New Alternatives for Performance Improvement Activity Credit

ABFM

ABFM recognizes that in 2018 many family physicians already have ongoing performance improvement initiatives and regular reporting of related measures that meet the criteria for PI activity for family medicine certification. A new Self-Directed Performance Improvement (PI) Project pathway is now available through your Physician Portfolio that allows you to report customized improvement projects specific to your practice environment, regardless of the scope of care you deliver.

How to get started:

  • For the Self-Directed pathway for 1-10 physicians, members can simply login to their ABFM Physician Portfolio, select Access Performance Improvement Activities from the main screen, and choose the ABFM Self-Directed Performance Improvement Project: Clinical.
  • For the Organizational option (groups of more than 10 family physicians), go to https://theabfm.mymocam.com/organizations/ for more information.

There are many additional (PI activities that you can choose from to complete your PI requirement including AAFP-sponsored Performance Navigator activities, PICME approved activities, and METRIC modules, which can be found on the AAFP website. NCQA recognition programs, CPC+ participation, Bridges to Excellence recognition, PI activities from other member boards, and a host of approved options from local, state, regional and national entities may also qualify for your PI requirement. Information about all of these activities can be found in your Physician Portfolio under Performance Improvement Activities on the ABFM website.

Given these alternatives that offer flexibility and relevance to individual practice, the ABFM plans to retire the PPM modules by May 1, 2019. Diplomates will be provided enough time to complete the modules that they have in on progress. Beginning in November 2018, Diplomates that begin a new PPM or have a PPM in progress will be reminded when the PPMs will expire. For questions about how to meet the PI activity or use the new platform, please contact Ann Williamson at (859) 687-2503.

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Comprehensive Payment Calculator Going on the Road

Family Medicine for America’s Health

FMAHealth’s Payment Team developed a Calculator that outlines what a family medicine practice currently being paid in a Fee for Service framework would be paid in a Comprehensive Primary Care Payment (CPCP) framework. To see the Calculator, its User Guide, and the methodology behind it, click here.

After testing the Calculator with a number of practices, the team is taking the Calculator on the road to discuss its utility with payers and employers. Discussions have begun with a major insurer to gauge their interest in the Calculator and the Comprehensive Primary Care Payment framework it puts to use. The first few conversations have opened up an ongoing dialogue about the value of primary care and the importance of paying primary care physicians and their teams in a manner commensurate with the value they provide.

At the same time, the team is in discussions with the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchasing Coalitions and a number of their 50 state coalitions about the value of the Calculator and CPCP for self-insured employers. Coalitions in Nevada, Wisconsin and Business Groups on Health in a number of states have expressed interest in the Calculator and in CPCP. The Alliance in Wisconsin is launching a CPCP pilot project, beginning with 5-10,000 patients and expanding from there. Stay tuned for further updates and let us know if you’re interested in learning more by contacting Wyatt Golledge.

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Upcoming Parent Health Literacy Classes

KHSA

More Parent Health Literacy training opportunities have been added to the calendar. This training is appropriate for any staff who work directly with parents/patients, supervisors and program directors.

The training is free. Three CEUs are available for $15.

Attendees will receive the resources needed to teach parents how to use the “What To Do When Your Child Gets Sick” book using effective, evidence based teaching methods. The KHSA Parent Health Literacy project partners with agencies, medical providers, schools and human services organizations who serve families with young children to provide this important health literacy resource. Visit the KHSA website  or call 785-856-3132 for further information about the Parent Health Literacy Project.

 

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Report: How Can Kansas Hospitals & Health Systems Engage in Population Health?

Kansas Health Institute

The focus on population health has become increasingly important as Kansas demographics, health care delivery and reimbursement are changing. Kansas is becoming older and more diverse racially and ethnically, and the population of Kansans in rural areas is declining. In addition, care has transitioned from an inpatient setting to an outpatient setting, and payers are moving toward reimbursement based on value of care versus volume of services.

The Kansas Health Institute (KHI) and the Kansas Hospital Association (KHA) collaborated on a population health initiative to assess the engagement of Kansas hospitals and health systems in population health and identify resource needs for this work. As part of the initiative, a survey was conducted to better understand the efforts of Kansas hospitals in the area of population health, including definitions of population health, strategies utilized, benefits and challenges. Read the report.

 

 

 

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Addressing Domestic Violence in Rural Healthcare Settings: Tips for Providers

KDHE

Screening patients for violence in the home is particularly challenging in rural areas where limited access to care and resources may be exacerbated by issues of small community confidentiality.   This feature article in The Rural Monitor, provides “Do’s and Don’ts” for a patient-centered approach that involves an entire health care practice, from reception to exam room. The article offers resources for medical provider training, legal information and nationwide organizations offering assistance.

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HUD Housing Now Smoke-Free

KDHE

As of July 30, 2018, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) public housing is smoke-free nationwide. This new federal rule intends to protect residents from the dangers of secondhand smoke – such as premature death and diseases including cancer, asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and more.[i]

This is a critical time to talk to your patients who use tobacco products about becoming and staying tobacco-free. Even brief counseling increases the odds that a patient will successfully quit smoking compared to those who do not receive counseling from a health care provider.[ii]

Remind them that most insurance plans, including Medicaid, cover counseling and cessation medications to assist them in their quitting process. KanCare (Kansas Medicaid) now covers up to four quit attempts per year. Each “quit attempt” includes a free round of nicotine replacement therapy and unlimited counseling sessions.

Don’t forget about the free resources available to tobacco users and their families through the Kansas Tobacco Quitline. The Quitline is available online and by phone, text, or mobile application 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Translation services are available in 150 languages and to people with hearing impairments. The Quitline can be contacted by calling 1-800- QUIT- NOW (784-8669) or by visiting www.KSQuit.org.

The Quitline also offers a Behavioral Health Program which provides free nicotine replacement therapy and additional calls with a Quit Coach for callers with certain mental illnesses including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, substance (drug or alcohol) use disorder (SUD), generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

In addition, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment can provide guidance, resources, and technical assistance to help your organization improve tobacco screening guidelines, provide provider education, develop tobacco-free campus policies, and more, all at no cost. Contact the Kansas Tobacco Use Prevention Program at 785-296-8127 or kdhe.tupp@ks.gov.

[i]Office of the Surgeon General. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2006.
[ii]Fiore, M.C. Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, 2008.
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Attend Upcoming Health Care Community Forums to Expand KanCare

Alliance for a Healthy Kansas

The Alliance for a Healthy Kansas is hosting community meetings for expanding KanCare in the following communities: We encourage you to attend if possible! Thank you.

Tuesday, October 23 | 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. [Download flyer and share]
Kansas Wetlands Education Center
592 North East -156 Highway, Great Bend, KS
RSVP to sean@ExpandCare.com

Tuesday, October 30 | 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. [Download flyer and share]
Advanced Learning Library, Conf Room B
711 W. 2nd St, Wichita, KS
RSVP to sean@ExpandCare.com

 

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Life in Rural America Report & County Health Rankings Report Available

Kansas Primary Care and Rural Health

A new report: Life in Rural America has been published by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) with findings from a survey of rural adults “to understand the current views and experiences of rural Americans on economic and health issues.”  Respondents were optimistic overall, citing positive job prospects and connection with their communities. Of the challenges in rural areas, more than 25 percent of those surveyed cited drug abuse as the biggest problem facing their local community. The second largest concern, at 21 percent, was economic, including poverty and the availability of jobs.  The report challenges the idea that all rural Americans are the same and examines major differences between young and old, those with and without a college degree, and between White residents and minorities. Earlier this year, RWJF issued its annual County Health Rankings. That report included an explicit call to action for community leaders to examine local data and learn more about the social and economic factors in each community that impact health outcomes.

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2018 Breastfeeding Conference: Nov. 1-2

Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition

The Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition presents the 2018 Breastfeeding Conference, November 1-2. The first day of the conference will focus on building the capacity of local breastfeeding coalitions to successfully create communities supporting breastfeeding. Registration for Day 1 will be FREE and will include a KBC membership for 2019 for all attendees. The featured speaker is Shannon McKenney-Shubert, MPH, Executive Director at Michigan Breastfeeding Network who will present two sessions on Thursday, Nov. 1: “Breastfeeding Duration: Dismantling Roadblocks and Changing Systems” and “Speak Up! Being an Ally to Our Most At-Risk Mothers and Children.” The second day of the conference will focus on “hot topics” in lactation to provide clinical skills and breastfeeding knowledge for healthcare professionals and others who serve families. On Nov. 2, the following continuing education credits will be available: 6.5 L-CERPs, 8.1 CNEs for RN re-licensure, and 6.5 CEUs for KS Dietitian Licensure. The registration fee for Day 2 is $110.

View the complete schedule and register online. Online registration closes at noon on Monday, Oct. 29. Walk-ins are welcome for an additional $40.

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American Board of Family Medicine Creates Examination Alternative Option for 2019

ABFM

The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) announces a pilot program to begin in January 2019 that will assess the value and feasibility of a longitudinal assessment option to the 10-year secure examination. Jerry Kruse, MD, Chair of the ABFM Board of Directors, announced the news last week to family physicians attending the 2018 American Academy of Family Physicians Congress of Delegates in New Orleans. Physicians who are current with continuous certification and are due to take the examination in 2019 would be eligible to participate in the pilot. Dr. Kruse stated, “based on the popular Continuous Knowledge Self-Assessment (CKSA) platform, the longitudinal assessment pathway will deliver 25 questions online each quarter to those Diplomates who choose this new option. This approach is more aligned with the ongoing changes in medicine and draws upon adult learning principles, combined with modern technology, to promote learning, retention and transfer of information.  Over time, we will be able to assess the core clinical knowledge of board-certified family physicians and recognize the vast majority who work to keep up to date to take care of their patients.” Read more about the longitudinal assessment.

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