February 4, 2025

NEED TO KNOW

Health Care Committees Continue Health Reform Discussion

This past week has been extremely challenging keeping up with the barrage of Trump Administration Executive Orders that have disrupted medical care and social service delivery and led to a lack of clarity on whether federal funding for health care services, health research and international health care aid will continue. Last Friday, the Vermont Medical Society issued a special report tracking the latest information on recent Executive Orders impacting health care. 

Last week also raised challenging issues for the Vermont legislative health care committees. Members of the House Health Care and Senate Health and Welfare Committees are trying to make sense of the Act 167 report and how they can move the needle on the rising costs of health care across Vermont. They heard from the Green Mountain Care Board on the need for hospital transformation and changes to the CON process, from the Vermont Association of Hospital and Health Systems on how much it costs to provide the continuum of care Vermonters need, and from the Agency of Human Services on the how the State will move forward on supporting hospital transformation efforts through both Act 167 and the AHEAD model. 

The VMS Policy team continues to track health care reform bills being filed in the Legislature that contain lofty ideas on potential changes to our health care system. See bills introduced  here. We have heard from many of you with concerns about unintended consequences of some of these bills, and we want to make sure you know that there is no tangible advancement of any of these bills at this time. As soon as we know what legislation is gaining traction, the VMS Policy team will provide you with all of the information you need to make your voice heard. You can also attend our Advocacy Breakfast series and have one-on-one conversations with your lawmakers. RSVP here. 

This week, the OBGYN residents will host their advocacy breakfast on Wednesday, February 5th. The health care committees will hold a joint hearing on the Act 167 report and the House Appropriations Committee will begin testimony on the FY 2026 Budget and hear from the Agency of Human Services. 

Treasurer’s Task Force Convenes Expert Immigration Panel for Vermont Employers – Webinar Feb. 6

Treasurer Mike Pieciak’s Task Force on the Federal Transition, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, and Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) will host a webinar for Vermont employers to discuss their rights, obligations, and prudent steps they can take to prepare for a worksite visit from Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE). The discussion will feature leading Vermont and national immigration experts. 

The webinar will take place Thursday, February 6 from 11 AM to 12:30 PM. The program will feature one hour of moderated discussion, followed by 30 minutes of Q&A. Learn more and RSVP here.  

For more resources to assist you and your patients with immigration enforcement, see the VMS website here. 

RFK Supported by Senate Finance Committee, Advances to Full Senate

In a vote of 14-13, the US Senate Finance Committee voted today to advance RFK Jr.’s nomination to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.  His nomination now advances to a vote in the full Senate.   There was wide speculation over the weekend about how Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana  would vote on the nomination – he ultimately voted in favor.  See news coverage here and here.

Both Vermont Senators Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch, members of the Finance Committee, voted against his nomination. In a statement released after his vote, Senator Sanders stated: “I cannot in good conscience vote for someone who denies and will dilute our public health protections, sow distrust in science and oversee massive cuts to health care programs for low-income people, nursing home care for seniors and long-term care for people with disabilities. Despite what Mr. Kennedy believes, the overwhelming consensus within the scientific community is clear: Vaccines are safe and effective.”  See the full statement here. 

VMS Board to Meet Tomorrow, February 5

The VMS Board will meet tomorrow evening, Wednesday, February 5th from 6:30-8:30pm.  Items on the agenda include reviewing VMS’ financial position for 2025, electing several new Board members, and reviewing and discussing pending state and federal policy initiatives. VMS Board meetings are open for attendance by any member. Contact Birdie Pauley for information on joining the meeting at bpauley@vtmd.org.  

MISC.

Next Commissioner Call, This Thursday - February 6, 2025

The Commissioner of Health, Mark Levine, MD, will hold his next Public Health Update with VMS Members this Thursday, February 6th at 12:30 pm. You can join the zoom meetings here.

He held his most recent VMS member call on January 2nd. Notes from the call are here. 

The Physicians Foundation Announces Call for Fellowship Applicants

The Physicians Foundation announced the opening of applications for its esteemed Fellowship Program. This program is designed for new and early-career physicians to advance their leadership skills and focus on addressing drivers of health (DOH) – or the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age.

This unique opportunity is open to new and early-career physicians who demonstrate experience or interest in DOH, physician leadership, health policy, health equity and care delivery innovation.

Key benefits of the Fellowship Program include:

  • Stipend and Covered Expenses: The Fellow will receive a 12-month stipend of $24,000 as well as reimbursement for program-related travel and lodging expenses.
  • Expand Leadership Skills: The Fellow will learn how to be a voice for change around physician-led solutions to address patients’ DOH.
  • Connect with Experts: The Fellow will learn from DOH experts and leaders across sectors through mentorship opportunities.
  • Shape the Future of Healthcare: With the support of mentors, the Fellow will develop a project that supports physicians in understanding and integrating DOH into their practices, making a tangible impact to improve health care.
  • Share Perspectives: The Fellow will collaborate with the Foundation to be a part of the ongoing media and policy discourse on how to improve health care delivery through media interviews, publishing articles and social media content.

Applications are due by March 28, 2025. Read more from the press release here.

Apply here.

Webinar:  Removing Invasive and Stigmatizing Language on Mental Health from Credentialing Applications

Next Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. CST, please join the AMA in conversation with the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation (LBHF) to learn how organizations are removing barriers for physicians seeking mental health care. The webinar will focus on the organizational-wide process of removing stigmatizing and overly invasive mental health questions in credentialing applications. Panelists will describe how health systems can approach this work, common barriers, and solutions based on real examples. 

Northwell Health, a health system recognized by the Joy in Medicine Program with verification by ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare (a coalition led by the LBHF), will also share their firsthand experience for how they successfully updated their credentialing applications and describe key strategies that were important for their success. 

The panel discussion will be followed by a Q&A with the audience.

Panelists

  • Kevin Hopkins, MD, Physician Director, Health System Engagement, AMA
  • Corey Feist, CEO, Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation
  • Daniel Blaney-Koen, JD, AMA
  • Annabella Salvador-Kelly, MD, FACEP, Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs, Northwell Health

Register now.

For questions about the AMA Joy in Medicine program, please email Practice.Transformation@ama-assn.org  

Salary Data and Contract Review Tips: March 18th, 12-1pm

VMS has partnered with Resolve to help connect members to contract review services and access to compensation data. On March 18th from 12-1pm join Resolve CEO Kyle Claussen for a webinar to learn tips about physician employment contracts. Register here. How do you know what you are worth? What's in a normal contract? How do you know if you have leverage? Kyle will address key contract provisions including:

  1. Compensation
  2. Call Coverage
  3. Maternity Leave
  4. Non-competes
  5. Side Gigs
  6. Intellectual Property
  7. Private Equity Buy-outs

Bring your questions! Whether you are considering your first job after residency, thinking about a position change or just want to understand what is in your current contract, this webinar is for you.

Kyle Claussen is the CEO of Resolve, an attorney and physician compensation and contract expert. He has spent the last decade advocating for physicians in their employment contracts. Kyle is married to an ophthalmologist, has 3 kids, and a dog.

Register for the webinar here.

Back for 2025, Quarterly Financial Webinars Hosted by Pinnacle Wealth (FKA Pastore Financial Group)

Pinnacle Wealth has been a supporter of VMS for decades.  Our independent, fiduciary advisors will share insights to help you on your financial journey.  Can’t make the webinar but have quesitons? Please email info@pinnaclevt.com for an individual meeting.

Early Career: Questioning your student loan strategy?  Do you have the right amount of life and disability insurance?  Are you maximizing opportunities to accumulate wealth and minimize taxes? Join us for an exclusive seminar for VMS members. We will discuss updates to SAVE and PSLF, important insurance concepts, and strategies to maximize accumulation during your early years as a physician.

Register for Tuesday evening, February 11th from 7-8pm 

Approaching Retirement: Are you confident in your retirement plan? Concerned about market volatility? Do you have a strategy to protect your investments while maximizing returns? Join us for an exclusive retirement planning seminar for VMS members.  We will discuss key strategies to secure your financial future and enhance your investment growth in today’s unpredictable market.

Register for Wednesday evening, February 12th from 7-8pm 

EVENTS

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.

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

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