In this edition:

• Legislative Update Webinar, June 19
• NC HealthConnex: Are You Connected?
• NCMS Releases Summary of New Opioid Prescribing Rules for Workers' Compensation
• NC DHHS: Fewer Opioid Prescriptions, Improved Access to Care
• UNC Seeking Applications: Chair, Department of Neurology
• AAN Sports Concussion Conference, July 20-22 - Early registration ends June 14
• NCMS LEAD Health Care Conference: Scientific Poster Session
• 2019 NCNS Annual Meeting, Feb. 15-17 - Save the date

Practice Staff Updates
Please help us update our records. Complete this form to provide the name and email address of your Practice Manager so that they, too, can receive NCNS news and alerts.

------------------------

Legislative Update Webinar, June 19

Since the completion of the state budget on June 1, there has been a flurry of activity on health-related bills with more to come in the days ahead. It is unclear when, exactly, legislative leaders will call for adjournment, but we do expect this year’s “short” session to wrap up well before the July 4th holiday.

Join us at 12 noon on Tuesday, June 19, to hear about the latest developments at the NC General Assembly -- including issues around the budget, Medicaid and the newly introduced HOPE Act -- from Chip Baggett, JD, NCMS Senior VP for Advocacy and Advancement.

Tuesday, June 19, 2018 ~ 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm

Register here:   https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2346007458718889729

This webinar is free but you must be registered to attend. Space is limited so register early! After you register, you will receive an emailed confirmation with webinar and phone-in instructions. Continuing education credit may be granted through your professional organization (MGMA, PAHCOM, AHIMA, etc.). Please self-submit for these organizations. Presented by the North Carolina Medical Society Foundation in cooperation with the North Carolina Medical Group Management Association.

About Chip Baggett, JD:

As Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Associate General Counsel at the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS), Chip Baggett is responsible for state level advocacy efforts (primarily focused on the NC General Assembly) as well as communications and fundraising for the NCMS and NCMS Foundation.

Chip has a long history in organizational advancement and advocacy. He has worked in many facets of health care ranging from a children’s science and health museum to pharmaceutical sales before going to work directly for physicians and PAs as a medical society executive, first at the county level in western North Carolina and then, since 2007, at the NCMS. He consistently is ranked as one of the top lobbyists in the state by his peers. Chip received his law degree and was admitted to the North Carolina bar in 2016.

top of page

NC HealthConnex: Are You Connected?

The June 1, 2018 deadline for hospitals, physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners with an electronic health record (EHR) system to have initiated a connection to NC HealthConnex, North Carolina’s designated statewide health information exchange network, has passed. Providers with an EHR system who did not meet this deadline can request an extension for their connection.

To request an extension, providers must:

1. Complete and sign an NC HIEA Participation Agreement;
2. Have NC HIEA countersign the agreement; and
3. Begin the onboarding process to connect to NC HealthConnex.

Hospitals, physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners who currently do not have an EHR system must connect by June 1, 2019. For complete details, visit the NC HIEA website.

NC HealthConnex is a secure electronic network that facilitates conversations between health care providers, allowing them to access and share health-related information across the state. Created by the North Carolina General Assembly (NCGS 90-414.7), NC HealthConnex is the state-designated health information exchange. It is managed by the North Carolina Health Information Exchange Authority (NC HIEA), housed within the NC Department of Information Technology.

top of page

NCMS Releases Summary of New Opioid Prescribing Rules for Workers' Compensation
Source: NC Medical Society

The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) is pleased to offer an easy-to-read overview of the new opioid prescribing rules for workers’ compensation. The rules, adopted by the North Carolina Industrial Commission, took effect May 1.

Included in the provisions are limitations on quantity and dosing, mandatory drug testing, and risk assessments. The rules also encourage prescribers to consider alternative treatment modalities for pain management, and to consider co-prescriptions for naloxone in some circumstances. And, similar to last year’s STOP Act, the rules require providers to review the NC Controlled Substance Reporting System prior to prescribing opioids.

Click here to access the Opioid Prescribing Rules for Workers’ Compensation: An Overview by the North Carolina Medical Society (PDF - 5 pages).

We hope this resource will be helpful to you, and we welcome your feedback.

For more information, the Industrial Commission has also launched a resource page on the rules.

top of page

NC DHHS: Fewer Opioid Prescriptions, Improved Access to Care

The NC Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that the oversupply of prescription opioids in the state is being reduced and North Carolinians' access to treatment and recovery services has increased. This data comes from a new NC DHHS-created data dashboard.

According to an NC DHHS press release, there were 20 million fewer opioid pills dispensed statewide in the fourth quarter of 2017, compared to the same period the year before when 141 million were distributed. Data also indicate more people are receiving care through medication-assisted treatment, coupled with clinical treatment services, for substance use disorder.

"The opioid data dashboard is a powerful tool for health care providers, community coalitions and everyone involved in turning the tide of the opioid crisis in North Carolina," said DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen, M.D. "While we are encouraged by these early metrics, our data show that we still have a lot of work to do."

More information, including instructions on how to use the dashboard, is available at the Opioid Action Plan Data Dashboard site. More details on the Opioid Action Plan and other steps being taken to turn the tide of opioid addiction in North Carolina are also available from the NC DHHS.

top of page

UNC Seeking Applications: Chair, Department of Neurology

The UNC School of Medicine seeks a qualified academic leader to serve as Chair of the Department of Neurology. The Department of Neurology provides expert neurological consultation and specialty neurological care at the North Carolina Neurosciences Hospital on the campus of UNC Chapel Hill, and at a modern, outpatient clinic facility located nearby. The Department has a total of 39 faculty members, 11 of whom exclusively conduct research. Faculty members train the next generation of physicians through ACGME- accredited and UCNS-certified residency programs. Currently there are 22 adult neurology and five child neurology residents. Learn more about this opportunity on the UNC website.

Dr. Bill Powers

The opening follows the recent announcement that William “Bill” Powers, MD, announced a phased retirement program beginning July 1, 2018. Dr. Powers stepped down from his position as Chair of the Department of Neurology on April 30, 2018. Dr. Powers presided over significant clinical and research advancement during his time as Chair, including the opening of the 16 bed Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit in 2010 and the opening of UNC’s first Epilepsy Monitoring Units.

Lawrence “Larry” Marks, MD, has assumed the role of Interim Chair of the Department of Neurology, effective May 1. During his time in this interim position, he will retain his current titles as Dr. Sidney K. Simon Distinguished Professorship of Oncology Research, and Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Marks has served as the Chair of Radiation Oncology since 2008.

top of page

AAN Sports Concussion Conference, July 20-22

Get the very latest updates in sports concussion safety, prevention, and treatment and the 2018 Sports Concussion Conference. The conference will take place July 20-22, in Indianapolis, IN. Complete details and registration are available on the AAN website.

Hotel Deadline: June 14, 2018
Early Registration Deadline: June 14, 2018

top of page

NCMS LEAD Health Care Conference: Scientific Poster Session

The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) is pleased to announce its 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.

Share your clinical research and work at the 6^th Annual Scientific Poster Session during the 2018 North Carolina Medical Society LEAD Health Care Conference

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018 | RALEIGH MARRIOTT CRABTREE VALLEY

Due to the great success of the previous events, the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) is issuing a Call for Scientific Posters for its LEAD Health Care Conference, scheduled for October 18-19, 2018, at the Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley. The NCMS’s objective for the poster presentations is to offer medical students, residents and fellows an opportunity to share significant research and clinical work of interest with other fellow clinicians. We encourage all of our up-and-coming physicians to participate in this educational program by submission of a formal application for scientific presentation. The Poster Session will be divided into two categories: Clinical Research and Clinical Vignette.

Prizes will be awarded to the top three students, residents and fellows (first authors) in both categories.

• 1^st prize=$200 per student/resident/fellow author in both categories, for a total of six awards
• 2^nd prize=$100 per student/resident/fellow author in both categories, for a total of six awards
• 3^rd prize=$50 per student/resident/fellow author in both categories, for a total of six awards

Learn more and apply today (PDF).

Applications and abstracts due by August 30, 2018. Questions? Please contact Nancy Lowe, CMP, nlowe@ncmedsoc.org or (919) 833-3836 ext. 111.

top of page

Save the date! February 15-17
2019 NCNS Annual Meeting
Grandover Resort |  Greensboro, NC

• Exhibiting Opportunities: Please help ensure a successful meeting by sharing the Exhibitor Prospectus with the product and service representatives who call on your practice.
• Questions? Contact Nancy Lowe at 919-833-3836 or nlowe@ncmedsoc.org.
• Add this event to your calendar.