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Academy News
 The final 2015 issue of Illinois Family Physician– check it out!
-2015 Awards honors
-Update from AAFP Congress of Delegates
-Save the date for Essential Evidence 2016
-Important information on transitions of care
Also NEW on the web site: IAFP's Health is Primary in Illinois highlight video (4 minutes) check it out on our YouTube Channel.
Annual Meeting and Family Medicine Midwest
Read the full article on our website
Link to photos on our each Facebook page (IAFP and Family Medicine Midwest)
Alvia Siddiqi, MD of Inverness was installed as IAFP president, and the youngest one since Lee Sacks, MD in 1988!
Keynote speakers Wanda Filer and Fred Richardson brought dynamic passion that kicked off each morning to ignite the spirits of attendees at every age and stage of their careers.
-All-member Assembly transactions on Resolutions
Meet your new  IAFP board of directors
The IAFP board of directors will meet next by teleconference on December 9.
**IAFP Board member Regina Kim, MD has resigned effective October 31. Any active IAFP member in good standing who is interested in being considered to fill the unexpired term should emailVincent D. Keenan, CAE, IAFP executive vice president by November 20. Please provide your CV and a letter of interest, detailing why you are interested in the position and what skills or experiences you have that would be a positive contribution to the mission of the board. You can view a job description here.
The Leadership Development Committee, chaired by Edward A. Blumen, MD will review applicants and submit a recommendation to the IAFP Board of Directors for their December 9 teleconference meeting.
AAFP Congress of Delegates
IAFP was well-represented by delegates Kathleen J. Miller, MD of Decatur and David J. Hagan, MD of Gibson City, who were charged with casting the Illinois votes on Resolutions and in the elections for the AAFP officers and board members. Alternate delegates Asim Jaffer, MD of Peoria and Sachin Dixit, MD of Orland Park provided reference commitee testimony and on the ground counsel and support. IAFP officers met throughout the weekend on AAFP and IAFP business. Thank you to board chair Edward A. Blumen, MD; president Janet Albers, MD; president-elect Alvia Siddiqi, MD; first vice president Donald Lurye, MD; second vice president Asim Jaffer, MD; past president Carolyn Lopez for their efforts and counsel throughout the three days.
The Illinois chapter introduced two resolutions (AAFP login required on the links below):
Resolution 208 – Age Discrimination Employment Act Exemption The Commission on Organization and Finance recommended this resolution be referred to the board of directors.
Resolution 409 – Electronic Cigarettes The resolution was only slightly amended, and then adopted by the Congress of Delegates.
The Illinois chapter also submitted three Resolutions of Condolence for three of our members who passed away since the 2014 Congress of Delegates. You can view all of them on the AAFP web site
-Robert Heerens, MD, FAAFP
-Boyd McCracken, MD
-Paul Sunderland, MD
Illinois celebrates the election of Javette C. Orgain, MD as Speaker of the Congress of Delegates
After four years as Vice Speaker, Dr. Orgain has been elected by acclamation as Speaker of the AAFP Congress of Delegates. Orgain has been a leader, presider and mentor, not only at the AAFP Congress, but also for the students and resident congresses at the AAFP National Conference, and the young leaders at the National Conference of Constituency Leaders.
Congratulations to Deborah Edberg, MD who has been named chair of the AAFP Commission on Education! The mission of the Commission on Education is to provide a venue for the development of recommended policy and the dissemination of expertise and new information related to the education and professional development of family physicians until completion of the residency training period. Its priority areas include: workforce, curriculum, National Conference, work hours, educational awards, student interest, and international family medicine.
Next Lunch and Learn webinar:
Thursday, October, 29, 2015, 12:00 pm - 1:00pm CST
Transitioning Hepatitis C Care in the Primary Care Setting
Presented by Andrew Aronsohn, MD, Assistant Professor, University of Chicago
Learning Objectives:
-Understand the diagnosis and standard care treatment of Hepatitis C
-Recognize when a patient needs to be referred to a specialist
-Understand the ECHO-Chicago Hepatitis C telehealth series and HepCCATT project
Click here to register
Government Relations
Fedeal Update
MACRA legislation - what does it mean for you?
Excerpt from AAFP’s “In the Trenches” blog - On April 16, the President signed into law the Medicare Access and Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) (Public Law 114-10), bringing to a close one of the more frustrating and disruptive health policies of modern times. After 13 years and 17 short-term fixes at a cost of nearly $170 billion spent, we can now shout from the mountain tops that the SGR IS REPEALED! The enactment of this legislation was made possible by historic votes in the House of Representatives and Senate. All told, 484 members of Congress -- or 91 percent -- voted for the bill. AAFP News has an excellent story on the legislative actions and the official AAFP reaction. So the question that likely is on many of your minds is, "what does the law do, and how does it impact me?"
For an answer to this and many other questions, please visit the Academy's MACRA resources. This link will be your one stop for information on MACRA and the resources the AAFP has available to assist you in your pursuit to implement and comply with the provisions of the law. Start with the Frequently Asked Questionsdocument that provides a top-line summary of the law.
On July 1st, physicians participating in the Medicare program started receiving a .5 percent increase in their payments. The .5 percentage increase will continue, annually, through 2019. All physicians participating in the Medicare program will receive these annual updates. Starting in 2019, physicians will have the option of pursuing their payments through an alternative payment model (APM) such as the patient-centered medical home or by staying in the fee-for-service system and participating in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Here are more details on Medicare Bonuses and Penalties.
News You Can Use
The AAFP Healthy Interventions: Tobacco and Nicotine online toolkit is now available at: www.aafp.org/tobacco-tools
- The resources are new & updated, comprehensive, and all in one place
- Options to use just a few tools, or get engaged in other areas (office-based, community engagement, advocacy, and science & education)
- Coding Reference - updated with ICD-10 info on billing for tobacco cessation counseling
- Patient education handouts - on e-cigarettes, 'prescriptions' to quit smoking, and guides for those who set a quit date
- Office tools for your practice - ideas for systems changes and training staff on motivational interviewing in practice manual
- PowerPoint slides to educate residents and other clinicians
- Get current on the latest guidelines and policies
- Tar Wars artwork for your office and a kids’ word search
- Learn about your communities health status, smoking prevalence, and how your county ranks within your state
- Find out information on local, state and national tobacco-related advocacy
Access the free online toolkit from AAFP
Iowa AFP Winter CME Getaway in Dominican Republic
Feb 6-13, 2016 in Punta Cana (All-inclusive)
Need a little CME and a break from brutal Midwest winters? Iowa AFP has an idea for you!
Illinois members are invited! Learn more
I-CARE Update Webinar
October 29 at noon
The Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics presents this update on the I-CARE vaccine registry and other issues, such as inventory.
Register here or Link to the flyer
Doctors Without Borders - Chicago Info Session
Tuesday October 20, 2015 at 7:00 PM
Schubas Tavern: Upstairs Lounge
3159 North Southport Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
Find out how you can become part of Doctors Without Borders field work by joining a pool of dedicated aid workers and put your ideals into practice.
Learn more about Doctors Without Borders.
Learn more and register for the event
National Health Service Corps Jobs Fair Update
Subscribe to the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Virtual Job Fair email list to receive the latest updates on upcoming Virtual Job Fairs. Virtual Job Fairs offer real-time interaction with representatives from healthcare sites to discuss job openings, site information, benefit packages and populations served by over 40 healthcare sites across the country with multiple vacancies.
Presenters are looking for providers in primary, dental and mental and behavioral health care now including physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and others!
The next Virtual Job Fair will be on October 20th, from 5:45-9 pm CT. If interested please register here.
For more information, please visit the NHSC Virtual Job Fair web page or email [email protected].
More news from NHSC – more funds from HHS means more opportunities
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell announced this week more than $240 million – including about $176 million in Affordable Care Act funding – to support the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) andNURSE Corps scholarship and loan repayment programs to increase access to primary health care in the communities that need it most. This means 196 new student scholarships and nearly 3,000 new opportunities for trained primary care providers to obtain loan repayment positions. Learn more on the HHS web site
IAFP members invited to ICAAP ABC Conference
REGISTER TODAY for the 6th Annual ABC (Autism, Behavior, Complex Medical Needs) Conference, A Trauma Informed, Interprofessional Approach to Caring for Children with Special Needs– November 20, 2015 in Palos Hills, IL. Register here. Click here to download a brochure.
Alzheimer’s Annual Research Symposium
October 23 in Oak Brook. Four (4) continuing education credits/contact/clock hours will be available for health care professionals. IAFP Executive Vice President Vincent D. Keenan, CAE is involved in planning this program. Learn more or you canregister today.
Members in the News
Kameron Matthews, MD of Chicago was featured in a fantastic article in DNA Info on October 13 about their Tour for Diversity in Medicine. Mathews, along with Dr. Alden Lancy, literally get on a bus with top doctors from a variety of minority backgrounds and travel to universities once or twice a year to share their stories and encourage minority students to pursue careers in medicine. This year the bus is headed west to Portland State and University of Washington.
Congratulations to IAFP past-president Edward A. Blumen, MD who was awarded the NorthShore Distinguished Service in Primary Care Award on October 15. Dr. Blumen is regarded as a great leader by colleagues for his tireless contributions to teams, committees and task forces that have brought innovation, efficiency and improved quality of care for NorthShore patients. He is a key member of the NorthShore Network Contracting Strategy Group, NorthShore Physician Associates IPA Utilization Management Committee, Community Care Partners, and the CME/CPD team within Family Medicine. As President of the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians in 2013-14, Dr. Blumen inaugurated the Clinically Integrated Networks Committee, which gathers family physician leaders in medical groups, hospitals, and health systems to share best practices in Clinical Integration. Dr. Blumen’s service to his patients, his outstanding patient loyalty scores, and his leadership and teamwork with staff, colleagues, and students earn him this prestigious award.
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