Welcome Guest, if you have an account you may login

Medigram - December 11, 2008


NEWS BRIEFS

Wisconsin leads effort to bolster public health

A new institute aims to improve the health of Wisconsin citizens by increasing the state’s focus on prevention. The Institute for Wisconsin’s Health, Inc. seeks to bring together Wisconsin’s public health, business and health care communities with a goal of making Wisconsin the healthiest state in the nation. Society CEO Susan Turney, MD, and member Timothy Corden, MD, serves on the Institute’s Board of Directors.

The Institute's first major project, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), focuses on preparing Wisconsin's health departments for a national voluntary accreditation program to begin in 2011, and encouraging adoption of quality improvement activities. Wisconsin is one of the 16 states that have been identified to lead this national effort by focusing on activities such as increasing immunization rates, decreasing obesity, reducing illness due to tobacco and alcohol use and improving public communication during disasters and health emergencies.

“Wisconsin has demonstrated a commitment to improving the quality of their public health services and programs. Their work will lead the way as other local and state public health agencies across the nation prepare for accreditation and strive to create healthier communities,” said James S. Marks, MD, MPH, senior vice president and director of the health group at RWJF.

To learn more, visit the Institute’s Web site at www.instituteforwihealth.org.


2009 Health Literacy Summit proposal deadline December 31

Wisconsin Literacy’s 2009 Health Literacy Summit will be held in Madison March 31 and April 1. The keynote speaker for the event will be Andrew Pleasant, co-author of the book Advancing Health Literacy: A Framework for Understanding and Action.

Submissions or requests to host a workshop during the summit are due to the Wisconsin Literacy office by December 31. The summit will include presentations on the National Agenda for Health Literacy from the National Institute of Health and Center for Disease Control’s Health Literacy Workgroup, the Joint Commission’s new health literacy standards, health literacy initiatives from other states, refugee health literacy, health literacy curricula and health literacy interventions in health care settings.

For more information or to request a Workshop Proposal Form, contact Wisconsin Literacy at 608.257.1655 or e-mail info@wisconsinliteracy.org.


Internet-based Medicare enrollment now available for Wisconsin physicians

There is now a better way for physicians and other health care professionals to enroll or make changes in their Medicare enrollment information. The Internet-based Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS) will allow physicians and non-physician practitioners to enroll, make a change in their Medicare enrollment, view their Medicare enrollment information on file with Medicare, and check on the status of a Medicare enrollment application via the Internet.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced last week that Internet-based PECOS is available to physicians and non-physician practitioners in 15 states, including Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Click here to access PECOS.

By submitting the initial Medicare enrollment application through Internet-based PECOS, an enrollment application can be processed up to 50 percent faster than by paper. Changes in enrollment information such as a change in practice location, ownership, or final adverse action (e.g., medical license suspension or revocation) also can be reported through PECOS. For additional information about the types of changes that must be reported, go to the download section of www.cms.hhs.gov/MedicareProviderSupEnroll. For information about PECOS, click here.

QUALITY & EFFICIENCY

Quality & Efficiency ‘staffs up’ for e-health initiatives

Like many physician practices large and small, the Wisconsin Medical Society has been tracking the activities and initiatives related to Health Information Technology and Interoperability. At the December 10 Governor's eHealth Care Quality and Patient Safety Board meeting, preliminary results of the 2008 Wisconsin Ambulatory HIT Adoption Survey were shared.

Click here to read the good news, the bad news and how the Society is working on eHealth.

CAPITOL INSIDER

Assembly health committees, chairs named

State Assembly Speaker-Elect Mike Sheridan (D-Janesville) on Monday announced the committees and chairs for that house in the 2009-2010 biennial session. Of the 31 committees, two pertain directly to health care: the Health and Health Care Reform Committee and the Public Health Committee. Rep. Jon Richards (D-Milwaukee) will chair the former; one of his major health care reform efforts came in 2006, partnering with former Rep. Curt Gielow (R-Mequon) on the “Wisconsin Health Plan.” Introduced as 2005 Assembly Bill 1140, the plan was one of the first legislative forays into large-scale reform. As such, it engendered its share of support and criticism.

Society member Rep. Chuck Benedict, MD (D-Beloit) will chair the Public Health Committee. Benedict was the ranking minority party member of the committee this past session; the committee handles a wide variety of issues.

For a list of all committees and chairs, see Speaker-elect Sheridan’s press release. For more information, contact Mark Grapentine, JD.

YOUR PRACTICE. YOUR FUTURE.

Federal regulations to implement and enforce Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 published

Final regulations to implement and enforce the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 (Patient Safety Act) have been published in the Federal Register and go into effect January 19, 2009.

The Patient Safety Act creates a voluntary program through which health care professionals can share information relating to patient safety events, including patient, provider and reporter identifying information that is collected, created or used for patient safety activities with Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs), in order to improve patient safety and quality of care nationwide. The statute terms this information “patient safety work product,” and gives it privilege and confidentiality protections to encourage health care professionals to share this information without fear of liability. The statute also creates PSOs to receive this protected information and analyze patient safety events. These protections will enable all health care professionals to share data within a protected legal environment without the threat that the information will be used against the subject providers. Civil money penalties (CMPs) may be imposed for knowing or reckless impermissible disclosures of patient safety work product.

To read more, click here.

FOUNDATION FOCUS

During this season of giving...

Please remember the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation as you consider your year-end charitable giving or when renewing your membership with the Wisconsin Medical Society. Your contribution is critical during these difficult economic times.

Like so many foundations, our investment losses have negatively impacted the funds available for medical student loans, scholarships, fellowships and community grants. Yet, it is during unprecedented times like these that students and communities need our support. While the Foundation Board of Trustees voted to use reserve funds to maintain support for our most vital programs, these funds alone will not make up the difference.

It is only by combining your generosity with that of your colleagues that we will be able to maintain our funding for medical students and health initiatives. We hope you will help.

To make a donation, please click here or mail a check payable to the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation to 330 E. Lakeside St., Madison, WI 53715 or call 866.442.3800. Please note: Donations for the tax year 2008 must be postmarked by December 31.

Warm wishes for the holidays!


Foundation elects new treasurer

Erik A. Gundersen, MD, of La Crosse was elected as Treasurer of the Foundation Board of Trustees at its November 20, 2008 meeting.

QUALITY CORNER

CMS to host PQRI Q&A session December 16

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Provider Communications Group will host the ninth in a series of national provider conference calls on the 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) Tuesday, December 16 from 2:30–4 p.m.

Following a short presentation on the final PQRI 2007 reporting experience and a discussion of results from 2007, participants will be able to ask questions of CMS PQRI subject matter experts Dr. Michael Rapp and Dr. Daniel Green. Educational materials are available on this PQRI-dedicated Web page on the CMS Web site in the Educational Resources section.

The call is free, but registration is required by 2:30 p.m. December 15 to reserve a phone line and receive call-in information. To register, click here. If you require services for the hearing impaired e-mail Medicare.TTT@PalmettoGBA.com.

A replay will be available for those unable to participate in the conference call from 3 p.m. December 16 through December 23. Call 800.642.1687 and enter passcode 76618434 to listen to the replay.

FAQ

Question:
How do I log in to the “Members-only” section of the Society Web site?

Answer:
If you are a Society member and you’ve forgotten your username and password, you’ll need to reset your password. To do so, follow these simple steps:

  1. From the left menu bar, click “Log in”
  2. Click the “Request New Password” tab
  3. Enter your e-mail address
  4. Click “E-mail new password”
  5. You will receive an e-mail message from it@wismed.org
  6. Click the link in that e-mail message. (Your username is on the first line and in the subject)
  7. Click “Log in”
  8. Enter new Password (twice)
  9. Click “Submit”
To confirm the new password is working:
  1. Click “Sign Out”
  2. Click “Log in”
  3. Enter your username (NOT your e-mail address) and password
  4. Click “Log in”
If you have questions about this, e-mail communications@wismed.org.