AMA Collaborates with Project N95 Again to Make PPE Available to AMA Members

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The American Medical Association (AMA) is collaborating with Project N95 (a not-for-profit, National COVID-19 Clearinghouse) again to make quality-certified personal protective equipment (PPE) available exclusively for AMA members to purchase with no minimum. 

To place an order:
Go here to begin the process. Please note that Project N95 has updated its website, so the order process has changed.
 
Order deadline:
The deadline to place an order is Monday, November 23rd, at 3 p.m. Central time.

Available equipment (we are offering two new products: duck bill respirator, face shield)

  • Makrite 9500 N95 Surgical Respirator; size S 
  • Makrite 9500 N95 Surgical Respirator; size M/L
  • Makrite 910-N95FMX Surgical Respirator (Duck Bill)
  • AAMI Level 1 Isolation Gown
  • Face Shield 2/ Elastic and Foam Headband
  • Bundle (1 box M/L Surg Respirator, 1 box S Surg Respirator, 3 bags Isolation Gowns)

All orders will be aggregated and shipped no later than December 26, via UPS ground. Gowns and face shields may start shipping as early as December 8. Respirators ship on December 21 and the bundle ships December 26. 

COVID-19 + Holiday Safety | Make your Patients’ Holiday Season a Healthy One

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COVID-19 + Holiday Safety | Make your Patients’ Holiday Season a Healthy One

The holiday season is a time of celebration, reflection, and fresh starts. This year is an especially important time to talk with your patients about COVID-19 and holiday safety and health.

Here are a few things It’s important to discuss with your patients this holiday season to help you maximize your their health and make a concerted effort at supporting your patients in taking care of their overall health.

1. Educate your patients on COVID-19 holiday safety

Fall and winter celebrations typically include large gatherings of families and friends, crowded parties, and travel that may put people at increased risk for COVID-19.

Some important reminders before celebrations:

  • Host outdoor activities rather than indoor activities as much as possible. If hosting an outdoor event is not possible, and you choose to host an indoor event, avoid crowded, poorly ventilated, or fully enclosed indoor spaces.
  • Host activities with only your circle and in your area as much as possible. If they are not in your circle, invite them to join virtually.
  • Provide updated information to your guests about any COVID-19 safety guidelines and steps in place to prevent the spread of the virus (ex. wear a mask, maintain social distancing, etc.)
  • If you are planning in-person holiday gatherings with people outside of your household, consider asking all guests to strictly avoid contact with people outside of their households for 14 days before the gathering.

2. Talk with your patients about taking care of their mental health

Mental health is important for all of our patients, no matter their age. The holidays are an important time to remind our patients to take time and focus on themselves and their mental health.

This year has been difficult to say the least, so here are some important tips to share with patients:

To make it easier for physicians to screen patients, the CDC and the American Medical Association developed the Prevent Diabetes STAT toolkit. The toolkit encourages physicians to:

  • Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate
  • Try to eat balanced meals
  • Exercise regularly
  • Get plenty of sleep
  • Avoid drug use and excessive alcohol use
  • Make time to unwind and do activities you enjoy
  • Talk with people you trust about how you are feeling

It is more important than ever to address mental health with your patients. The CDC offers great resources about mental health and mental health during COVID.

3. Discuss healthy eating and staying active with your patients

It is harder for all of us to maintain our healthy diets and regular exercise routines during the holiday season. Remind them to eat fruits and vegetables which pack nutrients and help lower the risk for certain diseases. Remind them to limit portion sizes and foods high in fat, salt, and sugar.

Patients should be active for 2½ hours a week. Discuss finding ways they can sneak in physical activity into their regular day. Some examples include:

  • Walking for 20 minutes during lunch breaks
  • Dancing in your house
  • Break up exercises into 10 minutes 3 times a day – morning, afternoon, and evening

Keeping patients on their regular healthy routines during the holidays means they will not have to worry about catching up after the season is over.

4. Make health (and COVID-19 holiday safety) a family affair

As you encourage and support your patients in having a healthier lifestyle, it’s also important that they have the support of loved ones as well. Encourage all family members to work together to get healthy.

Suggest that they prepare healthy meals together, do fun physical activities together and spend time connecting as a family unit. That added support system makes it more likely that they will be successful at navigating COVID-19 holiday safety, reinforces the importance of health for the rest of the family, and encourages healthy habits that will last throughout the year.

AMA Meeting Coverage

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AMA Delegates: No GME Funds for Non-Physicians

The American Medical Association (AMA) must protect physicians’ scope of practice by making sure federal funding for graduate medical education (GME) does not go to non-physicians, several members of the AMA’s House of Delegates said Sunday.

“I’ve had the privilege of training mid-level [providers] and medical students for many years,” said Ramin Manshadi, MD, a delegate from Stockton, California, speaking for himself at the virtual special meeting of the House of Delegates, adding that the difference in knowledge between the two groups “is quite vast.” 

The goal of nurse practitioner and physician assistant programs “is to take over the practice of medicine,” he continued. “We need to be proactive and adapt by first increasing the funding for GME and systematically increase the number of medical schools. We need to uphold the integrity of our profession and deliver the best care possible for our patients. This resolution is appropriate and timely, and we need to support it…”

Read the Full Article at MedPage Today

AMA Delegates Examine COVID-19 Telehealth Change

Physicians discussed the best way to advocate for new flexibilities in telemedicine granted to patients and clinicians due to the COVID-19 pandemic, during the American Medical Association virtual Special Meeting of its House of Delegates.

Whether in response to mandatory quarantines or patients’ concern for their own risk of transmitting the virus, many more patients are choosing telemedicine, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has encouraged that shift in care by relaxing many of the restrictions that typically limit patient access to telemedicine…

Read the Full Article at MedPage Today

Chopin’s Music Conquers the Hearts of Young Americans

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On December 2, 2020, at the historic residence of the first US President, George Washington, in Mount Vernon, Virginia, a unique concert will take place – combining space technologies with the timeless beauty of Frédéric Chopin’s music.

After the success of the American premiere of Adam Ustynowicz’s film “Chopin. The Space Concert” at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, viewers of Washington D.C and Virginia will watch the new version of the film, intended for a young audience. The outstanding Polish-American pianist Tomasz Robak will play eight Chopin’s masterpieces, illustrated with the most beautiful photos of our planet taken from the panoramic dome of the International Space Station.

The dome was installed in 2010 by the crew of the STS-130 Endeavour. The expedition commander was Colonel pilot George D. Zamka – NASA astronaut with Polish roots. The astronaut and the Polish film director decided to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Frédéric Chopin’s birth on board of the ISS by playing ten of his most beautiful pieces, recorded by the world-class pianist Karol Radziwonowicz with the accompaniment of the Sinfonia Viva Orchestra. The crews of Endeavour and the Space Station (including Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi and Russian cosmonauts) agreed that it is Chopin’s romantic music that most fully reflects their emotions during the space expedition: a feeling of awe and wonder with a hint of longing for a lost paradise.

Outstanding guests who will come to Mount Vernon and viewers who will watch the concert online will watch the premiere screening of the new 30-minute version of the film intended for schools. The concert opens with Prelude in A major with the message of George D. Zamka – “You are the future!” – addressed to young people all over the world.

The place of the event is of exceptional importance in the history of Polish-American relations. It was here that President Washington hosted in 1798 Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz – Tadeusz Kościuszko’s adjutant and friend. After returning to Poland, Ursyn Niemcewicz devoted time and funds to educating gifted youth. His greatest “discovery” was a brilliant young pianist and composer, who at the age of 8 delighted the Warsaw audience – Frédéric Chopin.

The creators of the concert want to inspire young people to learn science combined with art through the beauty of the images of the Earth and the sounds of Chopin’s music. The concert in Mount Vernon will initiate a joint Polish-American educational program developing talents and expanding the limits of the imagination of children and youth. The organizers would also like to recall the contribution of Poles and Americans of Polish origin to the development of astronautics and space research. It is worth mentioning that the lunar rover used by the Apollo 15, Apollo 16 and Apollo 17 crews was the work of professor Mieczysław Bekker – a graduate of the Warsaw University of Technology. The rocket fuel of the lunar lander was created by Werner Kirchner, an excellent chemist and fighter pilot from Polish squadrons fighting in England during the WWII.

Organized by:

Polish-American Foundation – Alliance For Innovation
http://alliance4innovation.org/
Institute of Music and Dance
https://imit.org.pl/

The project is led by the support from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.

Find more about Chopin. The Space Concert:
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/470650713
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chopinthespaceconcert/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chopin.thespaceconcert/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thespaceconcert
Media contact:
Jaromir Kamiński, PR510
phone: (+48) 888 772 615

We’re All in This Together

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It’s 2006. We are all 14 years younger and definitely better looking than today. I had just uprooted my 3 young daughters (ages 14, 12, and 6) from their established lives in Orange County, CA and moved them to Charlottesville, VA on a whim to “improve” our lives. At least, my children made it seem like a whim. One of my daughters wouldn’t let me forget that I had taken her away from her childhood friends and came downstairs with a pout every morning. My heart was heavy but determined. I was not one to make such important decisions without planning and precision, but the outcome of this change, whether positive or negative, was yet to materialize.

I started my private practice in Vitreoretinal Surgery and joined the Albemarle County Medical Society (ACMS) and the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) shortly after I had moved. What was the impetus to join these groups in the midst of all of the upheaval that was already present in my life?

The answer lies in the most commercially successful Disney Channel Original Movie ever produced: High School Musical. It also happened to be a movie that was constantly on my television with my three girls singing along in the background. With a time-tested formula of a great cast and young love, success was assured. In the film, initial dramatic tension created by self-serving behavior and competitiveness over auditions for the school musical eventually melts into a spirit of mutual cooperation and trust. As the credits start to roll, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens launch into their hit song, “We’re All In This Together1” to thunderous applause from the audience.

I thought, if we could channel the teamwork and collaboration demonstrated from this teen movie in our professional organizations, we could really make a difference. Yes, I realize I was comparing a group of high school students to highly-trained scientists, educators, and healers. However, the idea energized me to live up to my potential as a role model and professional in my field. If all physicians, PAs, and other health care professionals believed that we are truly in this together, imagine how much we could accomplish! We owe it to our colleagues and patients to be involved and active in the process of organized medicine. Our success, fulfillment, and the future of medicine certainly depends on it.

A few months of transition into living in Virginia led to increasing smiles, fun, and togetherness of my family. My daughters had adjusted, and they were proud of me for taking such a big step for our lives. Throughout this time, the message of High School Musical stuck with me and reminds me why I joined MSV in 2006.

I am honored to be your President-Elect and excited to take us into the future. It is time for all of us to toss our high school drama aside and fall in line with the hit parade. Participate and try out. Show up. Say yes to change. Who knows? Your children might be proud of you too.

Mohit Nanda, MD
Medical Society of Virginia
President-Elect

1High School Musical Cast. We’re All in This Together, Matthew Gerrard and Robbie Nevil.

Start your Advocacy Training Today | Apply for the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership

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While Election Day has passed and votes are still being counted across the country, the opportunity to get involved in advocacy and become a leading voice in healthcare has no end date. The MSV is here to provide our members with opportunities to engage civically, politically, and professionally to maximize your membership. Sometimes the challenge is knowing where to begin.

The Sorensen Institute’s flagship Political Leaders Program (PLP) is a leadership development program that focuses on public policy, understanding political dynamics and the governing process, being an effective leader, and experiential learning related to the diverse issues facing the Commonwealth. Participation in this program has been an important step for Virginians wanting to establish themselves as political and civic leaders on a local, state, or federal level.

The application deadline for the Sorensen PLP Program is midnight this Monday, November 9, 2020. You can find program details, schedule, and application information on their website.

The Medical Society of Virginia is here to connect you with the resources to lead and succeed. If you’re interested in healthcare policy, connecting with legislators, or civic engagement and advocacy, sign up for White Coats on Call 365 today. By joining WCOC 365, you are joining the ‘special forces’ of MSV’s advocacy work, and have exclusive access to hands-on training and programming tailored to you, as well as legislative and regulatory updates.

Contact a member of our Government Affairs team if you have any questions on the program or want more information about WCOC 365 at [email protected].

Ransomware Activity Targeting the Healthcare and Public Health Sector

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The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have credible information of an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers.  
 
CISA, FBI, and HHS have released AA20-302A Ransomware Activity Targeting the Healthcare and Public Health Sector that details both the threat and practices that healthcare organizations should continuously engage in to help manage the risk posed by ransomware and other cyber threats. The advisory references the joint CISA MS-ISAC Ransomware Guide that provides a ransomware response checklist that can serve as a ransomware-specific addendum to organization cyber incident response plans. 
 
CISA, FBI, and HHS are sharing this information in order to provide a warning to healthcare providers to ensure that they take timely and reasonable precautions to protect their networks from these threats. CISA encourages users and administrators to review CISA’s Ransomware webpage for additional information. 

MSV Installs New President Arthur Vayer, MD at 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting

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RICHMOND, Va. (Oct. 13, 2020) – Arthur J. Vayer Jr., MD, FACS of Woodbridge, Virginia was installed as president of the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) at the organization’s Annual Meeting held virtually on October 10, 2020. He specializes in surgery with a focus on Colon & Rectal Surgery and has over 20 years of general surgery experience. He is affiliated with Sentara Surgery Specialists. MSV is the largest physician organization in the Commonwealth, representing more than 30,000 physicians, physicians-in-training, PAs, and medical students.

In his inaugural speech, he spoke of the dedication and sacrifice that physicians, PAs, and all healthcare heroes have made in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

“Be proud as physicians.  Be proud of what you do.  Be proud of what you have accomplished.  Be proud of the lives that you have touched, the people that you have helped, and the families that you have cared for.” Dr. Vayer told attendees during his inauguration. “Be proud of being on the team, the team of doctors, physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, CRNAs, nursing assistants, nursing care partners, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, hospital staff, office staff, first responders, and all others on the team that I may have missed.  Be proud.  Few can do what you do.”

His agenda for his presidency includes a focus on telehealth expansion, physician and PA mental health and wellness, and to uphold MSV’s overall goal to make Virginia the best place to practice medicine and receive care.

After graduating from Brown University Medical School, he completed his residency at University of Maryland Medical System. He is Board certified in general surgery and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Vayer is the immediate past president of the Prince William County Medical Society.

About the Medical Society of Virginia

The Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) serves as the voice for more than 30,000 physicians, residents, medical students, PAs and PA students, representing all medical specialties in all regions of the Commonwealth. The association was founded in 1820 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. MSV strives to advance high-quality health care and make Virginia the best place to receive care and practice medicine.

View the Press Release

Dominion Payroll Joins MSV Business Affiliate Program

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Dominion Payroll has joined the Medical Society of Virginia’s (MSV) Business Affiliate Program, which will provide value to MSV members through the promotion of payroll and HR services to Virginia physicians.

The MSV Business Affiliate Program is designed to engage with companies that can offer exclusive rates, superior service, and competitive solutions to its membership of over 9,000 physicians, residents, medical students, and physician assistants.

Having worked with several medical practices, Dominion Payroll understands the unique workforce management needs of the industry and is excited to be partnering with the Medical Society of Virginia.

“Dominion Payroll has been consistently prompt, accurate, and professional. When we’ve had an issue, help has been cheerful and immediate, with confident handling and swift resolution,” says Dominion Payroll client, Jorge Rivera from Vision Partners LLC.

Dominion Payroll President, David Fratkin, and Dominion Payroll CEO, David Gallagher, acknowledge and appreciate the passion behind MSV’s commitment to physician prosperity. “We place a great deal of value on this relationship and will provide MSV members with the highest quality payroll, HR, and workforce management solutions,” says Dominion Payroll CEO, David Gallagher.

About the Medical Society of Virginia

The Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) serves as the voice for more than 30,000 physicians, residents, medical students, physician assistants, and physician assistant students, representing all medical specialties in all regions of the Commonwealth. The association was founded in 1820 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. MSV strives to advance high-quality health care and make Virginia the best place to receive care and practice medicine.

About Dominion Payroll

Dominion Payroll is a Virginia based workforce management company offering payroll, HR, benefits administration, timekeeping, and talent acquisition to businesses of all sizes across the country. In the past 18 years of business, Dominion Payroll provides clients with high-feature products, industry expertise, and unparalleled customer service.

All MSV members will receive 15% off standard Dominion Payroll pricing. To learn more about how Dominion Payroll can help your business, please visit empower.dominionpayroll.com/msv.

Dominion Payroll Contacts
Scott Byer
804.355.3430
 
Jack Weisbrod
804.299.5224
 
MSV Contact                                       
Taylor Woody
804 | 377–1042

 

We Must Improve Access to Children’s Mental Health Services

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children's mental health - 2 hands holding

We Must Improve Access to Children’s Mental Health Services

We have a responsibility to advocate for high quality children’s mental health services for the young people in our communities. According to the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), 1 in 5 children ages 13-18 in the United States have or will have a serious mental illness. Approximately 50% of psychiatric illnesses begin by age 15 and 75% begin by age 24.

These numbers prove that our youth need appropriate and effective children’s mental health services. And yet, both Virginia and the nation have a severe shortage of mental health providers to meet the demand of youth mental health needs.

Currently, Virginia ranks 41st out of 51 for its mental health workforce (State of Mental Health in America, 2020).  This shortage has caused many pediatricians and primary care providers (PCPs) to have an inadequate supply of referrals for their pediatric patients and subsequently requiring them to extend their service delivery to include assessing and treating children with emotional and behavioral health disorders. However, with this shift, many pediatricians and PCPs who provide healthcare for children and adolescents have reported they do not have sufficient skills to screen and treat youth with emotional and behavioral health needs. Nationally, over 65% of pediatricians reported they lacked mental health and behavioral knowledge and skills (Cunningham PJ, 2009).

These statistics are unacceptable. We have a duty to our children and their families to provide them with necessary care to meet their behavioral health needs.

We also have a responsibility to our pediatricians, PCPs, and other healthcare professionals to give them the tools necessary to address the mental health of their pediatric patients. As providers, we have a calling to care for our patients and make sure that we are able to provide them effective and necessary care. A child’s physician is the trusted provider that parents go to immediately when they are concerned about their child’s health. Teaching these providers to manage mental health is critical to the health of our children.

The Solution

Luckily, the Virginia Mental Health Access Program (VMAP) was created to solve for these challenges. VMAP offers healthcare providers who treat children and young adults immediate access to a child and adolescent psychiatrist, providing the support they need to manage these patients and integrating behavioral healthcare right into the primary care setting. Over 92% of VMAP consultations resulted in the PCP continuing to support the patient in their practices!

VMAP has also trained hundreds of pediatric primary care providers in Virginia how to screen, diagnose, and treat children’s mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and ADHD. These skills are necessary for these providers, and a requirement if we expect our providers to be able to diagnose and manage mental health conditions in children and adolescents. It is our obligation to make sure we equip them with these skills.

The need is clear. Through increasing capacity of PCPs and pediatricians to treat children’s mental health conditions, VMAP ensures that families have timely access to critical behavioral health services. This is why programs like VMAP are launching nationwide and will significantly change the way we manage children’s behavioral health. Let us all work together to ensure the children of our communities are receiving the necessary and possibly lifesaving mental health services.

Sandy L. Chung, MD, FAAP, FACHE
Pediatrician
Medical Director of the Virginia Mental Health Access Program

Questions? Please submit them to [email protected].