Enjoy Our CPP Participant Highlight on
Lindsey Michaels, FNP-C

January 2024

The Community Practitioner Program strives to increase access to quality
healthcare for the underserved of North Carolina. The program's participants
are committed to this mission.

Where We Stand

Hot Topics

Don't miss the NCMS Advocacy Summit!

Saturday, March 23 | 9 AM - 5 PM

McKimmon Center

1101 Gorman Street

Raleigh, NC

This will be a gathering of healthcare leaders and policy experts dedicated to fostering meaningful discussions around legislative developments crucial to the profession of medicine.

Why Attend?

• Stay informed about critical legislative changes affecting your practice.

• Equip yourself with effective communication strategies for impactful advocacy.

• Network with fellow healthcare professionals and policy experts.

• Play a pivotal role in shaping the future of healthcare in our state.

We are confident that your participation in the NCMS Advocacy Summit will not only enrich your understanding of legislative landscapes but also empower you to make a tangible impact on behalf of your patients and the healthcare profession.

Space is limited, Register Here.

Calling all MDs, DOs and PAs  

It's time to join or renew NCMS membership!

As many of you know, the Community Practitioner Program (CPP) sponsors membership into the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) for eligible participants during the first year of the CPP agreement, and it becomes the participant's responsibility to maintain membership in the subsequent years of the CPP contract. Although this only applies to MDs, DOs and PAs, NCMS is committed to improving the profession of medicine for all clinicians and their patients across the state by striving to: 

• Protect the importance of the patient-clinician relationship

• Promote safe, cost-effective, patient-centered care

• Promote leadership at all levels of the health care delivery system

• Improve the health of our population

• Enhance patients’ and caregivers’ experience of care

• Promote clinician wellness

• Minimize administrative burdens of the delivery of health care in order to achieve this vision.

Spread the word if you know of any other physicians or physician assistants who would be interested in becoming a part of this vision.

Click here to join or renew!

Also, check out our Member Benefits here.

Want to Give Back?

The North Carolina Medical Society Foundation (NCMSF) is the philanthropic arm of NCMS, who’s mission is to improve access to quality health care for all North Carolinians. Our portfolio of programs demonstrates our commitment to this vision.

• Community Practitioner Program: Ensuring a Caring Physician for Every Community

• Kanof Institute for Physician Leadership: Educating Strong Leaders To Affect Great Change

• Project VBOT: Tackling the Opioid Epidemic

• Our Community Health Initiative (Our CHI): Fostering Community Partnerships

If you would like to support the Foundation that makes CPP possible, click here, and give today! 

CPP Practice Job Board

The CPP Practice Job Board

Click here to view current openings.

Contact us, if your practice has an opening you would like to post. 

Educational Opportunities

NCAFP's Virtual Complex Pain Project 

The North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians (NCAFP) is presenting two virtual learning opportunities designed to expand physicians’ expertise in treating complex pain through training and consultation. They each last two hours and will equip learners with the knowledge, skills, and support needed to manage chronic pain in patients with comorbidities. Approximately 2 CME credits available.

Registration details coming soon. Visit here to stay posted.

Continuing Professional Development

The North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (NC AHEC) offers a variety of courses and events that provide CME, ranging from in-person, virtual to online self paced learning. Search by region, specialty, type of Credit hours and learning style.

Visit here to learn more.

CME Series for Opioid Use Prescribers

The North Carolina Medical Board and Wake AHEC, in collaboration with the North Carolina Medical Society Foundation / Project VBOT and the Addiction Medicine Fellowship program at UNC School of Medicine, have developed an eight-hour CME series that meets the new training requirement recently established by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders.

Learn more and how to register  here. 

CPP Participant Highlight

Lindsey Michaels, FNP-C

at Silver Creek Family Practice | Burke County 

1. What is a quote that has had a significant influence on your life?

"Do to others as you would have them do to you" (Luke 6:31) - This quote has always been my favorite. I use this for my daily care provided to patients and have always said this, ever since I started in healthcare as a CNA. I want to treat others the way I expect to be treated and the way I expect my family to be treated. I also train my staff to do the same. I just feel like it creates more of an inviting environment for the patients and builds a good trust relationship with them as well, as long as we have respect for each other.

2. Where are you from?

I was born in Morganton, NC. I grew up between Nebo, NC and Morganton, NC and now reside here!

3. Why did you decide to become a provider?

I started as a CNA and, at that time, I knew I wanted to be a nurse, to be able to provide better care with more understanding of the human body. While working as a nurse and then as a nurse educator, I started to see the decline in our healthcare, and I wanted to be able to provide more. During these years I had also been providing care for my family who battled cancer, and this pushed me to want to know more and be able to help. This is when I decided to become a Nurse Practitioner, and it has been fully satisfying. I am able to provide back in more ways than I could imagine. From caring for people during COVID and decreasing their fears to educating and promoting healthy lifestyles, it has been rewarding. The simple smiles and ‘thank you’s from patients on a daily basis have made my job as a Nurse Practitioner one of the best dream jobs anyone could have asked for.

4. What do you like about practicing in an underserved area?

I grew up in this area, so I do like being able to help and give back to a community I have been in all of my life. Working in an underserved area also allows me to help patients find more resources such as help with patient assistance for medications or any other needs they may have.

5. Is your practice using any tools to address social determinates of health for patients?

We are involved throughout the year with the community helping with a variety of things offered. We also provide several holistic options in the practice and offer educational opportunities.

6. How has Medicaid Transformation/Expansion affected your practice?

The impact of the change has slowed down some of our income, while adding to frustration and late working nights, but it has substantially increased the health coverage in our area to patients who have not had coverage in several months. I do hope this will help some who have not been under care to seek medical care, in order to stay healthy.

7. Do you have any hobbies or activities for self-care?

I have one daughter who is 19 and enjoy time spent with her and my husband. I also have three Yorkies, a chocolate lab, and a cat that require a lot of attention in my spare time! I enjoy spending my time outdoors in a swing and reading love stories or anything about medicine. I find that when I do have more available downtime, I am always looking for medical education training to better my practice and grow as a provider and offer more options to our community.

8. Is there anything that CPP can do to help you and your practice?

There is not anything that I could ask for, as we have been very blessed with a growing practice over the past 5 years. We are expanding again!!! I appreciate the program and support we have received over the years.

Upcoming Meetings

1. 2024 CPP Annual Meeting - Celebrating 35 Years!

Mark Your Calendars!

2. 2024 Winter Family Physicians Weekend

Practice Optimization Seminar

Hosted by the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians (NCAFP)

Friday, December 6

Omni Grove Park Inn | Asheville, NC

This is a one-time requirement for CPP participants within the 1st or 2nd year of their CPP agreement. CME is provided.

Registration Information Coming Soon!

CPP Initiatives

1. Have You Ever Considered Precepting?

The Community Practitioner Program is exploring avenues that could provide support to preceptors in rural and underserved areas in NC, which are facing major shortages in the healthcare workforce. More than half of current CPP participants serve as preceptors. To learn more about becoming a preceptor Click Here.

2. Join NC CARE 360 Here!

Be a part of the first statewide resource and referral network that unites healthcare and human service organizations through a shared technology - a great tool for delivering person-centered care to your patients. If your practice has not already onboarded, contact us as soon as possible. Click Here to Onboard

3. Stop & Take the Pledge for Diabetes Prevention.

The pledge demonstrates your willingness to support diabetes prevention 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 these convenient platforms: OCHI (Our Community Health Initiative), NC CARE 360 and the DPP Navigator. Click Here to Pledge

4. Interested in Leadership Development?

If you are a CPP participant who is a MD, DO or PA, you are eligible to be sponsored by CPP to the Kanof Institute for Physician Leadership’s (KIPL) Leadership College (LC) and Health Care Leadership & Management (HCLM) classes of 2024. We pay the tuition…you go to school. To enjoy project-based curriculum designed to foster leadership skills and help you build your network in the health care community, contact us and answer the following questions:

• Are you supporting CPP’s programmatic initiatives (i.e. Take the Pledge, NC CARE 360, preceptorship, etc.)?
• Are you doing anything within your practice or community that we should take note of?
• Do you have an interest in leadership development, and why?

Contact us Here to learn more.

5. Why Join NCMS? - Membership Benefit Highlights

Insurance Solutions for you!

Join NCMS and get exclusive access to the NCMS Employee Benefit Plan, NCMS Insurance Solutions and the NCMS Retirement Plan. For a full list of benefits Click Here.

6. Support the NCMS Foundation

If you would like to support the Foundation that makes program's like CPP possible, click here, and give today! 

Welcome Aboard

Meet our newest CPP Participants!

Hail and Farewell

We would like to celebrate the participants exiting the Community Practitioner Program this month. We thank you for serving your communities and for providing access to quality health care in the rural & underserved areas of North Carolina!

North Carolina Medical Society Foundation
PO Box 27167 | Raleigh, NC 27611
Phone: 919.833.3836 | Fax: 919.833.2023 | Email: ncmsfoundation@ncmedsoc.org
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