Vital Signs This Week
March 27, 2015

House Overwhelmingly Passes Medicare Reform; Eyes Now on Senate
In a historic move, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 392-37 on Thursday to repeal the flawed Medicare physician payment formula.
 
The MMS is grateful to the Massachusetts House  delegation, all of whom voted in favor of the bill — in particular Rep. Jim McGovern, who urged his colleagues from across the country to support the plan on the eve of the vote. Send a thank you email to your Congressperson here
 
The Senate will not consider the measure until it returns from its mid-April recess. The MMS, along with a coalition of state and national physician groups, will be urging its passage, along with included measures to reauthorize CHIP and community health centers. 
 
The most recent Medicare payment patch expires on Tuesday, March 31, with a 21 percent cut scheduled to take effect the next day. However, CMS won’t process claims until two weeks after date of service, so if the Senate acts quickly, payments for services provided after April 1 will not reflect the cut. 
 
 
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Mass. Physicians Target Gun Safety on  Doctor’s Day
This Monday, March 30 is the 25 th anniversary of National Doctor’s Day. The MMS will celebrate by raising awareness about gun safety, and the right of physicians to discuss the subject with their patients.  In particular, Massachusetts physicians are calling attention to a 2011 Florida law that made it illegal for physicians in that state to ask patients if they own a gun.  Read more about the Doctor’s Day gun safety effort here.
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MMS Public Health Leadership Forum on Opioids April 8
Join us on Wednesday, April 8 for the MMS Annual Public Health Leadership Forum, which will bring together leaders in public health, medicine, policy, industry and the community to discuss the impact of the opioid epidemic on a state and national level and identify ways to work together for positive public health outcomes.  Michael Botticelli, director of the White House Office of National Drug Policy, is the featured keynote speaker. Details and registration here
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Register Now for Annual Education Program and the Shattuck Lecture and Luncheon
Join us for a full day of educational programs at the MMS Annual Meeting on Friday, May 1.
 
The Annual Education Program- Physicianship and Teamwork: Leadership Opportunities in the Era of Population Based Care- will explore trends — both within and peripheral to medicine — that demonstrate how effective physician leadership is crucial to the transformation of tomorrow’s health care system.  Followed by the Shattuck Lecture and Luncheon where Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will present the 125 th historic lecture on The State of the Health of the Nation and the World
 
For more information on all 2015 Annual Meeting events and to register, please visit www.massmed.org/annual2015.
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Information about Child Abuse Notification and Education Requirements
The Board of Registration in Medicine recently sent reminders to all licensed physicians that under state law, they are mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect. The Board also noted that under a state law that took effect five years ago, physicians must have completed some training on the subject at some point in their education or professional lives. The training is a one-time requirement, and may be fulfilled in several ways.
 
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Live CME Activities 
 
Unless otherwise noted, all events are held at MMS headquarters, 860 Winter St., Waltham, MA
 
 
Choosing Cardiac Stress Tests Wisely
April 22, 2015
Location: Virtual (via live webinar)
 
 
 
 
Payer Audits and Payment Recoupments
May 13, 2015
Location: Virtual (via live webinar)
 
 
 
13th Annual Symposium on Men's Health
Thursday, June 18, 2015
 
The above activities have been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit
 
Save the Date
Global Health Fair
May 16, 2015
 
Caring for the Caregivers X: Enhancing the Quality of Your Professional Life,
October 20, 2015
 
Featured Online CME Activities – Risk Management Credit
The above activities have been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit
For additional risk management online CME activities, visit www.massmed.org/cme.

Hallmark Health's New CEO Plans to Invest in Health System

Hallmark Health's new CEO Alan Macdonald talks about his next steps and the future of the hospital.
 

Andover CEO: Medical Center Brings  “Boston-Level Care” 

Lawrence General Hospital President and CEO Dianne J. Anderson and Pentucket Medical Associates President Dr. Tom Fazio said they wanted to create a place that delivered Boston-level care locally with the newly opened Andover Medical Center.
 

Kaprielian Takes HHS Post 
 
Rachael Kaprielian, a former state representative and labor secretary, will be responsible for the federal Health and Human Services region overseeing Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
 

AG Healey: Giving Birth While on Drugs is “Child Abuse

A mother giving birth to a baby while addicted to drugs is committing "child abuse," according to Attorney General Maura Healey, who emphasized treatment when asked if there should be a state law holding such mothers accountable. Related: Treating Drug-Exposed Newborns to Cost $90m
 

Markey Seeks Repeal of Medical Device Tax

Sen. Edward J. Markey introduced legislation Tuesday to repeal the 2.3 percent excise tax on medical devices, a two-year-old levy that has been the target of a national industry with a strong presence in the state.
 

As Nursing Homes Close, Residents Scramble to Find Alternatives

Hundreds of frail nursing home residents have been forced to move as a growing number of Massachusetts facilities have been bought, sold, and closed over the past two years, state records show.
 

Report Criticizes Global Response to Ebola

In a paper authored by experts from Massachusetts General Hospital's Center for Global Health and the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University said a faster response could have prevented more deaths from Ebola
 
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