A Newsletter for the Members of the Minnesota Chapter - Winter 2020

Timothy Johnson, MD, FACEP

President

Shari Augustin

Executive Director

507.384.3164 | Website

President’s Message

Timothy Johnson, MD, FACEP

"May you live in interesting times”—famous Chinese curse.

Minnesota emergency physicians are living in very interesting times. While I am excited and honored to serve over the next two years as the new president of our state chapter, there are more existential threats to our specialty and our patients than there have been for the past twenty years.

I know most of us don’t have any desire to be policy wonks, and we all long for a simpler past when we could just care for our patients and remain blissfully ignorant of the sausage-making that goes on in Washington, in St. Paul, and in the revenue cycle billing and coding back-of-the-house operations that we all depend on for our paychecks (unless elves bring sacks of gold to your door at night). Frankly, those days are not the interesting times we have before us right now. Whether you work for an independent group (like I do), an academic practice, a hospital-employed physician model, or even an independent contractor model, there are things happening right now that threaten to drop your pay by 30% or more, as well as slowing the throughput of your patients presenting with psychiatric emergencies even more than it is right now. Read More

My favorite cause is advocating for emergency physicians. My email is tim7thsonmd@msn.com. Drop me a line, especially if you want to advocate too.

Legislative Update

Buck McAlpin, Legislative Consultant

The 2020 Minnesota Legislative Session gaveled in on Tuesday the 11th of February at noon. This is year two of the legislatures biannual budget process. Last year they did the State’s large budget bill, and this session the primary focus will be agreeing to and approving a bonding bill for the State. Although large budget bills are not compiled like the first year of the session, it’s not un-common for the legislature to pass a “supplemental” budget. The House DFL majority leadership just released what they consider their session priorities: Early childhood learning, insulin affordability, paid family and medical leave, gun violence prevention and bonding. Read More

Welcome New Members!

Ashley A Anderson, MD

Alexandra Halleen Atkins

Kelly Barringer, MD

Claire Elizabeth Baumgartner

Jill Christine Oh Crosby, MD

Elizabeth Claire Fogelson, MD

Jacob Lee Helmer

Matthew J Jones, MD

Heather Kaluzniak

Andrew L Matthews, MD, FACEP

John McGrory

Dane J Mitteness, MD

John Murray, DO

Marin Grace Olson

Betzalel Reich, MD

Samuel Rouleau

Kristin Rouse

Daniel Ritz Witt

FROM NATIONAL ACEP

Articles of Interest in Annals of Emergency Medicine - Winter 2020

Sam Shahid, MBBS, MPH

Practice Management Manager, ACEP

ACEP would like to provide you with very brief synopses of the latest articles and articles coming soon to Annals of Emergency Medicine. Some of these have not appeared in print. These synopses are not meant to be thorough analyses of the articles, simply brief introductions. Before incorporating into your practice, you should read the entire articles and interpret them for your specific patient population. View synopses here.

Annals Supplement: Social EM

Want to know more on social determinants of health? Check out the special, open-access Annals of Emergency Medicine supplement "Inventing Social Emergency Medicine: A Consensus Conference to Establish the Intellectual Underpinnings of Social Emergency Medicine."

New Policy Statements and Information Papers

The following policy statements and information papers were recently approved by the ACEP Board. For a full list of the College's current policy statements, consult the ACEP Policy Compendium.

New Policy Statements

Pediatric Readiness in Emergency Medical Services Systems

Opposition to Copays for Medicaid Beneficiaries

Revised Policy Statements

Firearm Safety and Injury Prevention

The Role of Emergency Physicians in the Care of Children

New Information and Resource Papers

Information and Resources Addressing Falsification of Data in Research

Resources on Behavioral Health Crowding and Boarding in the Emergency Department

Announcing the new ACEP Clinical Alert

Keep up with the latest physician guidance and clinical updates from the CDC with the ACEP Clinical Alert online.

Need a Card That Says You Exceed the Need for a Merit Badge?

ACEP believes that certification by ABEM or AOBEM supersedes the need for so-called “merit badge” short courses and opposes such requirements for board certified EPs. Many credentialing bodies, however, still require physicians to produce evidence of completion of the short courses. For members required to have such a card, ACEP offers its members a set of personalized cards online.

NEMPAC has your back in the 2020 Elections

2020 is an important election year. This is no time to sit on the sidelines! NEMPAC is working hard to ensure the concerns of emergency medicine and patients are front and center with candidates running for federal office. Your support this year will make our voice stronger to help elect emergency medicine supporters in Congress and identify and cultivate future champions. The NEMPAC Board of Trustees and staff have put together an informative presentation on NEMPAC’s role in the 2020 elections and how decisions are made to support candidates. Click here to view the presentation and click here to support NEMPAC today.

Update on ACEP’s APM Strategic Initiative

ACEP has an exciting update on our Alternative Payment Model (APM) Strategic Initiative. As background, a couple years ago, ACEP created the Acute Unscheduled Care Model (AUCM), a Medicare APM specifically designed for emergency physicians. Currently, individual emergency physicians and emergency medicine groups do not have any opportunities to directly participate in “Advanced APMs.” Under Medicare, participation in an Advanced APM could result in a five percent payment bonus through 2024 and a higher payment fee schedule update starting in 2026. The AUCM has been endorsed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), but not yet implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

As ACEP waits to see how CMS may implement the AUCM in Medicare, we are simultaneously pursuing model implementation by other payors, including Medicaid and private payors. More and more state Medicaid agencies and private payors are moving away from fee-for-service (FFS) contracts with physicians and other health care practitioners towards value-based payment arrangements, and the AUCM is an ideal APM construct for these payors to pursue for emergency medicine.

Through the APM Strategic Initiative, ACEP is continually providing information and resources to emergency medicine groups, state Medicaid agencies, private payors, and other stakeholders about how to structure and participate in emergency-medicine focused APMs that use the AUCM as a framework. We are happy to announce that we have updated our APM Strategic Initiative website with additional resources that provide a more detailed overview of the AUCM and its potential for improving emergency care and reducing costs.

While these resources are mainly background materials for you to learn more about the AUCM, ACEP is in the process of developing targeted tool kits that you can use to engage in discussions with state Medicaid agencies and private payors on emergency-medicine focused APMs. Stay tuned for this next phase of the initiative.

Concerned About Opioid Use? $500k ALTO Demonstration Grants for EDs

SAMSHA released a grant opportunity for the Emergency Department Alternatives to Opioids (ALTO) Demonstration Program designed to expand non-opioid treatment protocols in emergency departments throughout the country. Applications are due March 17.

Nominate Your Peers, Med Students and Faculty

Nominations are open for the 2020 ACEP Leadership & Excellence Awards, honoring members who distinguish themselves for leadership and excellence in EM. Submit nominations in one or more award categories by March 1. Awards for the ACEP/EMRA Medical Student Professionalism and Service Award and ACEP faculty awards are both due by April 15.

Until Help Arrives

The first few minutes after a major medical emergency are critical for survival, and emergency personnel aren’t always the first ones on the scene. To educate the general public on basic life-saving skills, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) created Until Help Arrives, a one-hour training course taught by emergency physicians in their local communities. Learn more.

Free Counseling Available for ACEP Members

Receive exclusive access to 3 free counseling sessions through ACEP’s new Wellness & Assistance Program. Support is available 24/7, & you can conduct your sessions over the phone, face-to-face, via text message or through online chat. Learn more.

Be Accredited to Provide Pain & Addiction Care in the ED

Show your community that your ED is part of the solution. ACEP will soon launch the Pain & Addiction Care in the ED (PACED) Accreditation Program, developed for EM physicians by EM physicians. It will provide the education, tools & resources you need to provide better care for patients in pain & those with substance misuse.

Registration Is Now Open for ACEP’s 2020 Leadership and Advocacy Conference

Advocate for your specialty, engage with new Members of Congress and connect with EM leaders at ACEP's Leadership & Advocacy Conference (LAC) - April 26-28, 2020 in Washington, DC. Register today with promo code CAPITOL to save $75* and make your voice heard! Hurry – the hotel always sells out fast. https://www.acep.org/LAC

Minnesota Chapter ACEP

6 Greenhaven Bay #289

Faribault, MN 55021

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