April 8, 2016 – It’s Been a Great Year!

PRESIDENT’S  MESSAGE  Dr. Joseph R.  Maldonado

April 8,  2016 Volume 16, Number 14

Dear Colleagues:

We are one week away from MSSNY’s Annual House of Delegates Meeting.  The experience and honor of serving as your President and representing the interests of physicians and their patients will end shortly for me.  I have put 50,000+ miles on my car in the course of fulfilling my duties and can only wonder how the time flew by so apparently quickly.  But it didn’t.  It is no different than when we look at our busy lives as physicians and ask how is it that it only seemed like yesterday we graduated from medical school.

The year under my tenure was marked by significant changes in the practice of medicine.  These included the implementation of electronic prescribing and ICD10 as well as the exchange of the SGR for and equally— if not worse— Medicare reimbursement formulation.  We have experienced the dropping of physicians from Emblem and United Healthcare and the debacle of Health Republic.  The State has continued in its reformulation of how healthcare services are delivered in the state via its DSRIP, SHIP, PHIP and SHINY initiatives.

We succeeded in maintaining coverage for excess liability while defeating the efforts towards the corporate practice of medicine via retail clinics.  We were able to insure that a discussion of changes to the Statute of limitations for medical liability would be carried out in a wider context of tort reform initiatives.  For the first time in several decades, MSSNY GREW MEMBERSHIP thanks to the efforts of many doctors over several years working on group memberships.  Our Society has continued to operate a balanced budget and insure a healthy financial future.   But our work is not over.

Next week, I pass the Presidential gavel to our current President Elect, Dr. Malcolm Reid.  Dr. Reid has been a member of this Society for several decades and an able, wise and astute leader.  The task that remains ahead for him is arduous.  Trying to balance the task of representing the interests of ALL OF NEW YORK’s physicians is not easy.  Trying to do this while fighting the efforts of others who seek to harm us and burden us further is a tough task.  Fortunately for our Society, his experience and knowledge will aid him tremendously and I pass on the baton with confidence in him and our organization.

I thank all of you, the Board, Council, County Society officers and Executives as well as the entire staff of MSSNY and our partners at Kern Augustine and MLMIC for their support of my efforts in advocating effectively for physicians and their patients.

G-d bless the physicians and residents of this state and our Medical Society of the State of New York.

Joseph Maldonado, M.D, MSc, MBA, DipEBHC
MSSNY President

Please send your comments to comments@mssny.org

Urge Your Legislators to Reduce Liability Insurance Costs, Not Raise Them!
Now that the State Budget for FY 2016-17 has been finalized, the focus of policymakers will be on unresolved issues including legislation that would create a date of discovery statute of limitations which threatens to increase your liability premiums by 15%. In light of the huge financial pressures threatening the viability of physician practices and our health care delivery system, it is essential that you weigh in with your elected representatives to urge that no further liability increases can be tolerated.  Please join your colleagues by contacting your legislators to urge that they oppose legislation (A.285-A, Weinstein/S.6596, DeFrancisco) that could drastically increase New York’s already exorbitantly high medical liability premiums by changing the medical liability Statute of limitations to a “Date of Discovery” rule.

To make matters even worse, trial lawyers are aggressively pushing the Legislature to consider additional liability expansion bills such as legislation that would eliminate the statutory limitation on contingency fees in medical liability actions, legislation that MLMIC has estimated could have the effect of raising your premiums by over 10%.

In response, MSSNY and other group have highlighted the huge liability burden already assumed by New York physicians.  This week, there was an op-ed by the Lawsuit Reform Alliance of NY in the Syracuse Post Standard in support of badly needed medical liability reform to preserve access to specialized physician care.  And MSSNY has joined the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA) and Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) in an ad in the Albany Times-Union and City & State calling for reduction in these exorbitant costs.

Please tell your legislators to enact comprehensive liability reform to bring down these costs, not legislation that increases them!   (AUSTER, DEARS)

Physicians Must Send Letter to Legislators Urging Relief from Burdensome Reporting Requirement
NYS Public Health Law requires that all practitioners that use one of three statutory exceptions to the e-prescribing mandate (to be dispensed out of state, power or internet failure, fear of patient harm)  report the use of this exception to the Department of Health each time an exception is used.

The Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement (BNE) has stated that the practitioner’s e-mail notification sent to erx@health.ny.gov, a url maintained by the Department of Health, must include the following:

• That it is a notification to the Department pursuant to Public Health Law Section 281(4) or (5);
• Practitioner’s name;
• Practitioner’s license number;
• Practitioner’s telephone number;
• Practitioner’s preferred work e-mail address;
• Practitioner’s work address;
• Patient initials only (the Department does not want patient confidential information to be sent); and
• The reason(s) for the exception(s), including the citation(s) to PHL Section(s) 281(3) (b) for power or internet failure, (d) fear of patient harm, and (e) for prescriptions that will be dispensed outside the state. 

MSSNY is advocating for legislation to enable physicians to maintain this information in their medical records in lieu of reporting to the state.

Please go to this link to contact your elected officials to urge that they eliminate this onerous reporting requirement!                                   (Dears, Clancy)

Legislation to Limit Health Insurance Extrapolation Audits Passes Assembly
Legislation (A.1193, Lavine) passed the Assembly this week to impose some criteria on health insurance companies when they use extrapolation tactics in auditing physicians and other health care providers.  As the bill would set forth some modest positive steps to protect physicians against health insurer audit abuses, MSSNY has expressed support for the legislation.   The bill would increase physician due process rights when extrapolation is used in an audit, including the ability to request an independent evaluation and greater specificity regarding the sampling methodology used by the plan.  At the same time, MSSNY has argued that the State Legislature needs to take far greater steps to address health insurer auditing abuses to protect against health plans disrupting the ability of community physicians to continue to deliver care to their patients.  Identical legislation (S.2303, Hannon) is before the Senate Insurance Committee.
(AUSTER)

MSSNY Testifies at Assembly Hearing Examining Adequacy of New York Health Insurance Coverage
Cobleskill internist/pediatrician and MSSNY Assistant Treasurer Dr. Joseph Sellers this week delivered testimony at a joint Assembly Insurance-Health Committees hearing examining what changes should be made to the State’s Essential Health Benefit structure for insurance coverage offered in the Exchange.  Dr. Sellers highlighted several policies adopted at the MSSNY House of Delegates in recent years to enhance patients’ health insurance coverage that should be considered “Essential”, including assuring required coverage for:

• testing and treatment of Hepatitis C;
• testing for HIV;
• enhanced screening for autism and other developmental disabilities;
• ADD medications at the lowest cost sharing tier when a patient is stabilized on a particular medication; and
• Follow up care for women who receive a report of dense breast tissue.

Equally important, Dr. Sellers highlighted the need to address the many insurance barriers that stand in the way of patients receiving services even if they are designated as “Essential”, such as exorbitantly high deductibles, inadequate physician networks, lack of out of network coverage, and prior authorization hassles.  He noted and urged action on the several bills before the State Legislature that would address these issues.

Much of the hearing was a back and forth discussion between the Committee chairs and representatives of the New York State of Health and Department of Financial Services regarding how best to make changes to the Essential Health Benefits coverage structure.  To view a full recording of the nearly 4-hour hearing, click here.  Dr. Sellers’ testimony begins at about the 3:13 mark.                                             (AUSTER)

Medical Specialties Lobby Day to Be Held May 17, 2016
Physicians from all localities will join forces in the State Capital on May 17th to advocate for their patients and profession during our annual Medical Specialties Lobby Day. Collectively, our organizations represent physicians in specialty practice across New York State, and together we stand committed to battling inappropriate allied health provider expansion legislation and advancing bills of importance to all of medicine.

The day will kick off with a breakfast, legislative briefing and Q&A session in the Empire State Plaza. Immediately following, physicians will meet with their elected representatives in the Senate and Assembly. Attendees will be paired with physicians of other specialties and provided with easy to understand talking points so they can effectively present their arguments and positions.

We hope that you will reaffirm your commitment to your colleagues, your profession and your patients by joining us in Albany on May 17. To register, click here. 

All registrants will be emailed a confirmation and additional details closer to the event.

NYS MEDICAL SPECIALTIES LOBBY DAY PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS:  Medical Society of the State of NY — NYS Ophthalmological Society — NYS Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation — NYS Society of Plastic Surgeons — NYS Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons — NYS Society of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery — American College of Surgeons of NYS — NYS Psychiatric Association — NYS Society of Anesthesiologist.s
(MCPARTLON)

Open Payments Review and Dispute Period Began April 1
CMS announced last week  that the “Review and dispute” period for the June 30, 2016 Open Payments data publication began on April 1 and will last for 45 days. CMS will publish the 2015 payment data and updates to the 2013 and 2014 data on June 30, 2016. In order for any disputes to be addressed before the June 30th publication, physicians and teaching hospitals must initiate their disputes during the 45-day review period, and industry must resolve the dispute before the publication deadline.  The CMS releases notes that Review and dispute is voluntary, but strongly encouraged. The opportunity for physicians and teaching hospitals to review and dispute the data submitted about them expires at the end of the year that the record is published.   

The reporting is required as a result of the Sunshine Act passed by Congress in 2010 which requires CMS to collect and display information reported about the payments and other transfers of value these organizations have made to physicians and teaching hospitals.  

For more information from CMS about this issue, click here .  For assistance from the AMA, click here.                                                                         (AUSTER)

Physicians Urged to Register for April 14^th House of Delegates Live Cme Seminar or for Statewide Remote Webinar on Ebola
The Medical Society will conduct a Medical Matters LIVE seminar and concurrent webinar titled Ebola: A Perspective from the Field on April 14^th at 2:00pm.  The live seminar will take place at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown, NY and the webinar will also be broadcast statewide via Webex.  Register for this program here.  Click on the ‘Upcoming’ tab and select the ‘Programs’.

Dario Gonzalez, MD, F.A.C.E.P. – Associate Medical Director Fire Department City of New York/Office of Medical Affairs is the faculty.  Dr. Gonzalez was deployed for nine weeks by Americares to Liberia, West Africa as part of the US response to the Ebola epidemic.  He managed and directed an Ebola Treatment Unit in Buchanan, Liberia.  Dr. Gonzalez developed the treatment and management guidelines.  He cared for suspected and confirmed Ebola patients, and was subsequently involved in NYC hospital Ebola preparedness with the NYC Fire Department and Office of Emergency Management. The educational objective for the program is to: Offer perspective and lessons learned from an individual who treated Ebola patients firsthand.

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.

Further information or assistance in registering for this program may be obtained by contacting Melissa Hoffman at mhoffman@mssny.org.
(CLANCY, HOFFMAN)

Physicians Urged to Register for April 15^th House of Delegates Quality Conference on MIPS APMS and Value Based Payment; What Will the Future Bring for Physician Practice?
The Medical Society’s Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Committee will present its ninth Annual Quality Conference from 1-3PM on April 15^th at the Westchester Marriott entitled MIPS, APMs and Value Based Payment; What Will The Future Bring For Physician Practice? Please register for the Conference by clicking onto this link.

Conference Presenters include the following:

Jason Helgerson, Medicaid Director, NYS Department of Health

Delivery System Reform Incentive Program (DSRIP) and Value Based Payment (VBP); how greater care collaboration and integration within the healthcare delivery system will be achieved?

Jean Moody Williams, Deputy Director for the Center for Clinical Standards & Quality

The Intricacies of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Alternative Payment Models (APM).

John Rugge, MD, Chief Executive Officer, Hudson Headwaters Health Network (HHHN) and Deepak Kapoor, MD, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Integrated Medical Professionals (IMP)

Lessons Learned from the perspective of physicians who have already embraced the transition to PCMH/IPAs/ACOs; How to prepare for Value Based Payment.

Andrew Gettinger, MD, Chief Medical Information Officer,Acting Director, Office of Clinical Quality and Safety, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology

Update on the Work of ONC With Regard To EHR Functionality and Interoperability 

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.

Accreditation Statement: The Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) 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 2.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.

Further information or assistance in registering for this program may be obtained by contacting Miriam Hardin at mhardin@mssny.org.
(DEARS, HARDIN)

MSSNY’S Political Action Committee to Hold Forum at House of Delegates
MSSNY’s Political Action Committee (MSSNYPAC) will hold a forum on Thursday, April 14, 2016 at the House of Delegates, Westchester Marriott, 670 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591, Grand Ballroom D & E.  The forum entitled,  “How Policy & Advocacy Can Address Health Care Needs of Marginalized Populations” will be conducted by Milton O.C. Haynes, MD and M. Monica Sweeny, MD, MPH, FACP and New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera.

Lunch will be served and physicians can register here.

A copy of the flyer can be found here. 

Further information and/or to register may be obtained by contacting Jennifer Wilks at jwilks@mssny.org or by calling 518-465-8085.         
(WILKS, MCPARTLON)

MSSNY’s Opioid Webinars Are Now Avaialbe on Its CME Online Site
The Medical Society has archived its opioid webinar series on its continuing medical education website at http://cme.mssny.org/  

The webinars are:  Webinar 1 Pain Management at the Crossroads:  A Tale of Two Public Health Problems; Webinar 2 Rational Opioid Prescribing:  Is this Possible for Chronic Pain?; Webinar 3 Treatment of Opioid Use Disorders and Webinar 4 Pain Patients w/Substance Use Disorders  

Physicians and other prescribers can earn up to one hour of continuing medical credits by viewing this webinar and completing the test.    The MSSNY CME site requires new users to register, but once registered physicians and other health care providers will have a personalized training page to take the webinars and other course work located on the site.   New registrants to the site will create a username and password, which should be retained and be used for continued access to the site. Once registered and logged into the site, physicians will be taken to an instruction page.   Click on the tool bar menu located at the top of the page and click on “My training” to view and take the various courses.     MSSNY has over 50 programs at this site and physicians are able to earn continuing medical education credits for each course.

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 online program has various programs with the number of continuing medical education credits, but the majority of the programs are for 1.0 AMA/PRA Category 1 credit™.  Further information on all these programs may be obtained by contacting Pat Clancy at pclancy@mssny.org.
(CLANCY)

E-Prescribing of All Substances in Effect for All Prescribers
While MSSNY advocacy resulted in physicians who write less than 25 prescriptions per year being waived from New York State’s e-prescribing requirements if they certify so to DOH, the general requirement to e-prescribe all non-controlled and controlled substances went into effect March 27, 2016.

According to the NYS Department of Health’s Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, more than 70,000 prescribers are already e-prescribing and other prescribers are continuing to register their certified software for controlled substances with the New State Department of Health.     Practitioners should continue their efforts to become compliant with the law, including working with their software vendors to implement the additional security requirements needed for e-prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS), and registering their certified software applications with the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement.

For physicians who prescribe controlled substances, there are additional steps to complete in order to electronically prescribe controlled substances.  These include the following:

• First, the software you currently use must meet all the federal security requirements for EPCS, which can be found on the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) web page.

Note that federal security requirements include a third party audit or DEA certification of the software.

• Second, you must complete the identity proofing process as defined in the federal requirements.
• Third, you must obtain a two-factor authentication as defined in the federal requirements.
• Fourth, you must register your DEA certified EPCS software with the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement (BNE). Registration instructions are included in the FAQs.

A copy of the BNE’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) can be found here.

E-prescribing of non-controlled substances is also required under the law; however, registering of this system with the state is not necessary.

Exceptions to the e-prescribing requirement:

In adition to a physician certifying that they are a low volume prescriber, the law currently allows for a list of exceptions from the requirement to electronically prescribe and they are:

• Prescriptions issued in circumstances where electronic prescribing is not available due to temporary technological or electrical failure
• Prescriptions issued by a practitioner under circumstances where the practitioner reasonably determines that it would be impractical for the patient to obtain substances prescribed by electronic prescription in a timely manner, and such delay would adversely impact the patient’s medical condition. In addition to these circumstances, the quantity of controlled substances cannot exceed a five day supply if supply if the controlled substance were used in accordance with the directions for use.
• Prescriptions issued by a practitioner to be dispensed by a pharmacy located outside the state.
• Practitioners who have received a waiver or a renewal thereof for a specified period determined by the commissioner, from the requirement to use electronic prescribing.

However, each time a prescriber uses the power or electrical failure exception they must file information about the issuance of the paper prescription electronically to the Department of Health within 72 hours and 48 hours when a prescriber uses the exception where the practitioner reasonably determines that that it would be impractical for the patient to obtain substances prescribed by electronic prescription in a timely manner, and such delay would adversely impact the patient’s medical condition or when the prescription will be dispensed by a pharmacy located out of state. The DOH Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement has indicated that the information about “the issuance of the paper prescription” pursuant to one of these exceptions must include

• That this is the notification required by PHL Section 281 (4) or 5
• Physician’s name
• License number
• Telephone number
• Work email address
• Work address
• Patient’s initials
• The reason for invoking the exception including the citation to PHL Section 281 (3) technological or power failure, (d) patient harm or (e) out of state dispensing

Notably absent from this list is the serial number on the paper prescriptions written. 

Notification to the Department of Health should be sent to:  erx@health.ny.gov 

Additionally, MSSNY strongly recommends that use of the exceptions be included in the patient’s medical record.

And,  on March 16, 2016, NYS Health Commissioner Howard Zucker, MD issued a statement providing for 12 additional exemptions to the e-prescribing mandate.     Those exceptions are as follows:

1. any practitioner prescribing a controlled or non-controlled substance, containing two (2) or more products, which is compounded by a pharmacist;
2. any practitioner prescribing a controlled or non-controlled substance to be compounded for the direct administration to a patient by parenteral, intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous or intraspinal infusion;
3. any practitioner prescribing a controlled or non-controlled substance that contains long or complicated directions;
4. any practitioner prescribing a controlled or non-controlled substance that requires a prescription to contain certain elements required by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that are not able to be accomplished with electronic prescribing;
5. any practitioner prescribing a controlled or non-controlled substance under approved protocols under expedited partner therapy, collaborative drug management or in response to a public health emergency that would allow a non-patient specific prescription;
6. any practitioner prescribing an opioid antagonist that would allow a non-patient specific prescription;
7. any practitioner prescribing a controlled or non-controlled substance under a research protocol;
8. a practitioner prescribing a controlled or non-controlled substance either through an Official New York State Prescription form or an oral prescription communicated to a pharmacist serving as a vendor of pharmaceutical services, by an agent who is a health care practitioner, for patients in nursing homes and residential health care facilities as defined in section twenty-eight hundred one of the public health law.
9. a pharmacist dispensing controlled and non-controlled substance compounded prescriptions, prescriptions containing long or complicated directions, and prescriptions containing certain elements required by the FDA or any other governmental agency that are not able to be accomplished with electronic prescribing;
10. a pharmacist dispensing prescriptions issued under a research protocol, or under approved protocols for expedited partner therapy, or for collaborative drug management;
11. a pharmacist dispensing non-patient specific prescriptions, including opioid antagonists, or prescriptions issued in response to a public health emergency issued; and
12. a pharmacist serving as a vendor of pharmaceutical services dispensing a controlled or non-controlled substance through an Official New York State Prescription form or an oral prescription communicated by an agent who is a health care practitioner, for patients in nursing homes and residential health care facilities as defined in section twenty-eight hundred one of the public health law.

The above-listed exceptional circumstances will be effective until March 26, 2017. According to an email that MSSNY received on March 17, 2016 from the NYS Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, any use of these the exceptions does not require physicians to notify the Department of Health that they are using the exception.

Waivers from E-Prescribing Requirement
NYS Department of Health has issued over 2,600 one year waivers to prescribers.   The law provides that physicians may apply for a waiver of the e-prescribing requirement for a) economic hardship b) technological limitations that are not reasonably within the control of the physician, or c) other exceptional circumstances.  Low-volume prescribers should apply for a waiver.

Once a physician has received a waiver, they may issue the prescription on a paper script.   According to the NYS Department of Health Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, there is nothing in the law that says a physician must notify the pharmacy that they have received a waiver; however, physicians can place their waiver number on the script should they want to do so.  Pharmacies should dispense medication whether the script has been e-prescribed or presented on the official NYS Prescription paper form. 

Information on obtaining a one year wavier is available here.

BNE — Pharmacists Must Dispense When a Waiver/Exception Used
On April 1, 2016 the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement issued a state to pharmacies that they must dispense when a paper prescription is used.  A copy of the letter that was sent to pharmacies is here.

ISTOP Law
The ISTOP legislation enacted in 2012 required e-prescribing of ALL substances. Regulations pertaining to the E-prescribing requirements were adopted on March 27, 2013.   The Medical Society of the State of New York was successful in obtaining a one year delay in the implementation of the e-prescribing mandate due to the fact that the vendors were not in compliance with the DEA rules for EPCS.  A copy of the regulations can be found here.

Additional information regarding e-prescribing may be accessed at the following links:
http://www.health.ny.gov/professionals/narcotic/electronic_prescribing
http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/pharm/pharmelectrans.htm                (CLANCY, DEARS, AUSTER, MCPARTLON)

MSSNY Announces Zika Podcast with DOH; Physicians Can Listen Now
MSSNY’s Committee on Emergency Preparedness and Disaster/Terrorism Response conducted an audio podcast with Dr. William Valenti and Dr. Elizabeth Dufort to discuss the Zika Virus.  The podcast discusses the epidemiology of Zika virus.  It also provides information on disease transmittal, diagnosis and the measures that the New York State Department of Health has taken to guide and protect all New Yorkers.  Listen to this timely and important podcast here.

Panelists:

William Valenti, MD, Chair MSSNY Infectious Disease Committee,
Elizabeth Dufort, MD, F.A.A.C.P., Medical Director, Division of Epidemiology, New York State Department of Health                           (CLANCY, HOFFMAN)

View Zika Webinar; Program Archived on MSSNY’s CME Site
The Medical Matters program, entitled “Zika Virus—An Evolving Story” is now archived to the MSSNY CME website and physicians and other health care providers can view this program free of charge by logging into http://cme.mssny.org.

The webinar was conducted by MSSNY and the New York State Department of Health and featured Dr. William Valenti, chair of MSSNY’s Infectious Disease Committee and member of the MSSNY’s Emergency Preparedness and Disaster/Terrorism Response Committee and Dr. Elizabeth Dufort, medical director, Division of Epidemiology from the New York State Department of Health.

The MSSNY CME site requires new users to register, but once registered physicians and other health care providers will have a personalized training page to take them to this webinar and other course work located on the site.   New registrants to the site will create a username and password, which should be retained and be used for continued access to the site. Once registered and logged into the site, physicians will be taken to an instruction page.   Click on the tool bar menu located at the top of the page and click on “My training” to view and take the various courses.  MSSNY has over 50 programs at this site and physicians are able to earn continuing medical education credits for each course. 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 online program has various programs with the number of continuing medical education credits, but the majority of the programs are for 1.0 AMA/PRA Category 1 credit™.  Further information on all these programs may be obtained by contacting Melissa Hoffman at mhoffman@mssny.org.
(CLANCY, HOFFMAN)

PTSD and TBI in Returning Veterans:  April – June Webinars and Live Program
MSSNY will be holding a series of CME webinars on PTSD and TBI in returning veterans on five dates listed below from April through June. As part of a joint program with NYSPA, MSSNY will also be hosting a live presentation of the program at the Upsky Hotel in Hauppauge, Long Island. The faculty presenters will be Frank Dowling, MD and Joshua Cohen, MD.

Course objectives:

• Explore the two most prevalent mental disorders facing American veterans today, their causes, symptoms, and comorbidities
• Outline treatment options including evidence-based psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy
• Discuss barriers to treatment, including those unique to military culture, and how to overcome them
• Outline the process of recovery and post-traumatic growth

To register for this program, click on a date below and fill out the registration form.

Tuesday, April 12, 7:30-8:30 AM
Friday, April 15, 8-9 AM live at the Upsky Hotel in Hauppauge, Long Island
Thursday, May 5, 6-7 PM
Thursday, May 19, 7:30-8:30 AM
Thursday, June 2, 6-7 PM
Thursday, June 9, 7:30-8:30 AM

For more information relating to any of the above articles, please contact the appropriate contributing staff member at the following email addresses:       

Survey: 44% Of MSSNY Physician Members Not Ready For EPCS
Healthcare Informatics (4/8)reports that last month “in March 27, a New York state that law that requires the electronic prescribing of all controlled and non-scheduled drugs went into effect.” But, “to process electronic prescriptions for controlled substances (EPCS), a prescriber must select and use a certified electronic prescribing computer application that meets all federal requirements.” A December, 2015 study by the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) found that 44 percent of the 900 MSSNY physician members who were surveyed said they were not ready for EPCS.”

Court of Appeals Revives Suit of Dying Man Who Was Filmed
The New York Court of Appeals revived a lawsuit filed by the family of a man whose death was filmed without permission and then broadcast on a popular medical show.” The lawsuit claims New York-Presbyterian Hospital and the former chief surgical resident violated the rights of the patient by not receiving consent to film him. The New York State Department of Health found that the hospital’s conduct violated the patient’s rights and its own policies, and that the family also has a complaint against the hospital and doctor with HHS’ Office for Civil Rights.

The patient’s family’s complaint against the hospital and the doctor remain pending with the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the regulatory agency that enforces the federal patient privacy law known as HIPAA. The agency has previously declined to discuss its investigation because it is ongoing.

Mayor’s Disparity Report Finds Differential Treatment Feeds Disparities
The “Disparity Report,” created by a branch of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services’ office, and originally intended to help inform the work of the Young Men’s Initiative, compares young Asian, black and Hispanic New Yorkers to their white peers in areas like graduating from high school in four years, rates of teen pregnancy, and rates of school suspensions.

For example, while teen pregnancy rates citywide have dropped drastically since 2002 among women of all races, black and Hispanic women are still far more likely than white teens to become pregnant, while Asian women are less likely to have a teen pregnancy than white women.

The report was developed as part of the Young Men’s Initiative, a city program intended to help young boys and men of color. The city initiative officially partnered in 2015 with a national one started by President Barack Obama called “My Brother’s Keeper,” aimed at improving economic, health and social outcomes for young men of color.

Generally, the report found that white and Asian young men and women fare similarly across the spectrum, while black and Hispanic youth fare worse.

The report said those outcomes are likely influenced by systemic racism.
“Existing racial biases—both at the individual level and through structural forces—limit the opportunities available to young men and women of color through differential treatment. For example, decisions about school suspensions have been found to be impacted by implicit racial bias. Black and Hispanic students are suspended more often and receive harsher punishments for similar behaviors than their White peers,” the report’s authors said.

Op-Ed: Legal Reforms Needed To Attract More Doctors To New York
In the Syracuse (NY) Post-Standard (4/6), Adam Morey, government affair specialists for the Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York, opines that New York’s high medical liability costs “drive away medical professionals, reduce competition and weaken access to medical care for New Yorkers.” He points out that about 20 percent of all the medical liability payouts in the US are paid in New York. He blames the “dominance of the trial lawyers lobby” that “pour millions into the campaign offers of the state’s elected officials,” including convicted former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Morey calls for reforms of some of the state’s “lawyer-friendly legal protections that keep medical liability insurance rates and payout costs so high.”

Doctors Without Borders LIVE Recruitment Webinar
The members and communities of Medical Society of New York are invited to participate in Doctors Without Borders recruitment information webinar to learn more about the organization and how to become involved in our field work.  This is a great opportunity to explore career options and professional growth.  Doctors Without Borders recruits both medical AND non-medical professionals.  The webinar will take place on: Thursday, April 21, 2016  @ 7PM EST

Register here.

Human Resources Officers will discuss requirements and the recruitment process, a Doctors Without Borders aid worker will talk about life in the field, and participants will be able to ask questions.
SPACE IS LIMITED.  PLEASE REGISTER.
Click here for more information.

CLASSIFIED

Physician Opportunities