NCDHHS: New 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…

UNC Researchers Expand Understanding of How Body, Brain Communicate

Researchers Expand Our Understanding of How the Body and Brain Communicate CHAPEL HILL -  The human brain constantly receives information from the body, specifically from internal organs such as the heart and lungs. This information seldom reaches consciousness but is crucial for maintaining a healthy body and for influencing performance in the brain, including perception, emotion, and…

Calling All NCMS Physician and PA Members! Nominations Open for Leadership Positions

Want to be an NCMS leader? Did you resolve to be involved on a committee? Here's your opportunity!   The NCMS Nominating and Leadership Development Committee submits the following: Call for Nominations: NCMS Board of Directors NC American Medical Association Delegation Nominating and Leadership Development Committee Overview The call for nominations for individuals to…

NC Representative David Rouzer Joins Other Congress Members to Relaunch Congressional Primary Care Caucus

(Photo courtesy US Congressman David Rouzer) Five US Congress Members Relaunch Congressional Primary Care Caucus During State of Primary Care Briefing WASHINGTON, DC - This week, Congressman David Rouzer (R-NC), Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (R-VA), Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT), and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) relaunched the bipartisan Congressional Primary Care Caucus. The…

Just Released: NC Maternal Mortality Report

  The NC Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC) of the NC Division of Public Health has issued its 2024 report on maternal deaths in the state associated with pregnancy.  The report presents the most recent data available from 2018-2019. The MRCC was instituted in 2015 by legislation that was supported by the NC Medical Society in partnership with the NC Ob/Gyn Society and other…

In Memoriam: NCMS Life Member Sarah Taylor Morrow, MD, MPH

NCMS Life member Dr. Sarah Taylor Morrow, MD, MPH, died Friday, March 1. She was 102. Dr. Morrow was the daughter of pioneering dentist Dr. Lois McKeown Taylor, and surgeon Dr. Frank V. Taylor. By the age of five, Morrow was determined to become a doctor. Just before the great depression of 1929 she moved to Charlotte with her younger brother and mother to the Dilworth neighborhood where her…

Registration open for the UNC Eye Symposium, April 13

Join UNC Department of Ophthalmology on Saturday, April 13th, 2024, for our annual UNC Eye Symposium at the William & Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education. This conference is designed for Ophthalmologists, Optometrists, Ophthalmic Technicians, and Photographers to hear the latest evidence-based diagnostic and medical/surgical approaches to comprehensive eye care and treating ocular…

Save the Date: Inaugural Collaborative Care Model Behavioral Health Care Manager Summit

SAVE THE DATE! Inaugural Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) Behavioral Health Care Manager (BHCM) Summit Thursday, May 16, 2024 9 am- 3:15 pm McKimmon Center 1101 Gorman St, Raleigh, NC 27606   Mark your calendars for the inaugural Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) Behavioral Health Care Manager (BHCM) Summit, presented jointly by NC AHEC and Southern Regional AHEC. This event will be…

Duke Team Uses Deep Brain Stimulation to Improve Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

(image credit: Duke)   A team of physicians, neuroscientists and engineers at Duke University has demonstrated two new strategies that use deep brain stimulation to improve the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. By simultaneously targeting two key brain structures and using a novel self-adjusting device, the team showed that they can efficiently target and improve disruptive symptoms…

New Collaborative Care Model Training Series Modules Released

  The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has partnered with NC AHEC to provide educational and practice-based support to primary care practices interested in implementing the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) -- a team-based, interdisciplinary approach to deliver evidence-based diagnoses, treatment, and follow-up care for patients with mild to moderate behavioral…

Join NCMS for a Post Match Day Social in Chapel Hill on March 19th!

Join NCMS for a post Match Day social! If you are newly matched, 20 years matched, or have yet to be matched, come share your stories with each other and the NCMS! Students, Residents, Physicians & PAs *see student incentive below Bring your colleagues, family and friends! Drinks and snacks will be provided! March 19 - 6-8pm Four Corners, Chapel Hill 175 E Franklin St, Chapel…

Capitol Chronicle: Medicare Payment – Relief But No Reversal

  Medicare Payment – Relief But No Reversal   Last week, Congress took significant action by enacting a spending package to fund the federal government.  There was, however, a significant omission in the $460B spending bill– a reversal of the 3.37% Medicare physician payment cut for 2024.  Rather than eliminating the cut, as the NC Medical Society and our partner medical societies…

Important CMS Announcement For Physicians Impacted by Cyberattack, Change Healthcare Disruptions

Hospitals, doctors, and clinics express frustration that they have to wait even longer for reimbursements after hackers paralyzed the largest U.S. billing clearinghouse The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced a new opportunity for physicians impacted by the cyberattack and resulting disruptions with Change Healthcare to request advanced Medicare payments to help with cash flow…

Recognize, Celebrate, Honor: National Health Workforce Well-Being Day of Awareness

Health workers continue to face a mental health crisis.   Last month US. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) led the charge in declaring March 18th  Health Workforce Well-Being Day of Awareness. March 18, 2022, holds important significance by marking the day President Biden signed The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act—landmark, first-of-its-kind…

Check Your Cabinets! Your Cinnamon May Be Contaminated with Lead.

  The Food and Drug Administration is warning against purchasing six brands of ground cinnamon that contain potentially unsafe levels of lead. Elevated levels of lead were found in ground cinnamon products from the following brands: La Fiesta, sold at La Superior and SuperMercados Marcum, sold at Save A Lot MTCI, sold at SF Supermarket Swad, sold at Patel Brothers Supreme…

FDA Approves Expanded Use of Blood Cancer Drug Brukinsa

  The Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to zanubrutinib (Brukinsa, BeiGene USA, Inc.) with obinutuzumab for relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) after two or more lines of systemic therapy. The regimen was evaluated in Study BGB-3111-212 (ROSEWOOD; NCT03332017), an open-label, multicenter, randomized trial that enrolled 217 adult patients with…

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Leap back into membership in 2024! Make the most out of this year's 366 days — renew your NCMS membership now! Save the date! Join us as we celebrate 175 years! Learn more Join us for the NCMS Advocacy Summit: March 23, 2024 in Raleigh Give the next generation a hand up! Sponsor NCMS memberships for NC residents and students! Learn more…

Happening Soon! Register Now for Next Medicaid Managed Care Back Porch Chat

Medicaid Managed Care Back Porch Chat: Key Medicaid Updates Thursday, March 21 | 5:30 p.m.   This month's Back Porch Chat will be hosted by Dr. Janelle White, Chief Medical Officer of Medicaid, and Sarah Gregosky, Chief Operating Officer, NC Medicaid. The webinar will include important news for all providers about NC Medicaid on preparing for Tailored Plan Launch, the latest on…

Reminder: Free At-home COVID Tests Ends TODAY! Grab Yours Now.

Today is your last opportunity to order free at-home COVID tests.  Here's what you need to know about your order: Each order includes #4 individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests (COVIDTests.gov has more details about at-home tests, including extended shelf life and updated expiration dates) If an order has not been placed for your address since the program reopened on September 25,…

New CME Series Helps Meet Updated DEA Requirements

Addiction Medicine CME Series Helps Meet Updated DEA Requirements The North Carolina Medical Board and Wake AHEC, in collaboration with the North Carolina Medical Society and the Addiction Medicine Fellowship program at UNC School of Medicine, have developed an eight-hour CME series that meets the training requirement established by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). On…

Time for a Healthier NC! Pledge to Stop Diabetes in its Tracks.

  Take a stand against diabetes!   DIABETESFREENC is a joint initiative of the NCMS Foundation and the American Medical Association (AMA) aimed to stop the spread of diabetes in NC. The National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) is a lifestyle change program that has free or low-cost options for patients, regardless of their insurance provider and you can refer using any of…

What Primary Election Results Mean for NCMS Members

The results are in.  What comes next? Throughout the electoral process, the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) remains vigilant in political engagement to advance our health policy priorities.  The Society is engaging with candidates across the state and closely monitoring outcomes, focusing on candidates supported by NCMS. The top-of-ballot results saw President Joe Biden and former…

NCDHHS Places Important Focus on Sickle Cell Disease with Federal Partnership

  With approximately 6,800 people in North Carolina suffering with sickle cell disease, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) intends to increase access to new therapies through the Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Access Model. The Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Access Model aims to improve the lives of people with Medicaid living with rare and severe diseases by…

FDA Approves Amivantamab as First-Line Lung Cancer Treatment

  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved amivantamab-vmjw (Rybrevant, Janssen Biotech, Inc.) with carboplatin and pemetrexed for the first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 20 insertion mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test. The FDA also granted traditional approval…

New NC Food Program Will Feed Children Over the Summer

  Expected to provide food for nearly a million school children this summer   Food and nutrition security means having reliable access to enough high-quality food to avoid hunger and stay healthy. Improving access to nutritious food supports overall health, reduces chronic diseases, and helps people avoid unnecessary health care. That’s why food and nutrition security is one of the…

Free Community Wellness Event in Greensboro This Saturday

  J. Douglas Galyon Depot 234 East Washington Street Downtown Greensboro Saturday, March 9 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.   Cone Health is partnering with Downtown Greensboro, Inc. to provide a free community health screening event on Saturday, March 9, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the J. Douglas Galyon Depot located at 234 East Washington Street. Free blood pressure and blood…

Super Tuesday Results and What They Mean for NCMS

Super Tuesday Results Are In. What Does That Mean For You?   The North Carolina Medical Society has several member candidates for both state and federal office.  Over the past several months, many of them have answered questions important to NCMS members.  So what happened? On Friday, The NCMS Vice President of Advocacy, John Thompson, will have an analysis of the results and the…

AMA Center for Health Equity: Applicants for Medical Justice in Advocacy Fellowship Needed

  The AMA Center for Health Equity seeks applicants for the Medical Justice in Advocacy Fellowship program’s 2024-2025 cohort. The program is administered through a partnership between the AMA and the Morehouse School of Medicine’s Satcher Health Leadership Institute. Using an anti-racist, equity-centered learning framework, fellows engage with equity experts and trailblazers. The…

Duke, UNC Hospitals Ranked in Top 100 in Nation

(Photo: Duke Health) Newsweek Ranks Duke, UNC Hospitals Top in Nation DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — Duke University Hospital in Durham has been recognized as one of the top medical centers in the country in 2024. Newsweek magazine, in partnership with Statista, has released its annual rankings of the world’s best hospitals, with an overall global list as well as ones divided by country. Duke…

NC Hospital to Host Colorectal Health Lunch and Learn

  Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva will host a special “Lunch and Learn” opportunity focused on colorectal health on Thursday, March 21st from noon – 1:00 p.m. The event, which will be held in the Easton Board Room on the first floor of the hospital, will be led by general surgeon Gilberto Robles, MD, who will share his expertise on the importance of maintaining colorectal health,…

NC Medicaid will now cover imported benzathine benzylpenicillin for syphilis

  A message from Elizabeth Cuervo Tilson, MD, MPH, State Health Director and Chief Medical Officer of NC Department of Health and Human Services: Dear Colleagues: NC Medicaid will now cover imported benzathine benzylpenicillin (Extencilline) for use in outpatient medical drug claims. This new coverage is being added to address the ongoing national shortages of Bicillin® L-A…

First Over-the-counter Birth Control Pill Will Be Available Later This Month

  More than 50 years after the oral contraceptive pill went on the market in the United States, the country's first over-the-counter birth control pill will be available in stores and online nationwide later this month. Known as Opill, the birth control pill will be available without prescription necessary in major retailers and pharmacies nationwide in late March, the drug's maker,…

Capitol Chronicle: North Carolina Neurologists Take to The Hill

  On February 27, 2024, a delegation of neurologists from North Carolina visited Capitol Hill to advocate for some key issues impacting medicine. Their day, which included stops at each of our state’s Senate and House offices, focused on: Medicare – Reversal of the 3.37% cut in physician payment Medicare – Updating the physician payment formula to allow for an annual inflationary…

Today is Super Tuesday! Your Voice, Your Vote. Be Heard!

  Today is Super Tuesday! Find your location and voting hours here: Primary Election (PDF). The North Carolina Medical Society has several members running for state and federal offices. Here are your fellow members who are on the ballot: Grant Campbell, MD – NC House – 83 www.campbellfornc.com Ralph Carter, MD – NC House – 48 www.ralphcarterforhouse.com Mary Ann…

NCMB Issues Call for Physician, PA and NP Candidates

  Applicants are needed for two physician seats, one physician assistant (PA) seat and one nurse practitioner (NP) seat on the North Carolina Medical Board for terms beginning November 1.   All positions must be filled by the process set down in statute (N.C. Gen. Stat. 90-2 and 90-3), which requires interested parties to apply via the Review Panel for the North Carolina Medical…

Make an Impact! Secure Your Spot at the NCMS Advocacy Summit Today!

  Don't Miss the upcoming NCMS Advocacy Summit This Month! Don’t forget to register for the NCMS Advocacy Summit - a gathering of healthcare leaders and policy experts dedicated to fostering meaningful discussions around legislative developments crucial to our profession. The event is March 23rd, so register now as space is limited! Why Attend? Stay informed about critical…

Register Now for the “All Politics is Local” Advocacy Webinar

All Politics is Local: How Engaging Local & State Officials Can Aid Your Congressional Advocacy Efforts March 13 8pm ET This AMA Very Influential Physician event will explore the benefits of connecting, interacting, and building personal relationships with state and local legislators. Tracy Mattison Brandon, a current Town Commissioner in Davidson, NC, and Beatrice Lanzi, a former…

CDC Recommending Additional Covid-19 Vaccine for Those Over 65

New Guidance From CDC on Vaccines for the Elderly Arund 98% of the US population has some kind of immunity to Covid-19, whether from infection, vaccination, or both, according to the CDC. But health experts say this only gives some protection against infection or severe disease. In response, the CDC this week recommended people age 65 and older should get an additional dose of the current…

68-Year-Old Man Now in HIV Remission

Paul Edmonds (photo: City of Hope) (NiceNews.com) -- When Paul Edmonds learned he had AIDS in 1988, he viewed it as a death sentence. But therapies helped him take control of the illness for more than three decades — and now he’s in full-blown remission, all thanks to a cancer diagnosis.Blood cancers are common in older HIV patients, according to the cancer center City of Hope, where…

WSJ: DOJ launches an antitrust probe into UnitedHealth Group

(Yahoo Finance - Seana Smith, Brad Smith) --  Department of Justice (DOJ) officials have launched an antitrust probe into the relationship between UnitedHealth Group's (UNH) insurance division and its Optum health services segment, according to Wall Street Journal reporting. Yahoo Finance Health Reporter Anjalee Khemlani breaks down the details, highlighting the other challenges…

2024 NCMS Candidate Series – Ralph Carter, MD

2024 NCMS Candidate Series Featuring Dr. Ralph Carter   The 2024 North Carolina Medical Society Candidate Series has an exclusive interview featuring Dr. Ralph Carter, who is running for North Carolina House District 48. In this episode, Dr. Carter outlines what motivated him to run for office and his most important legislative issues. He is passionate about bringing jobs to his…

NC/Medical Acronyms

The medical field is littered with acronyms, often leaving many of us scratching our heads as to their meaning. We have gathered a helpful list of some of the most common acronyms relevant to healthcare in North Carolina and medicine in general. Have an acronym that you'd like to add to this list? Email Kristen Shipherd with that information, and we'll update this resource. AAMSE…

Eight ECU Brody School of Medicine Students Named to FCLC

left to right Noor Baloch, Nolan Davis, Michael Denning, Charles Johnson, Hannah Rayala, Emmalee Todd, Ben Wise and Michael Wright (photo: ECU) (ECU News Service) --  Noor Baloch, Nolan Davis, Michael Denning, Charles Johnson, Hannah Rayala, Emmalee Todd, Ben Wise and Michael Wright will join students from other colleges and universities across the state who are interested in leadership and…

Happy Birthday to Our Members Celebrating This Month!

Grab your party hats and noisemakers and let’s celebrate!   Robert B. Abrahams, DO Yousef S. Abumostafa, MD Stephen J. Acosta, MD Jeffery A. Adams, MD Mia R. Adkins, MD Mamatha Agrawal, MD Mahmood G. Aijazi, MD Lysle K. Ailstock, MD Raul C. Aizcorbe, MD Muhammad S. Alam, MD Kira M. Alatar, MD Kyle A. Alexander, MD Kimberly A. Alford, MD Hassan Alhosaini, MD David J.…

NCMB: Telephone Scams Targeting Licensees Still Active in NC

  The North Carolina Medical Board continues to hear from licensees and healthcare employers that physicians and PAs are being targeted by scammers. The caller or callers may claim to be a medical board investigator and may even use technology to make it appear that they are calling you from the actual number of the North Carolina Medical Board. Licensees are told that their license will…

New Duke Health Research Could Help Reduce Racial Disparities in Kidney Disease

DURHAM, N.C. – In a finding that could help reduce the racial disparity in kidney disease, Duke Health researchers have detailed how two common gene variants among African Americans can cause kidney failure. Opeyemi Olabisi, MD (image credit: Duke) The finding, reported in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, could point to new treatment approaches and advance investigational therapies…

NCMS Regional Event in Charlotte Draws Enthusiastic Crowd

The North Carolina Medical Society is on the road again! NCMS members, guests, and friends joined together in Charlotte Wednesday to enjoy some time together and learn more about the Society's mission. CEO Chip Baggett spoke on how NCMS is advocating on issues important to members like reforming Prior Authorization.  He also talked about the NCMS strategic priorities of relieving your…

Newborn Genetic Screening Study Reaches New Milestone

Cynthia Powell, MD (image credit: UNC)   Jennifer Law, MD (image credit: UNC) CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Early Check, a groundbreaking research study that provides free health tests to newborns up to four weeks old in North Carolina, announced that it has screened 1,000 newborns in the state under its genome sequencing study. The study, launched in September of 2023, screens newborns…

In Memoriam: NCMS Life Member Eugene Bozymski, MD

NCMS Life member Dr. Eugene Bozymski died Thursday, February 15. He was 88. Bozymski graduated from John Carroll University and Marquette School of Medicine in a remarkable six years. He trained at Scripps Mercy in San Diego and returned to the Medical College of Wisconsin for his three-year residency as he began his over 50-year career as a gastroenterologist. A fellowship at UNC School of…