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NEED TO KNOW
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Providing Health Care to Refugees: Providing Catch Up Immunizations/Ongoing Pediatric Care Webinar
Join us on September 1st from 12:15pm to 1pm EST, for a webinar that will discuss providing catch up immunizations/ongoing care to pediatric refugees.
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 required here.
To learn more about what other topics will be included in this series, click here. |
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VMS to Host Fall Candidate Meet and Greets this October
Please join the Vermont Medical Society this fall for candidate
meet & greets in three districts across the State. These will be in-person
social events to which we are inviting Vermont State House and Senate
legislative candidates from Washington, Chittenden and Rutland counties to
member-led receptions in their respective districts. VMS members who work or
practice in these districts are invited to these informal meet & greets to
get to know the candidates who could be representing them after the general
election in November. For questions please email Jill Sudhoff-Guerin at jsudhoffguerin@vtmd.org. Register for each event below: |
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COVID-19, HMPXV Updates
On Friday, Commissioner of Health Mark Levine, MD, provided a COVID-19 and HMPXV update to the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems. Full notes from the call can be found here. The Administration press conference held this week did not address public health issues. Commissioner Levine reported that there has been a slight uptick in reported COVID-19 cases, but the community levels are still “low.” The State has been engaged in fall planning, mapping best and worst case scenarios in terms of COVID-19 transmission and is confident that the State can meet demands regarding testing, therapeutics and vaccination. As of Friday, the State estimated that the updated boosters may be available beginning September 7th. The State does not plan to set up mass vaccination clinics but anticipates being able to meet demand with the existing infrastructure of primary care, pharmacies and EMS walk-in clinics. EMS sites plan to offer both flu and COVID-19 vaccine, though will not have high-dose flu vaccine for those over age 65.
Regarding HMPXV (Monkeypox), Commissioner Levine reported that Vermont currently has an allocation of 226 vials of vaccine, most of which has been distributed to community partners such as Planned Parenthood and comprehensive care clinics. Vermont clinicians are only obtaining 3-4 doses per vial compared to the 5 estimated by the federal government when discussing a switch to intradermal vaccination. Three Vermonters have been diagnosed at this time (see CDC Case Tracker), Vermont clinicians have managed other cases but they were vacationers or visitors. Because of not needing to administer a high number of post-exposure prophylaxis vaccine doses for close contacts, Vermont can also provide pre-exposure prophylaxis with the intradermal approach. If Clinicians suspect HMPXV, call the Vermont Department of Health Infectious Disease Program at 802-863-7240 (option 2) to speak with an epidemiologist 24/7. The next call with Commissioner Levine will be held on October 6, 2022 (see more here).
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MISC.
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Federal Lawsuit Alleges Residency Requirement in Vermont Medical Aid-in-Dying Law is Unconstitutional
Compassion & Choices filed a federal lawsuit last Thursday on behalf of a terminally ill Connecticut woman and Vermont physician with New York patients asserting that the residency requirement in Vermont’s medical aid-in-dying law violates the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equal treatment. The lawsuit asks the court to prohibit officials from enforcing this provision of the law. The lawsuit complaint is posted here. Read more about the case here. |
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CMS Approves Vermont's New Essential Health Benefit Plan Which Includes Hearing Aid Coverage
Starting in insurance coverage year 2024, Vermont's benchmark insurance plan offered on Vermont's Health Benefit Exchange is required to provide coverage for hearing aids. All Vermont individual and small group plans will be required to cover 1 set of prescription hearing aids, one for each ear, along with an audiology appointment every 3 years. This coverage models what Vermont Medicaid already provides to its enrollees currently. According to a press release from the Scott Administration, 70,000 Vermonters identify as hard of hearing and have expressed the need for hearing aids. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approved the expanded coverage for hearing aids, as well as access to nutritional counseling and rehabilitative services. Vermont's Department of Financial Regulation applied for the expanded Essential Health Benefit Plan after the legislature passed H.266 into law on May 11, 2022. The Vermont Medical Society advocated for the passage of this bill during the 2022 legislative session. |
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EVENTS
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No Cost Well-Being Workshops
VMS is continuing our partnership with Doug Wysockey-Johnson of LumunosWellBeing to offer no-cost clinician wellbeing workshops at up to 10 Vermont medical staffs/practices over 2022. There are 3 remaining slots available this summer. New topics for 2022 include A Clinician’s Guide to Recovering from the COVID Marathon and A Realistic Look at ‘Work-Home Balance’ for Clinicians. See the full list and additional details here. Members can contact jbarnard@vtmd.org or doug@lumunos.org for more information or to schedule a workshop. |
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Practitioner and Stakeholder Perspectives on Opioid Use and Treatment Across Rural Northern New England
August 31, 2022, 12:00 pm ET
This presentation will explore data from UVM CORA's Baseline Needs Assessments in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, sharing insights gathered from practitioners and stakeholders about their concerns about opioid use and their perceived barriers to and beliefs about opioid use disorder treatment. Learn what others in the field are saying!
The speakers will be Valerie Harder, PhD, MHS, Associate Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Co-Director of CORA’s Surveillance and Evaluation Core at the University of Vermont, and Julia Shaw, MPH, Manager of the Surveillance and Evaluation Core at UVM CORA.
Register here.
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Frontiers in Psychiatric Treatment: Pregnancy and Postpartum
August 31, 2022, 12:00 pm ET
Frontiers in Psychiatric Treatment is a webinar series designed to equip clinicians with the latest knowledge about advances in patient care through digestible, clinically relevant updates across an array of subspecialties. On Wednesday, August 31, Veerle Bergink, MD, PhD, will cover recent developments in mental health treatment during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Join here.
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Addressing Adult Suicidal Ideation in Primary Care Setting September 1, 2022, 12:00 pm CT
September is Suicide
Prevention Awareness Month. Building off the Practical Strategies for Managing Suicidal Ideation
& Reducing Risk, this
pre-recorded webinar focuses on how primary care practices can address suicidal
ideation within their adult patient population. Register here.
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Health Equity Exchange: Voting and Health September 1, 2022, 2:00 pm CT
Please join the AMA for their next Health Equity Exchange. Building on recently adopted AMA policy about voting as a social determinant of health, this session features two non-partisan organizations leading the conversation on how voting and health are related and providing practical tools for physicians and their institutions to support voting.
This session will feature speakers from the Civic Health Alliance and Vot-ER including Stella Safo, MD, MPH, Co-Founder of Civic Health Alliance
Dr. Safo is an HIV primary care physician and founder of Just Equity for Health. Russia Chavis, MPP, is an inclusive public policy analyst, advisor, advocate, and strategist. Aliya Bhatia, MPP, Executive Director of Vot-ER and Anna Sicilia a Vot-ER Civic Health Fellow. Register here.
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Dismantling Stigma for All: Addressing Physician and Patient Mental Health and Suicide Risk September 8, 2022, 12:00 pm CT
As part of
National Suicide Prevention Week, this live, interactive forum will
connect attendees with industry experts on suicidal ideation and physicians
with lived experience to discuss solutions for dismantling the stigma around
seeking mental health treatment. Register here.
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Private Practice Simple Solutions: Team Documentation September 8, 2022, 10:00 am CDT
The AMA’s newly launched Private Practice Simple Solutions series is designed to help implement actionable changes that can improve efficiencies within a physician’s practice. Each
FREE multi-week session focuses on a single topic. This Team Documentation session will focus on: implementing multiple contributor documentation process, designing efficient documentation workflow, and appropriately delegating tasks to staff. Register here.
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Regenerative Medicine: Highlighting and Correcting Misinformation September 9, 2022, 8:00 am CT
Panelists, Zubin Master and Emily Vraga, will discuss the clinical and promotional landscape of stem cell-based interventions, ways of correcting misinformation, and resources and multi-sectoral policy approaches to help lead patients to more informed decision-making. Learn more about the event here. Register here.
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VMS COVID Conversation with the Commissioner of Health, Mark Levine, M.D. October 6, 2022, 12:30pm EST
The September 1st call will be replaced by the Providing Catch Up Immunizations/On-going Pediatric Care as part of our Providing Healthcare to Refugees webinar series. You can register for that webinar here.
The next time we will speak with the Commissioner of Health will be October 6, 2022 where he will provide us with the most pressing information affecting the state and nation. You will have the opportunity to submit questions to Dr. Levine who will answer them, time-permitting.
You can join the zoom meetings here which take place on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month from 12:30pm to 1pm EST or add to your calendar by following this link and clicking download (you will then need to open the downloaded file and click save to add to your calendar). |
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25th Annual Women's Health and Cancer Conference
September 30, 2022, 8am to 3pm EST
In-person and Virtual
Join us for a special 25th anniversary celebration and a keynote address by Kim Dittus, MD, PhD, Moving from treating cancer to treating the whole person.
This free, educational event is geared towards a broad range of clinical providers as well as patients, friends and family members, researchers, and caregivers. Together, you'll learn about cancer screening, treatment, survivorship, reducing the cancer burden, and how the science has changed over 25 years (and where it’s going next). This conference is accredited at no charge to participants courtesy of the UVM Cancer Center.
For more information about the speakers, sessions, accreditation and to register please visit here.
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Vermont ACP Chapter Annual Scientific Meeting October 14, 2022 Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe, VT
The Vermont ACP Chapter's Annual Scientific Meeting will occur on Friday, October 14, 2022. The ACP is optimistically planning for an in-person meeting. The ACP will host a virtual poster competition for resident and student members.
Update your medical knowledge, engage with colleagues, and receive CME credits and MOC points.
Meeting details and agenda forthcoming.
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Private Practice Simple Solutions: Team Documentation October 18, 2022, 10:00 am CDT
The AMA’s newly launched Private Practice Simple Solutions series is designed to help implement actionable changes that can improve efficiencies within a physician’s practice. Each
FREE multi-week session focuses on a single topic. This Team Documentation session will be a panel with subject matter
expert on common obstacles in a clinical vignette. Register here.
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Vermont Medical Society Annual and Collaborative Meeting November 4th and 5th, 2022
The 209th VMS Annual Meeting will be held on November 4th and 5th in person at Topnotch Resort, Stowe, VT, with virtual options. The weekend will be filled with educational content, time to spend with colleagues, policy-setting meetings, and the opportunity to honor physicians and other health care leaders across the state. VMS’ Annual Meeting, hosted in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter, the Vermont Academy of Family Physicians and the Vermont Psychiatric Association, is a celebration of the unwavering commitment Vermont clinicians have to their practice and to the deep connection VMS members have with each other.
To view more information or submit nominees for 2022 leadership awards, please click here. Register here.
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UVM will have more primary care conferences in Fall 2022. Sign-up to get updates via email for topics that are of interest here. |
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Vermont Medical Society 134 Main Street Montpelier, VT 05602 -- Unsubscribe -- |
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