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The NCDA Summer Meeting is approved for up to 9.75 hours of CME. Families are welcome. Visit us at www.ncderm.org for more info. Early-bird discounts end June 15.
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On the issues that matter to dermatologists, 2018 will be a critical year. Please consider making a contribution to DermPAC TODAY.
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NCDA Recognized by AADA with Model State Award
The NCDA is proud to announce that we brought home some exciting new hardware from the 2018 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA. The NCDA was recognized by the Academy with the 2017 Model State Award. Model State Award recipients receive a development grant from the Academy. In order to qualify for the Model State Award, societies must meet the specified core criteria in addition to several operational criteria, such as involvement in legislative and regulatory advocacy, member engagement and educational initiatives.
As the state’s only professional association dedicated to representing our specialty and promoting excellence in patient care, our number one goal is to support dermatologists and dermatology physician assistants in North Carolina, which we do through education, communications, advocacy and professional relations. In 2017, we presented two excellent educational conferences, provided ongoing public education about the dangers of UV exposure, engaged in payer issues, raised chartable funds and awareness for Victory Junction, and hosted another successful Annual Skin Cancer Screening at the Legislature with the support of volunteers from across the state.
The NCDA appreciates this special recognition, which is thanks to the strong support and participation of our NCDA members. Thank you for supporting the NCDA!
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Carruth, Paviol Participate in NCMS Leadership College Program
Congratulations to Dr. Marc Carruth (Charlotte) and Dr. Scott Paviol (Mooresville) on being selected to participate in the NC Medical Society’s Leadership College Program. Dr. Carruth is the Director of Carolina Skin Surgery Center. Dr. Paviol practices at Mooresville Dermatology Center, a division of Piedmont HealthCare.
Doctors Carruth and Paviol 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.
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 two exciting leadership development programs: Leadership College and the Health Care Leadership and Management Program (HCLM).
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. Members interested in a letter of nomination from the NCDA should contact Denna Suko at dsuko@ncmedsoc.org, or 919-833-3836. Partial sponsorship may be available to NCDA 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.
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Mohs Surgery for Melanoma In Situ Now Offered at Cary Skin Center
The Cary Skin Center is pleased to welcome two Mohs surgeons to the practice, Dr. Adam Ingraffea and Elias Emile Ayli, DO, who perform the Mohs technique for melanoma in situ - a new technique that is well-suited for patients whose melanoma is in areas where sparing tissue is most critical, such as the head and neck.
This outpatient surgery procedure has been reported to be less expensive than the traditional surgical approach, creates a smaller wound and reduces the cancer’s rate of recurrence. With speedy analysis of cancerous tissue now available, patients can have a tumor removed and any needed wound repair completed in one day. For more information, please visit the Cary Skin Center website.
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Adam Anthony Ingraffea, MD
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Elias Emile Ayli, DO
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Volunteers Needed for NCDA Skin Screening at the Legislature, June 6
The NCDA will host its 7th Annual Skin Screening Day at the Legislature on Wednesday, June 6. This event is conducted as a part of our ongoing advocacy initiatives, and was instrumental in achieving passage of a new law in 2015 prohibiting minors' access to commercial tanning beds in North Carolina. The free screenings will consist of full- or partial-body examinations, sharing skin cancer handouts with information on how to find a dermatologist, and teaching skin self-examinations.
Please consider volunteering for a two-hour shift, or sign up to help out for the full day. The event begins at 9:00am and will end by 3:00pm. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Online volunteer registration is available at: www.surveymonkey.com/r/NCDA2018Screening
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New Online Tools from the AAD Practice Management Center
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recently launched a new online Practice Management Center (PMC). Based on ongoing member feedback, the Academy continues to add new tools to the website.
The following newly released tools are now available for AAD members:
- The State Scope of Practice tool is an interactive map that allows dermatologists to see what non-physician clinicians are legally allowed to perform in their state, giving physicians the framework of care that can be provided by an NPC as they grow their practice.
- Whether you’re starting a practice, transitioning or preparing to retire, the NEW Evaluating Practice Models tool will help physicians understand what’s involved in these life-changing decisions.
The AADA would like to receive feedback on your experience regarding the resources available through the Practice Management Center. Please share your thoughts by contacting Tom Felgar, tfelgar@aad.org, or tel: 847-240-1662.
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2018 AADA Legislative Conference, July 15-17
Registration is now open for the 2018 AADA Legislative Conference. The AADA Legislative Conference — held every year in Washington, D.C. — offers dermatologists from around the country the unique opportunity to receive advocacy training taught by health policy experts and to spend a day meeting with their members of Congress and their staff on Capitol Hill to talk about the most pressing issues facing the specialty and dermatology patients. These face-to-face meetings on the Hill go a long way in progressing the AADA’s advocacy priorities and provide a united voice to Congress on our top issues.
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NCMS Lunch and Learn Webinar, May 15
The NCMS Foundation and the North Carolina Medical Group Management Association invite your participation in a new lunch and learn webinar scheduled for Tuesday, May 15, 2018.
Facing Behavioral Health/Substance Use Disorder
Challenges in Individuals with Chronic Illness
Tuesday, May 15, 2018 ~ 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Online Registration:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1362226027944880386
This webinar is free but you must be registered to attend.
Space is limited so register early!
In this webinar, Blaze Advisors’ CEO (Mike Rhoades) and COO (Kathy Smith, PhD) will lead an interactive discussion regarding The prevalence, detection, and response to behavioral health and substance use issues presenting in Individuals with chronic Illness. The team will present and discuss prevalence of behavioral health illness in chronic and polychronic populations and how these un/undertreated behavioral health conditions can impact treatment adherence, compliance and patient self-care; frustrating health outcomes and inflating cost of care. Care coordination tools, practices, and billable assessment codes will be highlighted to allow providers to better identify and respond to challenges their patients may be facing. With the industry focus on Integrated Health, don’t miss this opportunity to stay up to date on the changing landscape of care.
Continuing education credit may be granted through your professional organization (MGMA, PAHCOM, AHIMA, etc.). Please self-submit for these organizations.
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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:
- 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.
- The adoption of national standards for connection, exchange and data submission standards by provider type.
- 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.
- Data captured in the treatment of patients, segmented by provider type.
- Activity of other states and payor plans with respect to the establishment of an HIE Network.
- 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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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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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:
- 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
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