Welcome to a new week and your
NCMS Morning Rounds.
June 8, 2020
NCMS PPE Orders Have Arrived!
Most of the ActionPPE orders placed through the NCMS Personal Protective Equipment webpage have arrived! If your order is among the 40 that have been filled, you should have received a call or email from the NCMS to arrange pickup or delivery.
Those orders that have not yet been delivered are on hold until the threshold is reached for that particular piece of PPE. Once that occurs, the order will be fulfilled and delivered to the NCMS.
If you anticipate a need for PPE, please visit our website and place an order through Option 1, the group purchasing arrangement we have with the Charleston County (SC) Medical Society and ActionPPE. In addition to masks, the site now offers gowns and face shields.
NCMS Legislative Update
Last week was another busy week at the NC General Assembly as legislators continue the process of working through a variety of proposals, some of which are health care related. For a complete list of bills we are tracking be sure to visit our NCMS legislative blog, which has summaries of all the proposals and is updated as they make their way through committees and possibly to a full vote of the NC House and Senate.
Here are several bills we’d like to highlight:
HB471 – Exempt Direct Primary Care from DOI Regulations recognizes the relationship between a patient and a provider of direct primary care as an agreement between those two parties and posits that it should be exempt from NC Department of Insurance regulations. The proposal does outline what would be required in such an agreement. The NC Senate passed the bill last week and it now moves to the NC House for consideration.
HB678/SB300 – Amend Counselor/SA/Social Worker Professional Acts examines how state agencies and licensing boards adopt policies. We are watching this closely along with the NC Medical Board and will update you on any element that might have an impact on health care provider licensing boards as it moves through committees. Last week it was under consideration by the Senate Health Care Committee.
NCMS advocacy staff is also monitoring the various ‘mini’ appropriations bills that are being filed instead of the usual, single budget bill. Nothing related to health care has been submitted yet, but your advocacy team is watching for those and will report on any proposals that could impact your practice. Watch the legislative blog and your NCMS Morning Rounds for updates.
Late last week NCMS member Rep. Kristin Baker, MD, (R-Cabarrus) was appointed as a chair of a new bi-partisan legislative working group on law enforcement and community engagement.
Finally, remember to sign up for a virtual White Coat Wednesday to engage with your elected officials on the many important issues now being discussed. NCMS staff will help facilitate virtual meetings with legislators and give you the background information you need to have meaningful and productive conversations. Learn more and sign up here.
Message from NC Academy of Physician Assistants
Our colleagues at the NC Academy of Physician Assistants (NCAPA) sent a letter last week to its membership echoing the sentiments expressed in NCMS President Palmer Edwards’, MD, DFAPA, message about recent events. NCAPA President Alisha DeTroye, MMS, PA-C, DFAAPA sent the following letter:
I am writing to you with a heavy heart as we continue to endure the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has resulted in extraordinary times for our PA workforce. My sadness and concern have been further exacerbated by the events of the past 10 days as I witness the outpouring of pain and frustration due to the death of George Floyd. These events remind me how much pain, inequity, intolerance, and racism exist in our nation today.
As demonstrated by our vision statement, NCAPA is committed to North Carolina PAs providing equitable delivery of patient-centered care. It is time to put those words into further action. Earlier this year, I charged a task force to make recommendations around improving diversity and inclusion among PAs and PA students. This was the beginning of the conversation but certainly not the end. I join my colleague at the North Carolina Medical Society, President Palmer Edwards, and his call to action by making health equity a priority and I plan on raising this discussion with the NCAPA Board of Directors. Please read Palmer Edwards’ compelling message.
As PAs, we must dig deep into evidence-based medicine to further explore social drivers of health and their impact on health disparities. We need to listen to our patients to understand their barriers to care rather than label them as non-compliant. We need to understand our individual implicit biases and be humble enough to admit our deficits in knowledge, experience, and our fears. We need to collaborate through dialogue, inviting new and diverse voices to the table, for meaningful discussions. I look forward to hearing your ideas as we strive to be PAs (and Passionate Advocates) for change.
Sincerely,
Alisha DeTroye, MMS, PA-C, DFAAPA
NCAPA President
In the News
How Can the World Avoid Screwing Up the Response to COVID-19 Again?, STAT, 6-5-20
Learning Opportunity
Preventing Youth Vaping Part I: The Extent and Risk Factors for Youth Vaping, a webinar presented by the Danya Institute and the Prevention Technology Transfer Center Network, will be held on Thursday, June 25 from 1 to 2 p.m. This webinar will examine data on the rise and scope of vaping, and how it contrasts with previous tobacco use data. It will also examine the known risk factors that contributed to this rise, such as ease of availability, low perceptions of harm and lack of environmental strategies to prevent use. The webinar will also discuss the issue and current status of acute lung injuries caused by vaping. Register here.
If you have policies you’d like your NCMS Board of Directors to consider, please complete the Board input form here. Thanks for reading!