In this edition:

• NCNS Annual Meeting Wrap Up
• Frere, Strowd Participate in NCMS Leadership College Program
• Neurology on the Hill Recap
• NCMS: Protect Yourself and Your Patients In the New Medicaid System
• NC Health Information Exchange Update
• AAN 2018 Annual Meeting, April 21-27 - Early Registration Ends March 29
• NCMS LEAD Health Care Conference, Oct. 18-19
• NCTracks 2018 Regional Seminars Schedule

NCNS President Dr. Robert Frere presented Dr. Annette Grefe with the President's Gavel at the NCNS 2018 Annual Meeting in appreciation of her service as NCNS President, 2016-2018.

NCNS Annual Meeting Wrap Up

Neurologists from across the state gathered over the weekend of February 16-18 in Charlotte, NC for the 2018 NCNS Annual Meeting. More than 100 neurologists attended the meeting, which included 11.0 hours of CME programming, a lively exhibit hall and networking opportunities. The meeting also included the NCNS Annual Business Meeting at which NCNS members voted to approve nominees for the 2018-2020 NCNS Executive Committee.

Meet Your NCNS Executive Committee:

President:
Robert Frere, MD, FAAN 
(Greenville)

President-Elect:
Gaurang Palikh, MD
(Kings Mountain)

Secretary-Treasurer:
Roy Strowd, III, MD
(Winston-Salem)

Immediate Past President:
Annette Grefe, MD (Winston-Salem)

Annual Meeting Chair:
Robert Yapundich, MD (Hickory)

NCNS 2018 Poster Competition Winners (L-R): Shareena Rahman, MD (Duke), Casey Farin, MD (Duke), and Sarah Mancone (Wake). Ovais Inamullah, MD (Duke) not pictured. 

The NCNS Annual Meeting also included a Poster Session featuring original research by residents, fellows-in-training and students. Seventeen posters were presented. The NCNS extends its congratulations to this year’s winners:

• 1st Place: Shareena Rahman, MD and Ovais Inamullah, MD – Duke (co-presenters)
• 2nd Place: Sarah Mancone - WFU
• 3rd Place: Casey Farin, MD – Duke

This exceptional meeting would not have been possible without the generous support of sponsors and exhibitors. See below for a complete listing. Plans are already underway for another excellent NCNS Annual Meeting. We’ll be returning to the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, NC for the 2019 NCNS Annual Meeting, February 15-17. Add this event to your calendar.

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Frere, Strowd Participate in NCMS Leadership College Program

Congratulations to NCNS President Dr. Robert Frere (Greenville) and NCNS Secretary-Treasurer Dr. Roy Strowd (Winston-Salem) on being selected to participate in the NC Medical Society’s Leadership College Program. Doctors Frere and Strowd are among 20+ scholars selected for the Leadership College’s Class of 2018.

Selection for Leadership College participation is competitive, with more applicants than there are seats available in the year-long program. Dr. Frere is a neurologist with Vidant Health where he specializes in neurology and clinical neurophysiology. He has served on the NCNS Executive Committee since 2014. Dr. Strowd is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Wake Forest School of Medicine.

You, too, can enhance your leadership skills by taking part in an NCMS leadership development program. The Kanof Institute for Physician Leadership is currently accepting applications for three exciting leadership development program: Leadership College, Health Care Leadership and Management Program (HCLM), and Clinical Quality University (CQU).

The NCMS Leadership College builds and enhances physician and PA leadership skills and equips graduates to become more influential in motivating leaders in their medical practice settings and their communities. Neurologists interested in a letter of nomination from the NCNS should contact Denna Suko at dsuko@ncmedsoc.org, or 919-833-3836. Partial sponsorship may be available to NCNS members in good standing. Applications for Leadership College are due July 30, 2018.

The NCMS Health Care Leadership and Management (HCLM) Program provides a critical framework for physicians based on economics, finance and leadership development. With this framework, graduates are provided the necessary vocabulary for the business realm and are equipped to take on greater leadership positions in their career. The curriculum is designed with greater emphasis on deeper leadership development and skills that include strategic planning, negotiation and financial literacy and application. Applications for HCLM are due August 31, 2018.

Clinical Quality University (CQU) is a team-based course that prepares and supports physicians and their staff as they drive quality improvement projects from planning to implementation and then sustain the project within their organization through leadership development. CQU also leverages the physician leaders’ unique knowledge, skills and attitudes to build teams, enhance communication and develop core leadership competencies. Over the course of the program participants discover what works for their practices and how to sustain quality improvements while acquiring new skills.

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Neurology on the Hill Recap

A six-member delegation represented the NC Neurological Society at the AAN’s 2018 Neurology on the Hill (NOH), February 25-27 in Washington, DC. The annual advocacy event is an opportunity for neurologists to discuss priority federal legislative issues with members of the U.S. Congress and their staff. Priority issues addressed this year included:

• Drug Pricing
• Telemedicine
• NIH and BRAIN Initiative Research Funding

NOH is a two-day advocacy event held annually in Washington, DC. The program schedule includes in-depth legislative and political training sessions. Topics covered include Civics 101, key legislative updates, featured speakers, and review of the priority issues to convey to Congress. On Day 2, participants head to Capitol Hill for scheduled meeting with their U.S. Representatives and Senators. Applications to participate in the 2019 NOH will be available in Fall 2018.

2018 NOH Delegation:

Jodi A. Dodds, MD (Durham)
Marshall C. Freeman, MD, FAAN (Greensboro)
Amy K. Guzik, MD (Winston-Salem)
Ihtsham Haq, MD (Winston-Salem)
Benjamin Mark Hoffman, MD (Winston-Salem)
W. Alan Skipper, CAE (Raleigh)

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Protect Yourself and Your Patients In the New Medicaid System
Source: NC Medical Society 

The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) has steadfastly held that the protections for physicians and patients laid out in state law under Chapter 58 must be carried forward in the new Medicaid managed care system. A bill currently under consideration by the North Carolina House of Representatives, HB 156, however, does not include these essential protections.

This bill would require Medicaid Prepaid Health Plans to obtain a license from the Department of Insurance and lists minimum requirements for the application process. It also contains language on penalties, enforcement, management agreements, fees, fiduciary responsibilities, continuation of services and suspension of licenses. But currently, the bill does not contain any of the Chapter 58 patient and provider protections. NCMS continues to actively work to ensure that these protections are included moving forward.

Please reach out to your legislator and insist that the Chapter 58 protections, which are crucial to the success of Medicaid managed care, be included in this bill.

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NC Health Information Exchange Update

Christie Burris, Executive Director of the NC Health Information Exchange Authority (NC HIEA), has reported that NC HealthConnex, North Carolina’s state-designed Health Information Exchange is now live with more than 1200 active participants, with an additional 300+ in queue for onboarding. By June 1, 2020, the date by which LME/MCOs and PHPs are required to be connected and submitting encounter claims data, the NC HIEA estimates that 98% of NC health care providers will be connected to the NC HealthConnex. It is also projected that NC HealthConnex will offer visibility into 90% of citizens receiving treatment in NC and will also provide access to data from other states through connections to national health care data networks.

Completion of a legislatively-required feasibility study is expected by late February/early March. The feasibility study is required to examine:

1. The availability of connection, exchange and data submission standards established by the Office of the National Coordinator for Information Technology within the US Department of Health and Human Services.
2. The adoption of national standards for connection, exchange and data submission standards by provider type.
3. Cost estimates by provider type to connect and submit data to the HIE and any availability of federal or State funds to meet connection or submission requirements.
4. Data captured in the treatment of patients, segmented by provider type.
5. Activity of other states and payor plans with respect to the establishment of an HIE Network.
6. Alternatives to the connection and submission of demographic, clinical, encounter and claims data through the HIE Network.

Burris presented this information in an update on the NC HIEA’s progress toward completing its legislative requirements to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services on January 16. The North Carolina General Assembly created the NC HIEA in 2015 to facilitate the creation of a modernized HIE to better serve NC health care providers and their patients. The NC HIEA is governed by an 11-member Advisory Board, appointed by the General Assembly and made up of various IT and health care representatives that include the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of the Department of Information Technology and the Director of the Government Data Analytics Center.

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AAN 2018 Annual Meeting, April 21-27

The 70th AAN Annual AAN Meeting will take place April 21-27, 2018, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Early registration ends March 29. For complete details, visit the AAN webiste.

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Introducing the NCMS LEAD Health Care Conference

The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) is excited to announce our new and not-to-be-missed annual event – the LEAD Health Care Conference. Mark your calendar now for Oct. 18-19, 2018 to be part of this innovative conference focused on Leadership, Education, Advocacy and Discovery – LEAD. For more details, visit the NCMS website.

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NCTracks 2018 Regional Seminars Schedule

Regional Seminars are back! NCTracks Regional Seminars are a great opportunity for new providers and existing providers with new staff who use NCTracks - or anyone who needs refresher training. This in-person training is provided local to you and allows you to meet our Regional Provider Relations Representatives.

NCTracks will conduct four Regional NCTracks Seminars in the coming months. The purpose of these Regional NCTracks Seminars is to help educate new providers, educate new billing staff of existing providers, and serve as a refresher for current and experienced provider staff. Regional seminars allow for participation by more providers, particularly those who cannot travel to attend single Instructor-Led Training classes. They will also allow providers an opportunity to meet and become familiar with their Regional Provider Relations Representatives. It is a learning opportunity and a chance to network.

Each of the seminars runs from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and are offered on different dates and locations across the state. Providers can register for the seminar most convenient for them:

• New Bern, North Carolina (March 27)
  Craven County Center, 300 Industrial Drive, New Bern NC
• Greensboro, North Carolina (April 19)
  Guilford County Cooperative, 3309 Burlington Rd, Greensboro NC
• Concord, North Carolina (May 25)
  Cabarrus County Cooperative, 715 Cabarrus Ave West, Concord NC
• Raleigh, North Carolina (June 14)
  CSRA, 2610 Wycliff Rd, Raleigh NC

Seminars will feature the following:

• Provider Communication booth
• Hub for guidance on locating provider resources
• Help Center
• SMEs from Enrollment, Claims, Prior Approval and Provider Relations to help providers who bring in specific examples

Topics include:

• Common reasons Enrollment and Manage Change Request (MCR) applications are delayed and how to avoid delays
• Helpful hints for submitting Prior Approvals
• Top 10 denial reasons for Professional and Institutional claims and the resolutions
• Submitting Pharmacy Prior Approvals
• Expectations when contacting the NCTracks Contact Center
• Helpful hints for Family Planning

Providers can register for the NCTracks Regional Seminars and the Provider Help Centers in SkillPort, the NCTracks Learning Management System. Logon to the secure NCTracks Provider Portal and click Provider Training to access SkillPort. Open the folder labeled Provider Computer-Based Training (CBT) and Instructor Led Training (ILT). The sessions for the 2018 Annual Regional Seminar and the Provider Help Center Sessions can be found in the sub-folder labeled ILTs: On-site. Specific dates and times can be selected for registration under 2018 Annual Regional Seminar or the Provider Help Center Session.

Refer to the Provider Training page of the public Provider Portal for specific instructions on how to use SkillPort. The Provider Training page also includes a quick reference regarding Java, which is required for the use of SkillPort. Walk-ins will be allowed based on capacity.

Thanks and we hope to see you there!

The NCTracks Team

Thank You, 2018 NCNS Annual Meeting Sponsors and Exhibitors!

Platinum Sponsors:
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc
Lundbeck LLC
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals
UCB

Gold Sponsors:
Accredo Specialty Pharmacy  |  Adamas Pharmaceuticals
Alexion  |  Biogen  |  Eisai  |  Grifols USA
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries  |  Validus Pharmaceuticals

Silver Sponsors/Exhibitors:  Acorda Therapeutics |  Alexion  |  Allergan  |  Amgen  |  
Avanir Pharmaceuticals  |  Bayer  |  Boston Scientific  |  Cape Fear Valley Health  |  Catalyst Pharmaceuticals  |  Cefaly Technology  |  Celgene Corporation  |  Cognision  |  Diplomat  |  Duke University-MMCi Program  |  electroCore  |  EMD Serono  |  GE Healthcare  |  Gene DX  |  Impax Specialty Pharma  |  Kroger Specialty Infusion  |  Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals  |  Medical Mutual  |  Merz North America  |  National Multiple Sclerosis Society  |  Neurocrine  |  Novartis  |  Pfizer  |  PMT Corporation  |  ReWalk Robotics  |  Sanofi-Genzyme  |  Strongbridge Biopharma  |  Supernus Pharmaceuticals  |  US WorldMeds. 

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