Approved by Governor: HB 1913 Career fatigue and wellness in certain health care providers; programs to address, civil immunity

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Programs to address career fatigue and wellness in certain health care providers; civil immunity; emergency. Expands civil immunity for health care professionals serving as members of or consultants to entities that function primarily to review, evaluate, or make recommendations related to health care services to include health care professionals serving as members of or consultants to entities that function primarily to address issues related to career fatigue and wellness in health care professionals licensed, registered, or certified by the Boards of Medicine, Nursing, or Pharmacy, or in students enrolled in a school of medicine, osteopathic medicine, nursing, or pharmacy located in the Commonwealth. The bill contains an emergency clause and is identical to SB 1205.

Full Bill Text Here 

Centra Medical Group (CMG) First in the Nation to Offer its Physicians and PAs the SafeHaven™ Program

CMG completes trial and fully launches unique program supported by MSV and VITAL WorkLife.

To support the needs of physicians and PAs struggling with stress, burnout and the effects of COVID-19, the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) launched the clinician well being program, SafeHaven™.

SafeHaven™ was created by the passage of the Virginia legislation, which is the first of its kind in the nation, signed in March 2020. The law allows healthcare providers to seek professional support to address career fatigue, burnout and behavioral health concerns with confidentiality and civil protections. This will allow physicians and PAs, who typically avoided using such programs because they were unprotected, to get the help they need without fear of losing their medical license. Currently the MSV is working with the Virginia General Assembly to expand the program to other clinicians and medical students, so SafeHaven™ clients can open up the program to their full healthcare team.

Through SafeHaven™, Centra Medical Group’s physicians and PAs have gained access to healthcare specific resources from VITAL WorkLife. The resources offered include VITAL WorkLife’s Clinician Well Being Resources solution, a comprehensive set of resources that includes peer coaching, elite concierge services and expanded behavioral health resources to promote work/life balance and well being for physicians, PAs and their families.

“The SafeHaven™ program is one of many initiatives we are working on to carry out our strategic framework which places “People First”.  We need to support and take great care of our caregivers, so that they are then able to provide excellent care to our patients and community,” said Tiffany Niide, MD, PhD, Medical Director, Physician Wellness and Engagement at Centra Medical Group. “We are thrilled to be the first healthcare system in the nation to offer these groundbreaking resources and legal protections to our clinicians.”

SafeHaven™ is excited to welcome the Centra Medical Group as its first health system and looks forward to a successful partnership that supports physicians and PAs so they can continue to do the work they love.

Download the Full Press Release (PDF)

To support the needs of physicians and PAs struggling with stress, burnout and the effects of COVID-19, the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) and VITAL WorkLife have partnered to offer physicians and PAs a comprehensive set of well being resources they can use without risk to their medical license, SafeHaven™.

Medical Society of Virginia Foundation Recognizes Six Outstanding Physicians

Richmond, Va. (Jan. 25, 2021) –The Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) Foundation announced the winners of their annual Salute to Service Awards. Six Virginia physicians are being recognized from across the Commonwealth for their outstanding service in six categories: Service to — the Profession, the Uninsured and Underinsured, the International Community, Advancing Patient Safety and Quality Improvement, service by a Medical Student or Resident – and a special category for 2020, Service to Healthcare During COVID-19.

The premiere award, Service to the Profession, has been given to William C. Reha, MD, MBA. Dr. Reha is a Urologist in Woodbridge, Virginia and a former president of the Medical Society of Virginia.

The 2020 Winners of the MSV Foundation’s Salute to Service Awards include:

  • Mar Escario, MD, FACA of Danville, Service to the International Community
  • William C. Reha, MD, MBA of Woodbridge, Service to the Profession
  • Gonzalo M. L. Bearman MD, MPH, FACP, FSHEA, FIDSA of Richmond, Service for Advancing Patient Safety and Quality Improvement
  • Amanda Tosi of Norfolk, Service by a Medical Student or Resident
  • Joan Ritter, MD, FACP of Arlington, Service to the Uninsured and Underserved
  • Carolyn A. Burns, MD of Richmond, Service to Healthcare During COVID-19    

The MSV Foundation created the annual Salute to Service Awards in 2004 to recognize outstanding efforts of physicians, residents, and medical students who are dedicated to creating and nurturing a caring health promotion and disease prevention environment by providing service on behalf of patients everywhere.

The Medical Society of Virginia Foundation did not host the 2020 Physicians Gala due to COVID-19, so the 2020 Salute to Service Awards will be presented at the 2021 Physicians Gala at the Omni Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia.

About the Medical Society of Virginia Foundation

The MSV Foundation (MSVF) advances opportunities for physicians to participate in health improvement efforts in Virginia by supporting programs and initiatives that equip physicians to best serve themselves, their patients and their communities. For more information, visit www.msv.org/Foundation.

Download the Full Press Release

Letter to the Editor: Independent NPs require more training

As physicians, we pledge to do no harm to patients. To understand how to do so properly and provide quality care requires training and sacrifice. We watch as our peers go forward into their careers while we bury ourselves in studies and clinical training and incur thousands of dollars of debt to fulfill our dreams of caring for others at the highest level.

I work alongside and have deep respect for nurse practitioners (NPs). They are advanced professionals and should, in some cases, be able to practice independent of physician oversight. But there is a bill under consideration by the Virginia General Assembly that would allow NPs to practice independently after only two years of post-graduate education and two years of clinical training. A physician is required to complete four years of medical school and, at a minimum, three years of residency training, even in primary care. Many physicians take additional years to build a specialty, such as in neurosurgery, orthopedics or emergency medicine.

NPs should be held to similar standards of training as physicians if they want to practice independently, and we must do more in Virginia to ensure their stringently regulated clinical training. This means five years of clinical training, not two. The standard of training should be nothing less than the highest possible level. House Bill 1737 might seem like a way to create more healt hcare providers in Virginia, but ask: When you find yourself in an emergency room, what level of competency do you want at your bedside?

President, Virginia College of Emergency Physicians

Biden Administration’s National Strategy on COVID-19 and Pandemic Preparedness

This week, President Biden unveiled a significant national strategy for handling COVID-19 and addressing pandemic preparedness generally. The President also took initial steps to immediately implement portions of this strategy, issuing several executive orders and memoranda. 

Executive Orders signed January 21 include:

Memoranda issued on January 21 include:

New program helps Virginia medical workers find mental health support

RICHMOND, Va. — Unprecedented levels of burnout in the field of medicine were reported well before the COVID-19 pandemic started in Virginia. The virus has only exacerbated the critical and immediate need to help our frontline workers.

In March, Governor Ralph Northam signed legislation establishing SafeHaven™, MSV’s Physician Well Being Program.

The program, operated by the Medical Society of Virginia and VITAL WorkLife, ensures physicians and physician assistants can seek mental health support without the fear of impacting their medical licenses…

Read the Full Article Here

Make a Contribution to SafeHaven™

 

Executive Order 60 | Clarification of Certain Immunity from Liability for Healthcare Providers in Response to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Through the work of the MSV and many other partners and stakeholders, the Amended Executive Order 60 has been approved. 

Importance of the Issue
The Commonwealth of Virginia continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of confirmed cases, hospitalizations, and persons under investigation in Virginia has increased substantially. As testing increases, it is highly likely that these numbers will continue to rise. Hospitals and nursing homes across the Commonwealth are reporting large numbers of patients presenting with COVID-19 symptoms, which is putting significant stress on these facilities, as they were already dealing with a more severe seasonal influenza than usual. Healthcare providers are experiencing critical shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies. In some cases, they are being required to reuse PPE where possible and appropriate. Healthcare providers are not able to resupply quickly these critical resources due to severe supply chain disruptions. In addition, staffing levels at hospitals are often strained by the inability to transfer patients with COVID-19 to other sites of care such as assisted living facilities, hospice facilities, and nursing homes because of the need to contain the spread of the virus. The effects of COVID-19 create these difficulties and present less than optimal conditions to deliver the healthcare indicated by conventional standards of care.

With the possibility that a vaccine may soon be available, Virginia must prepare for its safe and efficient use, distribution, and storage…

Read the Full Executive Order

Join Pfizer leaders for an update on the Pfizer COVID vaccine

Please join Pfizer leaders on December 8 at 4 PM – 5PM (EST) for an update on the Pfizer COVID vaccine. David Hering, President, Pfizer Vaccines North American and Alejandro Cane, MD, Vaccines Scientific and Medical Affairs Lead North America, will be the featured speakers. Topics covered will include information on the vaccine development program as well as the US distribution plans with the states. We hope you can join the call.

Webex Event Broadcast: This allows Presenters to Broadcast audio, video and slides one-way to up to 3000 attendees’ computers and iOS mobile devices.

Event number: 145 068 5229
Event password: t6ZJM69GP3K
Event address for attendees: https://pfizerevents.webex.com/pfizerevents/onstage/g.php?MTID=eb763a601c259a88e5428286a53100d91

Please Note – attendees joining Webex via their iPad/iPhone cannot take part in Post Event Surveys

*If you have never joined a WebEx before the link will prompt you to install software to enable it to run.  Allow this download and the session will then open once installed (This only needs doing once, for subsequent sessions the software will run the program without needing to install anything).

Audio Conference: This is a listen only service for attendees to dial in and hear the presenters but they cannot ask questions.

1-650-479-3208 Call-in toll number (US/Canada)
1-877-668-4493 Call-in toll-free number (US/Canada)
Global call-in numbers | Toll-free dialing restrictions

Access Code: 145 068 5229

Arthur J. Vayer Jr. and Steven C. Arner column: Don’t let COVID-19 fear delay necessary medical care

By now, we all know the COVID-19 safety rules: Stay home whenever possible, maintain social distance and wear a mask in public. These simple rules are an important way to help us stay safe and keep our families healthy. Another equally important way to protect personal health is to continue to get necessary medical care. Unfortunately, many people have delayed needed medical care out of fear that a doctor’s office or hospital visit might expose them to COVID-19. Indeed, research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that through June 30, more than 4 in 10 U.S. adults delayed or avoided care due to COVID-19 fears.

The data tells a similar story in the commonwealth. Virginia hospital data show that patient volumes were down 11% during the first half of 2020 and emergency department visits were down a startling 38%. This includes sharp declines in patients seeking emergency care for a stroke or a heart attack, potentially fatal conditions that require immediate attention. In September, Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy asked Virginians if they’ve delayed care during COVID-19 and found that 14% of parents said they have delayed vaccinations for their children and that 39% of adults have put off care this year.

While safety concerns are understandable, people should know that delaying needed medical treatment is much riskier than visiting a doctor’s office or hospital in Virginia…

Read the Full Article

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

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.