In This Edition:

• Avoid Claims Denials. Free ICD-10-CM Webinar, Nov. 17
• Rock the MOC! Review Course for Neurologists, Nov. 20-22
• 2015 NCMS Annual Meeting, Oct. 23-24
• Abstracts Due Oct. 26 for the 2016 AAN Annual Meeting
• Updates in Clinical Neuroimmunology, Nov. 21
• Apply by Dec. 2 for the 2016 AAN Neurology on the Hill
• 2016 NCNS Annual Meeting, February 19-21
• Apply by Feb. 17 for the NCMS “CQU” Program
• Become an Effective Advocate for Your Patients and Specialty, Online Course
• Greenville Physician to Fill Vacancy in N.C. House

Avoid Claims Denials. Free ICD-10-CM Webinar, Nov. 17

Register today for this free ICD-10 Q&A webinar presented by the American Academy of Neurology. A live panel of AAN physicians and practice administrators will answer your ICD-10 questions and help you avoid claims denials. The webinar will be held from 7:00pm to 8:00pm on Tuesday, November 17.

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Rock the MOC! Review Course for Neurologists, Nov. 20-22

North Carolina Neurologists are invited to a special Maintenance of Certificate (MOC) review course designed specifically for neurologists and presented by the Medical University of South Carolina. The course will be held November 20-22 in Charleston, S.C.

Dear North Carolina Neurologist Colleagues,

We would like to share with you special notice of our Maintenance of Certification (MOC) review course, dubbed Rock the MOC! by our department chair, Dr. Bruce Ovbiagele. Our course is designed to provide a review of clinical neurology as preparation for the MOC. It is case-based and clinically focused, featuring faculty of the Department of Neurology who will speak on their areas of expertise. The course provides 20 hours of AMA PRA Category 1 CME credit.

The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology has reviewed our curriculum, and they have designated the course as "an approved product" on their website. In addition, the ABPN has approved the self-assessment (SA) feature, which provides an additional 8 hours of CME credit.

The registration brochure describes the curriculum and speakers in greater detail. You may register for the course in either of two ways:

1) Register Online. Select the blue "Register" button on the middle of the page.

2) Download the Registration Brochure and send your completed registration form with check payable to "Medical University of South Carolina Foundation" to:

Caroline Diez
Department of Neurology
96 Jonathan Lucas Street
Suite 301 CSB, MSC 606
Charleston, SC, 29425.

If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to the course coordinator, Caroline Diez at diezc@musc.edu or via telephone (843) 876-5053. We look forward to greeting you at the Bioengineering Building, MUSC campus in Charleston on November 20!

Sincerely,
Paul B. Pritchard, III, M.D.
Course Director, Rock the MOC!
Professor, Department of Neurology
Medical University of South Carolina
96 Jonathan Lucas Street, Suite 307
Charleston, SC 29425

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NCMS Annual Meeting, Oct. 23-24

Registration is open for the 2015 North Carolina Medical Society Annual Meeting. With a new and exciting format for broad physician appeal, this year's meeting theme, "Resilience in Challenging Times," hints at the program's focus on basic approaches for developing greater fulfillment and resilience in practicing medicine. The meeting will be held October 23-24 at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro. Pop on over to the NCMS website for complete program details and secure online registration.

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2016 AAN Annual Meeting, April 15-21 / Abstracts Due Oct. 26

Abstracts are due by October 26, 2015, for the upcoming 2016 AAN Annual Meeting. The meeting will be held April 15-21, in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Start planning now to attend the world’s largest gathering of neurologists. Vancouver offers the winning combination of a modern, diverse city and a stunning natural setting. Nestled between snow-capped mountains and the sparkling ocean, Vancouver is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Visit the AAN’s 2016 Annual Meeting webpage for additional meeting information and the online abstract submission form.

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Updates in Clinical Neuroimmunology, Nov. 21

In the last decade, there have been major advances in the field of neuroimmunology. Physicians are suspecting immune mediated disorders more frequently and new algorithms for management of these treatable conditions are being formulated. Diagnosis is becoming easier with the discovery of antibodies that correspond to specific syndromes. Given the rapid advances in neuroimmunology, Updates in Clinical Neuroimmunology, a one-day course presented by UNC Department of Neurology and MAHEC, brings together world renowned experts eager share the latest information, advances, and best practices geared to assist the general neurologist and other providers on how to recognize, diagnose and manage immune mediated neurological disorders. For complete program and registration information, download the Registration Brochure.

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2016 AAN Neurology on the Hill, Feb. 29 to March 1 / Application Deadline Dec. 5

Open to all AAN Members and neurology residents in PGY-2 or higher, the 2016 AAN Neurology on the Hill will take place February 29 to March 1, 2016, in Washington, D.C. Participants will be updated on the status of policy issues impacting neurology practice, network with colleagues from around the country, and attend meetings with legislators and their staff. The application deadline is December 2, 2015. Learn more on the AAN website. 

More than 150 physicians from 42 states attended the 2015 Neurology on the Hill, including 7 North Carolina members:

• Jane Boggs, MD
• Philip A. Davenport, MD
• Ashley P. Ghiaseddin, MD
• Ihtsham Haq, MD
• Chen Lin, MD
• Leonardo Morantes, MD
• Gaurang M. Palikh, MD
• W. Alan Skipper, CAE

NCNS members at the 2015 AAN Neurology on the Hill pose with Sen. Richard Burr inside the U.S. Capitol Building.

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Save the Date for NCNS 2016, Feb. 19-21

The 2016 NCNS Annual Meeting will be held February 19-21 at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro. Each year, the NCNS Annual Meeting attracts 70-90 physician participants for a weekend of continuing education, networking and collegiality.

The participation of our vendor partner is critical to our annual meeting’s ongoing success. Please share the Exhibitor Prospectus with the product and service representatives that call on your practice.

Action items:

1. Add this event to your calendar.
2. For room reservations, contact the Grandover Resort at (800) 472-6301.
3. For more information, contact the NCNS at (919) 833-3836 or nlowe@ncmedsoc.org.

Resident Poster Competition Submission Deadline, Jan. 15 - The NCNS invites neurology residents, fellows and students to submit posters detailing original research (clinical and/or laboratory research, delineating a new investigation into mechanisms of a disease, or a detailed review of a clinical problem), or clinical vignettes (one or more cases that illustrate a new disease entity or prominent or unusual clinical feature of an established disease). Accepted posters will be judged by a panel of neurologists at the 2016 NCNS Annual Meeting, and the top three winning posters will be awarded cash prizes. The submission deadline is January 15, 2016. Please coordinate your participation with your Training Program Director.

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Build a Culture of Quality in Your Practice / Apply by Feb. 17

Enroll your team today to be part of an innovative 12-month program from the North Carolina Medical Society Foundation designed to help you build a culture of quality in your practice. Applications are due by February 17, 2016. Learn more here.

Are you prepared to be paid based on the ‘quality’ of services you provide your patients? Do you even know what that means? If you’re unsure, and perhaps perplexed, anxious, frustrated or even a little angry about the changes taking place in our health care system, you’re not alone. That is why the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) Foundation in conjunction with the North Carolina Quality Center has developed CQU (short for Clinical Quality University). CQU will help you understand exactly what this ‘move to quality’ means, and give you the necessary tools to lead and succeed in this new environment.

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Become an Effective Advocate for Your Patients and Specialty Online Course

This program is worth 1.0 CME credits.

In the next decade, considerations of objective health outcomes and costs will force a critical redesign of how we deliver healthcare. This redesign will occur largely at the legislative and regulatory levels, and physicians must be positioned to advocate for their patients and themselves. Those who do not engage in the national discussion and evolve with this trend will not be effective advocates for their patients or specialty. In recognition of this, this AAN-sponsored course will inform neurologists about the concept of advocacy in the legislative process, highlight the importance of activity in the healthcare climate, teach the creation of an advocacy action plan, and highlight the advocacy resources and support provided by the American Academy of Neurology. We hope that the lessons from this course will provide the motivated neurologist with resources to better a better advocate for patients and the profession. Visit the AAN website to access the presentation.

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Greenville Physician to Fill Vacancy in N.C. House

The Pitt County Republican Party has selected Dr. Gregory Murphy, a Greenville urologist, to replace Rep. Brian Brown in the N.C. House of Representatives. Dr. Murphy will be the only physician in either chamber when the General Assembly returns to Raleigh in April 2016. Dr. Murphy’s nomination is pending the Governor’s formal approval to the finish out the two-year term of office. Brown announced earlier this month his immediate resignation to work for U.S. Senator Thom Tillis.

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