Welcome to a new week of NCMS Morning Rounds.
Oct. 5, 2020
Don’t Forget! Cast Your Vote for NCMS Leadership
NCMS online ballots were sent Oct. 1 to all NCMS members for whom we have a current email address. Those who do not have a valid email on file with us were mailed a postcard with instructions on how to cast their vote for the slate of candidates for NCMS leadership positions.
Be sure to cast your secure ballot for NCMS officers, Board of Directors, AMA delegates and Nominating and Leadership Development Committee members. The results of the election will be announced at our Annual Business meeting on Friday, Oct. 16, which is part of our LEAD Health Care Conference. Learn more about that meeting agenda and register here to be on hand to welcome our new leaders.
Please direct any questions about the election to Evan Simmons at [email protected].
HHS Allocates Another $20 Billion in Provider Relief
Last week the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it was disbursing another $20 billion in CARES Act Provider Relief Funds starting today, Oct. 5. Under this Phase 3 General Distribution allocation, physicians who have already received Provider Relief Fund payments may apply for additional funding that considers financial losses and changes in operating expenses caused by the coronavirus.
Recognizing the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has increased anxiety and depression in the country and behavioral health providers have continued to provide care through telehealth and other means, HHS also announced that the nation’s behavioral health care providers, including psychiatrists, are now eligible for funding. Previously ineligible physicians, such as those who began practicing in 2020, will also be eligible to apply.
Physicians will have from Oct. 5 through Nov. 6, 2020 to apply for Phase 3 General Distribution funding. Learn more here.
New Executive Director for NC Public Health Association
The North Carolina Alliance of Public Health Agencies (NCAPHA), the North Carolina Association of Local Health Directors (NCALHD) and the North Carolina Public Health Association (NCPHA) hired Katye Jobe Griffin as their new executive director. She began her new role last week. The NCPHA is housed in the NCMS headquarters building in Raleigh.
Griffin is an attorney with a special interest in health law and policy. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami in Florida and her law degree from the Wake Forest University School of Law. Griffin began her legal career with a large firm in Raleigh, focusing her practice on transactional, regulatory, and government relations work.
Most recently, Griffin has been managing her husband’s statewide judicial election campaign while he was deployed with the N.C. Army National Guard.
“Now, more than ever, we are reminded of how vitally important public health is to our state and its citizens,” she said in a press release about her appointment. “I look forward to working with the associations and their members to improve public health for all North Carolinians.”
The NCAPHA is an organization that provides services to support the Local Health Departments and the NC Department of Public Health. The NCALHD is a membership organization consisting of leaders of the 85 local public health agencies across the state. The NCPHA is an association of individuals and organizations working to improve the public’s health through political advocacy, public awareness, professional development, and the interface between research and practice.
In the News
To Free Doctors From Computers Far Flung Scribes Are Now Taking Notes for Them, Kaiser Health News, 10-1-20
Learning Opportunity
Don’t miss the AMA’s next ‘COVID 19 Vaccine Development – What Physician Need to Know’ webinar on Oct. 7 at 3 p.m. This series addresses the science, evidence and process of vaccine development, regulatory review and what physicians need to know. Hosted by AMA physician leaders, each installment aims to gain fact-based insights from the nation’s highest-ranking subject matter experts working to protect the health of the public. This episode’s guest is Peter Marks, MD, PhD, Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who will offer a comprehensive overview of the FDA vaccine review process, including what the process looks like for COVID-19 vaccine candidates and the differences between the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) and Biologic License Application (BLA) pathways. Register Now!