November 1, 2022

NEED TO KNOW

Get Out and Vote - Tuesday, Nov. 8^th is Election Day!

Next Tuesday is Election Day and Vermont has made voting as easy as possible. With two of Vermont's Congressional seats open, and the retirement of 11 of Vermont's 30 senators and 41 of 150 House members, your vote matters more than ever. We also had a number of retirements of Statewide candidates, which has resulted in competitive races for Lt. Governor, Secretary of State and Attorney General. There should be little to no barriers to voting this year as Vermont now allows same day voter registration and voting via absentee ballot was made easier during the COVID pandemic. This year there are also two ballot initiatives to amend Vermont's constitution. By voting yes on Prop 2, Article 1, slavery of any form would be prohibited and by voting yes on Prop 5, Article 22, every Vermonter would be guaranteed reproductive liberty. Click here for a comprehensive voting guide from VTDigger and here for a voting guide from Seven Days.  You will find where and how to vote including absentee voting guidelines. You will also be able to identify Vermont's Congressional candidates, Statewide candidates and your local candidates running for House and Senate. Get out and Vote!

Virtual Spots Still Available at VMS Annual and Collaborative Meeting

The 209th VMS Annual Meeting is coming up this Friday and Saturday, November 4th and 5^th!  While in-person registration has closed, you can still register for virtual options until tomorrow, November 2nd at noon. You can attend almost all elements of the event virtually including the educational content, awards banquet and membership meeting.  We look forward to seeing you in just a few days to celebrate the unwavering commitment Vermont clinicians have to their practice and to the deep connection VMS members have with each other.  View more meeting details, including the presenters, award winners and more here.

Register here.

Green Mountain Care Board Holds Primary Care Panel

Last Wednesday, the Green Mountain Care Board held a panel discussion on the Primary Care Landscape in Vermont.   Held to educate new Board Members, Chair Owen Foster, David Murman, MD, and Thom Walsh, PhD, MS, MSPT, the panel included physicians, APRNs and PAs who practice in a variety of primary care settings.  The discussion hit on workforce needs, financial sustainability, the role of telehealth and other challenges facing primary care practice in Vermont.  VMS presented its advocacy platform to strengthen primary care and results of the summer member survey demonstrating high burnout, especially among primary care clinicians.

Student Debt Relief – Apply by Mid-Nov.

The U.S. Department of Education will provide up to $20,000 in debt relief to Pell Grant recipients with loans held by the Department of Education and up to $10,000 in debt relief to non-Pell Grant recipients. Borrowers are eligible for this relief if their individual income is less than $125,000 or $250,000 for households. Get details about one-time student loan debt relief.  Borrowers are advised to apply by mid-November in order to receive relief before a federal payment pause expires on December 31, 2022.

In addition, borrowers who are employed by non-profits, the military, or federal, state, Tribal, or local government have been eligible to have all of their student loans forgiven through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. This is because of time-limited changes that waive certain eligibility criteria in the PSLF program. These temporary changes expired on October 31, 2022.

Learn more here.

Survey Closes Today: Does Your Practice Use Standing Orders?

Standing orders and protocols allow practitioners to direct clinical staff (nurses, medical assistants) to initiate patient care interventions in the future based on an individual patient’s future clinical needs. The Vermont Medical Society along with other health care associations are in conversation with the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation regarding whether health care practitioners and facilities need more guidance, education and/or regulatory clarity regarding standing orders and how to balance the potential benefits of practice efficiency with patient safety and federal and state law.  At this point, we are looking to gather information from health care facilities and practices regarding what types of standing orders are currently in use in Vermont.  If you have knowledge of your organization’s use of standing orders and/or clinical operations, your assistance in filling out a brief survey by COB today, Tuesday, Nov 1. is much appreciated.  This information is being collected anonymously and will not be linked to specific practice locations. Please click here for the survey and feel free to share with others in your practices who are best able to respond.

MISC.

November 2022 Resolution Feedback – Survey Open Until Nov 8.

All VMS members should have received an email with a link to submit survey feedback on four proposed VMS Policy Resolutions. The resolutions propose action-oriented solutions to address protections for receiving/providing cross-state health care, coverage for preventive screenings, access to health care while in police custody and increasing Vermont’s Workers’ Compensation Fee Schedule. All members are encouraged to provide feedback and non-binding comments on the resolutions between October 11th and November 8th, 2022. If you did not receive your survey links or have any questions or concerns with completing the survey please contact bpauley@vtmd.org. 

The resolutions next will be discussed together with the feedback received from members by the VMS Board for potential action at its November 16th Board Meeting.  Resolutions are now considered by the VMS Board on a year-round basis and members can submit resolution topics for consideration at any time.  For more information on the resolution adoption process see: https://vtmd.org/vms-resolutions/.  Members wishing to listen to the VMS Board discussion or share feedback at the Board meeting can contact bpauley@vtmd.org for zoom log-in information.   

Commissioner of Health Public Health Updates Address Your Pressing Questions

VMS members have a unique opportunity to connect with our State’s Commissioner of Health on a regular basis. Dr. Mark Levine has been joining us regularly since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.  His updates to members have now expanded to address a range of pressing public health issues, not only COVID-19, but also other “topics of the day” such as HMPXV, polio, opioid overdose, and more.  Please join us for these timely conversations with the Commissioner of Health and bring your questions as they always allow time for Q&A. The next call will be November 3, 2022, find zoom information here.  

Applications Still Open for 2023 VMS ERF Leadership Course – A Few Spots Remaining!

The Vermont Medical Society Education & Research Foundation is open for enrollment for a 4th statewide Physician Executive Leadership Institute Foundational Course beginning in January 2023.  The course will run from January through November 2023.  It is aimed at individuals with 5 or more years of clinical experience but minimal formal leadership training, with a goal of enrolling 15-20 physicians and PAs from across Vermont. To apply, submit a CV and brief description of interest to swinters@vtmd.org.  Rolling applications now being accepted through December 9^th (new extended deadline). View the full 2023 brochure, schedule and application information here.

Input Needed: Brand Research Project for Department of Vermont Health Access

The Department of Vermont Health Access has engaged with a project team through the Vermont Certified Public Managers program at UVM. The team is beginning a research project to better understand awareness and perception of our core brands: Vermont Health Connect and Green Mountain Care. This project is not a rebranding effort; instead, it’s an exploration of how community members and stakeholders perceive our brands.  The project team is holding two focus groups with community members and stakeholders next month and VMS members are encouraged to participate.  If you have any questions or interest please reach out to Ginger Irish, director of communications and legislative affairs at ginger.irish@vermont.gov. 

The focus groups will be held:

• Tuesday, November 15^th 5:30pm - 7pm 
• Friday, November 18^th 10am - 11:30am 

Open Enrollment Begins for Vermont Health Exchange

Open Enrollment for 2023 health insurance plans offered though Vermont’s Health Insurance Exchange – Vermont Health Connect -  began on November 1 and goes until January 15, 2023. The 2023 Plan Comparison Tool is now live. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 extended expanded premium assistance for the next three years, continuing to make plans more affordable for Vermonters. Learn more here.

Medicare Open Enrollment began Saturday, October 15, and will remain open through December 7, 2022. Medicare’s Open Enrollment period gives people with Medicare the opportunity to make changes to their health plan or prescription drug plan, pick a Medicare Advantage plan, or return to Original Medicare (also referred to as Medicare Part A and Part B). Last month the Biden-Harris Administration announced that people with Medicare will see lower average premiums for Medicare Part B, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans in 2023. Also, due to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, Medicare enrollees will also see lower costs for insulin and vaccines beginning in 2023.  Learn more about Medicare Open Enrollment here.

Toolkit Available - Offer Medication Abortion in Your Practice

The Access, Delivered Toolkit is a step-by-step guide to setting up telehealth medication abortion services in your clinical practice.

Created by the University of Washington Department of Family Medicine and Plan C, the updated toolkit addresses:

• Links to medication abortion clinician training,
• “No test” protocols for remote care delivery,
• Information on working with medication distributors and mail-order pharmacies to dispense medications to patients,
• Guidance on how to ensure appropriate professional liability coverage and compliance with state-specific abortion and telemedicine regulations, and
• Sample protocols for clinicians and patients-facing materials. 

Learn more here.

Providing Health Care to Refugees Final Webinar: Medical Legal Partnerships

Join us on November 10th from 12:15pm to 1pm EST, for our webinar that will discuss medical legal partnerships.

This webinar is a part of a series of webinars on Health Care for Refugees hosted by the Vermont Medical Society. Anyone interested is encouraged to attend.

Registration is free and required here.

To view previous topics and their recordings that were included in this series, click here.

EVENTS

"What Congress needs to do now: A grassroots update"

November 3rd, 11am CT

As we approach the end of this year and head into the next, physicians are taking this message to Congress: Reforming Medicare payment and fixing prior authorization need to top the agenda. Without Congressional action, physician practices that have already been weathered by the pandemic will face an 8%+ pay cut next year. Not only that, but prior authorization continues to delay patient care, cause patient harm and create practice hassles.

Virtually join AMA President Jack Resneck, MD, in conversation with Todd Askew, SVP, AMA Advocacy, and Jason Marino, Director, AMA Congressional Affairs, to hear about the AMA’s grassroots calls to action on these issues and what you can do.

Register here.

Osteoporosis Update for Primary Care 2022

November 4, 2022, The Hampton Inn Conference Center in Colchester, VT

Designed to improve the skills of the primary care healthcare team as they are often the first to encounter patients who have, or who are at risk of developing, osteoporosis. Topics include: Osteo in men, treatment medications, proper use of calcium and vitamin D, fractures from an orthopedic standpoint, and more!

For more information about our speakers, sessions, accreditation and to register please visit here.

Fall 2022 Virtual Ethics Education Series

November 9th, 12:00pm to 1:15pm EST

The Vermont Ethics Network presents the last installment of their Fall 2022 Virtual Ethics Education Series:

• November 9th - Mounting Pressure in the Emergency Department – Are there ethical and legal solutions?, presented by Shireen Hard, JD
• Learn more and register here

Medical Mutual' s 2022 Risk Management Seminar

November, 15, 2022, 12pm to 4pm

Understanding the Rules of Play

for Telemedicine Virtual care is no longer a nice to have, but a necessity.

Come join healthcare legal guru, Nan Gallagher, as she conveys how to engage in telehealth services so as best to minimize risk, administrative scrutiny, and payer woes, while maximizing your practice’s revenue and overall worth to patients.

Learn more and register here.

Webinar: Rapid Treatment Access for Alcohol Use Disorder

November 16th and November 18th, 11:30am to 1 pm EST

Join the Vermont Department of Health for a webinar that will have topics including:

• Walk through of Clinical Protocol including the Use of Medication to treat Alcohol Use Disorder and withdrawal management
• Epidemiology of Alcohol Use Disorder, recognizing signs and symptoms
• Organizing Systems of Care Within a Community

For more information and to register for either the November 16th or 18th session, click here.

Emergency Medicine Update

January 22 - 25, 2023

In-Person - Lodge at Spruce Peak, Stowe, VT

This course will discuss a variety of timely, practical issues that are encountered in the emergency department on a daily basis. Lectures will be engaging, sometimes controversial, and present the audience with examples of both successes and failures in emergency medicine. At the end of this program, participants should be able to distinguish between advancement and change in the emergency department in a relaxed, family-oriented environment where learning does equal fun!

All emergency medicine professionals are welcome.

For more information about the speakers, sessions, accreditation and to register please visit: https://go.uvm.edu/stoweem23

Hospital Medicine 2023

January 29 - 31, 2023

In-Person - Lodge at Spruce Peak, Stowe, VT

This course will provide practical approaches to common problems in hospital medicine informed by experts and the latest evidence. Target audience: physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses practicing Hospital Medicine. Also open to program administrators, resident physicians, and medical students with an interest in careers in Hospital Medicine. Topics will include: Curbing the Opioid Crisis, Pharmacy Pearls, Long COVID, Biliary Disease, End of Life Care in the Hospital. Optional workshop: POCUS

For more information about the speakers, sessions, accreditation and to register please visit: https://go.uvm.edu/hm2023

Eastern Winter Dermatology Conference

February 2 - 5, 2023

In-person - Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa, Stowe, VT

The 34^th Annual Eastern Winter Dermatology conference is designed to provide high-level continuing education for dermatologists and medical professionals specializing in dermatology, keeping them abreast of new and exciting findings in basic science, clinical dermatology and dermatologic therapy. Primary care physicians and medical professionals with a special interest in dermatology are also welcome to attend. Topics will include: Acne & rosacea update, innovations in connective tissue disease management, diagnosis of early CTCL, hidradenitis suppurativa, pediatric psoriasis issues, professional development - “how to say no,” erythema migrans pearls, management of high risk skin cancer, medical pearls from the literature and more!

For more information about the speakers, sessions, accreditation and to register please visit: go.uvm.edu/winterderm23

2023 Epilepsy & EEG in Clinical Practice

February 10, 2023

In-person - Main Street Landing, Burlington, VT

Held in Burlington for the first time, the 2023 Epilepsy & EEG course will focus on providing a review of current medical and surgical clinical practices related to seizures and conjunction with adjunctive EEG testing and will address errors that may lead to incorrect diagnosis and treatment. An interactive and didactic format that includes multimedia presentations and allows for audience participation. Target audience: internists, family practice and general practice physicians, pediatricians, neurologists, physician assistants, nurses, allied health professionals and residents involved in the care of patients with seizures and epilepsy are encouraged to attend.

Note: This is being held in conjunction with the EAEEG Annual Meeting. There is a discount for attending both events.

For more information about the speakers, sessions, accreditation and to register please visit: https://go.uvm.edu/epilepsy23

More conferences from UVM CMIE are expected this Spring to include these topics: Anesthesia, Cardiovascular/Vascular Disease, Geriatrics and Family Medicine. 

Sign-up to get updates via email for topics that are of interest here.

Vermont Medical Society

134 Main Street

Montpelier, VT 05602

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