2016-2017 CC-AACE Board of Directors.
December 9, 2016 | view this message in your web browser


 Carolinas Chapter-AACE 
The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
CC-AACE Website

In this edition:

Save the date!
2017 CC-AACE Annual Meeting
August 25-27 @ Pinehurst, NC

For room reservations, call the Pinehurst Resort at 1-800-487-4653 and ask for the CC-AACE group rate of $209++/night.

 

And The Winner Is… Dr. Denis Becker!

Dr. Denis Becker (Raleigh) won the Chapter’s 2016 membership raffle prize – a JBL Charge 2+ Portable Bluetooth Speaker. The raffle prize was offered as an incentive to new and renewing CC-AACE members. All eligible members were automatically entered into the drawing. Dr. Tom O’Connell (Durham) had the honor of pulling the winning entry at the 2016 CC-AACE Annual Meeting in Hilton Head Island. Dr. Becker is a long-time CC-AACE member and past president (1996-1998) of the Chapter.

We enjoyed catching up with Dr. Becker in Raleigh when we delivered his prize. He shared with us that he’s is looking forward to showing off his new technology when his children visit over the holidays. Congratulations, Dr. Becker!

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2016 CC-AACE Annual Meeting - Another Great Success

The CC-AACE Annual Meeting is the premier educational and networking event for endocrinologists in the Carolinas. The 2016 meeting, held the weekend of September 9-11 in Hilton Head Island, attracted more than 70 endocrinologists, offered 8.25 hours of CME programming, social and networking opportunities, and a lively exhibit hall. We hope to see you at the 2017 CC-AACE Annual Meeting, August 25-27 in Pinehurst, NC.

An new year means new CC-AACE leadership. At the Annual Meeting, Dr. Thomas O’Connell (Durham, NC) handed the President's gavel over to Dr. Orlin Sergev (Summerville, SC). Dr. O’Connell continues to serve on the CC-AACE board of directors as Immediate Past President. Members elected Dr. Augustine Obi (Moorseville, NC) to the position of Vice President/President-Elect and Dr. Joseph Aloi (Winston-Salem, NC) as a Director. Rounding out the board in 2016: Secretary-Treasurer Dr. Michael Thomas (Raleigh, NC) and Directors Dr. Donald Eagerton (Myrtle Beach, SC), Dr. Douglas Robinson (Charlotte, NC), Dr. Raymond Stadiem (Charlotte, NC) and Dr. Eveline Waring (Mt. Pleasant, SC). CC-AACE Past President Dr. Leonard Lichtenstein (Charleston, SC) was recognized for his service on the Board for the past nine years.

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URGENT - AACE Call to Action on Federal Diabetes Bill

H.R. 1192, the National Clinical Care Commission Act, passed the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month and is now pending in the U.S. Senate. The House-passed H.R. 1192 must be approved by the Senate before the adjournment of this congressional session for the bill to become law, and time is running out. The bill awaits consideration by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. The Senate's final day in session is December 16. All AACE members are urged to contact their two U.S. Senators today to request that they actively work for passage of H.R. 1192. Click here to send a prewritten email to your two U.S. Senators, or call their Washington offices.

  • Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), tel: 202-224-3154, is a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and he is listed as a co-sponsor on the bill.
  • Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), tel: 202-224-6342.
  • Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC), tel: 202-224-5972, is a co-sponsors on the bill.
  • Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), tel: 202-224-6121, is a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

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How MACRA Impacts Your Endocrinology Practice

The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) ends the sustainable growth rate and moves Medicare closer to a system that pays physicians based on the outcomes. There are many resources available to help your practice understand how implementation of the legislation and the recently released final rule can impact your reimbursement rates and prepare for the transition from volume to value.

Just before Thanksgiving, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a tool to automatically share electronic data for the Medicare Quality Payment Program. This new release is the first in a series that will be part of CMS’s ongoing efforts to spur the creation of innovative, customizable tools to reduce the burden for clinicians, while also supporting high-quality care for patients. You can learn more in this recent NCMS Bulletin article, “New Help in Understanding MACRA.”

Throughout late 2016 and early 2017, the SC Medical Association and the SC Office of Rural Health will be featuring a series of webinars on MACRA. To learn more about MACRA and find upcoming webinars, please click here.

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NC CSRS Registration Requirement

The NC Medical Board encourages physicians to register with the state’s Controlled Substances Reporting System (CSRS) even before your requirement to do so takes effect. According to Project Lazarus, a statewide public health non-profit that is partnered with Community Care of North Carolina, our state has higher than average overdose death rates. Nearly all of these deaths involve prescription opioid pain relievers (like methadone, oxycodone, fentanyl, morphine, tramadol, or hydromorphone). The state is taking steps to combat the harmful and rippling effects of prescription drug abuse. Several bills took aim at the opioid abuse epidemic during the final weeks of the 2016 short session. Among them, the 2016 Appropriations Act which funds to upgrade the system and establishes the requirement for physicians to register with the CSRS once the upgrades are complete.

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BCBSNC, NCTracks to Require Credentialing of Mid-Level Providers

New federal regulations have prompted payers to require all mid-level providers to be credentialed. As previously announced, NCTracks no longer allows claims for services to be filed as "incident to" beginning November 1. Similarly, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina recently announced that it too will require mid-level providers to be credentialed. Providers billing to BCBSNC are encouraged to initiate credentialing as soon as possible via the “Providers” home page on the BCBSNC website. The BCBSNC deadline to complete the credentialing process is January 1, 2017.

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NC: The NC Medical Society’s “Toward Accountable Care” Initiative

Over four years ago The NC Medical Society launched the Toward Accountable Care (TAC) Consortium. The Consortium now includes over 40 health care association and organization members, including the Carolinas Chapter of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, who joined for the purpose of helping prepare the physician community for the transition to the evolving value-based model of patient care. To help get the project off the ground and sustain its momentum, the NCMS was successful in securing two grants. One was from The Physicians Foundation which helped towards the development of resources that are available free of charge on the TAC website.

Additionally, the NCMS launched the North Carolina ACO Collaborative, which has grown to over 100 participants and meets twice annually. Smaller groups focused on MSSP and Next Gen ACOs have also been created.

Though the TAC grants are at an end, the NCMS will continue to support the NC ACO Collaborative and the NC MSSP/Next Gen Council. The passage of MACRA in 2015 with strong bi-partisan support is a strong indication that health system transformation will continue, so the NCMS plans to continue its efforts to support the medical community as it navigates these changes.

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SC: Volunteer for Doctor of the Day

The SCMA Doctor of the Day ensures that a physician is made available each day that the South Carolina Legislature meets to attend to the health care needs, both large and small, of those participating in the day’s State House activities. With a goal to increase the presence of the medical profession in the eyes of South Carolina lawmakers, the program was put into action by the South Carolina Medical Association and has proven to be a benefit to all. Every physician is encouraged to get involved. If you would like to volunteer as a Doctor of the Day for the upcoming Legislative Session please contact Ginger Chalk.

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SC: Taking Aim at Diabetes

(Source: SC Medical Association) - As South Carolina embarks on the prevention of diabetes, The Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), The Diabetes Advisory Council of South Carolina (DAC), and the South Carolina Medical Association (SCMA) have joined forces with the American Medical Association (AMA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) to develop and implement a state-wide Diabetes Prevention Comprehensive Plan to focus on offering resources to individuals that have prediabetes or those who may be at greater risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

In coming together to develop the state-wide Diabetes Prevention Comprehensive Plan, the state is sending a clear Statewide Diabetes Landscape message to decision-makers in South Carolina that expanding access to the National DPP is a vital step in addressing the type 2 diabetes epidemic in South Carolina, and that support for investing resources is critical to carrying out the state-wide Diabetes Prevention Comprehensive Plan.

The plan has been developed and includes the following objectives:

Increase clinical screening, testing, and referral (STR) to the National DPP
This dimension focuses on increasing the number of physicians, health care providers, and health care consumers that recognize prediabetes as a disease, but ultimately committing to make steps towards increasing STR to the National DPP. Educating providers, changing their behavior, incorporating the program into their practice.

Increase the availability of National DPPs
This dimension focuses on progressing the resources surrounding National DPP such as educational material, improving accessibility, and ultimately increasing the number of CDC certified National DPP centers. These are the actual providers of the National DPPs.

Increase participation in National DPPs
This dimension is focused on educating and bringing attention to the National DPP from all perspectives; including, consumers, community organizations, health care providers, hospital systems, health plans, legislators, and employers. Related to the actual population at hand, marketing of the program; increasing the demand for service.

Increase health plan and employer coverage of the National DPP
This dimension focuses on the financial component of the National DPP by persuading employers and payers that covering the National DPP for employees/members does impact upfront costs and investment. Also helps with sustainability of the program.

Resources

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SC: Save the Date! 2017 SCMA Health Law Symposium

Save the Date for the 11th Annual SCMA Health Law Symposium to be held on Friday, February 17, 2017 at the SCMA Headquarters. Physicians and attorneys are encouraged to attend to hear a wide range of topics on new trends in health care law. Featured speakers include Dr. Gerald Harmon with the American Medical Association and the newest Director with the Department of Health and Environmental Control, and more! Registration coming soon. Watch the SCMA website for details.

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