A Newsletter for the Members of the Hawaii Chapter - Summer 2020

Mark Baker, MD, FACEP

President

Tiffany Ligthfoot, RN, MS

Executive Director

Website

President's Message

Aloha Hawaii ACEP Members,

Bob Dylan wrote, “For the times, they are a-changin’.”

If you have not listened to Dylan in a while there is a great movie to watch, Martin Scorsese’s three-and-a-half-hour 2005 documentary, No Direction Home. Watch it over two nights.

With change in mind, I am pleased to introduce Tiffany Lightfoot RN, MS as our new Chapter Executive Director. She has known and worked with Debbie Sanders for years and is happy to carry her torch in supporting the ACEP Hawaii Chapter! Debbie has been supporting our chapter for seventeen years and we owe her many thanks for her dedication! Tiffany is a former paramedic, flight paramedic, and emergency nurse, who now works full time in administration for the Hawaii State Department of Health Emergency Medical Services and Injury Prevention System Branch. She is well prepared to move our Chapter into the future.

Emergency physicians and the profession are near and dear to Tiffany’s heart. She describes herself as “a clumsy kid who took playtime seriously” giving her an early introduction to emergency departments. She found herself with a cast or two from bicycle accidents and other childhood fun. Tiffany is less clumsy these days but continues to show her appreciation for emergency services through professional activities. Tiffany is a huge supporter of telemedicine and provider wellness.

She hopes to provide a pleasant environment for the professional development and needs of Hawaii emergency physicians so they can help patients access the best care available.

Debbie will be helping Tiffany with the transition and will let us know when she officially retires from Hawaii ACEP. Tiffany can be reached at: hi.chapter@acep.org.

Thank you to both Debbie and Tiffany from all the Chapter!

For other news, last month I wrote “our personal and clinical lives have been turned upside down, our jobs are now frightening…” Well, that has not changed. Our lives still seem upside down, or at least shaken up. We have hopefully learned how to cope professionally and personally with this pandemic. ACEP has support available, click on this link.

Here are updates since the last newsletter:

The Annual Meeting at Roy’s Hawaii Kai is still postponed. We will give the pandemic another month and the board will discuss.
The Leadership Conference will not be held in a live format and might be combined with a virtual annual meeting.
The engagED platform is working well to distribute information.
The Chapter hosted several more Zoom lectures and a live Wilderness Medicine/SAR Conference.
Bylaws will be voted on when there is an annual meeting.
The Bylaws change will allow for more directors. Currently, I need a doctor from Kauai and Maui to be a board member. Let me know if you are interested.

Most important, stay well, physically and mentally. The community is supporting us and cares about us.

Mahalo, Mark Baker, MD, FACEP

President, Hawaii Chapter ACEP

markbaker.hi@gmail.com

Hawaii ACEP Annual Meeting and Dinner – POSTPONED – to be RESCHEDULED

The annual meeting which was scheduled for May 20th at Roy’s is POSTPONED. More details will be forthcoming based on future decisions. At this point, it’s not clear when the meeting will be. For information, contact Tiffany Lightfoot at hi.chapter@acep.org or Mark Baker at markbaker.hi@gmail.com.

Wellness Hawaii: Physician Mental Health

by Grace Chen O’Neil, MD, FACEP

Secretary-Treasurer, Hawaii Chapter ACEP

Since this pandemic started, life has really changed drastically in many ways. It has impacted us in Emergency Medicine, more than other specialties. In April, one of our colleagues and a fellow ACEP member, Dr. Lorna Breen, died by suicide. She was the chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the New York Presbyterian Allen Hospital. Dr. Breen had mentioned to her sister that they were having trouble keeping up with the volume of sick patients at her hospital, and people were dying in the emergency waiting room before they could even get inside. She had contracted COVID herself before ending her own life.

A recent study showed emergency medicine providers were experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety, regardless of the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak in their area. 426 emergency physicians that were surveyed reported high levels of burnout and emotional exhaustion. They expressed concern for inadequate testing and PPE. Physicians also were afraid to contract COVID or spread it to members of their family inadvertently. Here in Hawaii, we experienced a drop in our patient volume during the initial mainland surge, which caused some of us to become worried about our finances as well.

ACEP has resources to help deal with stress. As part of the ACEP Member Wellness and Assistance Program, ACEP members get three free crisis support or wellness sessions that are strictly confidential. Professional counselors are available 24/7 by phone, text, online chat, or you can schedule an in-person meeting. Call 1-800-873-7138 to register and begin using your sessions. Another free and confidential service available to physicians and medical students is the Physician Support Line. It can be reached at 1-888-409-014 or physiciansupportline.com.

An estimated 300 physicians die by suicide in the U.S. per year. Physicians in the United States have a higher suicide rate than many other professions and are more likely than the general population to commit suicide. Unfortunately, high self-expectations, intense pressure, and the culture of the medical profession all contribute to this. Physician mental health issues often remain untreated because physicians hold themselves to high standards and mental health issues are perceived as a weakness. If you are feeling depressed or have anxiety or you would just like to speak to someone, please check out these resources at ACEP.org/support.

If you have other contributions to the newsletter, please email me at chengr7@gmail.com.

Urge Congress: Please Support Mental Health Resources and Protections for COVID-19 Health Care Providers

ACEP applauds last week's introduction of the Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act in the Senate. We worked closely with the legislators on the development of this bill and encourage ACEP members to contact their legislators to ask for their support. Read our latest Member Alert for information about this legislation and the other bills ACEP is supporting that advocate for the wellbeing of frontline health care workers.

UH JABSOM Emergency Medicine Interest Group (EMIG): by Gregory Suares, MD, FACEP

Right now, there’s not much to report from the world of JABSOM and the EMIG. COVID-19 disrupted medical student education and JABSOM students were temporarily excluded from all clinical activities. In addition, most of the in-person didactics, lectures, and workshops had to be canceled or postponed for a brief period of time.

Clinical clerkships have adopted alternative learning activities to provide unique learning opportunities remotely/virtually. Right now, it’s just the status quo. We do know that nothing can replace bedside teaching and learning.

On a positive note, there are a number of medical students who have expressed an interest in possible participation in Hawaii ACEP activities. These students represent the future of Emergency Medicine, and we will continue to work closely with them.

The future is unknown for most of us at the moment, but we all hope that our educational community is well prepared for the challenges to come. And in the true spirit of Aloha, we will face those challenges together!

Please feel free to visit the EMIG Website.

Mahalo, Gregory Suares, MD, FACEP

Director, Hawaii Chapter ACEP

gregorysuares@gmail.com

Ph: 808-586-8236; Cell: 808-388-9934

Hawaii ACEP Board Meetings

The Hawaii ACEP Board meetings are held every other month. Hawaii ACEP members are welcome to attend the Board meetings – please contact us in advance if you are interested. For more information on the meetings, contact Tiffany at hi.chapter@acep.org. Upcoming Board meetings will be held on the following dates: Wednesday, September 23, 2020; Wednesday, November 18, 2020; Wednesday, January 27, 2021; Wednesday, March 24, 2021.

Visit our Hawaii ACEP website where you can view or download past issues of our Hawaii ACEP e-newsletter.

2020 Hawaii ACEP Emergency Department Leadership Summit

The 7th annual Hawaii ACEP Emergency Department Leadership Summit has been POSTPONED (date to be advised). Details of meeting will be shared as arrangements are made. This is a forum to discuss critical issues impacting Emergency Physicians, ED Nurse Leadership, Trauma Coordinators, and Emergency Departments state-wide. Our goal is to make this summit interactive, allowing participants to discuss challenges and potential solutions for all counties. We are hopeful that there will be an opportunity to meet with some of our legislators, either during or after the conference. We are all leaders, and you are all invited. Contact Tiffany Lightfoot at hi.chapter@acep.org, Will Scruggs at wscruggs@hepa.net, or Mark Baker at markbaker.hi@gmail.com for more information.

Welcome New Members!

Roderick Alfonso, MD

Oliver Dutczak, MD

Kristen Michelle French, MD

Thomas A Gill, MD

Kevin Patrick Guyton, MD

Samuel Ho

Josef B Jessop, MD

Thomas Larson, DO

Jose I Marquez, MD

Luke Metzker, DO

FROM NATIONAL ACEP

We continue to update our COVID-19 Center to ensure you have the latest information. Quick Links: Physician Wellness Hub | COVID-19 Field Guide

ACEP & EMRA Launch Diversity Mentoring Initiative on August 15

This collaboration between the ACEP Diversity, Inclusion and Health Equity Section (DIHE) and EMRA’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee that supports leadership and career development for diverse medical students, residents, fellows, academic attendings and community emergency physicians in the EM community. The first 200 mentees have been matched with 100 mentors from across the EM community. If you’re interested in being part of the next cohort, slots will open up in six months. Follow #mentorsofEM and #menteesofEM on Twitter to keep tabs on the program’s progress, and learn more at mentor.acep.org.

New Policy Statements and Information Papers

During their June 2020 meeting, the ACEP Board of Directors approved the following new policy statements and information/resource papers. For a full list of the College's current policy statements, consult the ACEP Policy Compendium.

New Policy Statements:

Antimicrobial Stewardship

Expert Witness Cross-Specialty Testimony for Standard of Care

Leadership and Volunteers Conduct Policy

Medical Neutrality

Revised Policy Statements:

2020 Compendium of ACEP Policy Statements on Ethical Issues (page two of the Code of Ethics)

Guidelines Regarding the Role of Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners in the Emergency Department

Role of the Emergency Physician in Injury Prevention and Control for Adult and Pediatric Patients Sunsetted:Reporting of Medical Errors

New Information/Resource Papers (Smart Phrases)

Antitussive Medications for Children

Asthma Exacerbation

Asymptomatic Hypertension

Coronavirus Concern — Confirmed or Suspected

Ethanol Intoxication

Influenza-Like Illness

Injection Drug Use

Motor Vehicle Crash

ACEP20 is a CME Jackpot + Announcing Special Guest: Dr. Anthony Fauci!

ACEP20 will include more than 250 hours of CME education, but here's the best part: Attendees get access to this education and CME for THREE YEARS after the event! All of the live events will be debuting during the original dates: Oct. 26-29. We are happy to announce our first special guest at ACEP20 – Dr. Anthony Fauci, NIAID Director. We’ll be unveiling other celebrity keynote speakers throughout August, so follow ACEP’s social media channels for those exciting announcements. Click here for more information and to register.

Upcoming Webinar: The Long and Winding Road of an Epidemic: Prescription Opioids, Heroin, and Beyond

Join us on August 31, 2020 from 1pm - 2pm CT for the first installment in a 6-part free webinar series on opioid use disorder, federal and state regulations/regulatory considerations and state initiatives. Click here to register.

Moderator and Panelists:

Chadd K Kraus, DO, DrPH, MPH, FACEP, Director, Emergency Medicine Research Core Faculty, Geisinger Medical Center, EM Residency Associate Professor of Medicine, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Harry Monroe, Director, Chapter and State Relations, ACEP
Jeffrey Davis, Regulatory Affairs Director, ACEP

The webinar will be recorded and link to recording will be made available to all registrants. For more information, please email Mari Houlihan at mhoulihan@acep.org.

Regulatory Updates

Check out our Regs & Eggs blog for the latest regulatory updates.

2021 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule: What You Need To Know

ACEP recently published a new comprehensive summary of the 2021 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule and its potential effect on emergency medicine. Last week, we sent a letter expressing our concerns with the proposed cuts and calling on Congress to waive budget neutrality requirements to avert the cuts that pose a significant threat to EM physicians and the health care safety net. Voice your concerns by joining the thousands of ACEP members who have urged their legislators waive the budget neutrality requirement for calendar years 2021 and 2022 by signing on to a bipartisan “Dear Colleague” letter.

HHS Reopens Application Process for Provider Relief Funding

Most EM groups were eligible to receive funding from the Medicare General Distribution. If you missed the original June 3 deadline, you may be eligible to apply now. Note: If you already received funding from the "General Distribution" and kept it, you cannot apply for additional funding. The cap in funding is still 2% of your annual patient revenues.

CMS Delays AUC Program to 2022

CMS recently announced that it would delay the full implementation of the Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) program until at least the start of calendar year (CY) 2022. ACEP has long advocated for emergency physicians to be exempted from this program. Learn more about the AUC program.

As of Aug. 1, all laboratories must report certain data elements for all COVID-19 tests (including patient demographic data). The responsibility of collecting this information may fall on emergency physicians.

What President Trump's Executive Order on Rural Health and Telehealth Means for EM

On August 3, President Trump issued an executive order (EO) that calls on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop new payment models aimed at transforming how clinicians practicing in rural areas are reimbursed under Medicare. Further, the President states in the EO that he believes that many of the telehealth flexibilities available during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) should be made permanent and asks HHS to issue a reg that would examine which services should continue to be provided to patients via telehealth after the PHE ends. On the same day the EO was issued, the (CY) 2021 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and Quality Payment Program (QPP) proposed reg was released, which includes a robust set of proposed telehealth policies. Last week's regulatory blog digs in to the telehealth proposals and what they could mean for emergency physicians.

Marking Physician Suicide Awareness Day

Physician Suicide Awareness Day is coming up on Sept. 17. ACEP will be providing updates on the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act and additional tools and resources to mark this solemn occasion. As we advocate against barriers that prevent EM physicians from seeking mental health care, ACEP encourages members to visit the Wellness Hub at acep.org/wellness-hub for multiple pathways to help you find the support you need during this challenging season for our profession.

The Innovation in Suicide Prevention Award recognizes promising and innovative acute care activities in the area of suicide prevention that improve patient outcomes and improve lives of patients and/or providers. Nominations are due Sept. 1.

NEMPAC Charity Match

For a limited time, your NEMPAC contribution of $100 or more will be matched 10 cents on the dollar by ACEP to a charitable cause that provides resources to the COVID-19 front lines. The more you give, the more we give back! You can choose from one of three charities after making your contribution online: EMF COVID-19 Research Fund, GetUsPPE.org or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Click here to join your fellow ACEP members today to support meaningful political and charitable involvement.

Be Accredited to Provide Pain & Addiction Care in the ED

Show your community that your ED is part of the solution. ACEP is now accepting applications for the Pain & Addiction Care in the ED (PACED) Accreditation Program, developed for EM physicians by EM physicians.

PACED, the nation’s only specialty-specific accreditation program, will provide the education, tools & resources you need to provide better care for patients in pain & those with substance misuse.

Elevate the quality of patient care with innovative treatments, alternative modalities, and impactful risk reduction strategies in a collaborative team setting, resulting in positive outcomes for your patients, families, providers, and communities. Learn more at www.acep.org/PACED or contact us at paced@acep.org

Hawaii Chapter ACEP

3215 -A Pawale Place, Honolulu, HI

View Web Version