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IAFP News
Your
friends at IAFP would like to wish you a happy, healthy New Year for 2008!
**HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT BEING AN IAFP
LEADER?
Still making resolutions? How about getting involved with IAFP or its Foundation? Apply for a volunteer leadership position on one of the IAFP committees, task forces or interest groups. Find the list and an application on the IAFP web site at http://www.iafp.com/pdfs/signup2008.pdf
**IAFP
NEEDS INPUT ON VACCINE ISSUES MEMBERS FACE
Are you in solo or small group practice? Then we need your input!
Dr.
Corinne Kohler, a family physician at
She
would like to present, at the
**IAFP’S
ONLINE RESOURCE FOR YOUR JOB SEARCH OR POSTING
The RIGHT job or job candidate is out there, and we’re here to help find
it today! Visit http://www.iafp.com
and select Job Listings from the menu on the left to learn more.
**DON’T FORGET!
You can contact your IAFP Board of
Directors through the IAFP website at http://www.iafp.com/about/officers.htm
State GR –
**SMOKE-FREE ILLINOIS LAW TOOK EFFECT JANUARY 1.
IAFP wishes everyone a Smoke-Free Happy New Year.
IAFP and its vocal members have been a large part of
this success. Let business owners know how much you support this new law
– for you and your patients!
Be prepared as the Illinois General Assembly continues to negotiate a new
gaming bill in search of new revenues. This gives the casino industry a
mechanism to make another run at getting an exemption to allow smoking in
casinos. Those family physicians that live or practice in communities near
a casino should be ready to speak up for your patients who work or spend
time in casinos. They all deserve to be protected.
MORE RESOURCES at http://www.iafp.com/PR/
LISTEN: Podcast from IAFP board chair Kathleen J. Miller, MD of Decatur http://www.iafp.com/pdfs/smokefreeil.mp3
ACT: Use AAFP’s “Ask and Act” program to help smokers quit in your
practice (www.askandact.org )
REFER: Patients to the Illinois Quit Line at 1-866-QUIT-YES
LEARN information about the new law on the IDPH web site at
http://www.smoke-free.illinois.gov/index.htm
**AAFP Congratulates Smoke-Free
SMOKING CESSATION – NOW IS THE TIME
TO “ASK AND ACT”!
Help your patients quit. Ramp
up the smoking cessation efforts in your community!
What can you do?
1. Read up on the ”Ask and Act” CME web casts at http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/clinical/publichealth/tobacco/cme/webcasts.html
You can choose from four different CME web casts that suit your practice
or facility’s needs.
2. There are many free patient education materials available on the web
site at http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/clinical/publichealth/tobacco/resources.html
3. Approach the appropriate leadership at your hospital or practice
facility and ask for the opportunity to present Ask and Act to providers.
4. Celebrate 2008 as
5. Ensure that every patient who smokes gets some intervention when he or
she comes to your facility.
6. Use the Illinois Quit Line at 866-QUIT-YES as a resource for patients
who smoke and are ready to quit. You can request free materials for your
practice at http://www.lungil.org/tobacco/ITQPromotionalMaterialRequestForm.pdf
and also find an easy to use Tobacco Treatment Referral Form at http://www.lungil.org/tobacco/IllinoisTobaccoQuitlineFaxReferralFormForHealthProssionals.pdf
**SPRING INTO ACTION IS NEW AND
PERSONALIZED
There
are five individual dates available for members to travel to
These
are all one-day sessions. The
dates available for you to choose from include:
March
4, 5, 11 April 2 and 10
Need
more information or want to sign up? Simply
contact Gordana Krkic, CAE, IAFP vice president of government relations at
gkrkic@iafp.com.
** PREVNAR VACCINE ADDED TO ILLINOIS IMMUNIZATION
SCHEDULE
Effective January 1, Public Act 095-0159, required children under age 2
entering child care systems to have the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine,
knows as Prevnar. The recommended schedule includes three doses given at
age 2, 4 and 6 months with a follow up fourth dose at 12-15 months.
Federal GR – SCHIP still
alive/Medicare Cuts held off/PQRI reports
**EXTENSION
OF SCHIP PROGRAM/TINY INCREASE IN MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT
Congress
has approved an extension of the State Children's Health Insurance Program
(SCHIP), until the end of March 2009, providing a $1.6 billion increase
for the program that should prevent states from running out of SCHIP funds
for the next 18 months.
In
a last-minute deal, as part of the bill, congressional members agreed to a
0.5 percent increase in the Medicare physician payment rate for the first
six months of 2008, postponing a 10.1 percent reduction in the payment
rate that was scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1 under the sustainable
growth rate, or SGR, formula.
Physicians
still face a cut of more than 10 percent--scheduled to go into effect on
July 1--and another steep reduction in 2009 unless Congress acts. You can
read AAFP’s written response to the issue at
http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/press/aafpstatements/2007statements/20071219medicare.html.
**REPORTING
FOR 2008 PHYSICIAN QUALITY REPORTING INITIATIVE (PQRI) BEGAN
Eligible
professionals should begin submitting appropriate 2008 Quality Data Codes
on qualifying Part B claims with a date of service of
The
American Medical Association (AMA) has posted PQRI worksheets for the 2008
PQRI program on the AMA website at http://www.ama-assn.org.
These worksheets are also available in the CMS 2008 PQRI Toolkit which is
posted at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/pqri.
**“YOUR ACADEMY IN ACTION”
ADVOCACY VIDEO ON MEDICAL HOME
The Illinois Academy of Family Physicians has launched its second
video, in a series of advocacy videos, and is ready to use.
The video discusses and helps illustrate the importance of the
medical home. The video
includes comments by IAFP President Steven Knight, M.D., IAFP
President-elect Javette Orgain,
M.D., as well as Representative Peter Roskam and Senator Dick Durbin. You
can view the IAFP video on the importance of a medical home at
http://www.iafp.com/pdfs/ILMedHome-2draft.wmv
CME
Information
**PRI-MED CME INFORMATION
Partnering with the IAFP, Pri-Med Updates offers world-class CME programs
in your area. Taught by leading experts, you can earn Continuing Medical
Education credits at no cost. All activities listed are approved for AMA
PRA Category 1 Credit(s). Application for AAFP Prescribed credit has been
submitted.
*Pri-Med Updates
Two-day continuing medical education programs designed for Primary Care
Physicians currently engaged in patient care. This program features new
and emerging guidelines, therapies, and evidence- based information on
multiple therapeutic areas encountered in primary care.
New Updates scheduled for 2008!!
Oakbrook, IL – Wednesday & Thursday, April 2-3, 2008
http://www.pri-med.com/pmo/ViewEvent.aspx?EventCode=30OAK08A&CCODE=r12
Chicago, IL – Tuesday & Wednesday, June 10-11, 2008
http://www.pri-med.com/pmo/ViewEvent.aspx?EventCode=30chi08a&CCODE=r12
*Pri-Med Online
Pri-Med.com offers over 200 primary care focused eCME activities at
no-cost in 15 key Condition Resource Centers including: ADHD, Benign
Prostatic Hypertrophy, Cancer in Primary Care, Congestive Heart Failure,
Diabetes, Dyslipidemia, Hypertension, Infectious Disease, Sleep Disorders
and more. Plus, four eCME activity types are offered so you can thoroughly
examine a topic, including: Patient case studies, Clinical reviews, Expert
perspectives and Multi-media slide lecture series. Earn high-quality
physician-authored eCME anytime at http://www.pri-med.com/onlineCME
.
**
Illinois Health Connect (IHC) is using
HFS' Medical Electronic Data Interchange system (MEDI) as a portal to IHC
internet operations. IHC data shows that only 50 percent of Illinois
Health Connect Primary Care Providers are registered with MEDI.
IHC is hosting its January webinar (
For additional information contact
Octavia Mailey at (815) 999-2329.
** ICAAP ANNUAL EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE
Illinois Chapter,
The day-and-a-half event is
appropriate for all pediatric primary care providers and features
educational sessions on topics such as ADHD, autism, immunization, coding
and reimbursement, obesity, oral health, and more. Join us for the
plenary and interactive sessions, an exhibit floor, social events, and
networking.
Registration fees start at $175 for
the full conference, and single day registration is available. For
more information and the program brochure, visit www.illinoisaap.org/AnnualMeeting.htm
or contact info@illinoisaap.com.
**
CME CONNECTION
IAFP now issues an electronic newsletter called “CME Connection” each
month, dedicated to IAFP CME opportunities and products as well as CME
offerings from partner organizations and more. Look for your next issue
January 16.
Those interested in listing their CME
product or event should contact Kate Valentine at kvalentine@iafp.com.
**FIND IAFP EVENTS AND OTHER CME OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILY PHYSICIANS ANY
TIME AT http://www.iafp.com/education/
Members
in the News
**BABY NEWS!
Ginnie Flynn, IAFP’s manager of public relations and Tar Wars
coordinator, gave birth to a healthy baby girl on Saturday, Dec. 29.
Mom and daughter Kasey are doing well, as are
big sister Caroline and dad Dan.
**TOP DOCS...The January ‘08 issue
of Chicago Magazine includes its
list of 355 physicians in 56 specialties, including family medicine.
Three IAFP members were listed in the magazine as “Top Docs.”
Congratulations to:
Steven Eisenstein, M.D.,
Gregg Fenske, M.D., Hoffmann Estates
Arvind Goyal, M.D.,
Other family physicians named, who are
not IAFP members, include:
Kenneth Blair, M.D.,
**Dr. Samuel Grief, assistant professor of
clinical family medicine, department of family medicine; and is the
Medical Director for UIC Campus Care Health Insurance;is the IAFP
appointee to the UnitedHealthcare of Illinois Physician Advisory Council.
**Carrie Nelson, M.D., IAFP board member and
chairman-elect of the Chicago Patient Safety Forum was quoted in the
January 6th Chicago
Tribune article by Judith Graham titled “Hospital safety reports
past due.” You can view the
article at www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-hospital_bd06jan06,0,2511080.story.
**Steve
Sauerberg, M.D., an IAFP member from Willowbrook seeking the republican
nomination for the US Senate, is quoted in the Daily
Herald article “Senate seat hopeful takes aim at rival's proposed
health plan.” You can read
the article at http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=110146&src=109
Family Health
Foundation of
Summer Externship Program, Tar
Wars, Students and Resident Activities
Medical students are matched with
preceptors for a four-week period between May 15th and
September 30th. The Foundation’s Summer Externship
Program began in 1990 with just two students. Since that time, more
than 700 students have experienced a summer externship with an IAFP member
preceptor.
We are currently making plans for the
2008 program and are in need of preceptors. Are you interested in
helping a student learn more about YOUR specialty? You can make a
difference! Please complete the Preceptor Participation Form
at http://www.iafp.com/Foundation/preceptor%20form.htm,
or you can contact Crishelle O’Rourke at corourke@iafp.com
for more information.
**TAR WARS STATE POSTER CONTEST DEADLINE IS MARCH 31
Poster contest rules are on the IAFP web site at http://www.iafp.com/tarwars/postercontestrules.htm
and also on page 18 of the Tar Wars Program Guide.
Please mail posters to
TAR WARS
C/O IAFP Foundation
4756 Main Street
Lisle, IL 60532
**RESIDENT ROUNDUPS RETURN IN 2008
IAFP Foundation hosted three very successful Resident Roundups in 2007
(link to full article at http://www.iafp.com/residents/residentroundup.htm)
and we are proud to announce that the Resident Roundup series will
continue in 2008 thanks to a grant from the AAFP Family Medicine
Philanthropic Consortium.
The roundups will focus on topics suggested by the 2007 Resident Roundup
attendees on their evaluation forms. If you have suggestions for topics
you’d like to see covered or to provide ideas on where and when a
Resident Roundup could be held at or near your program, please e-mail
those ideas to
**RESOURCES FOR RESIDENTS
Resident information is always just a click away at
IAFP’s web site http://www.iafp.com/Residents/index.htm
**STUDENT FMIGs
Family medicine interest groups (FMIG) at the various medical schools are
up and running. Join the group, learn more about family medicine, teach a
Tar Wars program, and spend time with family medicine residents and more.
You can find a complete list of the FMIG leaders at each campus on our web
site at: http://www.iafp.com/students/fmigcontacts.htm
**FMIG LEADERS – have you connected with your “Adopt an FMIG”
resident contacts? If you need assistance, please contact the resident
leaders Ravi Shah or Helen Williams at IAFPResidents@yahoo.com.
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