September 24, 2024

NEED TO KNOW

Tomorrow: Join VMS for a Congressional Town Hall Webinar Sept. 25^th at 12:15pm

Please join the Vermont Medical Society in a virtual Town Hall discussion with Vermont’s Congressional delegation and/or staff on Wednesday, September 25^th at 12:15-1:00pm.

No need to register – just join the Zoom here.

Do you have questions regarding federal healthcare policy that impacts Vermont clinicians for Senator Peter Welch, Senator Bernie Sanders, or Rep. Becca Balint?

This discussion will provide you an opportunity to hear directly from our delegation on the federal issues that matter to you.  

If you have specific questions you would like addressed, please email them by Sept. 24^th to jbarnard@vtmd.org. 

Join the Zoom here.

Seeking Member Comment – Hospital Transformation Report

As sent in a member email last Thursday, Dr. Bruce Hamory with Oliver Wyman consulting last week presented to the Green Mountain Care Board the long-anticipated report on Vermont hospital and health system transformation.  The recommendations are far reaching and address everything from statewide policy change to encourage affordable housing and broadband, to specific recommendations for service line changes at a number of Vermont hospitals.  The slides can be found here and a YouTube video of the meeting can be found here.  An overall summary of recommendations and next steps is found on slide 12 and news coverage can be found here:

• Burlington Free Press 
• Vermont Public 
• VTDigger Article 1 and Article 2
• WCAX

The VMS Board will be discussing the report and response at its board meeting this Wednesday, Sept. 25.  Please send feedback for consideration to jbarnard@vtmd.org.  Please email bpauley@vtmd.org if you would like the link to join the Board meeting virtually.  Thank you for those members who have already sent comments on the report.

While we form our full response, VMS wants to make you aware of some key findings and recommendations included in the report that include:

• Vermont does not have a shortage of primary care providers – instead productivity should be increased to seeing 3 patients per hour/20-minute appointments (slide 37) along with more support for primary care (slide 49). The VMS, American Academy of Pediatrics-VT Chapter, Vermont Academy of Family Physicians and American College of Physicians VT Chapter have responded with a commentary opposing further time pressures on primary care clinicians.
• There should be regionalization of specialty services including surgical services, orthopedics, obstetrics, mental health, elder care (slides 39 & 40 with more detail on slides 41-45)
• Vermont hospitals could focus on increasing the productivity of specialists – productivity is below national benchmarks (slide 61).
• Hospitals face different levels of operational and financial challenges, and some require major restructuring (overview slide 52). The GMCB could take actions to require transformation if they “permit no further increases in commercial subsidization for hospital financial shortfalls” and set commercial hospital pricing “ideally at 200% of Medicare.” (slide 12)
• • Four hospitals require “major restructuring” - Gifford, Grace Cottage, North Country and Springfield. (slide 67, slides 57-59)
  • UVMMC requires significant cost reductions (slide 113, with more details on slides 114-118, including a focus on physician productivity and clinical time)
  • Remaining hospitals show potential for improvement through targeted cost management programs and / or service line reconfiguration (side 84 with more details on slides 85-111)
  • A number of hospitals should consider staffing EDs with non-MDs.

The recommendations will now move to further consideration by the GMCB, Agency of Human Services and the legislature.  There will be opportunities for input at all of these levels as the recommendations move forward and VMS is committed to bringing the physician and PA voice into these discussions

VMS 2024 Candidate Receptions in Rutland County!

Thank you to all of the VMS members who attended our Chittenden County Candidate Meet & Greet last week at Hotel Vermont in Burlington. It was an enjoyable evening, full of casual conversation and great company as we got to know the legislative candidates running for House and Senate seats from Chittenden County. 

The VMS is hosting several candidate receptions across the State. October 1st is the Rutland County Candidate Meet & Greet at the Rutland Country Club from 6-8pm. If you live or practice in Rutland County its not too late to plan to come meet the candidates who could represent you in the Vermont House and Senate after the general election in November. Click here to register and to learn about the other dates and locations, which include: Essex/Orleans County on Oct. 3^rd and Washington County on Oct. 16th. 

For questions please email Jill Sudhoff-Guerin at jsudhoffguerin@vtmd.org.

NPR Exclusive: U.S. Overdose Deaths Plummet, Saving Thousands of Lives

According to a report by NPR, for the first time in decades, drug overdose deaths are declining.  Nationally, between April 2023 and April 2024, overdose deaths declined by 10%. Data from the Vermont Department of Health, and cited in the article, shows a 22 percent decline in drug deaths in 2024.  Experts quoted in the article explain that so far it is unclear what has led to the decline. 

MISC.

Register Today for the 2024 Collaborative Meeting and Book Your Room by October 2nd

The 2024 Collaborative Meeting of the Vermont Medical Society, American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter, Vermont Academy of Family Physicians, and Vermont Psychiatric Association being held Friday, November 1^st through Saturday, November 2^nd at Topnotch Resort and Spa in Stowe, VT.

You can book your accommodations today through the following methods:

1. Stay on site with a Discounted Room at Topnotch - You can register on this link or use the following discount code VMS24
2. Hotels in the Area - when booking confirm that your dates are correct and that you are comfortable traveling the distance in between your hotel of choice and Topnotch to join us for meeting start times.
3. Airbnbs in the Area - when booking confirm that your dates are correct and that you are comfortable traveling the distance in between your Airbnb of choice and Topnotch to join us for meeting start times

The discounted room block offered through Topnotch expires on October 2nd, so make sure to book by then!

As a reminder, we are happy to offer childcare to those that register for before October 1st!

You don’t want to miss this opportunity to come together to learn, collaborate and celebrate with colleagues around the state. Register today for the meeting and to ensure you have childcare!

Latest Wellbeing First Champion Maps Are Here!

In recognition of Suicide Prevention Month, ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare, a national coalition led by the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, is proud to announce significant progress in our collective efforts to prevent suicide and better support health workers’ mental health.

As part of the coalition’s Wellbeing First Champion Challenge program, a record 34 licensure boards and 375 hospitals have verified that their licensing or credentialing applications are free from intrusive mental health questions and stigmatizing language as of September 1, 2024. This collectively benefits more than 1.1 million licensed and 115,000 credentialed health workers.   In Vermont, this includes the Board of Medical Practice, Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital and Rutland Regional Medical Center.

The Wellbeing First Champions Challenge program recognizes licensure boards and hospitals that have removed these mental health questions from their applications. By taking the challenge, Wellbeing First Champions empower health workers to get the care they might need without fear of stigma or repercussions.  Take a moment to look through the maps to see how Vermont is doing and click here to learn more and log in for the free Credentialing toolkit. 

Next Commissioner Call Thursday, October 3rd

The Commissioner of Health, Mark Levine, MD, will hold his next Public Health Update with VMS Members Thursday, October 3rd at 12:30 pm. You can join the zoom meetings here.

He held his most recent VMS member call on August 1st. Notes from the call are here.

Call for Public Comment: Pilot Model Pathway to Board Eligibility for Exceptionally Qualified International Medical Graduates

The ABIM Council has proposed a pilot model for exceptionally qualified international medical graduates (IMGs) pursuing accredited subspecialty fellowship in the U.S. or Canada to become eligible for ABIM Board Certification. These physicians currently do not have a pathway to board eligibility.

Following thorough discussion among the Specialty Boards and Advisory Committees, and based on input from external stakeholder groups including medical societies, medical organizations (i.e. the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), ACGME-International, Intealth) and program directors, the Council invites the internal medicine community to offer commentary on the proposed pilot.

All diplomates maintaining certification by ABIM are invited to comment by October 1, 2024.  Read more here.

Application Open - The Opioid and Substance Use Treatment Training Scholarship Program

The Opioid and Substance Use Treatment Training Scholarship Program offered by The Rural Center of Excellence on SUD Treatment at the University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction (UVM CORA) is an intensive 2-day free program for rural primary care practices. The program brings together interdisciplinary teams from rural Vermont practices who are seeking to start or increase their prescribing of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). In partnership with UVM CORA clinicians, faculty, and staff, participants can expect to engage in the following topics, tailored to patients and providers in rural areas:

• Addressing MOUD treatment-related issues or challenges occurring within their own practices, honing skills and gaining resources to make improvements;
• Supporting patients with complex needs related to opioid use disorder (OUD), including prescribing and managing MOUD;
• Supporting patients with other substance use disorders (SUD);
• Enhancing OUD/SUD prevention and treatment in rural communities

The application deadline is October 7, 2024.

Applicants will be notified by late October, and the program will take place in Burlington, Vermont, on January 30-31, 2025.

Learn more information and apply here. 

VMS Announces Physician Wellness Retreat, Jan 25-28^th

Join the Vermont Medical Society from Sunday, January 25th at 3pm through Tuesday, January 28th at 12pm for deep rest and a reprieve from the busy-ness of medicine.  Experience the benefits of mindfulness, restorative yoga practices and culinary medicine. Cultivate relationships with other physicians while you re-connect with what matters most to you in a grounding, natural environment. Instructors include Dr. Anna Benvenuto, a practicing OBGYN hospitalist, and Doug Wysockey-Johnson, the Program Director of Lumunos. Included with registration are all meals, overnight accommodations at Setu Retreat Center in Brattleboro, 1 massage, and all yoga/meditation/ group sessions & activities. Registration is open until October 18th.  Learn more and register here.

EVENTS

The Vermont Chamber's Solutions Summit: A Focus on Vermont's Workforce

September 25, 2024

This dynamic event will bring together businesses, educators, and policymakers in a collaborative setting to discuss actionable, scalable workforce development solutions across all industries.

This year’s sessions will explore a range of critical topics around workforce development, including strengthening the link between education and employment, employee retention and recruitment, leveraging technology to improve efficiency, and understanding Vermont policies and legislation impacting our businesses.

Learn more and register here.

The Center for Communication in Medicine - Communication Between Patients and Healthcare Providers: It's More Important Than You Think

October 1, 2024

The Center for Communication in Medicine is presenting a free SpeakSooner webinar on October 1 at 6pm titled "Communication Between Patients and Healthcare Providers: It's More Important Than You Think."

The panel includes: UVM palliative care physician Steve Berns, MD; clinical psychologist Lisa Pezzulich, PsyD; and cancer patient David Schroedel. Center for Communication in Medicine executive director Bernard Bandman, PhD will serve as moderator. The program will address challenges that both patients and clinicians face with open and honest communication about serious illness. The panel will offer suggestions to improve communication.

Learn more and register here.

Birth Certificate Quality Improvement Initiative Learning Series

October 7, 2024

Virtual

In collaboration with the Vermont Department of Health Division of Family and Child Health and the Division of Health Statistics and Informatics, the Perinatal Quality Collaborative - Vermont (PQC-VT) is embarking on a vital statistics birth certificate quality improvement initiative (BCQII).

The project aim is to improve the accuracy of key birth certificate variables to support public health and quality improvement efforts. The objective is to increase birth certificate data quality in Vermont by providing education opportunities, technical assistance, and shared learning to Vermont hospital teams involved in birth certificate data collection.

Register here for the learning series.

2024 Clinical Quality Symposium - Comprehensive Care Nourishing Minds, Bodies, and Communities

October 16th Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee, VT

For more details on the sessions, speakers and to register, please visit here.

Vermont ACP Chapter Annual Scientific Meeting

October 18, 2024

Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe, VT

Join us for the in-person Vermont ACP Chapter's Annual Scientific Meeting.

Meeting Highlights

• Atrial Fibrillation Update
• Lung Cancer Screening
• Update in Hospital Medicine
• Update in General Internal Medicine
• Physician Wellness
• Principles in the Care of Gender Diverse Persons
• Things We Do For No Reason
• Public Health Highlights

Designated for a maximum of 4.5 AMA PRAA Category 1 credit(s) and up to 4.5 medical knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Visit the Meeting Hub for registration, agenda and details of the meeting here.

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.

Vermont Medical Society

134 Main Street

Montpelier, VT 05602

-- Unsubscribe --