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NEED TO KNOW
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In-Person Registration Closes this Friday for the 2024 Collaborative Meeting
The 2024 Collaborative Meeting of the Vermont Medical Society, American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter, Vermont Academy of Family Physicians, and Vermont Psychiatric Association being held Friday, November 1st through Saturday, November 2nd at Topnotch Resort and Spa in Stowe, VT. The Hanley Center for Health Leadership and Education designated this meeting for a maximum of 6.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM. Don't miss this opportunity to claim credits and come together to learn, collaborate and celebrate with colleagues around the state. Register today for the meeting before in-person registration closes this Friday! |
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VMS Completes Candidate Meet & Greet Regional Tour!
Last Wednesday, VMS held the last legislative reception of our regional candidate meet & greet series at Barr Hill in Washington County. The series featured 6 regional receptions across the State and promoted dialogue between VMS members and all of the legislative candidates from the district in which each reception was held. Physicians, PAs and medical students were able to discuss important policy issues, including the recent Act 167 Oliver Wyman report and how the recommendations could impact patient care in their communities; the implementation of the prior authorization bill; and primary care physician recruitment. Prior to the last legislative reception, the VMS Policy team hosted an advocacy training with the 4th year LCOM medical students from the Area Health Education Centers Community Engagement Class for them to practice before they used their skills at the reception! Thank you so much to all of our members who participated. |
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Oct 30, 1pm: Joint Public Meeting with GMCB, AHS, and Legislative Leaders on Act 167
On Wednesday, October 30th, starting at 1pm, the Green Mountain Care Board, Agency of Human Services and several legislators will host a joint public meeting to discuss Act 167, including the Oliver Wyman report. The meeting is being held virtually over Microsoft Teams and public comment will be accepted. The agenda and call in information can be found here. VMS members are encouraged to attend and offer public comment; public comment can also be submitted at any time here. A recording of the meeting will be available on the Green Mountain Care Board YouTube channel here.
Last Tuesday, AHS Secretary Jenney Samuelson released a statement on the next steps AHS will take regarding the Oliver Wyman report. In part, the statement reads:
Understandably, many Vermonters are concerned about what these recommendations mean for them and their community. This is particularly true for the communities whose hospitals would be most affected if the report recommendations were implemented. In the next phase, it is left to all of us to assess both the feasibility and impact of their recommendations.
In the coming weeks we will be meeting with communities, healthcare partners, and all interested Vermonters. We will work collaboratively with our state partners, including the Green Mountain Care Board and the General Assembly. We will fully assess the impact of our options, in particular on patient access and hospital viability. We must pay particular attention to the foundational work identified in the report such as access to community-based health services, as well as a significant boost in housing required in order for health care system transformation to succeed.
I want to reassure Vermonters that any solutions we identify will be thoroughly evaluated. They will be both fiscally sound and operationally feasible. We will make sure our next steps improve patient access, quality, and affordability for Vermonters, and make sure that our local community health systems are strong and viable into the future. After all, we all rely on these systems for our routine care, and in an emergency. |
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DOL Listening Session on Update to Workers’ Compensation Fee Schedule – Nov. 4, 1-4pm
The Vermont’s Workers’ Compensation Fee Schedule, set by rule, has not been updated since 2006. The Department of Labor has recently retained FAIR Health, a New York based non-profit specializing in health insurance information, to help the DOL craft an updated workers’ compensation medical fee schedule. They have scheduled a meeting for Monday, November 4th from 1-4pm to serve as a preliminary information-gathering meeting and an opportunity for stakeholders to identify priorities and concerns in a fee schedule. The meeting is being held in person at the Lobby Conference Room, Vermont Department of Labor, 5 Green Mountain Drive, Montpelier, VT or via Microsoft Teams. Contact Jessa Barnard at jbarnard@vtmd.org for additional information.
Teams meeting information:
Microsoft Teams Need help?
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 227 091 711 476
Passcode: 2ViojM
Dial in by phone
+1 802-828-7228,,192759388# United States, Montpelier
Find a local number
Phone conference ID: 192 759 388# |
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VMS Meets with DVHA on Obesity Medication Coverage Recommendations
The VMS met with Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA) Deputy Commissioner Sandi Hoffman last week to discuss the proposed report coming out of a DVHA Obesity Medication Coverage Workgroup. Michael Rappaport, DVHA's Medical Director was also on the call and expressed the desire for Medicaid members to have access to these medications but said with the high cost of the medication, DVHA was looking at how to develop criteria for limited access. Thank you to VMS members Dr. Kimberley Sampson, Dr. Priscilla Carr and Dr. Margaret Daly for joining the call to advocate for access to these medications and to emphasize the importance of health equity and not developing limiting criteria. The VMS will continue to advocate for this coverage. |
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MISC.
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Reminder: Board of Medical Practice Scam Alert; Vermont MD
Licenses Expire November 30th
The Board has of Medical Practice has released an updated Scam Alert – the Board was recently notified that a physician was called by someone claiming that they were from the Board of Medical Practice. The call showed on the Caller ID as coming from the Board's main telephone line. Frequently scammers claim to be medical board investigators, DEA agents, or FBI agents. In several reported cases, the scammers claimed that the professionals' medical licenses or prescribing permits had been compromised and were being used by criminals in drug trafficking schemes. If you have any doubt at all about the source of the call, tell the caller that you will contact the Board, then hang up and call the Board of Medical Practice office to confirm whether a Board staff member was calling you. For more information and recommendations on how to recognize a scam call and respond, visit: https://www.healthvermont.gov/systems/board-medical-practice.
A reminder to all MD members that MD license renewals are due by November 30th of this year. Any license issued prior to September 1st of this year will also expire on November 30th. For more information, including CME hour requirements for 2024 and CME FAQs, see the Board of Medical Practice website, here: https://www.healthvermont.gov/systems/board-medical-practice/applications-licensing-and-fees. For information on no- or low- cost courses that meet the CME requirements, see the VMS CME webpage here: https://vtmd.org/cme-requirements-and-course-resources |
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Medical Aid In Dying (MAID) Listening Sessions with Patient Choices Vermont Physicians Diana Barnard, Zail Berry, & Jaina Clough
Do you have thoughts or questions about prescribing for Act 39/Medical Aid in Dying?
Have you experienced prescribing MAID, either for Vermont residents or patients from out-of-state? What barriers do you anticipate, or have you encountered?
Patient Choices Vermont wants to hear your questions and concerns, to lower logistical or other barriers for physicians whose patients ask about MAID, and to provide requested information.
Sign up to participate with other Vermont physicians in one of the following virtual informal listening sessions:
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Next Commissioner Call November 7th
The Commissioner of Health, Mark Levine, MD, will hold his next Public Health Update with VMS Members Thursday, October 3rd at 12:30 pm. You can join the zoom meetings here.
He held his most recent VMS member call on October 3rd. Notes from the call are here. |
EVENTS
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Care, Connections, and Community: Supporting Behavioral Health of Pregnant and Postpartum People
Webinar
October 29th, 1:00pm - 3:30pm EST
This event is part of a webinar series that includes the September 2022 New England Maternal Health Summit and the April 2024 webinar titled Progress Through Policy: Advancing Birth Equity and Maternal Health in New England.
This webinar will highlight programs, resources, and innovative approaches that improve behavioral health of pregnant and postpartum people in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Register here. |
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Learning Collaboratives on In-Basket Reduction and Reducing Regulatory Burden
October 2024 – March 2025
AMA STEPS Forward® Innovation Academy is launching two new, six-month learning collaboratives on optimizing the in-basket to reduce work burden and rethinking how organizations apply regulatory rules to clinical practice. Each collaborative will convene dyads or triads of leadership representatives from multiple organizations to engage in a longitudinal shared learning experience. Limited space available. Learn more.
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For more information about offerings from UVM
CMIE, visit here. |
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Vermont Medical Society 134 Main Street Montpelier, VT 05602 -- Unsubscribe -- |
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