COVID-19 WEEKLY WEDNESDAY UPDATE

AAFP TOWN HALL TONIGHT AT 7PM

Dear   ,

This is my first weekly Wednesday update email as President. Although it is wonderful to be back to my role with IAFP, this is definitely not what I expected when I started maternity leave in mid-February. Just a reminder that we continue to compile information on the COVID-19 Updates page. 

Yesterday was World Family Doctor Day (May 19th). It is also my first week being (physically) back in the clinic seeing patients. A patient asked me, “Will we ever get back to normal?” He said he missed the good ol’ days of home visits. I agree. It made me reflect on how we family doctors have the training and ability to perform those valuable home visits. Later that day, I had a patient who urgently needed medication, but she had no family to pick up the prescription and did not understand how to use the local pharmacy app for remote processing and delivery. My MA and I took a little break, coordinated to pick up the prescription and delivered it to her home (with appropriate PPE and physical distancing, of course). She was very grateful for our help and it was very rewarding to be able to provide that personal care in her moment of need. Yes, it is great to be back!

And now to your Wednesday Update!

Upcoming live events

AAFP weekly Town Hall tonight at 7pm. Please join via Facebook,YouTube or Twitter at 7pm CT. Approved for 1 CME credit. What happens when you find yourself “on the other side” of the doctor/patient relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic? Family physician Dr. Daniel Lewis shares his unique experiences. Learn more here.  

AAFP hosts a weekly series of CME webinars Fridays 7-8 pm CT dedicated to topics from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

IAFP Practice Management Thursday - is taking this week off

IAFP’s next Clinical Tuesday - May 26, 8 pm CT is COVID-19: Isolation, Quarantining, Testing and Returning to Work for Patients and Clinicians - Presented by Jonathan Temte, MD, PhD, Associate Dean for Public Health and Community Engagement, Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and moderated by Loren Hughes, MD, Advisor, Madison County (IL) Health Department. Register here 

American Bar Association and Chicago Medical Society are hosting a free webinar on May 22 at noon on the legal implications of reopening a practice. Register here


News and Updates

New HFS provider notices regarding telehealth and COVID testing 

FAQs for Illinois Medicaid Virtual Healthcare Expansion/Telehealth Emergency Rules UPDATED

PPE Purchasing via Amazon
Amazon Business has opened its priority access “COVID-19 Supplies Store” to individual physicians. AAFP members and other front line providers now have direct access to hundreds of essential items, including PPE.

Contact Tracing: The Governor announced that a pilot program for contact tracing will begin by engaging St. Clair County and Lake County health departments. IDPH will deliver the names to the local health departments who will hire local personnel. Link to a sign-up form.

CDC issues Emergency Health Alert for pediatric syndrome: View an overview and criteria to diagnose the Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Association with Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Check the scorecard for your Illinois Health Region at Restore Illinois 

Testing: Anyone with COVID-19-like illness or symptoms can get a test, even without a doctor’s order. This is not a comprehensive list of testing sites. Locations are continuously added as information is provided. 


On Demand Resources

Visit the IAFP’s education resources and our CME center 

Our newest IAFP Partner in Health, Aledade, has a COVID-19 resource center

AAFP resource center for physicians to be proactive in discussions if they are facing new issues contrary to their employment contract. 

AAFP COVID Testing Guide for Physicians

A big thank you to President-elect Michael Hanak, MD for serving as Acting President during my maternity leave in a very chaotic time for everyone.  I am grateful for his dedication to communicate with you every week.  Have a safe Memorial Weekend. 

Sincerely,

Monica J. Fudala, MD
President 


Stay connected at www.iafp.com and IAFP's Online CME Center  

Illinois Academy of Family Physicians

747 E. Boughton Road, Ste. 253, Bolingbrook, IL 60440         www.iafp.com