Getting tested for COVID-19 is about protecting yourself and your loved ones. To help ensure everyone has access to COVID-19 testing, the NC Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with NC-based Labcorp, has launched a pilot program to provide 35,000 no-cost, at-home COVID-19 collection kits for North Carolinians who may face difficulties traveling to testing sites. If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or think you may need to get tested, please get tested.
Our colleagues at the UNC Lineberger Cancer Network have a variety of live and on-demand content that may be of interest to you. In particular, the 'Patient Centered Care' series includes topics relevant to primary care clinicians. While it is short notice for the webinar this Friday, consider saving time on your calendar for future offerings (the March 9th event may be especially relevant for you).
Please join NC Medicaid Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Shannon Dowler, along with the NC Medicaid Managed Care Plan CMOs, for the February Fireside Chat on Thursday, February 17 from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Postpartum depression is a form of depression that occurs in some women following pregnancy and delivery. It is one of the most common medical complications during the six months following childbirth and is associated with adverse outcomes for both mother and child. In North Carolina, nearly 11% of women experienced postpartum depression. Source: America's Health Rankings https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/health-of-women-and-children/measure/postpartum_depression/state/NC
NCMGMA is rolling out a brand-new opportunity for practice administrators, managers, and industry leaders with its Productive Practice Leaders Certification through a 2022 Master Class.
On Tuesday, January 25, HHS announced that it is disbursing an additional $2 billion in Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 payments. Like the payments allocated in December, these will be based on lost revenues and increased expenses due to COVID-19 and will be made to health care providers who previously applied for relief funds.
On January 24, 2022, NC State Health Director, Dr. Betsey Cuervo Tilson, rescinded the statewide standing orders for the following due to the high prevalence of the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in North Carolina for which these therapies are not an effective treatment:
Blue Cross NC has made the business decision to update the Status Codes Reimbursement Policy, effective January 21, 2022.
The North Carolina AHEC Practice Support Program is an approved Project of the North Carolina Maintenance of Certification (NC MOC) Program, an approved sponsor of the American Board of Medical Specialties’ (ABMS) Multi-specialty Portfolio Program (MSPP). Most ABMS Member Boards recognize this participation as an option to meet Part IV requirements. The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) also accepts NC MOC credit for physician assistants.
Through this approval, physicians and physician assistants who work with an NC AHEC Practice Support coach to improve care for patients will meet the requirements of their specialty boards to maintain certification in their specialties. (NPs see below)
