Copy
View this email in your browser

DENVER MEDICAL BULLETIN
Official Publication of The Denver Medical Society July 2020

COVID-19 updates and resources

Denver  Medical Society has joined with Colorado Medical Society and other medical communities across the state to coordinate efforts to bring you critical up to date information on the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on Colorado. Join virtual physician town hall meetings on Wednesday evenings from 6 PM-7:00 PM and Virtual Grand Rounds on specific topics. Each town hall will cover new information and engage directly with key stakeholders to get support and answers on the COVID-19 pandemic.  Listen to past programs and register for upcoming session at cms.org/COVID-19. Join the Physician COVID-19 Discussion Board to stay in touch with your colleagues and share information. Visit the same page for resources and FAQs on topics like telehealth, financial support, and PPE.

Reopening Continues to be Challenging for Many Practices

Many physicians still have questions about the process of re-opening their practices and evolving standards of care in the ever changing COVID-19 environment.  One frequently asked question is what the standard is regarding patients and office staff, both front office and clinical staff, wearing masks.  Risk management experts note that medical practices must follow any specific governmental regulations in their communities, violation of which would likely be considered negligence per se.  Moreover, recommendations from authoritative entities, such as the CDC or national specialty societies, will likely rise to the level of standard of care. Physicians have the right to refuse to see patients who are unwilling to comply with practice protocols but should make every effort to advise patients of new requirements prior to their visit as well as possibly posting them on the practice door, on websites and any other means of communication. Non-compliant patients can be offered masks and other appropriate resources as well alternatives to in-office care such as telemedicine options.

The CDC offers resources at their COVID-19 site including specific information for health professionals providing non-COVID care during the pandemic and on the use of cloth face masks.

The Colorado Medical Society has created a Primer for physicians to help with Colorado-specific reopening concerns as well as containing AMA guidelines for reopening.  A Check List for Reopening Your Practice is also available for all physicians from The Doctors Company.

COVID-19 Physician Care Line

The COVID-19 Care Line for Physicians is a free hotline for any Colorado physician or physician assistant serving patients during this challenging time offered by Colorado Physician Health Program. A call to the Care Line links you with a physician peer who will listen and discuss stresses of the COVID-19 crisis, and caring for those afflicted. These free calls are not treatment, but rather an opportunity for peer support. Information you provide will be kept confidential to the extent allowed by law.

CALL (720) 810-9131 NOW

The Care Line is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and additional support phone calls (or video chats) can be scheduled after hours. If you are experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, you should contact 911. If you are a current CPHP participant, please call our main line at (303) 860-0122 or after hours, our clinical pager at (303) 916-8837.

Provider Relief Fund Updates and Resources

In June, HHS launched an application portal to distribute $15 billion in CARES Act Provider Relief Fund payments to eligible Medicaid and CHIP physicians and organizations. The payment will be at least 2 percent of reported gross revenue from patient care, and the final amount will be determined based on submitted data, including the number of Medicaid patients served. Eligible physicians and organizations have until July 20, 2020, to submit their application and report other necessary information, such as annual patient revenue data.  The portal link above will also take you to the User Guide and additional resources. You can also go to https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/cares-act-provider-relief-fund/index.html for more information and resources.

Below are answers to two relevant questions posted in the FAQs .

Q: Why is there a new Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal? 

A:  Portal will initially be used for new submissions from Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) providers seeking payments under the Provider Relief Fund starting Wednesday, June 10, 2020. At this time, this portal will serve as the point of entry for providers who have received Medicaid and CHIP payments in 2017, 2018, 2019 or 2020 and who have not already received any payments from the $50 billion Provider Relief Fund General Distribution. 

Q: What is the difference between the first Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal and the Enhanced Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal for the Medicaid Targeted Distribution? 

A: The first Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal was used for providers who received a General Distribution payment prior to Friday, April 24th. These providers were required to submit financial information in order to receive approximately 2% of gross revenues derived from patient care. 

HHS has developed the new Enhanced Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal for providers who did not receive payments under the previous General Distribution, including those providers who bill Medicaid and CHIP (e.g., pediatricians, long-term care, and behavioral health providers.)

CIVHC Offers Analysis of Colorado Populations at Risk

As coronavirus continues to spread across the state, this analysis of Coloradans at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 helps the state and communities understand the impact that infection may have in certain areas.  CIVHC , the Center for Improving Value in Health Care, has used data from the Colorado All Payers Claims Database (APCD) to analyze relative risks among Colorado populations.

This information combined with other data sources is critical to help us prepare for future waves of the pandemic and anticipate needs for expanded access to care. For example, the analysis shows that Morgan and Logan counties have a large percentage of younger people (45 to 64 years) at risk for severe disease, and according to CDPHE, those counties also have a high rate of infection. Additional protection and access to care should be considered in areas at risk for severe COVID-19 disease, and additional resources might be particularly urgent if high-infection rates also exist.

Go to the interactive map to view county by county risk comparisons and risk factor profiles.

Colorado Consortium Lunch and Learn Sessions

Wednesdays  May - October
12:30-1:15 p.m

The Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention’s Provider Education work group is pleased to announce a series of free lunch and learn sessions Wednesdays through October from 12:30-1:15 p.m. Each presentation is eligible for .75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. You must pre-register here to receive CME credit; this link also takes you to each program's individual accreditation statement, objectives and disclosures. If you’d simply like to drop-in and not receive CME credit, no pre-registration is required. The 45 minute sessions will include a didactic session followed by Q&A. Click here for a complete list of topics and dates. 

All sessions will be held via Zoom at the link here. Programs will be recorded and posted online for future viewing. 

AMA Offers Weekly Updates on COVID-19 and Explores Impacts on Physicians

The AMA is devoting each Monday of the AMA COVID-19 Update to a look at the key facts and trends of the COVID-19 pandemic, featuring AMA’s Chief Health and Science Officer, Dr. Mira Irons. You can view the most recent episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny7pLpCnF2I.

 

Updates throughout the week will continue to explore the wide-ranging impact of COVID-19 on patients, physicians and the medical community, featuring AMA leadership and subject matter experts, along with leading external experts across the country. They also include an overview of key AMA initiatives to help physicians, residents and medical students with their practices, training and patient care. You can find the library of AMA COVID-19 Updates on the AMA YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/AmerMedicalAssn/videos.

See full survey results here

Denver Medical Bulletin: Alan E. Kimura, MD-President/Publisher / Elizabeth L. Lowdermilk, MD-Chair of the Board / Michael L. Moore, MD, President Elect / Jeremy L. Weiss, DO, Treasurer / Kathy Lindquist-Kleissler, Executive Director. The Bulletin is the official publication of the Denver Medical Society, established April 11, 1871, as the first medical society in the Rocky Mountain West. Published articles represent the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official policy of the Denver Medical Society. All correspondence concerning editorial content, news items, advertising and subscriptions should be sent to: The Editor, Denver Medical Bulletin, 1850 Williams Street, Denver, CO 80218.
Phone (303) 377-1850.
Copyright © *2020* *Denver Medical Society*, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
*1850 Williams Street Denver, CO 80218*

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.