Doctors in Greenville Needed To Be 'On Call’

Doctors on Call needs volunteers for this year's program. The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) is once again joining with our friends at the Pitt County Medical Society to answer WITN viewers’ medical questions at the “Doctors on Call” phone-in event. This annual event will be held this year on Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at WITN’s new studios in Greenville. Please…

AMA Calls for Two-Year ICD-10 Grace Period

While being prepared for the transition to ICD-10 is encouraged, the American Medical Association (AMA) at its Annual Meeting this week in Chicago has called for a two-year grace period for implementation. The AMA continues to have significant concerns with the readiness of many providers, payers and other participants in the billing chain to implement ICD-10 by the October 1, 2015 deadline.…

National Call to Action: Repeal the SGR

            If you want the Medicare Sustainable Growth rate (SGR) to end, today is the day to make your voice heard. The AMA has organized a National Call to Action Day today, Tuesday, March 24. Please join your colleagues in North Carolina and across the country by calling your US Representatives and Senators and urge them to eliminate the flawed SGR formula. Last week, lawmakers in both the…

Wild Raccoons Rabies Vaccine Initiative Begins Thursday Across Allegheny County

  Aircraft will drop rabies vaccination baits across Allegheny County in August as part of a massive effort to eventually eradicate the raccoon variant of the virus from the country. The vaccination program is spearheaded by the United States Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services, which the Allegheny County Health Department partners with annually. Volunteers will distribute…

Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine at Campbell University Receives High Honors

  The Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine at Campbell University ranks second-highest in the nation for “Medical Schools With the Most Graduates Practicing in Health Professional Shortage Areas,” according to U.S. News & World Report rankings of top medical schools released on July 22. U.S. News says 46.8 percent of Campbell graduates are practicing in medically…

Community Event: NC Hospital to Host Drive-Through School Supply Donation Event

The fourth annual “Operation School Supplies” at Dosher Memorial Hospital is scheduled for Thursday, August 8th, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm.   Local residents are invited to drop off new school supplies at the hospital front entrance, which will be donated for the benefit of students served by Communities In Schools of Brunswick County. Participants will be able to “drive through and drop off”…

App Offers eRecovery Support for Substance Use Disorder

This app is not a substitute for clinical treatment, rather an additional tool that can help people connect with peers and get additional recovery supports.   Through a new partnership, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) is making available CHESS Health's proven eRecovery program to help thousands of North Carolinians struggling with substance use…

North Carolina Lawmakers Supporting Bill for Affordable Plasma Medications

Plasma Medicines are a Major Industry in NC Bi-partisan support coming from NC Republican Thom Tillis Sponsoring Bill Alongside Arizona Democrat Mark Kelly (WUNC, Bradley George) -- A bipartisan group of North Carolina lawmakers supports a bill that would reduce the cost of medicines made from blood plasma. Plasma medications treat rare, autoimmune diseases. They're also expensive — running…

US Seeing Seasonal Increase in Mosquitoes with West Nile Virus, NC Reports Two Human Cases

So far, only 25 human cases have been reported in the U.S. this year (ABC News, Mary Kekatos) -- Several health departments in the U.S. say they have detected West Nile virus in mosquito samples. Although the average number of actual West Nile cases is significantly lower than the same time last year, experts are urging the public to take precautions. On Monday, the Cape May County Health…

Exploratory Analysis Associates HIV Drug Abacavir with Elevated Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Findings from large global trial add to body of evidence on cardiovascular risk factors for people with HIV   Transmission electron micrograph of HIV-1 virus particles (teal) budding and replicating from a segment of a chronically infected H9 cell (tan). Image captured at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility in Fort Detrick, Maryland.NIAID Current or previous use of the…

ALL IN: Caring For NC’s Caregivers Initiative Works to Improve Your Mental Health and Well-being

This spring the North Carolina Clinician and Physician Retention and Well-being (NCCPRW) Consortium announced a new statewide initiative with the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, the only non-profit organization exclusively focused on health worker mental health and well-being. ALL IN: Caring for North Carolina’s Caregivers seeks to support the state’s hospitals and health systems in…

The 2024 Paris Olympics are Two Days Away. Meet the Olympians and Paralympians with Ties to the Tar Heel State

  The 2024 Olympic Games kick off with the opening ceremony Friday night (Axios Charlotte) -- Here are the athletes with North Carolina ties competing in the Olympics and Paralympics. Editor's note: Athletes are listed alphabetically and will compete for Team USA unless otherwise noted. Liel Abada Charlotte FC's forward will represent Israel at the Olympics. They open their Olympics…

NC Medicaid Renewal Strategy Results in Minimal Issues During Unwinding

  While other states slashed Medicaid rolls, North Carolina’s insured population grew — and faster than DHHS had predicted. (Editor's Note:  NCMS worked with our members, legislators, and many partner organizations to get Medicaid expansion passed and to help the people of North Carolina live healthier and happier lives.  Look at bottom of this article for additional reading on Medicaid…

New White House Report: 5 Strategies to Ensure Children Are Safe Online

  95% of teens, 40% of kids between 8 and 12 use social media (CNN, Jacqueline Howard) -- When it comes to the online safety of their children, parents could build a family media plan to set expectations, maintain open conversations with their kids about their social media use, choose content that’s developmentally appropriate for their child, set good examples and balance time with and…

988 Crisis Lifeline Answers 10 Million Contacts Since its Debut, NCDHHS Responds to Nearly 190,000

Editor's Note:  If you are struggling with mental health issues, the North Carolina Medical Society has a Physician Support Line.  Click here for help. After Two Years, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is Answering Millions of Calls, Chats, and Texts (Read to bottom for NCDHHS and NCMS efforts)   (CNN) --  Two years after the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launched, the service has…

US DHHS Releases Guidance for Medicare Drug Payment Plans, Set to Start in 2025

Biden-Harris Administration Releases Final Part Two Guidance to Help People with Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Manage Prescription Drug Costs Beginning in 2025, a new provision will allow people with Medicare prescription drug coverage to pay their out-of-pocket costs in monthly installments, rather than all at once. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released additional…

Physician Burnout Statistics Fall, NCMS and NCCPRW Continue Efforts to Improve Well-Being

  Illustration: Francis Scialabba, Photo: Getty Images Physician burnout falls to lowest levels since pandemic Burnout Costs the US Health System an Estimated $4.6 Billion Annually (Healthcare Brew, Maia Anderson) -- Physician burnout is on the decline after spiking to unprecedented levels during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a survey from professional group the American…

CDC: Extreme Heat and Your Health

Heat related deaths and illnesses are preventable. Despite this fact, approximately 1,220 people in the United States are killed by extreme heat every year What is extreme heat? Spotlight‎ Enter your zip code to get the HeatRisk for this week and find actions you can take to keep you and your family safe. Healthcare professionals, learn how to support patients with heat information here.…

Being Regular is Good For You, New Study Shows

'Staying Regular' Is Good for Good Health (HealthDay, Dennis Thompson) -- Being regular is good for you, a new study shows. Predictable bowel movements could be tied to your long-term health, allowing your body to absorb essential nutrients without producing harmful organ-damaging toxins, researchers found. The “Goldilocks zone” of bowel movement frequency, once or twice a day,…

New Trial: Magnetic Therapy Might Help Treat Bipolar Disorder

  Powerful magnetic stimulation can help treat people with bipolar disorder (HealthDay News, Dennis Thompson) -- Powerful magnetic stimulation can help treat people with bipolar disorder, according to results from a small trial. The therapy, called accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation, involves magnetic waves delivered to specific regions of the brain using an…

CDC: COVID Surge in 26 States, NC Remains Moderate

COVID surge grows as cases in 26 states now ‘very high’ and ‘high,’ CDC says (Ryan Mancini) -- Cases of COVID-19 are growing across 45 states, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said virus levels in 26 of those states are now “very high” or “high.”  Across parts of the west, including in California, Nevada, Oregon and Texas, and states in the east like Arkansas, Florida and…

UNC Team: Migraine Pain Caused by Lack of Lymphatic System Drainage in Brain

UNC School of Medicine's Dept. of Cell Biology and Physiology Piece Together how CBRP Influences Lymphatic Vascular System VE-cadherin staining of a murine meningeal lymphatic vessel, highlighting the cellular junctions which reorganize in response to CGRP signaling. Credit: Laszlo Balint and Nate Nelson-Maney. (UNC Health Newsroom) --  Migraine is a chronic and debilitating neurological…

New Study: Lifestyle Choices Responsible for 40 Percent of Cancers

Vaccination, behavior changes could prevent 40% of U.S. cancer cases, study finds (UPI) --   Lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking and other avoidable factors are responsible for 40% of cancers and about half of all U.S. cancer deaths in adults over age 30, new research published Thursday suggests. A new study led by a team at the American Cancer Society found that 713,340 cancer cases…

NCMS Member Named Chair-elect of AAMC Board of Directors

Dr. Michael Waldrum   Michael Waldrum, MD, MSc, MBA, ECU Health chief executive officer and dean of the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, has been named chair-elect of the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) 2024-25 Board of Directors. The incoming board’s term begins Nov. 12, 2024, and will end November 2025, after which Dr. Waldrum will assume the role…

Today’s the Last Day to Submit Applications for Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment Program

  Pediatric medical subspecialist physicians may be eligible to receive up to $100,000 in student loan repayment through HRSA’s Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment Program. Eligible clinicians providing pediatric medical subspecialty, pediatric surgical specialty, or child and adolescent mental and behavioral health care including substance use disorder (SUD) prevention and treatment…

NCMS Wants You to Stay Safe this Fourth of July! Here Are a Few Tips on How.

Planning to celebrate with fireworks this Fourth of July? Grilling for family and/or friends? Here are a few tips to help you stay safe this Independence holiday! Fireworks Never let children light fireworks or use sparklers unattended. Use fireworks in a clear area outdoors, away from dry leaves, people, pets, buildings, vehicles, overhead obstructions, or anything combustible. Be…

Cape Fear Valley Blood Donor Center in Urgent Need of Blood Donations

  Cape Fear Valley Blood Donor Center is asking the public to step up and donate blood or platelets at its Fayetteville facility or one of several upcoming Cape Fear Valley mobile blood drives. Due to the summer lull in donations, especially with the Fourth of July holiday coming up, the Blood Donor Center says the public’s help is critical to maintain a local supply of blood and…

AMA Survey on Prior Authorization Reinforces NCMS Commitment for Reform

AMA survey indicates prior authorization wreaks havoc on patient care The American Medical Association surveyed 1,000 practicing physicians asking 40 questions on prior authorization and the results show what members of the North Carolina Medical Society are saying:  Patient-Centered care is suffering because of barriers posed by prior auth. One of the NCMS's highest advocacy priorities is to…

NC Medicaid Launches Behavioral Health and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Tailored Plans

  On Monday, July 1st, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will launch its Behavioral Health and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Tailored Plans, a new kind of NC Medicaid Managed Care health plan. "With Tailored Plans, we can invest in the health and well-being of more than 210,000 people by addressing their physical and behavioral health needs in one…

NCMS Member Dr. Martin Palmeri Featured in Article on HCA in Barron’s Magazine

HCA Acquired Mission Hospital in 2019, Dr. Martin Palmeri Speaks Out (From Barron's Magazine, June 14, 2024, Catherine Dunn) -- When HCA Healthcare inked an agreement to buy the main hospital in Asheville, N.C., late in the summer of 2018, the stock popped 2%. But when nurse Molly Zenker first heard news of the possible sale, her heart sank. Zenker had worked for HCA once before, at a…

NIH Launches New Pilot that Integrates Clinical Research with Community-based Primary Care

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is investing approximately $30 million in total over fiscal years 2024 and 2025 to pilot a national primary care research network that integrates clinical research with community-based primary care. The new initiative called Communities Advancing Research Equity for Health – or CARE for Health – seeks to improve access to clinical research to inform…

Applications Open for Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment Program

  Pediatric medical subspecialist physicians may be eligible to receive up to $100,000 in student loan repayment through HRSA’s Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment Program. Eligible clinicians providing pediatric medical subspecialty, pediatric surgical specialty, or child and adolescent mental and behavioral health care including substance use disorder (SUD) prevention and treatment…

Information for Your Patients Moving to Tailored Plans on July 1

  Materials in English and Spanish for your patients On July 1, some people on NC Medicaid will move to a Tailored Plan. It’s a new kind of Medicaid health plan for people with serious mental illness, a severe substance use disorder, an intellectual/developmental disability or a traumatic brain injury. Tailored Plans cover doctor visits, prescription drugs and services for mental…

Researchers Discover Major Cause of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

  UK Research Hinges on Gene Called ETS2 (NICENEWS.COM) -- In a study published June 5, U.K. researchers revealed they found a major cause of inflammatory bowel disease, the umbrella term for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. These autoimmune conditions are increasing in prevalence — they were estimated to affect 6.8 million people worldwide in 2017, up from 3.7 million in 1990 —…

Combination Flu/COVID-19 Vaccine Shows Promise in Late-Stage Trial

Moderna said its combination vaccine targeting Covid and the flu was more effective than existing standalone shots for those viruses in a late-stage trial (CNBC) --  Moderna on Monday said its combination vaccine that targets both Covid-19 and the flu was more effective than existing standalone shots for those viruses in a late-stage trial. The biotech company is the first to release positive…

NC Health System Receives State-of-the-art Robotic Knee Surgery Technology

    FirstHealth of the Carolinas recently received state-of-the-art robotic knee surgery technology called the ROSA Knee System at Moore Regional Hospital, enhancing the experience and outcomes of total knee replacement procedures. With this advanced technology, patients can benefit from precise and personalized surgical solutions, marking a significant milestone in joint…

NCDHHS Implements Flexibilities to Ease Administrative Burden at Tailored Plan Launch

  Ahead of the launch of the Behavioral Health Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DDs) Tailored Plans on July 1, 2024, NCDHHS has implemented the following policy flexibilities to ease provider administrative burden at launch and ensure beneficiaries receive uninterrupted care: Medical Prior Authorizations (PAs): Tailored Plans are required to implement strategies to minimize…

Study Finds Popular Sweetener Linked to Heart Attack and Stroke

  A new study found a low-calorie sweetener called xylitol, used in many low-sugar foods and products such as gum and toothpaste, may be linked to nearly twice the risk of heart attacks, stroke and death in people who consume the highest levels of the common sweetener. Researchers found xylitol may cause blood platelets to clot more readily. Clots can break off and travel to the heart,…

Violence in the Healthcare Workplace

  This single data point was like a punch to the gut ...   Nearly one in three medical professionals who responded to a recent North Carolina Medical Board licensee survey reported they had either witnessed or been involved in a violent incident with patients in the last year. In this episode of MedBoard Matters, host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with NCMS Past President…

NC Matters: Serious Mental Illness in the Perinatal Period

  This online self-paced learning course will discuss best practices for supporting pregnant and postpartum patients who experience serious mental illness. Topics reviewed will include symptomology and treatment options, along with practical strategies for primary care and obstetric providers. The intersection of serious mental illness and health equity will also be explored,…

Jeff Bezos Group Sending $30M to N.C. State for Food Protein Studies

  Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein at NCSU will also involve NC A&T, UNC-P, Duke, and Forsyth Tech (Business NC, David Mildenberg) -- A group led by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is giving $30 million over five years to NC State University to help create healthy food products that will be plant-based or use fermentation and animal cells. The Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein at…

FDA Considering Approval of MDMA for PTSD

  Decadeslong Effort Could Move Psychedelic Drugs into Mainstream (AP - Matthew Perrone) -- Federal health regulators are questioning the safety and evidence behind the first bid to use MDMA, the mind-altering club drug, as a treatment for PTSD, part of a decadeslong effort by advocates to move psychedelic drugs into the medical mainstream. The Food and Drug Administration posted its…

Happy Birthday to Our Members Celebrating This Month!

Grab your party hats and noisemakers and let’s celebrate!   Ana R. Abaroa Salvatierra, MD Scott M. Abernathy, MD Nicole Abinanti-Kotula, MD Dina S. N. Ahmad, MD T. Rupert Ainsley, Jr., MD, FACP Reece Linden T. Alkire, DO Alexandra A. Allaun, PA Matthew C. Alleman, MD R. D. Almkuist, II, MD Hussam Alsarraf, MD, MS Radhalakshmi D. Aluru, MD Daniel E. Anderson, MD Ruth K.…

CMS Adds MIPS EUC Hardship Option

  Due to the ongoing efforts by the AMA, CMS has added an option to cite the cyberattack when requesting the 2024 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances (EUC) hardship exception. To account for the increased number of physicians that have been impacted by a cyberattack this year, CMS has specifically added a drop-down tab in the application…

Discuss Vaping Prevention and Support for NC Youth at NCDHHS Live Fireside Chat and Tele-town Hall

  The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live fireside chat and tele-town hall, TODAY, Wednesday, May 29, from 6 to 7 p.m., to discuss vaping prevention and resources for youth in North Carolina as well as ways parents and caregivers can support their families. Event participants below include state and local experts on vaping prevention and support, as…

New Coronavirus Variant Becomes Dominant Strain in US.

  According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a new coronavirus variant, KP.2, a member of the so-called FliRT variants, has become the dominant coronavirus strain in the United States. While FliRT variants have certain mutations in common, they are still part of the Omicron family of the coronavirus. There are many questions surrounding this new variant: What…

Meningococcal Disease Cases Linked to International Travel

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued a Health Alert Network Health Advisory to alert clinicians to cases of meningococcal disease linked to travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Since April 2024, 12 cases of meningococcal disease linked to KSA travel: United States (5 cases), France (4 cases), and the United Kingdom (3 cases). Recommendations for…

Update from the Office of Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D.

  Washington, D.C. — Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. issued the following statement: "As a physician I have, for the last 30 years, taken care of thousands and thousands of patients. It is now my turn to be one. After a series of tests and scans, I have been diagnosed with a base of skull tumor called a pituitary macroadenoma. It is thought to be a benign tumor, however, given its size…