December 13, 2022

NEED TO KNOW

Proposition 2 and Proposition 5 Signed and Enrolled Into Vermont's Constitution

Lawmakers, advocates and organizations dedicated to the passage of both Prop 2, prohibiting slavery in Vermont, and Prop 5, providing reproductive liberty for every Vermonter, gathered in the gallery of the House to watch Governor Scott and Secretary of State Jim Condos publicly sign the amendments to formally enroll them into Vermont's constitution. The passage of Prop 5 has been a policy priority for the Vermont Medical Society over the last 5 years and we celebrate this historic day. Click here to watch the video, which includes remarks from Congresswoman Becca Balint, House Speaker Jill Krowinski, Jim Condos and the Governor. 

• WATCH: Governor Phil Scott and Secretary of State Jim Condos Formally Enroll Proposition 2 and Proposition 5 into the Vermont Constitution
  

Please RSVP: VMS 2023 Advocacy Day is January 18th

You are invited to the Statehouse in Montpelier to meet the 2023 class of legislators and to use your voice to advocate for health care policies that will improve your practice environment. This is a unique opportunity early in the new legislative session to let lawmakers know how they can help address the pressing issues you and your patients are facing. We will start the afternoon off with a brief legislative update on VMS' 2023 Policy Priorities. Attendees will then get an opportunity to observe legislative committees or possibly testify. We will then invite lawmakers to join us for a Legislative Reception in the cafeteria entitled, "Health Care Crisis: Steps to Ensure the Survival of Medicine in Vermont."

RVSP here.

Reach out to Jill with any questions at jsudhoffguerin@vtmd.org

Take Action to Prevent Medicare Cuts

The American Medical Association (AMA), Vermont Medical Society and state medical associations representing hundreds of thousands of physicians and the patients they serve, sent a letter to Congressional leadership last week urging Congressional action to prevent a 4.5% reduction to Medicare payment rates from being implemented on January 1, 2023.  The letter highlights that allowing cuts to Medicare payments is simply unacceptable during this time of record inflation and coming on the heels of a highly disruptive pandemic.   For a fact sheet on the pending cuts, click here.  Congress will need to act to prevent cuts within the next two weeks. 

Please contact Vermont’s Congressional Delegation to ask for their support in preventing the entire 4.5% reduction to Medicare payment rates from being implemented:

Contact Senator Sanders: https://www.sanders.senate.gov/contact/contact-form/

Contact Representative/Senator-Elect Welch: https://welch.house.gov/contact 

MISC.

Vermont Autism Programs Merge, Pause Referrals

The Autism Assessment Clinic at the Vermont Center for Children, Youth, and Families and the Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics Program at the University of Vermont Children’s Hospital both provide autism diagnostic evaluations for children in Vermont.  The programs have recently announced that the above programs will be merging into one Autism Assessment Program in order to streamline the intake process, schedule evaluations in as timely a manner as possible and maximize existing resources.  During this time of restructuring, the programs will stop taking referrals for a six month period, starting December 1, 2022 while continuing to see patients of all ages who are already on our wait lists.  Read the full announcement here.

AHRQ Safety Program for MRSA Prevention Recruiting Surgical Specialties

The AHRQ Safety Program for MRSA Prevention is a free 18-month program that seeks to reduce surgical site infections (SSIs), with a focus on MRSA in high-risk surgeries. Beginning in January 2023, this program combines evidence-based guidance with implementation strategies to address the attitudes, beliefs, culture, and barriers that often pose challenges to optimizing infection prevention practices. This program can help you enhance your infection prevention program and prevent SSIs, including SSIs caused by MRSA, by utilizing evidence-based prevention strategies including chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) treatment (bathing), decolonization, MRSA surveillance, antimicrobial prophylaxis, improvement of hand antisepsis and hand hygiene, and implementation of evidence-based infection prevention bundles. Participation in this AHRQ program will provide surgical services with technical assistance, coaching, webinars, and tools to support their infection prevention program.

Enrollment is open until January 15th. AHRQ aims to recruit hospital-based surgical services for the following specialties and procedures:

• Cardiac (cardiac valve replacement, coronary artery bypass graft, surgeries that involve a median sternotomy)
• Neurosurgical (spinal fusion)
• Orthopedic (hip and knee joint replacement, and spinal fusion)

For more information, visit https://safetyprogram4mrsaprevention.org/page/home

CMS Prior Authorization Proposed Rule

Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Advancing Interoperability and Improving Prior Authorization Processes Proposed Rule, which would place new requirements on Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Fee-for-Service programs, Medicaid and CHIP managed care plans, and Qualified Health Plan issuers on the Federally Facilitated Exchanges to streamline prior authorization (PA) processes to reduce physician practice burdens and prevent patient care delays.  The AMA released a statement applauding the proposed rule and stating that their initial review suggests that the rule will bring much-needed transparency to both plans’ PA requirements and program metrics, such as approval/denial rates and average PA processing time, and would put requirements in place to support electronic prior authorization.  The proposed rule is new open for a 90-day comment period.  Advocates also continue to urge Congress to pass the bipartisan Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, which also would address prior authorization in MA plans. For more information on the proposed rule, read the CMS fact sheet here.

EVENTS

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.

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

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!

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.

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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