Happy July 4th! Here is your pre-holiday
NCMS Morning Rounds.
July 2, 2020
The NCMS offices will be closed tomorrow, July 3, in honor of the July 4 holiday. Your NCMS Morning Rounds will return on Monday, July 6.
Enjoy your holiday and be safe and well!
Survey Confirms Many of You Are Stressed; Overwhelmed
The results of the recent joint survey of NCMS, NC Medical Group Management Association and Curi member practices confirms what we’ve been hearing anecdotally – many, in fact 78 percent of those responding to the survey, are stressed out these days. Financial concerns and uncertainty about the future are the top stressors, according to the survey results. Forty-five percent of clinical staff seems overwhelmed and exhausted.
The practice survey, sent regularly to practices throughout the state since the beginning of the pandemic, looked more deeply at well-being among clinical and non-clinical staff during this turbulent time the week of June 1. See the full report on the well-being survey results here.
Thank you to those who continue to complete the practice survey, now sent to member practices every other week. The data gathered through these surveys provides valuable insight into how health care organizations are responding to the pandemic. If you are not currently receiving the survey, please email [email protected] and ask to be added to the Urgent Practice Data Survey list.
Previous surveys have taken a closer look at areas of concern including finances, telehealth and practice reopening. Review the reports in these areas below.
- Click here to access the Summary Report This details how practices were faring from the end of March through most of April.
- Click here to access the Trends Report.
- Click here to access the Financial Summary Report.
- Click here to access the Telehealth Report.
- Click here to access the Practice Reopening Report.
Watch your email for the next practice survey on Monday. Thank you for your input!
Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency to Be Extended
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) indicated this week through a tweet from HHS Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs Michael Caputo that it intends to extend the COVID-19 public health emergency for another 90 days come July 25, when it is currently set to expire. This would mean several payment policies and regulatory adjustments would be extended.
The emergency declaration has already been extended once – on April 21. This allows HHS to waive or modify certain Medicare, Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule requirements. It also allows requires insurers cover COVID-19 testing without cost-sharing and waives certain telehealth restrictions.
Learn the details about what the declaration may mean for your practice.
Keep in mind some of the regulatory changes implemented due to the pandemic, however, depend on continuation of the national emergency declaration, including Medicaid waivers that allow bypassing some prior authorization requirements.
NCDHHS Seeks Input on Traumatic Brain Injury Program
The Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) program at the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services is considering offering two separate webinar training opportunities with national experts in the field of Brain Injury (BI) during fiscal year 2020-21. To help determine statewide interest among professionals in a variety of settings, the Department is asking you to take a few minutes to complete this short, anonymous survey.
Please email [email protected] with any questions.
In the News
US Withdrawal from WHO Threatens to Leave It ‘Flying Blind’ on Flu Vaccines, STAT, 6-29-20
Learning Opportunity
Be sure to mark your calendar and register now for NEXT week’s Power Hour, July 10 from 1 to 2 p.m. when our guests will discuss race and health equity. Watch for details in the coming days.
In the meantime, the long weekend is a perfect opportunity to catch up on previous Power Hours you may have missed. Learn how Italian physicians have responded to COVID-19 or how your colleagues are dealing with stress during this very stressful time or get a broader perspective on telehealth. Since the beginning of the pandemic the NCMS Foundation’s Kanof Institute for Physician Leadership (KIPL) has offered weekly Power Hours to address some of the pressing issues facing you — our members.
All of the webinars are archived on our NCMS website and available anytime. Access them now.
If you have policies you’d like your NCMS Board of Directors to consider, please complete the Board input form here. Thanks for reading!