Happy Thursday! Enjoy your NCMS Morning Rounds.

Feb. 18, 2021

Be Empowered with the NCMS Foundation’s Power Hour!

For nearly a year the NCMS Foundation’s Kanof Institute for Physician Leadership has been offering regular discussion forums on timely topics impacting physicians and PAs during the pandemic. This Friday, Feb. 19 beginning at noon, will be the next in our series of Power Hours. We invite you to join the conversation about the importance of teamwork during challenging times like these, and, in general, how inter-professional care teams can improve patient care, lower costs, increase population health and even help alleviate burnout and stress. Learn more and register to receive the Zoom link here.

We also have compiled a library of previous Power Hours to browse and view. The wide-ranging topics include ‘COVID-19 and Mental Health,’ ‘Overcoming Vaccination Hesitancy in Minority Populations,’ ‘Race and Health Equity’ and ‘Lifestyle Medicine,’ among many others. Browse through the Power Hour library here.

NCMS’ Ongoing and Broad Efforts on Diabetes Prevention

In addition to the NCMS’ partnership with the AMA as part of the DiabetesFreeNC initiative, the NCMS also is involved with the NC Diabetes Advisory Council (NC DAC). This is an advisory group working to reduce the burden of diabetes through coordination among stakeholders in diabetes prevention and management in North Carolina. Learn more about our efforts with the AMA here.

Be sure to mark your calendar for March 23 at 11:30 a.m. for the NC Diabetes Alert Day Virtual Launch. This webinar will discuss prediabetes and diabetes in NC, provide an overall review of the ‘2020 Diabetes Guide,’ and address action that you and your practice can take to decrease diabetes in the state. Learn more and register here.

To understand more about NC DAC and what is does, visit this site.

Working Together to Address the Challenges of the Pandemic

With the COVID-19 national emergency, many people are facing unprecedented challenges. Some have lost their jobs, and have lost health insurance coverage for themselves and their families. Others may be underinsured with unaffordable health coverage, or may have health insurance, but aren’t sure how to access the services that they need for their health problems.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) a toolkit to help provide accurate and timely information to your community on the COVID-19 vaccine. Access the toolkit here.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also offers resources to medical practices understand coverage, reimbursement and billing when providing the vaccine to Medicaid and Medicare patients. Access that information here.

For those patients looking to obtain health insurance through the Healthcare.gov marketplace, a special enrollment period to apply and enroll will run through May 15, 2021. Read more about special enrollment period here. Patients can access information at the HealthCare.gov website here.

In the News

An In-Depth Look At COVID-19 Vaccine Questions: Effects of the Shot, North Carolina Health News, 2-13-21

Learning Opportunity

2021 Opioid Misuse & Prevention Summit (Virtual), May 4-6.
• ENGAGE partners in North Carolina in active learning and meaningful discussion to build momentum behind strategic activities that complement overall state and local efforts around opioid misuse, addiction, and overdose death.
• EDUCATE and inform North Carolina partners on evidence-based/informed, promising, and innovative policies and practices that prevent opioid misuse, addiction, and overdose.
• ENERGIZE, challenge, and connect North Carolina partners to build consensus and rally behind policy and programmatic interventions that focus on social determinants, healthcare, harm reduction, criminal justice, and community strategies around opioid misuse, addiction, and overdose death.

Learn more and 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!