November 28, 2023

NEED TO KNOW

Applications Due This Friday, Dec 1: VMS ERF Clinician Leadership Course

The Vermont Medical Society Education & Research Foundation is accepting applications through Friday, December 1st for a 5th statewide Executive Leadership Course beginning in February 2024. VMSERF is pleased to continue to offer an experiential learning opportunity that will enhance and fine-tune leadership skills and concepts for a statewide cohort of Vermont physicians and PAs.  The course will run from February through November 2024.  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 by December 1st. View the full 2024 brochure, schedule and application information here.

2024 Vermont Voices of Medicine Advocacy Breakfasts Begin Jan 18th

Please join us starting Thursday, January 18th to meet your lawmakers and to advocate for health care policies over coffee and a light breakfast. These breakfasts, which will be held in the cafeteria at the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier, are an informal opportunity to educate lawmakers on ways to improve Vermont's practice environment. Each breakfast starts on specific Thursdays and runs from 7:30-9 AM, kicking off on January 18th.  On Thursday, January 11th from 6-7:30 pm VMS will also be hosting a preparatory webinar, covering key topics up for discussion at the legislature, messaging basics and logistics for the breakfasts.

Click here for the list of dates & to register. 

Click here for more information. 

VITLAccess for VMS Webinar, Dec 5th

This webinar, hosted by VITL in collaboration with the Vermont Medical Society, will serve as in introduction (or reintroduction) to VITLAccess for clinicians. The focus will be how clinicians and staff at hospitals and practices around Vermont are using VITLAccess, and how you and your organization's staff can begin using this tool to access more complete health information about the patients you serve.

The webinar will be held on Tuesday, December 5th from 12:15-1:00. Register here. A recording will be available to registrants after the session.

A one-page overview document about VITLAccess is available here.

Next Commissioner of Health Call Thursday, January 4, 2024 - December 7th Call Cancelled

The Commissioner of Health, Mark Levine, MD, will hold his next Public Health Update with VMS Members on Thursday, January 4th at 12:30 pm. There will be no call on December 7, 2023.

Hear about  the most pressing public health information affecting the state and nation and have the opportunity to submit questions to Dr. Levine who will answer them, time-permitting. You can join the zoom meetings here.

Commissioner Levine last joined the VMS for a public health update on November 2nd. You can find the notes here.

Comment Period Open on Age Strong Vermont Plan

Public comment is being accepted through this Thursday, November 30th on a draft Age Strong Vermont Plan.  The goal of the plan is to create a roadmap for an age-friendly state and it addresses seven focus areas including affordable aging, healthy aging, social connections and infrastructure.   Some of the specific strategies related to primary care may include screening and providing education and resources for suicide prevention among older residents; offering training to primary care on cognitive impairment and dementia and strategies for exercise and nutrition; implementing coordinated malnutrition screening for adults and households through state and community programs; engaging primary care providers, Adult Day Programs/Centers, Senior Centers, and Long Term Care facilities to conduct annual falls risk assessment and environmental scans or surveys; adding and training on implementing the “Vermont Mini Cog Assessment” at all primary care visits for adults 50+; increasing the screening of social isolation and loneliness in primary care practices and long-term care facilities; and engaging with primary care physicians to ask questions to older Vermonters about transportation needs and provide contact info for GO! Vermont and local transit providers.  VMS plans to submit comments asking for adequate support for primary care practices implementing these strategies.

MISC.


A Message from Pinnacle Wealth to Vermont Medical Society Members

It was a pleasure sponsoring your annual meeting. We are sure you all found the event to be engaging and meaningful, as Stephanie and the team always do an exceptional job!

We would like to follow up on our brief presentation where we re-introduced our group. We understand that identifying a reputable financial advisor and scheduling an initial meeting can often be the hardest part when someone is considering seeking financial guidance. For those of you who may be interested in meeting, we hope this message can serve as catalyst to help overcome this inertia.

Pinnacle Wealth is an independent financial planning firm located in Vermont, serving clients (predominantly physicians) throughout the United States. We have been providing wealth management and comprehensive financial planning for more than 40 years, and we have been long time supporters of the VMS. We work with many of your colleagues, and we hope to spend a few minutes with you to help you determine whether we might be a good fit to assist with managing your finances. 

As a reminder, our areas of expertise are:

  • Financial planning: cash flow modeling, retirement and financial goal planning
  • Independent investment management
  • Independent insurance and annuity planning
  • We will also coordinate with your CPA for tax planning and with attorneys for estate planning

If you are interested in learning more about our services, we suggest an initial 30 min meeting via Zoom or in person; there is zero cost, and zero commitment. Please feel free to schedule a meeting with us using the link below, or email with any questions.  Also, if you are unable to find a meeting time that suits your needs, please let us know and we will do our very best to accommodate your schedule


Warmest regards,

Tobin Nadeau and Kyle Presson


Cell/Text: 802-300-3090 or Office 802-863-1248

Email: tobin@pinnaclevt.com


Vermont Tobacco Cessation Learning Series: Best Practices and Resources

Best Practices and Resources for VT Providers - Nov. 30, 2023, 8am-9am.

According to 2021 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 16% of adults in Vermont smoke cigarettes and attempts to quit smoking cigarettes have decreased to the lowest level in the past decade (only 47%). Join us for a 3-part Learning Series, hosted by Healthcentric Advisors and the Vermont Department of Health.  This first session of the series will focus on best practices, such as the combination of medication and therapy, as well as Vermont programs and services available to support patients with tobacco cessation. Reimbursement options for providers will also be discussed, along with related tools and resources. Reserve your spot: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJItf-usrz0oH99IzizzJHpX-omDz5qLYvk

Save the dates for upcoming sessions in this series: Dec. 14, 2023, at 8am, and Jan. 25, 2024, at 8am.

EVENTS

Inflation Reduction Act Catalytic Program Kickoff

November 30, 2023 at 12pm

Virtual

Funding is available to support health care organizations, especially safety net providers, in taking advantage of the tax credits, grants and other supports made available by the historic Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for projects to improve facility sustainability and climate resilience. The legislation creates unprecedented opportunities for health sector organizations to make investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy, infrastructure resilience and more.

More details on the initiative will be provided during a Thursday, November 30th 12 pm information session which you can sign up for here.

Cybersecurity Lockdown

December 6, 2023 at 2pm

Virtual

The healthcare industry, from small clinics to large, integrated health systems, is constantly targeted in a variety of highly sophisticated cyber threats and attacks.

Enhancing your awareness of these threats and learning tangible ways to protect your facilities is a team responsibility! We encourage you to join us for an upcoming webinar on Wednesday, December 6 at 2 PM ET with top security expert in the healthcare field, Daniel Schwartz.

This webinar will discuss who is after your data and why you have a professional responsibility to proactively address these threats as well as what you can do today to limit their impact. The webinar will also show a live look at the dark web!

There will be a Q&A session during the webinar.

Learn more and register here.

Emergency Medicine Update

January 16-19, 2024

The Lodge at Spruce Peak, Stowe, VT

This event 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. Changes don’t always equal advances and advancement doesn’t always mean change. At the end of the 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!

Learn more and register here.

35th Annual Eastern Winter Dermatology Conference

February 1-4, 2024

TopNotch Resort, Stowe, VT

The 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. Topics that will be covered include: Pediatric Dermatology; Clinical Pearls in Contact Dermatitis; Hair Loss; Lessons in Medicine: Nail Wisdom; and Memorable Skin Adventures from UVM Faculty.

Learn more and register here.

Hospital Medicine 2024

February 7-9, 2024

TopNotch Resort, Stowe, VT

The course will provide practical approaches to common problems in hospital medicine informed by experts and the latest evidence. The target audience is comprised of physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses practicing Hospital Medicine. Some of the clinicians will also be engaged in education, research, quality improvement, and management. The audience may also include Hospital Medicine program administrators, resident physicians, and medical students with an interest in careers in Hospital Medicine. Topics include Congestive Heart Failure; Pain Management; Care of Transgender Patients in Hospital; and more.

Learn more and register here.

For more information about offerings from UVM CMIE, visit here.

VTMD.ORG

Vermont Medical Society

134 Main Street

Montpelier, VT 05602

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