|
Academy News
Celebrating - the Academy turns 70 at the annual meeting
AAFP and IAFP are celebrating 70 years since their founding in 1947. Check out the AAFP 70 Years Strong
IAFP will celebrate 70 at our annual meeting on Thursday, October 5 in Rosemont. Join us for meetings, friendship, the Primary Care Resource Fair, Convocation of Fellows, our annual awards, and the installation of president Asim K. Jaffer, MD and the new IAFP board - followed by a celebration reception. Click here for more information and plug October 5 in your calendar. Online registration is now open.
Stay until Friday and complete at KSA with your IAFP friends! Details will be posted on the annual meeting page soon.
Do you have an item for the IAFP board of directors?
Member issues for the board of directors are due by July 19. Learn more about how to submit a resolution or action item to the IAFP Board for consideration at their August 5 meeting.
Two Member Interest Groups need you!
In order to petition the board for establishment, a member interest group (MIG) needs 10 active IAFP members signed up. Two proposed groups are close to meeting the 10 active members threshold:
-Lifestyle Medicine
-Special Constituencies
If you are interested in either of these groups, please sign up today!
October 6-8 at the Hilton O'Hare Rosemont.
Evolution of the #FMRevolution at FM Midwest
Illinois AFP is proud to host the 6th annual Family Medicine Midwest Conference October 6-8 in Rosemont (just minutes from O'Hare airport and downtown Chicago). FMM is our region's premiere family medicine collaborative event. Learn more at http://www.iafp.com/family-medicine-midwest-conference. IAFP's Women in Leadership will host a pre-conference and an all star panel including four Illlnois members (Javette C. Orgain, MD; Antoinette Lullo, DO; Alvia Siddiqi, MD and student Robert Friedel (UI-Rockford) are the Sunday plenary presenters.
Online registration is now open!
- $350 full conference for physicians and residents
- $175 for one-day only registration
- Students can apply for a scholarship until August 1.
- YOU can support the scholarship fund - donate online or complete and
 return a form with your donation by August 1.
Chicago Health Care Summit: Strategies for Improving the Affordability of Care and Coverage
An outstanding group of leading health care experts (including our IAFP president Donald R. Lurye, MD, MMM, CPE. FAAFP) will discuss strategies for improving the affordability of health care and coverage - for employers, patients and families, and public programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACA marketplaces. Hosted by the National Coalition on Health Care. AAFP's Vice President of Advocacy Shawn Martin is on the NCHC board of directors.
Tuesday, July 25, 9 am - noon
Drinker Biddle & Reath conference center,
191 North Wacker Drive, 37th Floor, Chicago
RSVP at [email protected] - Space is limited!
This summit will examine the underlying causes of escalating health care costs -- and a wide range of options for cutting costs while increasing the quality of care.
- how to improve the coordination, delivery, and efficiency of care;
- how to make markets for insurance and health care services more competitive and efficient;
- how to slow the rates of increase in prescription drug prices;
- how to provide better and more efficient care to high-need, high-cost patients; and
- how to reduce the demand for care by decreasing and treating unhealthy behaviors.
Early Registration for AAFP-FMX
 The 2017 AAFP FMX advance registration deadline is fast approaching. Register by August 9 to save $100 off the on-site price and access the top-notch education offered both during and after the AAFP's largest annual meeting, September 12-16 in San Antonio, TX.
Earn CME at the meeting-up to 26.75 Live credits on site-and continue to earn credit at home with FMX On Demand-a digital library of some of the most popular FMX sessions included in your registration.
Act now and save $100.
Government Relations
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Gordana Krkic, CAE, Deputy Executive Vice President of External Affairs at [email protected]
State Update
Today's Crain's Chicago Business gives a perspective on how long it may actually take before the Medicaid bill backlog is resolved and providers see payments. The bottom line for insurers and doctors alike: Your bills won't be paid as quickly as you like, but money eventually will be on its way.
July 31 is the Deadline for Medical License Renewal
The deadline for renewing your license to practice medicine in the state with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) is July 31. The process must be completed online.
ISMS members can take advantage of the Illinois State Medical Society's renewal and call 800.632.7478, plus you won't have to pay the $16 "convenience fee" IDFPR charges for the renewal.
Federal Update
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell released a revised version of the Better Care Reconciliation Act on Thursday. The Congressional Budget Office will release their analysis of that proposal by Monday, July 17. Physician organizations have been actively working on Capitol Hill opposing the current proposals. AAFP remains opposed because individuals and groups will lose coverage. Current forecasts predict that the "motion to proceed" vote could be on Wednesday, with amendments offered Thursday and Friday and a possible vote Friday July 21 or Saturday July 22.
For ILLINOIS MEMBERS: Illinois senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth have been vocal in their opposition to the current proposals and the negative impact it will have on your patients. You can thank them for their support and provide valuable input on how the loss of ACA protections will harm the people in your practice. In turn, they can use your stories in their discussions in the Senate.
The AAFP has a Speak Out urging legislators to oppose any legislation that would leave millions of patients without affordable coverage. You can send a message directly to Senators Durbin and Duckworth, tailoring the message to encourage them to keep up their efforts!
New Medicare Cards are coming in 2018. Make sure your practice is ready for the transition.
CMS will issue new Medicare cards with a new unique, randomly-assigned number called a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) to replace the existing Social Security-based Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN) both on the cards and in various CMS systems we use now. Read the 5 things you can do to prepare
News You Can Use
ABFM offering FREE Prime Registry for MACRA-MIPS reporting
The ABFM has just announced that it is offering the PRIME Registry FREE to the first 2,000 board-certified family physicians who sign up! One major advantage of this offer is that you can also report for MIPS for free through PRIME-though physicians must sign up before July 31, 2017 to be ready to report for the 2017 MIPS performance period (the ABFM will continue to enroll Diplomates for free until the 2,000 slots are exhausted).
PRIME can help you use the data from your EHR to view any performance gaps, reduce reporting burden, and identify gaps in care at the individual patient level. PRIME is currently supporting hundreds of family physicians in reporting data for several federal practice transformation demonstrations including TCPI and CPC Plus, in addition to MIPS as part of the Medicare Quality Payment Program.
Email [email protected] for more information.
NHSC Virtual Job Fair
Tuesday, July 18 from 5:45 p.m. - 9:15 p.m. CT
Register Now
Join the Virtual Job Fair to connect and network with prospective employers and find job vacancies in all NHSC eligible disciplines from the comfort of your own home. The Virtual Job Fair offers real-time interaction with representatives from National Health Service Corps (NHSC) sites. Don't miss this opportunity to learn about job openings, site information, benefit packages, and populations served to get your questions answered.
Space is limited!
Questions? Contact [email protected].
New information on Syphilis staging and treatment
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Section has created an educational/informational series to address the rise in syphilis in Illinois. This is one of several projects the STD Section is formulating to address the alarming increase in all STDs both nationally and in our state. The syphilis series will consist of three parts with part one covering  Click here for more information, including information about alternate treatment options during the current bicillin shortage.
You can also find other articles on our Practice Resources web page.
Track Influenza like Illness in your practice and help evaluate flu season
The ILINet provider program is an online tracking system where designated providers can log in and submit weekly ILI surveillance data, tracking the total number of ill patients seen at your practice, in addition to the number seen only for ILI by age group. This information must be reported every Tuesday in ILINet. Data from ILINet are used to evaluate the current influenza season, monitor influenza activity levels, identify novel strains and outbreaks, assess public health vaccination efforts in the community, and assist in vaccine formulations for the following season. Throughout the season, each site participating in the program will receive an emailed copy of the IDPH weekly influenza surveillance report and a final summary report at the end of the season.
To sign up for the ILINet provider program, please contact the IDPH Influenza Surveillance program by phone at 217-782-2016 or by email at [email protected]. If you are a medical provider located within the City of Chicago, please contact the Chicago Department of Public Health's Influenza Coordinator, Enrique Ramirez at 312-746-5911 or [email protected] to register.
PCPCC report shows links from medical homes to improved outcomes
The Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative (PCPCC) unveiled its latest report highlighting new evidence that links the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) and other forms of advanced primary care with improved outcomes, but not in every study examined. The Impact of Primary Care Practice Transformation on Cost, Quality, and Utilization reviews PCMH results from 45 peer-reviewed reports and additional government and state evaluations. Implementation of the PCMH and high performing primary care differs depending upon the needs and preferences of those delivering, receiving, and paying for related care. The sixth annual PCPCC report, authored by the Robert Graham Center of the American Academy of Family Physicians and published with support from the Milbank Memorial Fund, employed broader search terms and more rigorous search criteria that evaluated studies, reports, and evaluations published between November 1, 2015 to February 28, 2017.
Read the report
QPP resources from AAFP and AMA
A new short video developed by the AMA, "One patient, one measure, no penalty: How to avoid a Medicare payment penalty with basic reporting,"offers step-by-step instructions on how to report so physicians can avoid a negative 4-percent payment adjustment in 2019. ama-assn.org/qpp-reporting,
 AAFP's MACRA Ready website also has resources for members to "pick your pace" and meet the 2017 requirements to avoid a penalty, or pick the path for positive reimbursement adjustments in 2019. AAFP's Test Pick your Pace (which is one patient one measure)
AAFP also has the resources for higher level reporting as well.
Telligen Opportunity- Antibiotic Stewardship
The Telligen Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) is offering a new outpatient antibiotic stewardship initiative to help clinicians, practices and clinics adopt the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship.
Telligen is accepting applications for its outpatient antibiotic stewardship initiative from physician offices, emergency rooms, urgent care centers, rural health clinics, federally qualified health centers and pharmacists in Colorado, Illinois and Iowa through July 31, 2017. To learn more or to sign on, click here.
Members in the News
If you have a news item to share, email it to Ginnie Flynn at [email protected].
Congratulations to IAFP member and Dean of Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Jerry Kruse, MD, who has been elected Chair-elect of the American Board of Family Medicine.
The most recent ABFM newsletter, The Phoenix features IAFP past president and current Foundation Chair Edward A. Blumen, MD on his long career in Evanston and his journey in re-certification.
The Illinois chapter is proud to boast TWO recipients of the AAFP Excellence in Graduate Medical Education Awards for 2017. IAFP resident board member Kristina Dakis, MD of UIC Family Medicine Residency and Anna Balabanova, MD of the Northwestern McGaw Family Medicine Residency at Lake Forest will be honored at AAFP Family Medicine Experience (FMX) this September in San Antonio.
Meanwhile, Dr. Dakis was featured in an AAFP interview for her work in recognizing and preventing burnout at the medical school and residency level. You can read the full interview here.
|
At checkout, add 4MYCHAPTER in the source code box and a portion of your purchase revenue will be shared back with our chapter.
