with the most current data informing best practices for patient care and make the guidelines available to providers.

Standardize Financial Assistance & Other Forms Hospitals should be required to use a uniform, standard financial assistance form, with standard eligibility criteria, for patients to apply for financial assistance with hospital bills. The form should be easily accessible and publicly available on each hospital’s website, DOH’s website, and translated into languages other than English. These efforts will make it easier to apply for financial assistance with hospital bills. Health plans should also use a standard form for policyholders to designate an authorized representative and the form should be accepted by all health plans, making it easier for patients to obtain assistance in dealing with their health plan.

Encourage Access to Electronic Medical Records Health plans and providers should continue to discuss a path forward for providing access to electronic medical records and options to streamline the exchange of medical records.

To read the full report, click here.

MSSNY will continue to work with DFS and DOH, as well as the other stakeholders to this workgroup, to ensure that these recommended steps are being implemented by health insurers and update membership on new developments and changes.

New Application Cycle for $25.5 Billion in COVID-19 Provider Funding
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), has announced a new application cycle for $25.5 billion in COVID-19 provider funding (Phase 4). The application for the funds is open now, and will close on October 26, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Applicants will be able to apply for both Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Phase 4 and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Rural payments during the application process. In order to streamline the application process and minimize administrative burdens, providers will apply for both programs in a single application.

PRF Phase 4 is open to a broad range of providers with changes in operating revenues and expenses. ARP Rural is specifically available to providers who serve rural patients covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). See a detailed list of eligible provider types here.

HHS recently hosted a briefing session to provide information about these upcoming funding opportunities – view the video here. HRSA will also host webinar sessions featuring guidance on how to navigate the application portal.

Wednesday, October 13, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. ET – register to attend
Thursday, October 21, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. ET – register to attend

Real time technical assistance is available by calling the Provider Support Line at (866) 569-3522, for TTY dial 711. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday.

NYACP Encourages Medical Students to Participate in Annual Meeting on October 8 and Offers Free ACP Membership to Medical Students
The NYACP Annual Scientific Meeting on Friday, October 8 from 8 am – 4 pm will be online once again as COVID-19 and its variants continue to be a threat to members and colleagues. This year’s agenda will highlight challenges members faced over the past year, along with exciting cutting edge breakout sessions. Click here for more information about the October 8 NYACP Annual Scientific Meeting

All medical students are welcome to apply for free ACP Membership–join here!
Medical Students are welcome to attend the NYACP Annual Scientific Meeting and can register for free here.

Medicine and Inclusivity: Instilling Pride in LGBTQ+ Patients and Colleagues Webinar Sponsored by Nassau County Medical Society
Title: Medicine and Inclusivity: Instilling Pride in LGBTQ+ Patients and Colleagues
Speaker: David Rosenthal, DO, PhD, Medical Director, Northwell Health, Physician Partners, LGBTQ Transgender Program

This is an educational opportunity to learn about the ongoing issues that the LGBTQ+ community faces and strive toward positive change to create safe, supporting spaces for LGBTQ+ patients, med school students, and doctors. In the spirit of community outreach, the goal is to teach those in attendance more about the importance of kindness, acceptance, and respect as they navigate their medical careers and leave well-informed on the support and resources that they can share with those they know who might be struggling.

Date: October 26, 2021
Time: 6-7 PM
Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_y7daTJyIQ4WieGNDZ-ZgQw

MSSNY Member Dr. Barry B. Perlman Takes Readers on a 50-Year Personal and Historical Tour of Psychiatry in New Memoir
In Rearview: A Psychiatrist Reflects on Practice and Advocacy in a Time of Healthcare System Change, Dr. Barry B. Perlman offers an overview of his career in medicine. From his first inklings of interest in mental health issues tied to his grandmother’s bouts of severe depression and his mother’s volunteer work with persons discharged from psychiatric hospitals, through closing his practice and retirement, Perlman recounts the entire arc of his psychiatric and medical career in a series of thoughtful, conversational, personal reminiscences. He also covers topics central to the practice of psychiatry, such as suicide, violence, poverty, and electroconvulsive therapy.

Dr. Perlman served as president of the New York State Psychiatric Association, was appointed Chair of the NYS Mental Health Services Council by Governor George Pataki, and served as a member of the State Hospital Review and Planning Council. Based on his participation, he describes the process and tensions involved in shaping public policy.

Readers will be taken on a tour of the multidimensional life of an activist psychiatrist whose professional life encompassed provision of direct clinical care, running a psychiatric department under challenging circumstances, and trying to improve the lives of New Yorkers living with serious mental illness.

NYSDOH Approves Cultural Competence Training Offered by HHS
The New York State Department of Health (DOH) has approved cultural competence training offered by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Minority Health education program, Think Cultural Health. With the implementation of this training, MMCP participating providers will be positioned to provide more effective and culturally competent care delivery to enrollees and decrease health disparities. The memo can be found here.

Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program III Funds Available
On September 30, 2021, the New York State Department of Health announced the availability of funds under the Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program III, established pursuant to Section 2825-f of the Public Health Law.

A total of up to $208,294,869 is available through this Request for Applications (RFA #18406) to health care providers to facilitate health care transformation activities (including merger, consolidation, acquisition or other activities) intended to (a) create financially sustainable systems of care; (b) preserve or expand essential health care services; (c) modernize obsolete facility physical plants and infrastructure; (d) foster participation in alternative payment arrangements; (e) for residential health care facilities, increase the quality of resident care or experience; or (f) improve health information technology infrastructure, including telehealth, to strengthen the health care continuum.

Eligible Applicants include general hospitals, designated Regional Perinatal Centers, residential care facilities, adult care facilities, assisted living programs and children’s residential treatment facilities, as well as community-based health care providers. A minimum of $529,611 of the total amount must be awarded to community-based health care providers, which are defined as diagnostic and treatment centers, mental health and alcohol and substance abuse treatment clinics, Article 16 clinics, home care providers, hospices, and primary care providers. In addition, a minimum of $23,138,160 must be awarded to residential health care facilities, and up to $5,000,000 of the total awarded funds may be made available to Regional Perinatal Centers to establish telehealth applications.

The Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program III RFA can be accessed through the New York State Department of Health website at http://www.health.ny.gov/funding/, or through the Grants Gateway website at http://grantsreform.ny.gov. Applications must be submitted in Grants Gateway by 4:00 PM EST on Wednesday, January 12, 2022.

Questions regarding the Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program III (RFA #18406) can be e-mailed by Thursday, October 28, 2021 to Statewide3@health.ny.gov.

An informational Applicant Webinar will be held on Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 3:00 PM. To register for the meeting, go here..

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.

Looking to Fill a Pediatrician Position?
A Board Certified, NY licensed Pediatrician is immediately available
for a FT/PT or per-diem position. CV and references are available. Please contact maiseymed@aim.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.

MSSNY eNews: September 24, 2021 – MSSNY Passes Resolution on Mandatory Vaccines and Masking

September 24, 2021 admin

MSSNY Passes Resolution on Mandatory Vaccines and Masking

Colleagues:

I am often amazed and energized by the wisdom, the thoughtfulness, and the focused attention to both the science and the art of medicine on the part of my MSSNY colleagues whenever we meet. All those qualities were on full display both last weekend at our virtual House of Delegates meeting and again at yesterday’s Council meeting.

Yesterday’s Council meeting, for example, included a robust discussion about COVID vaccinations. As the COVID pandemic continues to pose a major threat to the health of the public, MSSNY Council passed a resolution that calls for MSSNY to advocate for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination among all healthcare workers and support staff who regularly interface with the public. In addition, MSSNY will advocate for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination among all school-aged children, once the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirm the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines in the pediatric population.

And, finally, MSSNY will advocate for mandatory facial masking among all healthcare workers and support staff who regularly interface with the public, as well as all students, teachers, and administrative and support personnel in all primary, secondary, and postsecondary educational facilities in New York State for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and based upon the recommendations of the CDC and/or the New York State Department of Health.

And, as always, we must continue to get the message out that when there are questions or feelings of uncertainty, patients should turn to us—their trusted physicians—to guide them.

Joseph Sellers, MD, FAAP, FACP
MSSNY President.

Highlights of the 2021 House of Delegates
The House of Delegates meeting held last Saturday was very successful. Despite the necessity to be held virtually, the discussion and debate was vigorous and productive.

The results of the election of New York Delegates to the AMA, which were announced late on Saturday, are posted to the MSSNY HOD pages. Congratulations to all those elected for the term January 2022 through December 2023!

Actions of the House, which detail the actions for each resolution considered by the House, have been posted to the MSSNY website.

Following are some highlights:

Support Physicians Providing Gender Affirming Care for Youth
MSSNY supports physicians in New York who provide gender-affirming care to people including transgender and non-binary youth and opposes the criminalization of providing gender-affirming care for youth.

We’re Mad as Hell and We Aren’t Going to Take it Anymore
MSSNY will aggressively work with county and special medical societies across the State to collect examples of health insurers inappropriately denying payment for care, inappropriately delaying patient access to needed treatment and abusive audit practices for redress by the New York State Department of Financial Services and New York State Department of Health. MSSNY will educate physicians regarding strategies to assist in collecting examples for review by state oversight agencies, such as use of relevant ICD-10 codes that identify in the electronic medical record when patients have difficulty accessing care due to inappropriate denials.

Enforcement of Administrative Simplification Requirements – CMS
MSSNY takes the position that the AMA must advocate (1) that there is parity in the enforcement of the HIPAA Privacy Rule and HIPAA Administrative Simplification requirements; (2) that the CMS imposes penalties on health plan violations of HIPAA with the same rigor it imposes penalties on healthcare providers for violations of MIPS and other requirements and that the AMA must advocate that the CMS investigates all valid allegations of HIPAA Administrative simplification requirements thoroughly and offer transparently in its processes and decisions as required by the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). MSSNY also takes the position that the AMA must advocate that the CMS resolves all complaints related to the non-compliant payment methods including opt-out virtual credit cards and illegal EFT fees and MSSNY strongly disapproves of the failure by the CMS Office of Burden Reduction to effectively enforce the HIPAA administrative simplification requirements as required by the law and its failure to impose financial penalties for non-compliance by health plans.

15 Month Prescribing
MSSNY will advocate for changes to New York State insurance and Medicaid laws that would allow physicians, at their discretion and based on patient compliance, to prescribe non-controlled substances for 15 months.

Require Methadone Dispenser to Report to I STOP – PMP
MSSNY will seek legislative or other regulatory interventions to require the reporting of methadone into the state’s Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) and will support requiring the interconnectivity between the state PMP and methadone clinics.

September 11th as a MSSNY Day of Observance
In order to acknowledge our special relationship to what happened on September 11, 2001 to New Yorkers, to our nation, to New York physicians and to our first responders, and to honor and remember those who died and those whose health and well-being have been affected by this terrible incident, MSSNY will recognize and support September 11^th as an annual MSSNY day of observance. MSSNY will urge the AMA to recognize September 11^th as an annual day of observance.

Site of Service Availability
MSSNY will continue to advocate to reduce health insurer pre-authorization burdens, including eliminating pre-authorization requirements and restrictions based on site of service.

Medicare Advantage Plan Mandates
MSSNY will urge the AMA to advocate for federal legislation to ensure that no person should be mandated to change from traditional Medicare to Medicare Advantage (MA) plans.

Insurance Coverage for Scalp Cooling (Cold Cap) Therapy
MSSNY will seek by legislation and/or regulation, universal insurance coverage for Scalp Cooling (Cold Cap) Therapy and will work with consumer groups to challenge insurers on Scalp Cooling (Cold Cap) Therapy medical necessity denials and encourage appeals to independent third-party reviewers and send a similar resolution to the AMA.

CPT Denials/Service/Preauthorization Denials and Prior Authorization – CPT Codes for Fair Compensation
MSSNY will advocate that the AMA will include fair compensation based on CPT codes for appeal of wrongfully denied services in any Model Legislation and as a basis for all advocacy, including those for Prior Authorization reforms and that CPT codes must fully reflect the aggregated time and effort expended by physician practices. MSSNY will urge the AMA to establish a CPT code by the AMA CPT® Editorial Panel to account for administrative work involved in prior authorizations that reflects the actual time expended by physician practices to advocate on behalf of patients and to comply with insurer requirements and urge the AMA to establish a CPT Code by the AMA CPT® Editorial Panel to account for administrative work that reflects the actual time expended by physician practices and their billing vendors involved in successfully appealing wrongful pre-and post-service denials.

Payment for Physicians’ Work: Appealing Insurance Company Denials for Payment
MSSNY will, by legislation or regulation, seek payment for physicians’ time and effort involved in preparing appeals for reversal of denials of payment for medical care, procedures, and medications by insurers and other third-party payers on behalf of their patients.

MSSNY Statement Regarding Resignation of Department of Health Commissioner Howard Zucker, MD
Following is MSSNY President Dr. Joseph Sellers’ statement regarding Dr. Zucker’s resignation:

“MSSNY is grateful to Dr. Zucker for his many years of service as he worked to protect the residents of New York State, especially as he helped to lead the State’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic—one of the most challenging public health threats of our lifetimes. We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with the Department of Health staff to promote vaccination in response to the ongoing pandemic, and in addressing additional public health threats.”

Crain’s New York Business (9/24) reports that in a statement, Medical Society of the State of New York President Dr. Joseph Sellers said, “We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with the Department of Health staff to promote vaccination in response to the ongoing pandemic and in addressing additional public health threats.”

CDC Director Overrules Advisory Panel to Broaden Recommended Use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots for Frontline Workers
The New York Times (9/23, Mandavilli, Mueller) reports that on Friday, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky “overruled a recommendation by an agency advisory panel that had refused to endorse booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine for frontline workers.” The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices had “recommended the boosters for a wide range of Americans, including tens of millions of older adults and younger people at high risk for the disease. But they excluded health care workers, teachers and others whose jobs put them at risk.”

Dr. Sellers Answers Viewers Questions About COVID-19 Vaccine
On Cheddar News, MSSNY president Joseph Sellers, MD answered viewer questions surrounding Pfizer and BioNTech’s announcement that the data from the trial of their vaccine in children ages five to 11 showed the vaccine is safe and generates a “robust” response, along with other general questions.

NYS Department of Financial Services (DFS) Proposes Permanent Regulations for Audio-Only Telehealth Coverage
The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) released proposed regulations on Wednesday, September 22^nd to make permanent existing temporary regulations that require health insurers to cover audio-only Telehealth services for care to patients. DFS had previously promulgated a 90-day emergency regulation to require coverage for audio-only Telehealth services, but that temporary regulation expires in October.

The proposed regulation would also permit an insurer to “engage in reasonable fraud, waste and abuse detection efforts, including to prevent payments for services that do not warrant separate reimbursement”.

Please note that last year a statute was enacted that requires Medicaid to cover audio-only Telehealth. The New York State Department of Health (DOH) issued a guidance document, this summer, for how Medicaid will continue to cover Telehealth services, including audio-only services.

There is a 60-day comment period that, ends on November 21^st, and MSSNY is reviewing the proposal and will issue comments, if needed. To view the proposed permanent regulations, please go to: Proposed 62nd Amendment to Insurance Regulation 62 (11 NYCRR 52)

MSSNY’s Medical, Educational and Scientific Foundation (MESF) Seeks Nomination for Women’s Leadership Conference
MSSNY’s Medical, Education and Science Foundation (MESF), is seeking women physicians to attend the MESF Leadership Seminars for Women. Self-nominations are welcomed. This program will be a virtual format and will be split into three segments with Jon Chilingerian, PhD acting as facilitator for the series. The three segments are slated for October 16, 23 & 30 beginning at 8 a.m. Additional information will be provided to those that are nominated with a link to materials.

This program is open to all women physicians, including residents and medical students. The program is as follows:

Saturday, October 23 (8 am-11:30 am): “How Do CEO’s and Medical Administrators Deal with Women Physicians?” This segment will focus on a presentation by Jon Chilingerian PhD on effective clinical leadership for women physicians while Dr. Gittel’s presentation will key to what women physicians need to know to effectively operate in a male dominated health care world. In addition, this segment will include a presentation by Linda Clark MD, Chair of MSSNY’s Health Equity Committee who will focus on diversity in the medical field and issues facing physicians of color.

Saturday, October 30 at (8 am-11:30 am): “Wellness and Women Physicians.” This segment will focus on the challenges women physicians face they advance in their medical education or medical practice—while faced with family and other life stressors. Stress and burnout, which impacts women with greater frequency and severity, will be discussed in this segment. This segment will include a presentation by Jo Shapiro MD of Brigham and Women’s Hospital who will focus on peer-to-peer relations. Carol Bernstein MD from Einstein School of Medicine will talk about gender differences in burnout. In addition, Frank Dowling, MD will review his experience with MSSNY’s peer-to-peer (P2P) program and the importance of women reaching out to a peer to discuss those life stressors.

Please consider nominating a female physician, resident, or medical student who you believe would benefit from attending this exciting, educational MESF leadership seminar. Self-nominations are acceptable. Nominations can be sent to: Pat Clancy at pclancy@mssny.org or by calling her at 518-465-8085. Please provide your nomination and contact information for them to me by October 4, 2021.

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 this live activity for a maximum of 9.0 AMA PRA Category 1 credits. Physician should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Happy Women in Medicine Month to MSSNY’s Women Physicians!

Calling all Medical School Students! Join MSSNY’s Medical Student Section Meeting on October 2
Save the Date! The MSSNY Medical Student Section meeting has been scheduled for Saturday October 2^ndat 9 am. The meeting will once again be held virtually via Zoom. Please invite your fellow students and encourage them to attend to learn more about MSSNY and the Medical Student Section. The event will include guest speakers MSSNY President Joseph Sellers, M.D. and MSSNY Secretary and member of the AMA Advisory Committee on LGBTQ Issues Frank Dowling, M.D.

Elections will be held for student delegates to the MSSNY House of Delegates. Click here for more information about this role.

Guidance on How to Request a Supply of COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody (mAb) Therapeutics
The NYS DOH released updated details on how New York State (NYS) providers can submit requests for a supply of monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapeutics. At this time, only providers who have an active account from AmerisourceBergen can submit a request. Click here to read the detailed announcement.

The NYS DOH has launched an online form to intake requests for supplies of monoclonal (Ab) therapeutics from New York State providers. The mAb products affected are bamlanivimab/etesevimab, etesevimab (to pair with bamlanivimab already on hand), and casirivimab/imdevimab (REGEN-COV). Information on how to request mAb products, including how to complete the online form, can be found in the attached guidance. For questions, please email: COVID19therapeutics@health.ny.gov.

Top Ten Reasons to Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19
The NYS Department of Health has produced a flyer in both English and Spanish that highlights ten reasons to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Click here to download the flyer to post in your office.

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.

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: September 8, 2021 – MSSNY Urges No Surprises Act Methodology that is Not Biased Towards Insurance Companies

September 7, 2021 admin

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MSSNY Submits Comments Urging Methodology for No Surprises Act that is Not Biased Towards Insurance Companies
MSSNY President Dr. Joseph Sellers this week submitted comments on behalf of New York’s physicians to the US Department of Health & Human Services regarding regulations to implement portions of the federal No Surprises Act enacted by Congress last December, and in effect January 1, 2022. This effort has been joined by many other medical associations, including the American Medical Association and state and specialty societies across the country, urging similar rules for implementation.

The letter notes that MSSNY strongly supports the goal of the regulation to protect consumers, including specific provisions to help reduce cost-sharing obligations for patients, and provisions to ensure enforcement of the “prudent layperson” standard and other protections impacting upon the delivery of emergency care. However, MSSNY also raised concerns about the proposal to calculate the Qualifying Payment Amount (QPA) to be considered in any Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR). If implemented as proposed, it will be unfairly held artificially low (and be biased towards insurers) since it treats payments to individual physicians equally with payment to large physician practices. MSSNY also urged that there be a far more robust information disclosure requirement imposed on insurers regarding how the QPA was calculated, as well as a detailed process for auditing health insurers to ensure they are being honest in developing this information.

Furthermore, MSSNY raised concerns that the faulty methodology for QPA calculation poses a risk of negative impact on access to care. Many hospitals and other providers rely on out-of-network specialists to cover care, including emergency and urgent care and complicated procedures. This is particularly true for rural and urban areas with unmet needs. The letter notes that if the QPA is fundamentally unfair to physicians we may see coverage and access to care issues, particularly in hospital emergency departments as it may not be feasible for some out-of-network physicians to continue to take calls for patients. This was a critical public health aim that New York’s similar law sought to address when it was passed by the State Legislature in 2014.

Given these profound concerns, MSSNY argued that the QPA should not be the priority factor in determining payment under an IDR, and that all factors should be weighted equally.

Check with Your Legal Counsel Whether You Are Required to Follow Federal or State Infection Disease Employee Protection Standards
Physician offices should consult with their legal counsel to determine if they are required to comply with the recent federal OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) rules for protecting employees from airborne COVID-19 transmission or instead required to comply with newly enacted state requirements for all employers who are not subject to federal rules.

In July, MSSNY’s General Counsel law firm, Garfunkel Wild, prepared an alert OSHA Issues Emergency Rules For Healthcare Employers And Updated Guidance For All Employers | Garfunkel Wild, that provided a summary of the requirements for the OSHA ETS. The alert notes that exempted from compliance with the OSHA ETS are “employers performing healthcare services on an outpatient basis in a non-hospital setting, if non-employees are screened prior to entry and people with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are not permitted to enter.”

However, employers that are exempt from the OSHA ETS must establish an airborne infectious disease plan required by New York State for all employers under the “HERO” Act. This week Governor Hochul announced that the Commissioner of Health had designated COVID-19 as a highly infectious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to the public health, which requires all employers to implement workplace safety plans in the event of an airborne infectious disease, helping to prevent workplace infections The New York State Department of Labor (NY DOL) has developed model forms for all New York employers to adopt NY HERO Act.

The question is whether physician offices are required to follow the federal OSHA ETS or the NY HERO Act standards. MSSNY has received clarification from the NY DOL that “the standard published by the Department provides that it does not apply to ‘Any employee within the coverage of a temporary or permanent standard adopted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration setting forth applicable standards regarding COVID-19 and/or airborne infectious agents and diseases.’ As such, employers within the coverage of the current OSHA ETS (which is currently limited to healthcare) are not currently required to take action or adopt a plan pursuant to the NY HERO Act.”

Therefore, whether a physician’s office is required to follow the federal OSHA ETS or the NY DOL standard may vary from office to office. For example, a primary care practice that treats patients with suspected COVID-19 would likely be required to comply with the federal OSHA standard, but an orthopedic practice that instructs all patients with suspected COVID-19 to not enter the office may not be required to follow the federal standard but instead would be required to comply with New York’s HERO Act standards.

To repeat, physicians should consult with their legal counsel for how best to ensure their offices comply with these state or federal requirements, since they will need to comply with one or the other.

Key Public Health Committee Approves Health Care Worker Vaccination Mandate
As reported last week, the New York Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC) has approved an emergency regulation 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-19. 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-19: 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”.

The ACIP has developed information regarding clinical considerations for practitioners here: Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines. The only listed contraindications are:

Severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) after a previous dose or to component of the COVID-19 vaccine; and
Immediate (within 4 hours of exposure) allergic reaction of any severity to a previous dose or known (diagnosed) allergy to a component of the vaccine

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.

Please Urge Governor to Sign into Law 2 Bills to Assist Patients to Receive Needed Medications
Physicians are urged to contact Governor Hochul to request 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.

Both of these bills would help to minimize hassles for patients in obtaining needed medications and reduce hassles for physicians in prescribing medications. Please contact Governor Hochul today.

Urge Your Members of Congress to Push Back Against Steep Medicare Cuts for 2022
Physicians are again urged to contact their local Representatives of 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 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 physicians are still confronting the pandemic, and practices recover from the enormous emotional and financial impact of the 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.

MSSNY Member Obituaries

ATWELL, Marshall Erding; Rochester NY. Died January 12, 2021, age 84. Monroe County Medical Society

BLUM, Craig E.; Orchard Park NY. Died August 04, 2021, age 71. Erie County Medical Society

BRANDT, Max; New York NY. Died March 16, 2021, age 90. New York County Medical Society Inc.

DEHAVEN, Kenneth E.; Rochester NY. Died June 20, 2021, age 82. Monroe County Medical Society

EMMENS, Robert Walter; Rochester NY. Died August 02, 2019, age 78. Monroe County Medical Society

GANDELL, David Lee; Rochester NY. Died March 04, 2021, age 68. Monroe County Medical Society

GINSBURG, Selig M.; New York NY. Died August 01, 2021, age 96. New York County Medical Society Inc.

GOLDSTEIN, Robert S.; New Rochelle NY. Died August 16, 2021, age 84. New York County Medical Society Inc.

GUERINOT, Gerard Thomas; Rochester NY. Died January 02, 2021, age 89. Monroe County Medical Society

HARRIS, Jerome R.; Laguna Woods CA. Died July 08, 2021, age 100. Medical Society County of Queens Inc.

KIM, Doo Joe; Cornwall NY. Died April 17, 2021, age 86. Medical Society County of Orange

LONG, C. Parker; Green Valley AZ. Died October 06, 2020, age 96. Medical Society County of Ontario Inc.

MCVEIGH, Robert C.; Pittsford NY. Died June 02, 2021, age 90. Monroe County Medical Society

MELTZER, Jay Ivan; New York NY. Died July 03, 2021, age 92. New York County Medical Society Inc.

MILCH, Robert Alan; Buffalo NY. Died June 04, 2021, age 78. Erie County Medical Society

NAPLES, R. Joseph; Pittsford NY. Died April 15, 2021, age 97. Monroe County Medical Society

NOONAN, James M.; Ballston Spa NY. Died November 19, 2019, age 68. Saratoga County Medical Society Inc.

OLIVER, Herman; Great Neck NY. Died April 14, 2021, age 91. Nassau County Medical Society Inc.

PERRONE, Francis S.; New York NY. Died August 14, 2021, age 94. New York County Medical Society Inc.

PULVINO, A. Thomas; Newark NY. Died April 15, 2021, age 85. Wayne County Medical Society

QUINTERO-CHICA, Jairo J.; Hyde Park NY. Died August 03, 2021, age 90. Dutchess County Medical Society

RUDOLPH, Lionel A.; Fayetteville NY. Died August 06, 2021, age 98. Onondaga County Medical Society Inc.

SCHAEFER, Norman Edward; Chatham NJ. Died November 20, 2020, age 96. Richmond County Medical Society Inc.

SCHECHTER, David Charles; New York NY. Died June 20, 2021, age 90. New York County Medical Society Inc.

SHRAGOWITZ, Jacob; Monsey NY. Died April 13, 2020, age 97. Medical Society County of Westchester

SZE, Kenneth Chiache; New York NY. Died July 22, 2021, age 103. New York County Medical Society Inc.

TREVISANI, Gino Angelo; Waterville NY. Died July 28, 2021, age 89. Medical Society County of Oneida Inc.

WOOLF, George; Middletown NY. Died March 29, 2020, age 95. Medical Society County of Orange

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.

MSSNY eNews: May 19, 2021 – Medical Schools Overestimate Number of Graduates who Specialize in Primary Care, Experts Say

May 19, 2021 admin

Medical Schools Overestimate Number of Graduates who Specialize in Primary Care, Experts Say
Many medical school graduates who complete their residency in primary care switch into different specialties later. That makes medical schools’ estimates of its graduates entering family medicine largely inaccurate, NPR reported May 18.

“You don’t know what somebody is going to do until they finish residency,” Mark Deutchman, MD, a family medicine professor at the University of Colorado in Denver told NPR.

While medical schools report about 40 percent of graduates enter a primary care residency, that later turned into just 22 percent, according to a study led by Dr. Deutchman published last year in Family Medicine. The research involved 17,509 medical students from 14 U.S. universities who graduated between 2003-14.

The American Association of Medical Colleges told NPR the findings may not provide an accurate picture, highlighting that 30 new medical schools have opened in the U.S. since 2006.

Ada Stewart, MD, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians said while medical schools have been graduating record numbers of physicians into family medicine residencies over the last decade, many end up switching into higher paying specialties.

“We may have to look at a more focused analysis of how many individuals are actually going into the specialty of family medicine,” Dr. Stewart told NPR.

Jobs in higher paying specialties are largely in cities, further compounding the primary care shortage in rural areas, experts told the news outlet.
–Erica Carbajal, Becker’s Hospital Review

DOH Eliminates Pre-Surgery COVID-19 Testing for Individuals Who are Vaccinated
The New York State Department of Health has issued new guidance for elective procedures. Under the guidance, pre-elective procedure COVID -19 testing is not required for patients who are fully vaccinated or have recovered from laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 during the previous three months. There is no need to test asymptomatic recently recovered patients to prove they are now negative. However, pre-elective procedure testing remains encouraged by NYSDOH for all asymptomatic patients scheduled for elective surgery/procedures. A copy of the guidance is here.

AMA Prior Authorization Physician Survey
A recent study of 1,000 practicing physicians in December of 2020 found that 30% of physicians noted prior authorizations have resulted in a serious adverse event for a patient in their care.

94%of physicians said the prior authorization process delays patients’ access to necessary care.
90% of physicians reported that prior authorizations have a negative effect on patients’ clinical outcomes.
85%of the physicians surveyed said the burden associated with prior authorization is high or extremely high.
79%of physicians said the prior authorization process at least sometimes leads to treatment abandonment.
Click here to view the full report.

New MSSNY Leadership from Long Island Featured in Newsday
Dr. Parag Mehta of Manhasset Hills, senior vice chairman of the department of medicine and the chief medical information officer at New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, has been elected president-elect of the Medical Society of the State of New York in Westbury.

Dr. Paul Pipia of Syosset, chairman of the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation as well as the department of neurology at Nassau County Medical Center in East Meadow, has been elected vice president of the Medical Society of the State of New York in Westbury.

Dr. Frank Dowling of Oakdale, a psychiatrist with a private practice in Garden City and Islandia, has been elected secretary of the Medical Society of the State of New York in Westbury. Link to Newsday’s LI People on the Move

Five Steps to Create Meaningful Patient Connections
Time constraints and administrative demands in health care often impede the human connection that is central to clinical care, contributing to physician burnout and patient dissatisfaction.

To improve clinical encounters with patients, physicians can learn from the Presence 5 project, which aims to develop a simple, scalable evidence-based intervention that helps enhance the patient-physician connection. The effort was described in detail in a JAMA article last year.

“The Presence 5 practices are intuitive to many clinicians, representing what is at the core of medical care and healing,” said Donna Zulman, MD, MS, assistant professor in the Division of Primary Care and Population Health at Stanford University School of Medicine, during a recent AMA webinar on fostering physician humanism and connection. “But in the context of today’s busy medical practice with its endless distractions, adopting a ritual to explicitly focus on presence and connection can help build trusting relationships and can have a positive impact, not only on the patient, but on the clinician as well.”

Here are the five practices that have the potential to enhance physician presence and create meaningful connections with patients.

Prepare with Intention
“This is about familiarizing yourself with the patient you are about to meet and creating a ritual to focus your attention,” said Dr. Zulman, who in addition to her role at Stanford is associate director of the Center for Innovation to Implementation at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System. “A specific strategy that can be helpful is to perform a brief chart review, emphasizing key elements of the social history, to remind yourself of the person you are about to see,” she added.

Listen Intently and Completely
“The goal of this practice is to position one’s self to fully hear a patient’s story and perspective,” said Dr. Zulman. That means “sit down, lean forward, position yourself to listen, recognizing that your patient is your most valuable source of information.”

“When it comes to nonverbal communication, thoughtful body positioning has been shown to support relationship building, trust and patient satisfaction,” she said. “If you need to be seated at a computer, position your body towards the patient as much as possible and avoid interrupting a patient.”

Agree on What Matters Most
“A simple form of this practice involves beginning the visit with an open-ended question such as, ‘What would you like to discuss today?’” said Dr. Zulman. “Then develop an agenda that incorporates the patient’s priorities.

“At the end of the visit, you want to review the agenda and elicit any unaddressed priorities,” she added, noting that asking, “Is there something else you want to discuss today?” is particularly effective phrasing to elicit unaddressed concerns.

Connect with your Patient’s Story
“This practice is all about considering the social, cultural, behavioral circumstances that influence your patient’s health,” said Dr. Zulman. It’s also about “finding positive connections, acknowledging your patient’s efforts and celebrating success.”

“The first step is to be curious about your patient’s life story. This not only draws out important information that can guide your clinical care, but this mindset also can help you interrogate potential biases that you might have,” she said. “Use positive language, including statements of approval, reassurance and partnership.”

Explore Emotional Cues
“Notice, name and validate your patient’s emotions to become a trusted partner,” said Dr. Zulman. “There’s so much we can learn from tuning into a patient’s verbal and nonverbal emotional cues such as changes in tone of voice, facial expressions and body language.

“One of our collaborators for this project talked about how she considers the patient’s face to be a road map of emotion,” she added. “Ask your patient how they are feeling about their health concerns and stressors, and reflect, validate and confirm your perceptions of a patient’s emotions.”

Learn more from the AMA STEPS Forward™ webinar series, which focuses on physician well-being, practice redesign and implementing telehealth during COVID-19.

–Sara Berg, AMA

Researchers Say People with Obesity Who Tend to Stay Up Late at Night at Higher Risk for Diabetes
HealthDay (5/17, Mozes) reports researchers found that people with obesity who have “a tendency to stay up late at night” are at higher risk for developing diabetes. The findings were presented at the virtual meeting of the European Congress on Obesity.

Classifieds

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 • fax 516-488-2188

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

MSSNY Director of Membership and Marketing – Apply Now

Beautifully Renovated Modern Medical Office Sublet in Great Neck
-Separate reception area -Consultation room -1-3 exam rooms -Free Valet Parking -Designated physician parking spot. Contact Dr. Nir Somekh (516) 662-1232.

Professional Office Space For Sale – Albany, NY
319 S. Manning Blvd, Suite 308A. Albany NY. Located on the St. Peter’s Hospital Campus. 2000 SF. Bright, 3rd floor location. Office is in move in condition. Waiting room, front reception area for 3 staff, 2 consult rooms, 4 exam rooms, 1 large procedure room, eat in break room, storage room, walk in storage closet. 369K. Contents negotiable. Please contact 518-222-4956 / email perrotmi@yahoo.com

Office Rental 30 Central Park South
Two fully equipped exam, two certified operating, bathrooms and consultation room. Shared secretarial and waiting rooms. Elegantly decorated, central a/c, hardwood floors. Next to Park Lane and Plaza hotels. $1250 for four days a month. Available full or part-time. 212.371.0468 / drdese@gmail.com.

Ophthalmic Office to Sublet – NYC
340 E. 49TH St. (Ground Floor -Handicap Accessible) 1-3 Lanes Wed/Fri/Sat/Sun Full use of: VF / OCT /Pachymeter/ Autorefractor /Autolensometer / Argon / YAG Lasers
Please contact Scott Weissman MD. privacyssw@gmail.com. 914-772-5581

.Two Offices Available for Rent in Established SoHo Primary Care Practice
Newly constructed loft space. Dedicated private waiting area available. This space is ideal for individual psychiatry, psychology, social work, physical therapy, or acupuncture services. Potential to work with existing Primary Care Practice as a referral source. Centrally located in the heart of SoHo, close to all subways. Available 7 days/week.
Contact: SpringPrimaryCare@gmail.com.

NYS Jobs Logo Review Vacancy

Date Posted: 03/23/21 Applications Due: 04/06/21 Vacancy ID: 85272

Position Information

Agency	Health, Department of
Title	Health Program Director 2 -TBD
Occupational Category	Other Professional Careers
Salary Grade	665
Bargaining Unit	M/C – Management / Confidential (Unrepresented)
Salary Range	From $122092 to $154253 Annually
Employment Type	Full-Time
Appointment Type	Permanent
Jurisdictional Class	Non-competitive Class
Travel Percentage	10%

Schedule

Workweek

Hours Per Week

Mon-Fri

37.5

Workday

From	8:30 AM
To	4:30 PM
Flextime allowed?	No
Mandatory overtime?	No
Compressed workweek allowed?	No
Telecommuting allowed?	No

Location

County	Albany
Street Address	CCH; Division of Family Health Corning Tower, ESP
City	Albany
State	NY
Zip Code	12237

Job Specifics

Minimum Qualifications

Twelve years of professional level work experience, three of which must have included managerial, decision-making and/or oversight responsibilities for a major health-related program or in the direction of a major administrative function of a large health-related organization. A bachelor’s degree may be substituted for four years of the general professional experience.

Twelve or more years of progressively responsible administrative experience in programs that improve perinatal health, child and/or adolescent health, early care, and learning, and/or sexual violence prevention, including four years of managerial, decision-making, and/or program direction. Seven years of this experience would also include fiscal management, policy making and oversight responsibilities, and statewide supervision of professional level staff. The preferred candidate would be familiar with representing departmental interests and serving as a spokesperson and liaison to Executive staff, and have experience working with other state and federal governmental programs. Experience with second-level professional supervision as well as strong oral and written communication skills is also desired. A master’s degree in an appropriate field may substitute an additional one year of the general professional experience, not to exceed a maximum of five years total allowable educational Please refer to full listing

Dir 3 position ad

Review Vacancy

Date Posted: 04/09/21 Applications Due: 05/10/21 Vacancy ID: 85840

Position Information

Agency	Health, Department of
Title	Director Public Health – 601
Occupational Category	Administrative or General Management
Salary Grade	NS
Bargaining Unit	M/C – Management / Confidential (Unrepresented)
Salary Range	From $149004 to $149004 Annually
Employment Type	Full-Time
Appointment Type	Temporary
Jurisdictional Class	Exempt Class
Travel Percentage	20%

Schedule

Workweek

Hours Per Week

Mon-Fri

Workday

From	9 AM
To	5 PM
Flextime allowed?	No
Mandatory overtime?	No
Compressed workweek allowed?	No
Telecommuting allowed?	No

Location

County

Albany

Street Address

Office of Public Health

ESP, Corning Tower OR Metropolitan Area Regional Office (MARO) Church Street

City

Albany OR New York

State	NY
Zip Code	12237

Job Specifics

Minimum Qualifications

A Bachelor’s degree and eleven years* of professional level government or non-profit experience, five of which must have included managerial, decision-making and/or oversight responsibilities for a major public health-related program or in the direction of a major administative function of a large health-related organizaton. Substitution – JD or Master’s degree may substitute for one year of the general experience, a PhD may substitute for two years of the general experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

Track record of strong analytical and organizational skills; excellent written and verbal communication; ability to multi-task and work in a fast-paced and confidential environment under tight deadlines is essential; experience in a managerial role, interacting with state and federal government officials is preferred;
View full listing

MSSNY eNews: April 16, 2021 – Advocacy in Action

April 16, 2021 admin

Colleagues:

Your MSSNY physician leadership met with our NY Congressional delegation in February 2021 with a focus on preventing the implementation of the ill-timed impending 2% Medicare Cuts scheduled for April 1. Numerous grassroots letters were sent by NYS physicians and this week our collective efforts paid dividends. The US House of Representatives approved legislation to extend the 2% Medicare sequester moratorium until 2022 and President Biden signed it into law late Wednesday.

The 21st Century Cures Act’s information-blocking provision is now in effect and requires physicians to make available medical information such as labs tests, clinical notes and medication lists to patients. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) recently implemented regulations directing physicians to immediately release information to patients, in many cases, prior to the physician reviewing the information and without regard to whether such release could be mentally or emotionally distressing to the patient. While there has been strong support for patient access, a variety of concerns with automatically and immediately releasing all reports and office notes have been raised by MSSNY and throughout the country. The AMA is advocating to revise the sub-regulatory guidance to mitigate the unintended consequences of the OCR’s current policy and ONC’s information blocking regulations and needs our NYS real world examples. Please send these to Ela Cameron Ela.Cameron@ama-assn.org by April 30.

Last week I announced the numerous MSSNY Budget “victories.” The most notable will prevent thousands of dollars of new costs for the 17,000 physicians participating in the NYS Excess Malpractice Insurance Program; protection of due process rights for all physicians; and Essential Plan enhancements benefiting more than 800,00 New Yorkers.

Advocacy in action takes dollars and with the recent “wins” serving as strong coat tails and numerous important MSSNY legislative priorities, it is time to shore up the MSSNY PAC to continue to be able to strongly and effectively advocate on behalf of patients and physicians. If you have not already contributed, please do so now. Any amount is helpful and appreciated. If you have already donated, please consider an additional contribution or a contribution on behalf of your practice or medical staff. Contribute to MSSNY PAC here.

Thank you for doing your part to influence positive steps forward in NY healthcare. Together, we are Advocacy in Action—stronger, louder, and more effective.

Bonnie Litvack, MD
MSSNY President

Capital Update

MSSNY Weekly Podcast

Statement of MSSNY President Bonnie Litvack, MD, in Response to Enactment of State Budget
“In adopting the 2021-22 State Budget, physicians thank the New York State Assembly and Senate leadership for their efforts to restore numerous steep health care cuts that had been advanced in the Executive Budget, and the Governor for agreeing with the restoration of these cuts. Because the COVID pandemic has caused historic drops in patient visits and revenue for physicians over the last year, there could not have been a worse time to cut Medicaid as well as other essential programs that help to preserve patient access to needed care such as the Excess Medical Malpractice Insurance Program.

“Physicians also appreciate the collective efforts of the Governor and Legislature to enhance other programs that provide needed health insurance coverage to New Yorkers, including the Essential Plan. We look forward to working with the Senate, Assembly and Governor in additional collaborative efforts to ensure New Yorkers receive the care they need.”

For a full rundown of the many important actions taken by the State Legislature in adoption of the State Budget of impact to physicians, please click My Dear Father and MSSNY Milestones. (DIVISION OF GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS)

Administration of J and J Covid-19 Vaccine is Suspended; NYS Vaccination Rate Continues to Increase
This week, the CDC and FDA issued a statement recommending a pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine out of an abundance of caution. New York State will follow the CDC and FDA recommendation and pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine statewide while these health and safety agencies evaluate next steps. The CDC has indicated that this suspension will be at least one week. The New York State Department of Health is has said that those adverse reactions appear to be rare.

As of April 15, 2021, 26.4 % of New Yorkers have completed the vaccine series and 23.6% of Americans have been fully immunized. 39.6% of New Yorkers have received at least one dose and 48.3% of Americans have received one dose. All providers can vaccinate any New Yorker, including those with comorbidities or underlying conditions, and individuals 16+. Enrolled providers other than pharmacies may vaccinate any eligible individual. Pharmacies must prioritize K-12 school faculty and staff and childcare workers but are also authorized to vaccinate individuals aged 30 and older and individuals with comorbidities.

Physicians and patients can determine eligibility and make an appointment to receive the vaccine by going to. (CLANCY)

US House Passes Legislation to Prevent 2% Medicare Cut Until 2022
This week the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation to extend until the end of the year the 2% Medicare sequester moratorium that had expired on April 1. +This bill to prevent ill-timed Medicare cuts to physicians and other care providers then was signed into law by President Biden.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has been holding off on processing April Medicare claims to avoid making payments with reduced amounts. Prevention of these cuts was a significant focus in the meetings that MSSNY physician leadership had with the New York Congressional delegation in late February. MSSNY physician leaders made the compelling case that the ongoing financial travails impacting medical practice in New York and across the country necessitated the elimination of short-sighted medical cuts that will adversely impact patient access to needed care. (AUSTER)

Please Contact Your Legislators to Urge Revisions to “Consolidated Billing” Legislation
Physicians are urged to contact their Assembly members and Senators to urge them to substantially revise A.3470-A/S.2521-A, “The Patient Medical Debt Reduction Act”. Click here to contact your legislators today! Click Here.

While there are many components to this well-intended legislation, there is a seriously problematic component which would prohibit a physician or other provider with any “financial or contractual relationship” with a hospital from separately billing a patient for a course or episode of treatment in the hospital. While it doesn’t appear to prohibit continued separate billing to insurance companies or other payers, a single hospital-physician bill would be required when a bill is sent to a patient for costs not covered by the patient’s insurance, such as collection of a deductible. It would also require such consolidated bill to be sent within 7 days of a patient’s discharge from the hospital, before there is any clarity as to what expenses will actually be covered by a patient’s insurance.

If this bill were to pass and this provision not amended, it would put non-employed physicians at the mercy of the hospitals where they practice since the legislation does not specify how payments to hospitals from this “single bill” would then be distributed to these physicians. In an era when patients’ insurance policies regularly impose enormous deductibles, it would likely force even more physicians to sell their practices and become employees of hospitals in response to the helpless position many physicians would find themselves. Other physicians may leave the state altogether. The impact of this prohibition will fall most adversely on physicians who are on the front lines of the pandemic, many of whom are facing an enormous drop in patient volume due to a significant amount of delayed care. (AUSTER)

Requirement to Co-prescribed Opioid Antagonist Moving in New York State Legislature
Senate Bill 2966, sponsored by Sen. Pete Harckham, chair of the Senate Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, is on the Senate Health Committee. This measure would require that prescribers, who prescribe opioids for the first time for a patient in a calendar year, also co-prescribe an opioid antagonist with the prescription. While MSSNY agrees that co-prescription of naloxone is an appropriate step for many patients prescribed opioid medications, it is very concerned with an across-the-board mandate. Its companion measure, A. 336, sponsored by Assembly Edward Braunstein, is currently in the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.

The Medical Society believes that this legislation is unnecessary since New York State laws have been passed that allows non-medical persons to administer naloxone to another individual to prevent an opioid/heroin overdose from becoming fatal. Physicians and other prescribers can already provide patients with either a non-patient specific script or a patient specific script for naloxone. New York State is one of the four states that currently require electronic prescribing for controlled substances and has had this requirement since 2016.

This means that the co-prescription of the opioid antagonist will automatically go to the pharmacy and the patient will be charged a co-pay (if their insurance covers the prescription) or the full price for the naloxone script. Physicians are encouraged to contact members of the Senate Health Committee by calling 518-455-2800. Senator committee members are: Senators Gustavo Rivera, Patrick Gallivan, Brian Benjamin, Alessandra Biaggi, Phil Boyle, Samra Brouk, Brad Hoylman, Todd Kaminsky, Rachel May, Peter Oberacker, Edward Rath, Sean Ryan, Julia Salazar, Daniel Stec, and Kevin Thomas. (CLANCY)

Bill to Expand Podiatry Scope Moving in the Senate
S.2019 (Jackson) to expand the scope of practice of podiatrists is on the Senate Higher Education Committee next week. MSSNY along with the New York State Society of Orthopedic Surgeons and several other specialty societies are opposed to this legislation. While the bill purports to make “technical changes” to the practice of podiatry, it actually has a far greater impact, including: Allowing those in training not to have direct/onsite supervision by another podiatrist or orthopaedic surgeon as they learn and practice ankle surgery; permitting ANY podiatrist to care for wounds above the foot and ankle that are not related to the patient’s original course of treatment; Lowering the threshold for education and training for those seeking advanced ankle surgery privileges in contrast with standards deemed acceptable by the State Department of Education and agreed upon by the professions; and authorize podiatrists to practice up to the knee and outside of their scope of practice. Physicians are urged to contact their Senators to oppose this legislation 518-455-2800. (AUSTER)

Bill to Allow Pharmacists to Perform Non-invasive Laboratory Tests
Legislation (S.2529, Rivera) that would allow pharmacists to perform non-invasive laboratory tests without physician coordination is on the Senate Health Committee. This measure would add pharmacists to the list of licensed health care professionals authorized under public health law to perform non-invasive laboratory tests as an adjunct to their professional services. MSSNY is opposed to this measure, as this measure does not provide the continuum of care that has become essential and expected in today’s medical practice, and would lead to siloed, rather than integrated care.

MSSNY is concerned that this legislation is a back-door attempt to allow for the establishment of the retail clinics within pharmacies and would undermine the development of physician-led “medical homes”. Physicians are encouraged to contact members of the Senate Health Committee by calling 518-455-2800. Senate committee members are: Senators Gustavo Rivera, Patrick Gallivan, Brian Benjamin, Alessandra Biaggi, Phil Boyle, Samra Brouk, Brad Hoylman, Todd Kaminsky, Rachel May, Peter Oberacker, Edward Rath, Sean Ryan, Julia Salazar, Daniel Stec, and Kevin Thomas. Its companion measure, A.3033, is in the Assembly Higher Education Committee. (CLANCY)

Preparing for Future Public Health Emergencies
Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Department of Health have announced a free online public health training course to help build public health awareness. The course was developed by Cornell University in partnership with New York State. The free course informs on public health preparedness, COVID-19, the vaccines and is an interesting and engaging tool to educate the public and empower more New Yorkers to be better informed with accurate information. Through this course, New Yorkers can become Citizen Public Health Leaders and serve as reliable sources in their family. (CLANCY)

eNews

DATE CHANGE: Social Media in Medicine is Now Wednesday, May 5 at 6 PM ET
MSSNY Vice President Parag H. Mehta, MD and MSSNY YPS Chair Daniel E. Choi, MD present Social Media in Medicine: A Beginners Guide for Physicians.
Register for Social Media Webinar

When: May 5, 2021 at 6:00 PM Eastern Time

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Topics Include:

Introduction to popular social media physician communities: #MedTwitter,
Instagram, YouTube, TikTok
How to establish a social media presence and grow your audience
Common terminology e.g. Twitter handle, hashtag
Scheduling posts
How social media can be harnessed for effective patient education, practice growth, and advocacy
Best ways to connect with patients and colleagues on social media
Pitfalls of social media as a physician
What not to do on social media

Scams Against Medical Professionals CME Webinar: Wednesday, April 21, 2021 at 6:00 PM
Join the Suffolk County Medical Society, Suffolk Academy of Medicine and
MLMIC Insurance Company on Wednesday, April 21, 2021 at 6:00 PM for this in-depth discussion on phishing, practice awareness, law enforcement procedures, preventative steps and more!

The goal of this webinar is to increase physician awareness of the opioid crisis and scammers impersonating DEA agents. The risks of security violations, privacy breaches, and cyberattacks presented by the expansion of health technology will also be analyzed.

Register for Scams Against Medical Professionals Webinar

Learning Objectives:

Review the mission of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Office of Diversion Control.
Recognize the converging coronavirus and opioid health crises.
Assess the prescription drug abuse problem in this country.
Describe the issue of scammers impersonating DEA agents and measures to best deter them.
Identify the security risks presented by healthcare technology.
Implement strategies to reduce risks of a privacy breach or cyberattack in healthcare.

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

MLMIC designates this live internet activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 CME Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the program.

Do You Know an Outstanding Physician? MSSNY Now Accepting Nominations for the Albion O. Bernstein, MD Award

“…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.

Deadline for applications is June 9, 2021. 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

CDC Health Alert: Cases of Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia after Receipt of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine
As of April 12, 2021, approximately 6.85 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine (Janssen) have been administered in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are reviewing data involving six U.S. cases of a rare type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the J&J COVID-19 vaccine that were reported to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS). In these cases, a type of blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) was seen in combination with low levels of blood platelets (thrombocytopenia).

All six cases occurred among women aged 18–48 years. The interval from vaccine receipt to symptom onset ranged from 6–13 days. One patient died. Providers should maintain a high index of suspension for symptoms that might represent serious thrombotic events or thrombocytopenia in patients who have recently received the J&J COVID-19 vaccine. When these specific type of blood clots are observed following J&J COVID-19 vaccination, treatment is different from the treatment that might typically be administered for blood clots. Based on studies conducted among the patients diagnosed with immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia after the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Europe, the pathogenesis of these rare and unusual adverse events after vaccination may be associated with platelet-activating antibodies against platelet factor-4 (PF4), a type of protein. Usually, the anticoagulant drug called heparin is used to treat blood clots. In this setting, the use of heparin may be harmful, and alternative treatments need to be given.

CDC will convene an emergency meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on Wednesday, April 14, 2021, to further review these cases and assess potential implications on vaccine policy. FDA will review that analysis as it also investigates these cases. Until that process is complete, CDC and FDA are recommending a pause in the use of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine out of an abundance of caution. The purpose of this Health Alert is, in part, to ensure that the healthcare provider community is aware of the potential for these adverse events and can provide proper management due to the unique treatment required with this type of blood clot.

Background

VAERS is a national passive surveillance system jointly managed by CDC and FDA that monitors adverse events after vaccinations. The six patients (after 6.85 million vaccine doses administered) described in these VAERS reports came to attention in the latter half of March and early April of 2021 and developed symptoms a median of 9 days (range = 6–13 days) after receiving the J&J COVID-19 vaccine. Initial presenting symptoms were notable for headache in five of six patients, and back pain in the sixth who subsequently developed a headache. One patient also had abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Four developed focal neurological symptoms (focal weakness, aphasia, visual disturbance) prompting presentation for emergency care. The median days from vaccination to hospital admission was 15 days (range = 10–17 days). All were eventually diagnosed with CVST by intracranial imaging; two patients were also diagnosed with splanchnic* and portal vein thrombosis.

Unusual for patients presenting with thrombotic events, all six patients showed evidence of thrombocytopenia (<150,000 platelets per microliter of blood), consistent with a condition known as thrombotic thrombocytopenia, with platelet nadir counts ranging from 10,000 to 127,000 during their hospitalizations. Four patients developed intraparenchymal brain hemorrhage and one subsequently died. All data presented in this HAN are preliminary and investigations of these VAERS reports are ongoing. The Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) project which includes experts in infectious disease and hematology are also reviewing these cases. To date, VAERS has received no reports of CVST with thrombocytopenia among persons who received either of the two mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines.

These reports following the J&J COVID-19 vaccine are similar to reports of thrombotic events with thrombocytopenia after receipt of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Europe. Both vaccines contain replication-incompetent adenoviral vectors (human [Ad26.COV2.S] for J&J and chimpanzee [ChAdOx1] for AstraZeneca) that encode the spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Based on studies conducted among the patients diagnosed with immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia after the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Europe, the pathogenesis of these rare and unusual adverse events may be associated with platelet-activating antibodies against platelet factor 4 (PF4). Anti-PF4, also known as heparin-PF4 antibody, can induce thrombotic thrombocytopenia in a small percentage of persons exposed to heparin. However, none of the cases reported from Europe had recent heparin exposure. As with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, the administration of the anticoagulant heparin should be avoided in patients with potential vaccine-associated immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), unless heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) testing is negative. Non-heparin anticoagulants and high-dose intravenous immune globulin should be considered in treatment of patients who present with immune-mediated thrombotic events with thrombocytopenia after J&J COVID-19 vaccination. Consultation with hematology specialists is strongly recommended.

* The term ‘splanchnic circulation’ describes the blood flow to the abdominal gastrointestinal organs including the stomach, liver, spleen, pancreas, small intestine, and large intestine.

Recommendations
For Clinicians

Pause the use of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine until the ACIP is able to further review these CVST cases in the context of thrombocytopenia and assess their potential significance.
Maintain a high index of suspension for symptoms that might represent serious thrombotic events or thrombocytopenia in patients who have recently received the J&J COVID-19 vaccine, including severe headache, backache, new neurologic symptoms, severe abdominal pain, shortness of breath, leg swelling, petechiae (tiny red spots on the skin), or new or easy bruising. Obtain platelet counts and screen for evidence of immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia.
In patients with a thrombotic event and thrombocytopenia after the J&J COVID-19 vaccine, evaluate initially with a screening PF4 enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) assay as would be performed for autoimmune HIT. Consultation with a hematologist is strongly recommended.
Do not treat patients with thrombotic events and thrombocytopenia following receipt of J&J COVID-19 vaccine with heparin, unless HIT testing is negative.
If HIT testing is positive or unable to be performed in patient with thrombotic events and thrombocytopenia following receipt of J&J COVID-19 vaccine, non-heparin anticoagulants and high-dose intravenous immune globulin should be strongly considered.
Report adverse events to VAERS, including serious and life-threatening adverse events and deaths in patients following receipt of COVID-19 vaccines as required under the Emergency Use Authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines.

For Public Health

Pause the use of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine in public health clinics until the ACIP is able to further review these CVST cases in the context of thrombocytopenia and assess their potential significance.
Encourage healthcare providers and the public to report all serious and life-threatening adverse events and deaths following receipt of COVID-19 vaccines to VAERS as required under the EUAs for COVID-19 vaccines.
Disseminate this alert to healthcare providers in your jurisdictions.

For the Public

If you have received the J&J COVID-19 vaccine and develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination, contact your healthcare provider, or seek medical care.
Report adverse events following receipt of any COVID-19 vaccine to VAERS.
If you are scheduled to receive the J&J vaccine, please contact your healthcare provider, vaccination location, or clinic to learn about additional vaccine availability.

For More Information

Frequently asked questions about VAERS reporting for COVID-19 vaccines

CDC Identifies About 5,800 Breakthrough Cases of COVID-19 Infection Among Americans Who Have Been Fully Vaccinated
The Wall Street Journal reports the CDC has identified about 5,800 breakthrough cases of COVID-19 infection among more than 66 million Americans who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Based on this data, the CDC says breakthrough cases of infection occur in 0.008% of people who have been fully vaccinated.

Education

COVID-19 Medicare Part B Advanced Payment, Repayment and Recoupment Process
If you requested accelerated or advanced payments from Medicare due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, this learning session is for you. CMS expanded the accelerated and advance payment program for financial hardship relief during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Accelerated or advanced payments need to be repaid to the Medicare Trust Fund. During this webinar, we will review the repayment and recoupment process and address your questions.

Register here

MSSNY Medical Matters Program on Mental Health of Children and Teens During COVID
Registration now open
Medical Matters: COVID-19 & Mental Health of Children and Teens
Date: April 21, 2021 @ 7:30am

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental health of the entire population. Learn more about how children and teens have been affected by registering for Medical Matters: COVID-19 & Mental Health of Children and Teens. This webinar will take place on Wednesday, April 21^st at 7:30 am. Linda Chokroverty, MD will serve as faculty for this program. Click here to register for this webinar.

Educational objectives

Identify normal stressors impacting children and teens and those that have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic
Examine what is known so far about the mental health impact of COVID-19 on children and teens
Describe resources to assist children and teens during the COVID-19 pandemic
Appraise the scope of COVID-19’s long term mental health impact on children and teens

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 this 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. (HOFFMAN)

Veterans Matters: Military Culture: Everything Physicians Need to Know about Veterans as Patients Webinar

Registration Now Open

Thursday, April 22^nd @ 7:30 am

The Medical Society of the State of New York is hosting a Continuing Medical Education (CME) program entitled Veterans Matters: Military Culture: Everything Physicians Need to Know about Veterans as Patients live webinar on Thursday, April 22, 2021 at 7:30 am.

Click HERE to register for the program! View the program flyer HERE.

When: April 22, 2021 at 7:30 am
Faculty: Lt. Colonel Lance Allen Wang (Ret.) & Sharran Chambers-Murphy, Desert Storm-era Veteran

Educational Objectives:

Describe the unique aspects of military culture and how they impact patients who are veterans;
Explain the Dwyer Peer-to-Peer program as a resource to assist veteran patients re-acclimating from a group to an individual mentality; and
Review and identify resources to improve physician’s ability to fully treat veterans who are transitioning back to civilian life.

For more information, contact Jangmu Sherpa at jsherpa@mssny.org or call (518) 465-8085.

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 this 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. (SHERPA)

Webinar for Physicians Applying to PCF Model on April 31
Physicians considering applying for the PCF model to start in 2022 are invited to register now for a webinar to be offered Tuesday, April 13, from 6:00-7:00 pm ET by the American Medical Association, American College of Physicians, American Academy of Family Physicians, and the CMS Innovation Center. PCF is open to medical practices that provide primary care services in 26 regions across the country, with an application deadline of April 31, 2021.

The live webinar will allow participants to hear from CMS and medical society experts about the model and how participation could affect their practice revenues. Additional details, including the request for applications, a map of the 26 regions, and lists of the practices and other payors that are participating as part of the 2021 cohort are available on the CMS Primary Care First website.

MSSNY Veterans Matters Program: Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) in Veterans Webinar
Registration Now Open – Wednesday, May 12^th @ 7:30 am

The Medical Society of the State of New York is hosting a Continuing Medical Education (CME) program entitled Veterans Matters: Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) in Veterans live webinar on Wednesday, May 12, 2021 at 7:30 am.

Click HERE to register for the program! View the program flyer HERE

When: May 12, 2021 at 7:30 am
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

For more information, contact Jangmu Sherpa at jsherpa@mssny.org or call (518) 465-8085.

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.

Classifieds

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 Christina Southard 516-488-6100 x355 • fax 516-488-2188

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

Allergy Practice For Sale, Forest Hills, NY
Founded in 1988, this well-established Single Practitioner Allergy Practice has over 3500 active patients, with very positive patient reviews. The office is only one of a few in the area, but patients are seen from throughout the NYC Metropolitan Area, as well as Long Island. Potential for growth. Centrally located next to major public transportation. Retirement planned. Lease is assignable. Well-trained, extremely personable staff of three, including a Registered Nurse. Payer mix85% private, 10% Medicare 5% other. Email any questions to:allergydoctorbn@gmail.com

NYS Jobs Logo Review Vacancy

Date Posted: 03/23/21 Applications Due: 04/06/21 Vacancy ID: 85272

Position Information

Agency	Health, Department of
Title	Health Program Director 2 -TBD
Occupational Category	Other Professional Careers
Salary Grade	665
Bargaining Unit	M/C – Management / Confidential (Unrepresented)
Salary Range	From $122092 to $154253 Annually
Employment Type	Full-Time
Appointment Type	Permanent
Jurisdictional Class	Non-competitive Class
Travel Percentage	10%

Schedule

Workweek

Hours Per Week

Mon-Fri

37.5

Workday

From	8:30 AM
To	4:30 PM
Flextime allowed?	No
Mandatory overtime?	No
Compressed workweek allowed?	No
Telecommuting allowed?	No

Location

County	Albany
Street Address	CCH; Division of Family Health Corning Tower, ESP
City	Albany
State	NY
Zip Code	12237

Job Specifics

Minimum Qualifications

MSSNY Ad Rates

MSSNY eNews: April 7, 2021 – We Thank Assembly/ Senate Efforts to Stop Healthcare Cuts

April 7, 2021 admin

MSSNY Thanks Assembly and Senate Efforts to Stop Health Care Cuts
“In adopting the 2021-22 State Budget, physicians thank the New York State Assembly and Senate leadership for their efforts to restore numerous steep health care cuts that had been advanced in the Executive Budget, and the Governor for agreeing with the restoration of these cuts.

Because the COVID pandemic has caused historic drops in patient visits and revenue for physicians over the last year, there could not have been a worse time to cut Medicaid as well as other essential programs that help to preserve patient access to needed care such as the Excess Medical Malpractice Insurance Program.

Physicians also appreciate the collective efforts of the Governor and Legislature to enhance other programs that provide needed health insurance coverage to New Yorkers, including the Essential Plan. We look forward to working with the Senate, Assembly and Governor in additional collaborative efforts to ensure New Yorkers receive the care they need.”

State Budget Finalized
This week the Legislature was completing passage of a $212 billion Budget package that produced several “victories” for organized medicine following months of extensive advocacy by MSSNY working together with county and specialty medical societies. These issues include:

Excess Malpractice Insurance Program Extended

The final State Budget provides full funding for an additional year for the Excess Medical Malpractice Insurance program, which provides 17,000 physicians with a bonus $1 million/$3 million layer of liability insurance above the primary layer purchased by a physician. The State Budget restores the proposed $51 million cut in program funding and deleted an Executive Budget proposal strongly opposed by MSSNY to impose a 50% physician cost share requirement, which would have resulted in the imposition of thousands to tens of thousands of dollars of new costs on these 17,000 enrolled physicians.

Physician Due Process Protected

The final State Budget deleted several provisions proposed in the Executive Budget and opposed by MSSNY to substantially curtail physician due process rights when a complaint has been filed against them with the OPMC. The adverse provisions that were deleted included permitting the Commissioner to publicly disclose information regarding a complaint filed against a physician and creating a nebulous standard for imposing a summary suspension prior to the conclusion of disciplinary proceedings.

Pharmacy Scope Changes Rejected

The final State Budget deleted several provisions opposed by MSSNY that would have expanded the scope of pharmacists, including proposals to greatly expand the physician-pharmacy Collaborative Drug Therapy program, permitted pharmacist self-ordering of lab tests, and significantly expanded the number of the immunizations that can be performed by pharmacists.

Essential Plan Enhancements

The final Budget contains provisions supported by MSSNY to eliminate the premium requirements for the over 800,000 New Yorkers enrolled in the State’s Essential Plan, as well as providing bonus pool funding for physicians and other care providers participating with these plans.

Protect Ability to Apply for E-Prescribing Waivers

The final State Budget deletes the Executive Budget proposal opposed by MSSNY to eliminate the ability for physicians and other prescribers to apply for a year-to-year waiver of e-prescribing requirements (availed by over 2,000 prescribers across the State of New York).

Protect Medicaid “Prescriber Prevails”

The final Budget deletes the Executive Budget proposal opposed by MSSNY to remove the statutory protection for the prescriber’s determination (not State Medicaid’s) to prevail for a medication prescribed to a patient covered by Medicaid.

No-Fault De-credentialing Rejected

The final Budget deletes the Executive Budget proposal MSSNY had raised concerns with to expand the power of the Superintendent of Financial Services to prohibit certain physicians from submitting claims for No-Fault services.

Addressing Cuts to MSSNY’s Committee for Physicians Health

The final Budget restored the proposed $198,000 cut to MSSNY’s Committee for Physicians Health.

Telehealth Expansion

The final State Budget includes an expansion of site locations where telehealth services can both provided and received. Importantly, it deletes a provision opposed by MSSNY advocacy that would have established an “interstate compact” of out of state health professionals to provide health care services to New York patients. Unfortunately, the final Budget also did not include “parity” for the payment of telehealth services.

Ensure Collaborative Practice by Nurse Practitioners with Physicians

The final Budget includes a provision to extend for an additional year – until June 30, 2022 – the existing law permitting certain nurse practitioners to practice without a written collaborative agreement with a physician provided they have proof of “collaborative arrangements” with physicians in the same specialty practiced by the NP. MSSNY has advocated for much stronger collaboration requirements for nurse practitioners in order to protect patients, however, with the sunset of the existing law coming up in two months, legislation (A.1535/S.3056) has also been introduced and strongly opposed by MSSNY that would repeal the requirements to even maintain proof of these collaborative arrangements. (DIVISION OF GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS)

Governor Announces Committee to Help Build Monument to Essential Workers
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced “the creation of the Essential Workers Advisory Committee to provide design input and recommendations for a monument in New York City honoring the service and sacrifice of New York’s essential workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.” The committee “will advise on design, location, and installation of the new monument,” which will honor physicians, nurses, hospital staff, EMTs, and other groups of essential workers.

MSSNY President Dr. Bonnie Litvack has been named as one of the committee’s members.

NY Residents at Least 16 Years Old are Now Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccines
New York residents who are at least 16 years old are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccines. Teenagers who are 16 or 17 years old will receive the Pfizer vaccine, because it is currently the only one authorized for use in that population.

SUNY announced plans to offer vaccines to tens of thousands of college students before they head home for the summer. The state’s public university system is moving to vaccinate students who are living on campus before they leave for summer break. The program launched days after private universities, such as Cornell University in Ithaca and Rutgers University in New Jersey, announced they would require vaccines for students returning to campus in the fall, with medical and religious exemptions.

SUNY has not announced a system-wide requirement to get vaccinated. The program will launch by distributing more than 18,000 Johnson & Johnson vaccines to 34 campuses, with distribution to more campuses in the coming weeks. (Politico, 4/6).

A Third of COVID-19 Survivors Receive a Diagnosis for Psychiatric or Neurological Illness Within Six Months of Their Infection, Research Suggests
The study published in Lancet Psychiatry reports that a study found that “six months after being diagnosed with Covid-19, 1 in 3 patients also had experienced a psychiatric or neurological illness.” While “anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders were most common,” investigators “also found worrying, if lower, rates of serious neurological complications, especially in patients who had been severely ill with Covid-19.” The data also indicated that “compared to control groups of people who had the flu or other non-Covid respiratory infections, first-ever neuropsychiatric diagnoses were almost twice as high.”

The study, which analyzed health records of more than 236,000 patients with COVID-19, “was not able to determine the biological or psychological mechanisms involved…said” Max Taquet, who co-led the research.

Office of Cannabis Management Website Offers Names of Cannabis Practitioners
New Yorkers can now visit a website to learn about the Office of Cannabis Management and other changes that took effect under a new law legalizing adult-use, recreational marijuana, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday. Key context: The Cuomo administration launched the website for the state Office of Cannabis Management, which will oversee licensing, cultivation, production, distribution, and sales of New York’s recreational and medical marijuana markets, as well as cannabinoid hemp.

It comes just days after the governor signed the “Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act,” which legalized cannabis for adult, recreational use in the state. Details: The website provides information on the new office’s regulatory structure and resources for New Yorkers seeking medical cannabis practitioners, caregivers, and medical cannabis IDs. It also offers information for businesses seeking licensure in the adult-use and cannabinoid hemp industries.

AMA Survey: Physicians Experienced Little Relief from Prior Authorization in Late 2020 as COVID-19 cases soared
CHICAGO – As new cases of COVID-19 in the United States were peaking in late 2020, most physicians reported that health plans continued to impose bureaucratic prior authorization policies that delay access to necessary care and sometimes result in serious harm to patients, according to new survey results issued today by the American Medical Association (AMA).

“As the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, some commercial health insurers temporarily relaxed prior authorization requirements to reduce administrative burdens and support rapid patient access to needed drugs, tests and treatments,” said AMA President Susan R. Bailey, M.D. “By the end of 2020, as the U.S. health system was strained with record numbers of new COVID-19 cases per week, the AMA found that most physicians were facing strict authorization hurdles that delayed patients’ access to needed care.”

According to the AMA survey, almost 70% of 1,000 practicing physicians surveyed in Dec. 2020 reported that health insurers had either reverted to past prior authorizations policies or never relaxed these policies in the first place. More than nine in 10 physicians (94%) reported care delays while waiting for health insurers to authorize necessary care, and nearly four in five physicians (79%) said patients abandon treatment due to authorization struggles with health insurers.

“Delayed and disrupted treatment due to an archaic prior authorization process can have life-or-death consequences for patients, especially during a public health emergency,” said Dr. Bailey. “This hard-learned lesson from the current crisis must guide a reexamination of administrative burdens imposed by health insurers, often without any justification.”

Nearly one-third (30%) of physicians reported that prior authorization requirements have led to a serious adverse event for a patient in their care, according to the AMA survey. More specifically, prior authorization requirements led to the following repercussions for patients:

Patient hospitalization – reported by 21% of physicians
Life-threatening event or intervention to prevent permanent impairment or damage – reported by 18% of physicians
Disability or permanent bodily damage, congenital anomaly, birth defect, or death – reported by 9% of physicians

While the health insurance industry says prior authorization criteria reflect evidence-based medicine, the physician experience casts doubt on the credibility of this claim. Only 15% of physicians reported that prior authorization criteria were often or always based on evidence-based medicine.

Other critical physician concerns highlighted in the AMA survey include:

Nine in 10 physicians (90%) reported that prior authorizations programs have a negative impact on patient clinical outcomes.
A significant majority of physicians (85%) said the burdens associated with prior authorization were high or extremely high.
Medical practices complete an average of 40 prior authorizations per physician, per week, which consume the equivalent of two business days (16 hours) of physician and staff time.
To keep up with the administrative burden, two out of five physicians (40 %) employ staff members who work exclusively on tasks associated with prior authorization. (AMA, April 7).

Education

NGS Ed Session on Start of the Return of Accelerated Advanced Medicare Payments

Register here.

Medicare Part A

Apr 08, 2021 3:00 p.m ET – 4:00 p.m ET

Webinar

Updates for Accelerated and Advanced Payments Program

During this session, we will review the revised repayment and recoupment process and provide the latest updates on the Accelerated and Advanced Payments program. If your facility received an accelerated or advanced payment from Medicare due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, then attending this webinar will provide the most current information from CMS.

Medicare Part B

Apr 15, 2021 10:00 a.m ET – 11:00 a.m ET

Webinar

COVID-19 Medicare Part B Advanced Payment, Repayment and Recoupment Process

If you requested accelerated or advanced payments from Medicare due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, this learning session is for you. CMS expanded the accelerated and advance payment program for financial hardship relief during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Accelerated or advanced payments need to be repaid to the Medicare Trust Fund. During this webinar, we will review the repayment and recoupment process and address your questions.

Educational objectives

Identify normal stressors impacting children and teens and those that have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic
Examine what is known so far about the mental health impact of COVID-19 on children and teens
Describe resources to assist children and teens during the COVID-19 pandemic
Appraise the scope of COVID-19’s long term mental health impact on children and teens

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.

Veterans Matters: Military Culture: Everything Physicians Need to Know about Veterans as Patients Webinar

Registration Now Open

Thursday, April 22^nd @ 7:30 am

Click HERE to register for the program! View the program flyer HERE.

When: April 22, 2021 at 7:30 am
Faculty: Lt. Colonel Lance Allen Wang (Ret.) & Sharran Chambers-Murphy, Desert Storm-era Veteran

Educational Objectives:

Describe the unique aspects of military culture and how they impact patients who are veterans;
Explain the Dwyer Peer-to-Peer program as a resource to assist veteran patients re-acclimating from a group to an individual mentality; and
Review and identify resources to improve physician’s ability to fully treat veterans who are transitioning back to civilian life.

For more information, contact Jangmu Sherpa at jsherpa@mssny.org or call (518) 465-8085.

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.

April 24 Meeting Young Physicians, Residents/Fellows and Medical Students
A virtual joint meeting of the Young Physicians, Residents/Fellows and the Medical Students Sections is being planned for the afternoon of Saturday, April 24. Please mark your calendars and watch E-News and your mailboxes for more details as they become available. If you have any questions, please contact Kathy Rohrer at krohrer@mssny.org.

CMS Starts Recouping Accelerated, Advance Medicare Payments
The agency has begun recoupment of accelerated and advance Medicare payments from providers who borrowed the emergency funds one year ago to battle COVID-19.

CMS has started recouping Medicare payments it fronted to healthcare providers last year during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a recent MLN Matters newsletter, the agency stated that it has begun recovering the payments through the COVID-19 Accelerated and Advance Payments (CAAP) on March 30, 2021, and will continue recoupment depending on the one year anniversary of when providers received their first payment.

“Please be sure your billing staff are aware that the recovery has begun, or will begin soon but no sooner than 1 year from the date we issued the CAAP to you,” CMS said in the newsletter.

Lawmakers expanded Medicare’s Accelerated and Advance Payments Program through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act last March. The program distributed a total of $100 billion to hospitals and other types of providers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic by May 2020.

CMS has the authority to provide upfront Medicare payments to providers in the event of a national emergency or natural disaster “in order to accelerate cash flow to the impacted health care providers and suppliers.” The payments are meant to support providers during the claim submission or processing disruption.

CMS Amends Repayment Terms for Accelerated, Advance Payments

Providers who accept the payments, however, do have to repay CMS, and the agency can hold back future Medicare reimbursements to the provider until the upfront payments are recouped.

These providers were originally scheduled to start repayment of the Medicare payments made in advance during the COVID-19 pandemic in August 2020. But CMS and lawmakers through the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act (P.L. 116-159) extended original repayment timelines in light of the ongoing struggles stemming from the pandemic.

During the recoupment period, CMS will hold back a portion of new Medicare claims from providers—25 percent during the first 11 months of recoupment and 50 percent during the six months—until the payments advanced last year are recouped.

Providers are required to have paid back the advanced payments in full 20 months after they received the first payment. If they fail to do so, CMS will charge interest of four percent on the remaining balance.

FAH Wants More Time, Lower Rates on Advance Medicare Payments

The recoupment terms are more favorable to providers thanks to the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act and other legislation. Usually, providers have a shorter time until recoupment and CMS would hold back full future Medicare reimbursements until the loan was paid off.

The interest rate is also typically about 10 percent for all remaining balances after the recoupment period.

But healthcare providers are still concerned about repaying CMS for the upfront Medicare reimbursements as their organizations continue to face significant challenges with COVID-19. (REVCYCLE Intelligence)

Award Nominations Open

The Medical Society of the State of New York is accepting nominations for the 2020 Albion O. Bernstein, MD Award. This prestigious award is given to:

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.

To request an application, please contact:

Classifieds

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 Christina Southard 516-488-6100 x355 • fax 516-488-2188

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

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Two Offices Available for Rent in Established SoHo Primary Care Practice
Newly constructed loft space. Dedicated private waiting area available. This space is ideal for individual psychiatry, psychology, social work, physical therapy, or acupuncture services. Potential to work with existing Primary Care Practice as a referral source. Centrally located in the heart of SoHo, close to all subways. Available 7 days/week. Contact: SpringPrimaryCare@gmail.com.

For Rent Medical Office 800 2^nd Ave, 806
FOR RENT 800 2nd Avenue, 806 – Fully built out Medical office ready for use – reception area; 2 office/ consultation rooms; 4 examination rooms with plumbing; 1 sterilization room or pantry; 1 file/ nurse room, Total 8 rooms. All examination rooms are set up with plumbing and cabinetry. 24/7 doorman/ Elevators. Central location, Grand Central Station, buses Subways. Rent: $65 per Rentable Sq Ft; Sq Ft: 1,482 Rentable; Gross Lease. Showings or video contact Maya – Broker – maya@mallannyhomes.com or mobile 646-258-4460 listing information http://www.mallannyhomes.com/properties/detail/800-second-avenue-806/

Two (2) Prime Commercial Spaces
Two (2) affordable office spaces available for immediate occupancy. Located in Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn, surrounded by multiple co-ops and private homes. Space can be viewed at your convenience. Price negotiable. Call: Avi 212-736-3680 ext. 15

NYS Jobs Logo Review Vacancy

Date Posted: 03/23/21 Applications Due: 04/06/21 Vacancy ID: 85272

Position Information

Agency	Health, Department of
Title	Health Program Director 2 -TBD
Occupational Category	Other Professional Careers
Salary Grade	665
Bargaining Unit	M/C – Management / Confidential (Unrepresented)
Salary Range	From $122092 to $154253 Annually
Employment Type	Full-Time
Appointment Type	Permanent
Jurisdictional Class	Non-competitive Class
Travel Percentage	10%

Schedule

Workweek

Hours Per Week

Mon-Fri

37.5

Workday

From	8:30 AM
To	4:30 PM
Flextime allowed?	No
Mandatory overtime?	No
Compressed workweek allowed?	No
Telecommuting allowed?	No

Location

County	Albany
Street Address	CCH; Division of Family Health Corning Tower, ESP
City	Albany
State	NY
Zip Code	12237

Job Specifics

Minimum Qualifications

MSSNY Ad Rates

MSSNY eNews: March 31, 2021 – Gov. Legalizes Recreational Marijuana

March 29, 2021 admin

Gov. Cuomo Signs Bill to Legalize Recreational Use of Marijuana in New York
Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill legalizing recreational marijuana into law today. The bill passed by the Senate and Assembly yesterday will create a regulatory system to oversee the cannabis industry, allow limited home growth cannabis as well as expunging an untold number of criminal records. Here is the link to the statement by Governor Cuomo regarding the signing of this legislation into law: Governor Cuomo Signs Legislation Legalizing Adult-Use Cannabis

Many groups including MSSNY, the NYSPTA, NYS Association of County Public Health officials and various law enforcement associations had raised concerns about the need for additional research into legalized marijuana and the effects on physical and mental health. NY lawmakers legalize recreational marijuana. What to know.

Legal sales of adult use marijuana will be permitted sometime in 2022, though prior to 2022 cities, towns and villages can pass a resolution to prohibit dispensaries and social consumption locations within their municipality.

Note: We will provide a more comprehensive summary in this week’s Capital Update.

Now, New Yorkers Age 30 and Older Can Get Vaccine
New York State will expand coronavirus vaccine eligibility for those age 30 years and older starting on Tuesday, Governor Cuomo announced on Monday. Vaccine eligibility will be universal by April 6, and then will then increase to those age 16 and older the following week, Cuomo said. It became one of the last U.S. states to take that step.

“Today we take a monumental step in the fight to beat COVID,” the governor said in a statement. “As we continue to expand eligibility, New York will double down on making the vaccine accessible for every community to ensure equity, particularly for communities of color who are too often left behind.”

Gov. Cuomo Today: NYS Progress During COVID-19; State Vaccination Program

COVID hospitalizations rose to 4,715. Of the 151,437 tests reported yesterday, 6,488, or 4.23 percent, were positive. The 7-day average positivity rate was 3.43 percent. There were 903 patients in ICU yesterday, up 13 from the previous day. Of them, 523 are intubated. Sadly, we lost 61 New Yorkers to the virus.

As of 11am this morning, 29.9 percent of New Yorkers have completed at least one vaccine dose. Over the past 24 hours, 172,128 total doses have been administered. To date, New York administered 9,229,098 total doses with 17.3 percent of New Yorkers completing their vaccine series. See data by region and county on the State’s Vaccine Tracker: gov/vaccinetracker.
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Collegiate sports can bring fans back to the stands under strict state guidelines beginning April 2. Intercollegiate sports at large-scale venues that hold more than 1,500 attendees indoors or 2,500 attendees outdoors can host up to 10 percent indoor or 20 percent outdoor capacity. All attendees must present proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test result or completed COVID-19 immunization prior to entry. Colleges and universities hosting spectators for sporting events at large-scale venues must notify and coordinate with their respective state or local health department, aligning with the state guidance for professional sports competitions with spectators.

Become a New York State Citizen Public Health Leader
To continue the fight against COVID and prepare for the next public health emergency, the State launched a free, online Citizen Public Health Training course for New Yorkers, in partnership with Cornell University and supported by the State University of New York. This program will prepare and equip New Yorkers to become Citizen Public Health Leaders and build an informed network of community health leaders across the state. Enroll today.

Pfizer: Vaccine 100% Effective in Preventing COVID-19 in Adolescents
Pfizer said March 31 its COVID-19 vaccine was well tolerated and 100 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 in a phase 3 clinical trial involving 2,260 adolescents ages 12 to 15. Eighteen COVID-19 cases were observed in the 1,129 trial participants who received a placebo, while none were observed in the 1,131 participants who were vaccinated.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said the drug maker plans to submit the new data to the FDA in the coming weeks as a proposed amendment to the vaccine’s emergency use authorization, with hopes that the age group can start getting vaccinated before the next school year begins.

Congressional Action to Extend 2% Sequester Reduction Suspension
In anticipation of possible Congressional action to extend the 2% sequester reduction suspension, we instructed the Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to hold all claims with dates of service on or after April 1, 2021, for a short period without affecting providers’ cash flow.

This will minimize the volume of claims the MACs must reprocess if Congress extends the suspension; the MACs will automatically reprocess any claims paid with the reduction applied if necessary.

CARECLIX Telehealth: MSSNY Member Benefit
Chronic condition management and tele-behavioral health will remain staples of telemedicine practice. Six of every ten Americans has at least one chronic condition or disease, and one in five is diagnosed with a mental disorder every year. In addition to these two fundamentals, providers who serve their patients through CareClix are already part of a new hybrid healthcare delivery model.

This new model combines the best of telemedicine and facility-based care, moving as much chronic condition and disease management as possible to home-based health. It also expands telemedicine’s patient reach to more conditions and delivery options.

Just of few of the growth opportunities for telemedicine are:

Managing heart conditions like chronic pulmonary diseases, congestive heart failure, and strokes.
Partnering with providers transitioning to hospital-at-home care for some patients with acute conditions.
Providing virtual urgent care with triaging capability and emergency department transfer as needed.
Specialized medicine applications in oncology, pediatrics, radiology, pathology, and dermatology.
Increased integration of deep learning artificial intelligence with patient electronic health records and other data to predictively identify patients more at risk for complications requiring hospital readmission.
Improved at-home medical equipment to better monitor blood glucose levels, blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature, as well as applications that can make better use of the highly capable cameras many patients have built into their smartphones.
build or improve their telemedicine services ensure they will remain competitive in value-based and increasingly home-based healthcare delivery today and in the future.

Introduction to CareClix Video

To learn more about the CareClix RPM program: careclix.com/remote-patient-monitoring/
To implement telemedicine for your practice visit: careclix.com/provider-signup/
Have questions? Contact us at sales@careclix.com

Optum Pay Improves Payment Program, But Practices Must Act Soon to Avoid Fees
In response to strong concerns from the AMA, many state medical associations and national specialty medical societies, and individual physician practices, Optum Pay modified its electronic payment program to provide downloadable remittance information and up to 13 months of payment data for UnitedHealthcare (UHC) claims at no cost through its basic service option. Previously, Optum Pay had required enrollment in its premium program, which assessed a 0.5% per payment fee, to continue access to this critical information for effective revenue cycle management.

Unfortunately, practices remain limited to only two users in the Optum system through the basic, free option; Optum Pay is evaluating this issue, and the AMA will continue to advocate that practices be allowed unlimited users at no cost.

Practices may have been enrolled in a free trial of the Optum Pay premium program. To avoid incurring a 0.5% per payment fee for UHC claims, practices should cancel their Optum Pay premium enrollment by March 31, 2021. For more information on these Optum Pay changes and for instructions on how to cancel premium enrollment, visit the UHC provider website.

WEBINARS

Please Join the NYS Department of Health
Thursday, April 1^st at 1 – 2 PM for a COVID-19 Update for Healthcare providers

To accommodate the large number of participants, find our webinar streaming via YouTube Live (and available for viewing immediately thereafter) on the NYSDOH COVID website for providers:

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/weekly-healthcare-provider-update

Audio number and code: 844-512-2950 Access code 5972742#

Registration Now Open!
Veterans Matters: Military Culture: Everything Physicians Need to Know about Veterans as Patients Webinar
Thursday, April 22^nd @ 7:30 am

Click HERE to register for the program! View the program flyer HERE.

When: April 22, 2021, at 7:30 am
Faculty: Lt. Colonel Lance Allen Wang (Ret.) & Sharran Chambers-Murphy, Desert Storm-era Veteran

Educational Objectives:

Describe the unique aspects of military culture and how they impact patients who are veterans
Explain the Dwyer Peer-to-Peer program as a resource to assist veteran patients re-acclimating from a group to an individual mentality
Review and identify resources to improve physician’s ability to fully treat veterans who are transitioning back to civilian life.

For more information, contact Jangmu Sherpa at jsherpa@mssny.org or call (518) 465-8085.

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 this 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.

AWARD NOMINATIONS OPEN

The Medical Society of the State of New York is accepting nominations for the 2020 Albion O. Bernstein, MD Award. This prestigious award is given to:

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.

To request an application, please contact:

DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS: June 9, 2021

Dr. Lorna Breen MD
Health Care Provider Protection Act (S. 610/H.R. 1667)

March 25, 2021
The Honorable Tim Kaine The Honorable Todd Young
U.S. Senate U.S. Senate
231 Russell Senate Office Building 185 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Susan Wild The Honorable David McKinley
U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives
1027 Longworth House Office Building 2239 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515 Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Senators Kaine and Young and Representatives Wild and McKinley:

On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we would like to thank you for introducing the “Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act” (S. 610/H.R. 1667). This bipartisan, bicameral legislation will help reduce and prevent mental and behavioral health conditions, suicide, and burnout, as well as increase access to evidence-based treatment for physicians, medical students, and other health care professionals, especially those who continue to be overwhelmed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The stigma surrounding mental illness is a well-known barrier to seeking care among the general population, but it can have an even stronger impact among health care professionals. For most physicians and other clinicians, seeking treatment for mental health sparks legitimate fear of resultant loss of licensure, loss of income, or other meaningful career setbacks as a result of ongoing stigma. Such fears have deterred them from accessing necessary mental health care, leaving many to suffer in silence, or worse. In fact, physicians have a significantly higher risk of dying by suicide than the general public.

Ensuring clinicians can freely seek mental health treatment and services without fear of professional setback means their mental health care needs can be resolved, rather than hidden away and suffered through. Furthermore, optimal clinician mental health is essential to ensuring that patients have a strong and capable health care workforce to provide the care they need and deserve.

To ensure patient access to medically necessary care can be maintained, it is vital that we work to preserve and protect the health of our medical workforce. Your legislation will help establish grants for training health profession students, residents, or health care professionals to reduce and prevent suicide, burnout, substance use disorders, and other mental health conditions; identify and disseminate best practices for reducing and preventing suicide and burnout among health care professionals; establish a national education and awareness campaign to encourage health care workers to seek support and treatment; establish grants for employee education, peer-support programming, and mental and behavioral health treatment; and commission a federal study into health care professional mental health and burnout, as well as barriers to seeking appropriate care.

Thank you again for your leadership on this important issue and for introducing this legislation. We look forward to working with you to ensure the “Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act” is signed into law.

Sincerely,

American College of Emergency Physicians
American Academy of Dermatology Association
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Neurology
American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Association of Clinical Urologists
American Association of Neurological Surgeons
American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons
American College of Cardiology
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
American College of Radiology
American College of Rheumatology
American College of Surgeons
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
American Gastroenterological Association
American Medical Association
American Medical Group Association
American Nurses Association
American Osteopathic Association
American Psychiatric Association
American Society of Anesthesiologists
Association for Clinical Oncology
Association of American Medical Colleges
Congress of Neurological Surgeons
Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation
Emergency Nurses Association
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Association of Spine Specialists
Physicians Advocacy Institute
Renal Physicians Association
Society for Vascular Surgery
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Renal Physicians Association
Society for Vascular Surgery
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Classifieds

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 Christina Southard 516-488-6100 x355 • fax 516-488-2188

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

NYS Jobs Logo Review Vacancy

Date Posted: 03/23/21 Applications Due: 04/06/21 Vacancy ID: 85272

Position Information

Agency	Health, Department of
Title	Health Program Director 2 -TBD
Occupational Category	Other Professional Careers
Salary Grade	665
Bargaining Unit	M/C – Management / Confidential (Unrepresented)
Salary Range	From $122092 to $154253 Annually
Employment Type	Full-Time
Appointment Type	Permanent
Jurisdictional Class	Non-competitive Class
Travel Percentage	10%

Schedule

Workweek

Hours Per Week

Mon-Fri

37.5

Workday

From	8:30 AM
To	4:30 PM
Flextime allowed?	No
Mandatory overtime?	No
Compressed workweek allowed?	No
Telecommuting allowed?	No

Location

County	Albany
Street Address	CCH; Division of Family Health Corning Tower, ESP
City	Albany
State	NY
Zip Code	12237

Job Specifics

Minimum Qualifications

MSSNY Ad Rates

MSSNY eNews: March 10, 2021 – Taking Toll on Physician Practices

March 8, 2021 admin

NYC Kids Who Attended School Did Not Have Higher Infection Rates—But Teachers Did
Students attending New York City public schools last year did not experience a higher prevalence or incidence of Covid-19 infection compared with the general community, according to a new study published Tuesday in the journal Pediatrics, although school staff had an elevated risk of infection relative to other NYC adults.

Congress Completes Passage of $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Package
Today, the US House of Representatives completed passage of the $1.9 billion stimulus package that had been passed by the US Senate this weekend. Among the many important health care related provisions of this package include:

increasing the Affordable Care Act premium subsidies for two years for low- and middle-income Americans, or those making up to 400 % of the federal poverty level. The bill also adjusts subsidies for people who make more than 400% of the poverty level to make sure that nobody pays more than 8.5% of their income for coverage.
Providing 100% coverage of a consumer’s COBRA coverage costs through September
Extending from 60 days to 1 year Medicaid coverage for a woman after the birth of a child where eligibility was based upon the pregnancy.
$12.5 billion in direct aid to the New York State government to help potentially offset steep Budget cuts and program revisions that had been proposed in the January Executive Budget
$ 4 billion to support/enhance vaccine delivery and Covid testing in New York State.

Please remain alert for further comprehensive updates regarding this far-reaching legislation.

Guidance for Facilities Receiving Vaccine Been Posted to MSSNY Website

COVID-19 Taking Toll on Physician Practices
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grip the country, America’s physicians remain entrenched on the front lines, fighting to save their patients. After nearly a year of combating the deadly virus, there is a growing evidence of the toll it is taking on physician practices.

The continued negative fiscal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physician practices is undeniable. A recent AMA report analyzed Medicare claims data exclusive to physician services and found spending dropped as much as 57% below expected pre-pandemic levels in April 2020. During the first half of 2020, the cumulative estimated reduction in Medicare physician spending associated with the pandemic was $9.4 billion (19%).

Stop physician Medicare payment cuts NOW!

Recognizing that the challenges associated with the pandemic continue, Congress included provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, signed into law last December, that further postponed the Medicare sequester until March 31, 2021. Yet, it is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic will extend well beyond the first quarter of this year and, absent additional Congressional intervention, these harmful payment cuts will be re-imposed on April 1, 2021.

Now to make matters worse, as Congress prepares to pass an economic stimulus plan, physician practices confront an even greater threat of Medicare cuts in 2022. According to the Congressional Budget Office, final passage of the American Rescue Plan Act would set in motion PAYGO statute reductions in Medicare spending of 4% next year, totaling $36 billion.

This needs to stop!

Thankfully, H.R. 315 the “Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act” has been recently introduced in Congress. This bipartisan legislation would continue the current Medicare sequester moratorium for the duration of this public health emergency.

Please contact your member of Congress and Senators today and urge them to support the “Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act” today!!

If Congress does not act by March 31, the Medicare payment sequester will take effect, triggering a devastating financial impact on physician practices across the country, many of which are already strained to the breaking point.

America’s physicians need relief!

Attached is the letter the AMA sent to Congressional leaders urging action to stop the re-implementation of the upcoming Medicare sequester cuts.

78% of COVID-19 Patients Hospitalized in the US Overweight or Obese
Among 71,491 U.S. adults who were hospitalized with COVID-19, 27.8 percent were overweight and 50.2 were obese, according to the CDC’s latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published March 8.

The analysis included 148,494 patients who received a COVID-19 diagnosis at emergency departments or inpatient visits between April 1 and Dec. 31 across 238 hospitals. Of those, 71,491 were hospitalized.

Those who were overweight or obese were more likely to require invasive mechanical ventilation, findings showed. Obesity was also linked to increased risk for hospitalization and death, especially among those under age 65. As BMI rose, so did the risk, the CDC found.

The risks for hospitalization, ICU admission and death were lowest among those with BMIs under 25. The “healthy weight” BMI range is between 18.5 and 24.9.

The report notes that obesity is a recognized risk factor for severe COVID-19, which is possibly due to chronic inflammation that disrupts the body’s immune response and impairs lung function.

“These findings highlight the clinical and public health implications of higher BMIs, including the need for intensive COVID-19 illness management as obesity severity increases, promotion of COVID-19 prevention strategies including continued vaccine prioritization and masking, and policies to ensure community access to nutrition and physical activities that promote and support a healthy BMI,” the agency said.

To view the full report, click here.

CDC Reports Drop in HIV Testing During Pandemic
HIV screenings and prescriptions for preexposure prophylaxis have declined during the pandemic, according to CDC research presented at the 2021 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections.

The agency is slated to present nearly 30 abstracts at the virtual conference March 6-10.

In one study, researchers found a large commercial lab reported nearly 700,000 fewer HIV screening tests and nearly 5,000 fewer diagnoses between March 13 and Sept. 13, 2020, compared to the same period in 2019.

A separate study analyzed data on PrEP prescriptions from January 2017 through September 2020. Researchers found a 21 percent drop in prescriptions from March 15 to Sept. 30, 2020, compared to modeling estimates of prescription volumes if the pandemic had not occurred. They also identified a 28 percent decrease in new PrEP users over the same period.

“Strategies that deliver HIV testing and care in innovative, community-tailored ways will be critical to reversing these declines, including the use or expansion of telemedicine and telehealth, rapid HIV self-tests, mail-in self-tests and the deployment of higher numbers of community health workers,” the CDC said in a news release.

REMINDER: The MIPS 2020 Data Submission Period is Open
MIPS Eligible Clinicians Can Submit Data for 2020 through March 31

The data submission period for Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligible clinicians who participated in the 2020 performance year of the Quality Payment Program (QPP) ends at 8:00 p.m. EDT on March 31, 2021.

How to Submit Your 2020 MIPS Data

Clinicians will follow the steps outlined below to submit their data:

Go to the Quality Payment Program webpage.
Sign in using your QPP access credentials (see below for directions).
Submit your MIPS data for the 2020 performance year or review the data reported on your behalf by a third party.

How to Sign into the Quality Payment Program Data Submission System

To sign in and submit data, clinicians will need to register in the HCQIS Authorization Roles and Profile (HARP) system. For clinicians who need help enrolling with HARP, please refer to the QPP Access User Guide.

Note: Clinicians who are not sure if they are eligible to participate in the Quality Payment Program can check their final eligibility status using the QPP Participation Status Tool. Clinicians and groups that are opt-in eligible will need to make an election before they can submit data. (No election is required for those who do not want to participate in MIPS.)

Small, Underserved, and Rural Practice Support

Clinicians in small practices (including those in rural locations), health professional shortage areas, and medically underserved areas may request technical assistance from organizations that can provide no-cost support. To learn more about this support, or to connect with your local technical assistance organization, we encourage you to visit our Small, Underserved, and Rural Practices page on the Quality Payment Program website.

For More Information

To learn more about how to submit data, please review the resources available in the QPP Resource Library, including the 2020 MIPS Data Submission FAQs and the 2020 QPP Data Submission User Guide. Watch our series of data submission demo videos:

Questions?

Contact the Quality Payment Program at 1-866-288-8292 or by e-mail at: QPP@cms.hhs.gov. To receive assistance more quickly, consider calling during non-peak hours—before 10 a.m. and after 2 p.m. ET. We also encourage you to contact us earlier in the year, as response times often increase with heavier demand as the March 31 data submission deadline approaches.

How to Sign into the Quality Payment Program Data Submission System
To sign in and submit data, clinicians will need to register in the HCQIS Authorization Roles and Profile (HARP) system. For clinicians who need help enrolling with HARP, please refer to the QPP Access User Guide.

Small, Underserved, and Rural Practice Support

For More Information

Questions?

Brits Watching US Meghan/Harry Interview Shocked by Number of Pharma Ads
Many U.K. residents took to social media this week to express shock at the pharmaceutical ads that ran during Oprah Winfrey’s March 7 interview with Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Rather than waiting a day for the British broadcast of the interview, some British viewers tuned in early on March 8 to catch the American broadcast by using VPN connections and other tech workarounds. This gave U.K. viewers a glimpse into the content of and frequency of pharmaceutical ads than run during U.S. television broadcasts.

In the U.K. and other European countries, pharma companies are banned from advertising directly to consumers on the basis that physicians should be making independent decisions about what drugs to prescribe patients instead of managing requests based on ads patients have seen on TV and are eager to try, according to the report.

Dartmouth College researchers found that pharma companies nearly doubled the amount they spend on marketing between 1997 and 2016, and sales of prescription drugs almost tripled during that same time period, according to the report. In the U.K., the socialized National Health Service and government regulations has helped to keep most prescriptions at around a $12 cost for patients, the Post reports. (Becker’s Hospital Review, March 9)

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Council Notes: March 1, 2021

March 5, 2021 admin

Council Notes: March 1, 2021

Council passed the following:

Ensuring Correct Drug Dispensing
MSSNY will request that the New York State Education Department work with the pharmaceutical and pharmacy industries to facilitate the ability of pharmacies to ensure that when a prescription is dispensed, a color photo of the prescribed medication and its dosage is attached to the receipt to ensure that the drug dispensed is that which has been prescribed. MSSNY will forward this resolution to the AMA.
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Scientific Studies to Support Legislative Agendas
MSSNY will continue to work with allied groups and health care policy influencers such as think tanks to help generate support for MSSNY’s key advocacy goals and will continue to work with entities that can produce high quality scientific evidence data to help generate support for MSSNY’s key advocacy goals. The MSSNY delegation to the AMA will introduce a resolution at the next AMA House of Delegates meeting urging the AMA to expand its efforts to work with allied groups, health care policy influencers such as think tanks and entities that can produce high quality scientific evidence.
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Separation of Clinical Portions of EHRs from Administrative and Financial Uses
MSSNY will continue to work with the AMA and specialty societies to advocate for legislation, regulation or other appropriate mechanisms to ensure that electronic health record (EHR) systems are developed and implemented in such a way as to facilitate the compiling and sharing of clinical information, as appropriate, in a manner that is consistent with how physicians regularly deliver care.

Council Meetings