 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
IAFP News
**LAST CHANCE TO APPLY AS VOLUNTEER
IAFP LEADER!!
January 31 is the last day you can apply for a volunteer leadership
position on one of the IAFP committees, task forces or interest groups. DO
NOT DELAY...sign up now at IAFP’s web site http://www.iafp.com/pdfs/signup2008.pdf
**PLEASE
PARTICIPATE IN SURVEY ON SSTI and MRSA
Eric Henley, M.D., MPH, chair of the IAFP Public Health Committee,
requests IAFP members take a few minutes to complete a survey regarding
the clinical management of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI), with a
focus on methicillin resistant Staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA).
The
results of the survey will be utilized to inform the development of
clinical guidelines for the management of SSTIs and MRSA, and may also
serve as the basis for continuing medical education programs.
Survey results will be shared with IAFP membership, as well as
Please
complete this important survey at
by
Fri. Feb. 8. Your input is essential to protecting the health of
**SPRING INTO ACTION READY FOR
REGISTRATIONS—FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED!
IAFP’s Spring into Action meeting in
Each
“mini” session will use the same template, so ANY date you pick will
afford you the same opportunity to:
•
Advocate on behalf of family medicine and its strengths
• Share your practice environment and how it’s impacted by current
healthcare issues debated in
• Increase your visibility with legislators and policymakers
• Exchange information about public policy and its effects on
your practice and patients
• Serve your specialty as a patient advocate and
• Promote a comprehensive public health agenda to improve the health of
Go
to http://guest.cvent.com/i.aspx?1Q,M3,d821c2f7-baea-4e06-86d2-a9c86c3ebbf1
and register today!
this year. Three are on the
AAFP Commission on Governmental Advocacy:
Ellen Brull, M.D., IAFP alternate
delegate to AAFP Congress
Jerry Kruse, M.D., chair, department
of family and community medicine, Southern Illinois University School of
Medicine (representing Association of Departments of Family Medicine [ADFM])
Javette Orgain, M.D., IAFP
president-elect
Five others are serving on the
following Commissions
Commission on Health of the Public
Cinthia Elkins, fourth year medical student at UI Urbana-Champaign
Commission on Membership and Member
Service
Patrick Tranmer, M.D., IAFP first vice president
Commission on Practice Enhancement
Edward Hirsch, M.D., IAFP past president and member of IAFP Quality and
Safety in Practice Committee
Commission on Quality
Stan Borg, D.O., member of IAFP Quality and Safety in Practice Committee
Commission on Science
Carrie Nelson, M.D., IAFP board member
Additionally, Vince Keenan, IAFP
executive vice president, serves on the AAFP Commission on Practice
Enhancement.
You can view the IAFP advocacy videos on the IAFP web site and there will
be more to come in the future. You can also listen to audio files of board
members speak on various topics affecting family medicine.
All information can be found at www.iafp.com
and click on either Public Relations or Government Relations.
As examples of the audio interviews
you can find on IAFP’s website, listen to Katie
Miller, M.D., IAFP chair, discussing the effects of Medicare cuts to
family physicians and to patients. Hear
what she has to say at http://www.iafp.com/pdfs/millermedicare.mp3.
Another
topic is an interview with Javette Orgain, M.D., IAFP
president-elect, on her role as chair
of the Illinois State Board of Health, and the board as a whole.
You can hear Dr.
Orgain’s comments at www.iafp.com/pdfs/orgainISBOH.mp3 .
**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 about any issue or idea you would like. The Board would love to hear from you!
**IAFP
LOBBIESTS OFFER OBSERVATIONS AND ADVICE
The
Cook-Witter, Inc. 2008 Primary Election Guide is available to view at
http://www.cook-witter.com/library/prielect2008.pdf.
In
addition, the following are observations about the Primary Election
in
Over two
million
Here is
what we know presently about the February 5th primary and the
impact on the Illinois Legislature:
* 19
Illinois Senators are not up for re-election to their present office in
2008.
* 10 Legislative incumbents (3 Senate – 7 House) are not running for
re-election.
* 1 House member is running for the Senate and 2 Senate members are
running for Congress.
* 90 legislative candidates (88 incumbents and 3 new) have NO
opposition at this time* in both the Primary and the General.
* In 5 Senate and 18 House races (because of party dominance in the
district) the Primary is the election.
* Present partisan “Balance of Power” in the House is 67-D…51-R.
Republicans would need a gain of 9 to control (60 votes). That would
seem very difficult at this time.
*Present partisan “Balance of Power” in the Senate is 37-D…22-R.
Republicans would need a gain of 8 to control (30 votes). That would
seem highly unlikely at this time.
*Either party with no candidate listed in a district can either field one
through a write-in candidacy or by appointment following the primary
election (10 ILCS 5/7-61).
For further information contact:
Cook-Witter, Inc. 217-789-6252
**RESOURCES FOR SMOKE-FREE ILLINOIS
Be on the watch 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
**”ASK AND ACT” TO HELP YOUR PATIENTS QUIT SMOKING
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
** PREVNAR VACCINE ADDED TO ILLINOIS IMMUNIZATION
SCHEDULE
Public Act 095-0159 went into effect January 1, requiring 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 Government Relations
**NATIONAL
PROVIDER IDENTIFIER (NPI)
Beginning
March 1, 2008 Medicare Fee-for-Service electronic and paper claims must
include an NPI on the claim. On
May 23, 2008, only the NPI will be accepted, and all legacy identifiers
must be removed or the claim will be rejected.
AAFP provides NPI information in series of questions and answers on
its web site at http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/practicemgt/regulatory-compliance/hipaa/natlproviderid.html
According
to the latest
annual report (137-page PDF; About
PDFs) issued by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, or CTFK; the
American Heart Association; the American Lung Association; and the
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, many states have used a
portion of their share of the tobacco settlement funds to bankroll
anti-tobacco programs, but in most states, that funding still fails to
meet minimum levels recommended by the CDC. Combined, states are providing
less than half of CDC-recommended funding levels for tobacco prevention.
To read the entire article in AAFP News Now, go to
http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/20080123tobaccoreport.html
Eligible
professionals should begin submitting appropriate 2008 Quality Data Codes
on qualifying Part B claims with a date of service of January 1, 2008 or
after. Information on the 119
2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) measures, release
notes, and detailed specifications are available on the CMS website at
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/pqri.
The
American Medical Association (AMA) has posted PQRI worksheets for the 2008
PQRI program on the AMA website athttp://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.
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, April 2, 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
.
** 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.
**FIND IAFP EVENTS AND OTHER CME
OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILY PHYSICIANS ANY TIME AT http://www.iafp.com/education/
Members
in the News
In
addition to being the director of the Rush-Copley Family Medicine
Residency, Dr. Nelson is Assistant
Vice-President of Patient Safety at
**STEVE
SAUERBERG, MD, is quoted in the Joliet Herald News article “GOP
rookies set sights on Senate.” Dr.
Sauerberg is one of three candidates running for the Republican Senate
seat.
**TINA
BRUESCHKE, MD, an IAFP board member, was quoted in the Naperville Sun
Times in an article entitled “Cold Medicine Abuse:
Nothing to Sneeze At.
Five Ways
to Prevent Misuse of OTC Cough and Cold Remedies at Your House,” by
Katie Foutz.
News You Can Use
**
The January 2008 quarterly Illinois
Health Connect/Your Healthcare Plus Provider Newsletter, featuring
articles such as Behavioral Health, Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis
and Treatment, Supporting Your Patients and more, can be found at http://www.illinoishealthconnect.com/providernewsletter.aspx.
**AAFP
OFFERS STATEMENT ON PREDICTED MEDICARE CUTS
Congress
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.
**CMS
INFORMATION ON NEW MEDICARE FEE SCHEDULE
CMS
released that all Medicare contractors were instructed to process claims
with January 2008 dates of service, using the new fees, beginning January
7. The new fee schedule should have been posted on contractors' Web sites
by January 11. Also, the "Medicare Physician Fee Schedule
Look-Up" link on the CMS Web site (online athttp://www.cms.hhs.gov/PFSlookup/
), which allows users to customize a search, should be updated with 2008
information. Carrier-specific,
public-use files are also available on the CMS website, which can be
accessed at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PhysicianFeeSched/PFSCSF/list.asp#TopOfPage
Summer Externship Program, Tar Wars, Students and Resident Activities
**CALL
FOR PRECEPTORS
The Family Health Foundation of
Illinois Summer Externship Program needs you!
Every year we receive more and more applications from first-year
students looking to be part of this award-winning program.
In order to offer as many externship experiences as possible we
need preceptors to take the students in and show them what being a family
physician is all about. Early,
positive exposure to family medicine has shown a difference later on when
medical students choose their specialty.
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.
