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. 

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

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

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

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