Complimentary Webinar from Garfunkel Wild, PC Attorneys at Law "Right to Try" Act: What you need to know Wednesday, June 20, 2018 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EST

On May 30, 2018, a new Federal "right to try" act became effective which gives patients with life-threatening conditions the right to use experimental medications without the approval of the Food and Drug Administration. This new Federal law impacts Hospitals, Physicians, Drug Manufacturers and Patients. Join us as we explore the consequences and questions of this new law. Speakers: Andrew E. Blustein                                                                                  Vice Chairman Lara Jean Ancona Partner   Stacey P. Klein        Associate Click Here To Register Registration is limited. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

CMS has discovered an issue with the 2018 Quality performance category specialty measure sets within the updated “Explore Measures” tool on the Quality Payment Program website. They have temporarily removed the 2018 Quality performance category measures from this tool to improve the accuracy of the specialty measure sets. They will send a notification when the issue is resolved.

In the meantime, please visit the 2018 QPP Resource Library on CMS.gov to view additional details on the 2018 Quality measures. You can download the Claims and Registry Measures, Web Interface Measures, and Quality Measure Specifications Supporting Documents to learn more.

If you have any questions, please contact the Quality Payment Program Service Center by:

• Email: QPP@cms.hhs.gov
• Phone: 1-866-288-8292/TTY: 1-877-715-6222 

Beginning Monday, 7/10/2018, NGS will return to the provider any paper claim submitted with handwriting on the face of the claim that is not a signature field, (i.e., Items 12, 13, or 31). A notice will be attached to the front of the returned claim and you will need to submit a new claim.

No more delays.

Parent information fact sheet from NYS Health Foundation. 

Click here to download.

On 4/2/2018, CMS started mailing new Medicare cards with the Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) to all people with Medicare and will continue to mail

On 4/2/2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) started mailing new Medicare cards with the Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) to all people with Medicare and will continue to mail new Medicare cards in phases by geographic location. This means that some of your patients may have already received their new Medicare card containing the MBI.

If you are currently registered with NGSConnex, our free, secure internet portal you will be able to login and use the MBI Lookup Tool to obtain your patient's MBI, if CMS has mailed them their new Medicare card. To use this new self-service tool in NGSConnex, you will be required to validate using reCaptcha software and also you will need to enter the following search criteria:

• Patient Last Name
• Patient First Name
• Patient Date of Birth
• Patient Social Security Number
• NPI

We encourage you to watch this three-minute video, to learn more about the MBI Lookup Tool available in NGSConnex.

If you are not already a registered NGSConnex user, we strongly encourage you to register now and take advantage of all the time money and time saving features NGSConnex has to offer.

This is a reminder that health care providers are invited to sign up for one of the Schedule Loss of Use Informational Webinars taking place this Wednesday, May 23.

The Board's Medical Director and Senior Policy Advisor, Elain Sobol Berger, MD, JD will provide training on the 2018 Impairment Guidelines' approach to assessing SLU permanent impairment. Case studies will demonstrate how to apply the SLU principles and objective criteria in making an SLU determination.

There will be two webinars, so you can register for the time that works best for you. Each webinar will last approximately one hour and will include time for questions and answers. When you click ‘register here’, you will be taken to a general information page. You must click ‘Register’ on the bottom of that page to sign up.

Register

Wednesday, May 23, 8:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. Register here

Wednesday, May 23, 4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. Register here

More information

We will be sending an announcement on May 24 when the recorded version of this webinar is available on the Board's website at http://www.wcb.ny.gov/content/main/hcpp/ImpairmentGuidelines/ImpGuideOverview.jsp.

As part of the 2017 executive budget, Workers’ Compensation law §15(3)(x) required the Workers' Compensation Board to implement new Permanency Impairment Guidelines for Schedule Loss of Use (SLU) evaluations. The new 2018 SLU Guidelines took effect January 1, 2018.

For more information on the Schedule Loss of Use Guidelines, please see Subject No. 046-1011. The enabling regulation is set forth at 12 NYCRR 325-1.6, and is also available at the Board's website.

On Wednesday, May 23, the Campaign for New York Health invites the community to a Town Hall to learn about and discuss The New York Health Act, a bill before the state legislature that would provide comprehensive, universal health coverage for every New Yorker, paid for on the basis of income.

Our community forum will include a panel of stakeholders and experts including Assemblyman Harry Bronson, Family medicine physicians Dr. Alicia Bell, Dr. Amy Potter, and Dr. Scott Hartman, and for-profit insurance system survivor Kristi Reisch.

 Join us to discuss next steps toward implementing healthcare reform that ensures quality care for all. Find out what you can do to help now and in the future to establish health care as a human right. 

When: Wednesday, May 23, 6 pm 

Where: First Universalist Church, 150 South Clinton Ave, Rochester, NY

RSVP: https://www.nyhcampaign.org/mikeaschneider/rochester_for_new_york_health_town_hall 

Achieving health equity in NYS requires direct political pressure on our elected representatives. Thus, the Campaign for New York Health will have buses leaving for Albany on Tuesday, 6/5 to rally and lobby for healthcare as a human right at the state capitol. Transportation to Albany, breakfast, and training will be provided. Please RSVP at https://www.nyhcampaign.org/lobbyday2018.

The Medical Society of the State of New York is pleased to announce its free Continuing Medical Education (CME) webinars for May and June.  Participation in the webinars will earn physicians one CME credit free of charge.   The webinar schedule for May and June is as follows: 

May 16^th at 7:30 am – Medical Matters: Physically & Biologically Derived Chemical Agents: An Overview

Register for this webinar here.
Faculty: Arthur Cooper, MD, MS

Educational Objectives:

• Acquire a basic understanding of physically and biologically derived chemical agents
• Identify types of physically and biologically derived chemical agents used as chemical weapons
• Understand the indicators of each type of chemical agent
• Describe the treatment of each type of chemical agent
• Identify local and state resources 

May 24^th at 7:30 am - Current Concepts in Concussion for Pediatric and Adult Patients

Register for this webinar here.
Faculty: Deborah Light, MD & John Pugh, MD, PhD

Educational Objectives:

• Identify signs and symptoms indicative of concussion as well as red flags that indicate alternate or more severe pathology;
• Outline an appropriate management plan for a patient presenting with concussion including a return to “normal life" protocol;
• Describe methods for the primary and secondary prevention of concussion;
• Identify patients who would benefit from referral to a concussion specialist 

June 20^th at 12:30 pm – Medical Matters: Children’s Mental Health After Disaster

Register for this webinar here.
Faculty: Linda Chokroverty, MD

Educational Objectives:

• Enhance physician’s understanding of the impact of disaster on children’s and family mental health
• Improve physician skills to address potential psychiatric problems in children and families following a disaster 

To view all of MSSNY’s scheduled programs, click here and select “Training Center” and “Upcoming”. 

The Medical Society of the State of New York is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

The Medical Society of the State of New York designates each of these live activities for a maximum of 1.0 AMA/PRA Category 1 credits™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. 

Additional information or assistance with registration may be obtained by contacting Melissa Hoffman at mhoffman@mssny.org.

As part of the 2017 executive budget, Workers’ Compensation law §15(3)(x) required the Workers' Compensation Board to implement new Permanency Impairment Guidelines for Schedule Loss of Use (SLU) evaluations. The new 2018 SLU Guidelines took effect January 1, 2018.

The Board's Medical Director and Senior Policy Advisor, Elain Sobol Berger, MD, JD will provide training in the 2018 Guidelines' approach to assessing SLU permanent impairment. Case studies will demonstrate how to apply the SLU principles and objective criteria in making an SLU determination.

There will be four webinars, so you can register for the time that works best for you. Each webinar will last approximately one hour and will include time for questions and answers. Space is limited, so please register early. When you click ‘register here’, you will be taken to a general information page. You must click ‘Register’ on the bottom of that page to sign up.

Register

Wednesday, May 16, 8:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. Register here

Wednesday, May 16, 4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. Register here

Wednesday, May 23, 8:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. Register here

Wednesday, May 23, 4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. Register here

More information

For more information on the Schedule Loss of Use Guidelines, please see Subject No. 046-1011. The enabling regulation is set forth at 12 NYCRR 325-1.6, and is also available at the Board's website.

Monroe County Medical Society (MCMS) welcomed its newly elected 2018-2019 officers at the Society’s 197th annual meeting on May 2, 2018.

Surinder Devgun, MD, was elected as the 2018-2019 MCMS President. Dr. Devgun has been a private practice physician at Rochester Gastroenterology Associates since 2005. In addition, he is an attending Gastroenterologist at both Unity Hospital and Rochester General Hospital of Rochester Regional Health. Dr. Devgun volunteers as teaching faculty at Unity Health System's Medicine Residency program and is an author of numerous abstracts and posters with his residents. Dr. Devgun has been a member of Monroe County Medical Society since 2005. 

Members of the Executive Committee are:

• President: Surinder Devgun, MD, a gastroenterologist at Rochester Gastroenterology Associates, LLP;
  
• President-Elect: Lisa Smith, MD, an internist/pediatrician at Ridgewood Med-Peds;
  
• Secretary: Edith Grannum, MD, a family practice physician in solo practice at The Family Medicine Practice of Edith Grannum MD;
  
• Treasurer, Susan Danahy, MD, a board certified diagnostic radiologist at Borg & Ide Imaging;
  
•  Member-at-Large: J. Chad Teeters, MD, Executive Medical Director of Accountable Health Partners and a practicing cardiologist and Chief of Cardiology at Highland Hospital;
  
•  Member-at-Large: Balazs Zsenits, MD, an internist who also serves as Chief Medical Information Officer at Rochester Regional Health; and
  
• Immediate Past President: Peter Ronchetti, MD, a hand surgeon at Hand Surgery Associates, LLP 

2018 - 2019 Board of Censors:

•       Wade Hedegard, MD
•       Shylasree Krishnan, MD
•       Christine Stewart, MD
•       Jerry Svoboda, MD
•       Matthew Witmer, MD
•       Rachael Wojtovich, MD

2018 - 2019 Delegates to the Medical Society of the State of New York

•       Ahmed Ghazi, MD
•       Allison Giordano, MD
•       Tarun Kothari, MD
•       Raymond Lanzafame, MD 

2018 - 2019 Hospital Representatives

•       James Haley, MD, Unity
•       Jennifer Muniak, MD - Highland 
•       Robert M. Kerper, MD, Strong Memorial
•       Derek J. tenHoopen, MD, Rochester General