Enjoy your Thursday
NCMS Morning Rounds.
June 4, 2020
NCMS Statement on Recent Events
In case you missed the message from NCMS President Palmer Edwards, MD, DFAPA sent on Tuesday evening, here is that message once again. Please watch your NCMS Morning Rounds for upcoming opportunities to engage with the NCMS on these challenging and important issues.
In light of the events unfolding over the last 10 days, which sadly reflect the ongoing legacy of racism in our country, I feel it is important to reiterate the values that are the bedrock of the North Carolina Medical Society. The NCMS, representing physicians and PAs throughout the state, holds the safeguarding of human life and health to be the ultimate guiding principle in all we do to protect and advocate for the medical profession.
The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week has added yet another layer of pain, outrage and fear in our communities, which are still reeling from a devastating global pandemic. The unrest over the past days has shone a bright light on the deep rifts in our society. Racism, hatred and ignorance persist.
We know that racial and ethnic inequities are a large contributor to health disparities. The medical casualties due to COVID-19 bear witness to this fact. In North Carolina today the data show that African-Americans account for 35 percent of the COVID-19 fatalities, yet African-Americans make up just 22 percent of the state’s population. We need policy action now, along with abiding patience and engagement rather than impulsive and indiscriminate violence to persons and property.
The NCMS, representing a profession duty-bound to do no harm, must focus on opportunities for positive change that are within our realm. We have the power and responsibility as citizens and medical professionals to do our part to address the inequities that have given rise to the rage we currently are witnessing.
We know there are significant disparities within our health care system impacting many North Carolinians. How can we address them through our day-to-day practice; through the institutions of which we are part; through the NCMS? I challenge each of you, my colleagues, to examine your assumptions on how we might accomplish this crucial task.
As your professional society we have made health equity a central theme of our work going forward. We hope to engage you in an ongoing dialogue about how to stop perpetuating the inequities we see. The solutions are infinitely demanding and complex, but the effort is critical to the future of our country. The NCMS will not shrink from the challenge.
We look forward to engaging with you in the coming months as we continue our necessary work to address these issues on many fronts.
Be safe and well!
Palmer Edwards, MD, DFAPA
President, NCMS
[You may post any comments in response to this message here, on our blog.]
Efforts to Sustain Access to Care During and After Pandemic
The NCMS advocacy team and our partners at the federal level like the AMA are working to help ensure that, where beneficial to patients, the policies put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic will continue once the public health emergency subsides.
With the NC legislative session in full swing, you can keep up with the latest proposals at our NCMS legislative blog. Among other priorities, we are working to include telehealth parity in legislation being considered.
Earlier this week, the AMA submitted comments to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma in response to the interim final rule on policies and regulations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The AMA expressed strong support for increased access to services delivered through telecommunications technology, increased access to testing and services in a patient’s home, and improved infection control to limit potential exposure to health care workers. The AMA also urged CMS to maintain several of its policies beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, and provided detailed comments and examples of telehealth procedures that should continue under Medicare after the COVID-19 public health emergency has ended.
Beach Hotel Offers Discount for Medical Professionals
As a ‘thank you’ to medical professionals like you, serving the community during this stressful time, the Hampton Inn Sneads Ferry-North Topsail Beach is offering you a special reduced rate. Consider a trip to the beach to recharge!
Learn more and book at this link.
In the News
Hiring a Diverse Army to Track COVID-19 Amid Re-Opening, Kaiser Health News, 6-2-20
Learning Opportunity
Please mark your calendar for this week’s POWER HOUR, Friday, June 5 from 1 to 2 p.m. We are still finalizing the speakers to address this week’s timely topic of race and health equity. Please plan to join us for this important conversation with your peers. Watch your email for details on who will be participating. In the meantime, 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!