Here is Tuesday’s NCMS Morning Rounds

Feb. 2, 2021

February is Black History Month. Learn more here.

X-Waiver Announcement ‘Premature’

The announcement last month by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) updating the guidelines to exempt physicians from certain certification requirements needed to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment was premature. The requirement, commonly referred to as the x-waiver, remains in place.

The NC Governor’s Institute issued a statement last week, reminding providers that, at this time, no changes have been made to the waiver requirements to prescribe buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorders, and promised to continue to provide updates from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as they become available.

Read SAMHSA’s brief statement on the X-waiver here.

The NCMS Foundation through its Project OBOT helps facilitate Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) using buprenorphine and offers waiver training. Learn more here.

TODAY at 5:30 p.m. — State Updates on COVID-19 Vaccination Plan

The NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) will kick off a new live stream talk series to address and provide updates on the state’s COVID-19 vaccination plan beginning today, Feb. 2, at 5:30 p.m.

NCDHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, will host the inaugural ‘fireside chat’ featuring Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II as its first guest. Spectacular Magazine Publisher and CEO Phyllis Coley will moderate and the event will stream live on the following channels:

Each talk will be hosted by a NCDHHS official and will feature health experts, community leaders and others who serve historically marginalized populations and rural communities. Simply click on the social media platform of your choice above at 5:30 p.m. to listen in on the conversation.

Guide to Communicating Effectively with All Your Patients

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health recently released a new guide to providing effective communication and language assistance services to culturally and linguistically diverse individuals you see in your practice.

The guide offers strategies for communicating in a way that considers the cultural, health literacy and language needs of patients and their families. One part of the guide is geared to health care administrators responsible for planning, implementing and evaluating communication and language assistance services. The other part is tailored to physicians and PAs – or anyone providing direct care and services – with information and tips on cross-cultural communication, working with an interpreter and more.

Access the guide at this website.

In the News

Pediatricians Pivot To Vaccines On The Go As Immunization Rates Drop During The Pandemic, STAT, 1-29-2021

Learning Opportunity

POWER HOUR: COVID-19 and Mental Health Zoom Meeting, Feb. 5 from noon to 1 p.m.
Isolation due to the pandemic and increased stress due to financial and family pressures have taken an extraordinary toll on people’s mental health. Health care providers in particular have to deal with the added stressors of burnout and physical exhaustion from the worsening spread of COVID-19. Tune in for a discussion around caring for your mental health during such challenging times. Sign up here.

This week’s Power Hour Guests
Dr. Yun Boylston – Burlington Pediatrics
Dr. Jennie Byrne – CareMore Health
Dr. Alexandra Cupito – Burlington Pediatrics
Dr. Robyn Jordan – UNC Substance Abuse Treatment & Recovery clinic
Dr. Marion McCrary – Marion McCrary Wellness LLC
Dr. Cormack O’Donovan – Wake Forest Baptist Health

The weekly Power Hours are offered to you by Kanof Institute for Physician Leadership/ North Carolina Medical Society Foundation and aims to provide a forum for ongoing conversation, collaboration and community. Tune in to Power Hour on Fridays to hear from different experts, decision makers and influencers on a variety of topics. The format is informal and conversational and sessions are easy to access through Zoom. The Power Hours will be recorded and made readily available to you through NCMS Morning Rounds.

If you have policies you’d like your NCMS Board of Directors to consider, please complete the Board input form here. Thanks for reading!