Year: 2018
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Lead From Where You Are
After mastering self-leadership, the next step is to lead your physician partners and your office staff. Contrary to common belief, some aspects of this role should be filled by all physicians in the group. Yes, there may be a designated single leader for the practice, but that should not enable the others in the group…
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President Trump Signs Right-to-Try Act
On Wednesday, May 30, 2018, Pres. Donald Trump signed the Right-to-Try Act, which allows terminally ill patients the ability to try drugs in preliminary testing but not-yet-approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The aim is to make it easier for those patients suffering from fatal illness who have exhausted all other resources to access…
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Demand for Non-Physician Providers Rose to Make Up for Physician Shortage
The Medical Group Management Association has released its 2018 MGMA DataDive Provider Compensation Survey revealing primary care physicians’ compensation rose by more than 10 percent over the past five years. This increase, which is nearly double that of specialty physicians’ compensation over the same period, is further evidence of the worsening primary care physician shortage…
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MOC Update: Two Certification Programs Transition from Pilot to Permanent
Last year, the Medical Association worked to bring together physicians, medical organizations, state medical societies, hospitals, health systems, patients and the American Board of Medical Specialties to investigate the future of board certification. The first in-person meeting in March produced testimony on continuing certification from stakeholders who provided their perspectives and experiences with continuing certification,…
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New Alabama Mothers Encouraged to Complete PRAMS Survey
Why are some babies born healthy while others are not? The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) surveys new mothers about their pregnancy, delivery and their infant to find answers. PRAMS is a joint research project between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Alabama Department of Public Health. Mothers who receive surveys…
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AMASA Scholarships Help Students Achieve a Dream
Pictured from left in the photo are Michael Brisson, Masheika James, Stephanie Arana and James Coley. The winners of the 2018 AMASA Medical Student Scholarships have been announced. The AMASA Medical Student Scholarship Fund was established in 2012 by the Alliance to the Medical Association of the State of Alabama in partnership with the Medical…
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Medical Association Receives Board of Midwifery Rule Withdrawal
The Medical Association joined with the Alabama Hospital Association, the Alabama Board of Nursing, the Alabama Department of Public Health and the Alabama Chapter-American Academy of Pediatrics recently offered comment to the Alabama Board of Midwifery’s proposed rules concerning the passage of Act No. 2017-282 in May 2017 (regarding licensed midwives). The Medical Association requested the…
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Four Takeaways from Trump’s Plan to Rescind CHIP Funding
President Donald Trump wants to employ a rarely used budget maneuver called “rescission” to eliminate $15 billion in federal spending, including $7 billion from the popular Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Administration officials insist the cuts wouldn’t negatively affect any programs — rather, they would merely return money into the Treasury that Congress appropriated but…
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Four Dangerous Words Physicians Regularly Say
One trend evident in all medical practices is the shift in payment responsibility from insurance payers to the insured patients. As employers modify coverage to contain their premium costs, health care providers are treating patients who have $2,500, $5,000 and even $10,000 deductibles. Physicians who have practiced for many years have instructed their collections staff…
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ADPH Issues Synthetic Cannabinoids Alert
ADPH Issues Synthetic Cannabinoids Alert; Severe Bleeding a Dangerous Side Effect The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) cautions the public about the hazards of synthetic cannabinoids after the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) linked serious complications including death to their use. As of April 24, 2018, IDPH has received reports of 153 cases,…