Year: 2019
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New Statistics Show Doctors Positively Impacting Opioid Epidemic
MONTGOMERY — Alabama’s physicians are having a positive impact on the opioid epidemic here at home while national statistics are showing for the first time, Americans’ odds of dying from an accidental opioid overdose are higher – 1 in 96 – than from a motor vehicle crash – 1 in 103. Using data from the…
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New Learning Opportunities Available for County Societies
The Medical Association is partnering with Warren Averett in 2019 to provide several topics that you can use to host events that will interest the physician members in your county, at no cost to you. Each talk lasts about 30 minutes and several can be combined for a 60-minute talk. MACRA/MIPS Refresher. MACRA is now in…
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MOC Study Committee’s Official Statement on “Vision Initiative” Draft Report
In response to the Medical Association and other state and national medical and physician specialty societies’ grievances with ABMS, its member Boards, and specifically the MOC program, ABMS sought input from a broad range of stakeholders in an effort to envision and craft a board certification system that is responsive and meaningful to physicians. This…
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It’s Not Just About Opioids…
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 30 percent of overdoses in the United States involving opioids also involve benzodiazepines, or “benzos.” Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show more than 115 Americans die each day from an opioid-related overdose. However, between 1996 and 2013 the number of adults…
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MME Edit Coming in Early 2019
The Alabama Medicaid Agency is working on implementing Morphine Milligram Equivalent (MME) edits in early 2019. Higher doses of opioids are associated with higher risk of overdose and death – even relatively low dosages (20-50 MME per day) may increase risk. Therefore, beginning in early 2019, Alabama Medicaid will limit the amount of cumulative MME’s allowed per…
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In Memoriam: Emmett “Lee” Taylor Jr., M.D., 1938-2018
SPANISH FORT — Emmett Lee Taylor, Jr. (“Lee”), a resident of Spanish Fort, AL, passed away on Dec. 12, 2018, surrounded by his loving family. Lee was born in Sheffield, AL, on Dec. 10, 1938. He was a retired U.S. Navy captain, physician, and educator who devoted his professional life to his patients in private practice…
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Medicaid to Host Regional Meetings With Primary Care Providers
Patient First primary medical providers and other primary care providers are invited to attend one of seven upcoming meetings to learn more about Medicaid’s proposed Alabama Coordinated Health Networks (ACHNs). ACHNs are designed to create a single care coordination delivery system that effectively links patients, providers and community resources within each of seven regions. In coordination…
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Is Your Corporate Compliance Plan Up-to-Date?
As 2019 kicks off, it is wise to review various aspects of your practice to ensure everything is up to date and continues to operate in compliance with applicable laws. One area of focus for such review is your corporate compliance plan. Compliance plans are written policies and procedures, adopted by a health care provider,…
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Following Your Passion with Peter Strogov, M.D.
FORT PAYNE – It’s not uncommon for physicians to have an unusual path to medicine. Like many professionals, not all physicians start out wanting a career in medicine but someone – or something – along the way changed their minds. That’s what happened to Fort Payne pediatrician Peter Strogov. It happened on the one day…