Nueces County Medical Society NCMS NOTES - PHYSICIAN NEWSLETTER

NCMS 2023 Executive Board Ruben Pedraza, M.D.

Allyson Larkin, M.D.

President

Melissa Chiasson, M.D.

President Elect

Nelly Garcia-Bow, DO Secretary

Alma Rigonan, M.D. Treasurer

Vice-President

Crystal Garza, M.D. Treasurer-Elect

TMA Delegates Lokesh Goyal, M.D. Board of Censors

Fredrick McCurdy, MD Jacob Moore, MD Matt Bayazitoglu, MD Jack Cortese, MD Vijay Bindingnavele, MD Jerry D. Hunsaker, MD Mary Dahlen Peterson, MD Karl Serrao, MD

Susan Schulze, M.D. Board of Censors

Alternate TMA Delegates Llewellyn Lee, M.D. Board of Censors

Pradip Dhar, MD Doug Pappas, MD David Wilson, MD Rafael Coutin, MD Melissa Chiasson, MD Daniel Doucet, MD David Vanderheiden, MD Al Gest, DO

Maria Narcise, M.D. Board of Censors

Past Presidents

Steven Vela, M.D. Board of Censors

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2022

Sonia Mathew, MD 2022 Jack L. Cortese, MD 2021 Marita Rafael, MD 2020 Jacob Moore, MD 2019 Justin Hensley, MD 2018

Nueces County Medical Society

William Wang, MD Board of Censors

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2023 NCMS/TMA Dues Statements Nueces County Medical Society (NCMS) and the Texas Medical Association (TMA) joint membership renewals for 2023 have been mailed.

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Renewing your dues is fast and easy using any of the options below: Detach the payment slip included in your dues statement and mail with your check or credit card payment to the address indicated on the form; Renew online your membership online at www.texmed.org/renew ; or Set up an interest-free payment plan by calling NCMS at 361-884-5442. You may also request a form by emailing [email protected]

Additionally, NCMS offers automatic membership renewals. By joining the automatic renewal program, you will ensure your membership never lapses and you will not miss out on any benefits. For questions, call NCMS at 361-884-5442.

Together we are stronger!

E/M Revisions in 2023 CPT Code Set Aim to Simplify Documentation In an effort to continue to tamp down physicians’ administrative burden, the American Medical Association has revised the codes and guidelines for most evaluation and management (E/M) services in its 2023 Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code set. The updates build on past documentation reduction efforts. The new updates – among 393 in total, including 225 new codes, 75 deletions, and 93 revisions – take effect Jan. 1, 2023. As this story went to press, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services had just released its 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule, in which AMA indicated the revised CPT guidelines and codes had been adopted.

Read more. Source: TMT

TMA Files Additional Lawsuit Over Surprise Billing Rule Bloomberg Law (11/30, Reed, Subscription Publication) reports in paywalled coverage, “The Texas Medical Association filed a second lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services over its regulation outlining the process for settling payment disputes between health-care providers and insurers under the No Surprises Act.” The measure shifts “the scale in insurers’ favor in the way it instructs them to calculate an important metric to negotiations, the association said in its complaint filed Wednesday in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.”

Source: Medical News Roundup

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Top Stories

Flu Season Intensifying In US With More Than 6M Cases Confirmed So Far, CDC Says The Hill (11/29, Dress) reports, “Flu season is intensifying in the U.S. with more than 6 million cases confirmed so far, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on Monday.” The CDC “said in a weekly update it has already recorded more than 53,000 hospitalizations and 29,000 deaths from the flu this season, as of the week ending Nov. 19.” Furthermore, 12 “children have died from the flu so far, the CDC said, and the cumulative hospitalization rate is the highest it’s been at this point in the flu season since the 2010-2011 one.”

Ransomware Attacks Continue To Be Most Prolific Threat, With Healthcare Sector A

Top Target, Report Says HealthIT Security (11/29, Rodriguez) reports, “Ransomware attacks continue to be the most prolific threat that organizations face across all infrastructure verticals, with the healthcare sector as a top target, according to the GuidePoint Research Q3 GRIT Ransomware report.” Following “the manufacturing sector, the healthcare industry was the second targeted by ransomware attacks in Q3. Ransomware groups such as Everest, BianLain, and LockBit were responsible for most of the attacks on the healthcare sector.”

Texas To Stop Releasing COVID-19 Vaccination Data The Houston Chronicle (11/25, MaDonald) reported, “The Texas Department of State Health Services will no longer provide updates on the number of COVID-19 vaccinations being administered statewide as it transitions to reporting coronavirus data on a weekly basis.” This “decision to stop releasing COVID-19 vaccination data is intended to ‘normalize’ its approach to the coronavirus, DSHS Senior Press Officer Lara Anton said.” Anton also “said DSHS will continue to collect COVID-19 vaccination data for as long as that emergency requirement remains in place but will no longer release it as part of its COVID-19 data updates.”

Source: Medical News Roundup

Physician Practice Issues

Six In 10 Patients Had A Bad Healthcare Experience In The Past Year, Report Finds PatientEngagementHIT (11/29, Heath) reports, “Six in 10 patients had a bad healthcare experience in the past year, leaving the door open for organizations to get a bad reputation or even lose market share, according to the latest The Beryl Institute-Ipsos PX Pulse, a quarterly report that examines the patient experience.” The report, based on “over 1,000 patient responses to the Ipsos KnowledgePanel, showed that 60 percent of patients had a poor healthcare experience in the past three months and very few (14 percent) could say they’ve had a positive healthcare experience in the past three months.”

Source: Medical News Roundup

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Friends of Medicine The Nueces County Medical Society appreciates the generosity of the following organizations in underwriting NCMS events.

Gold Driscoll Health Plan MD Anderson Cancer Center Morgan Stanley, The Volpe Group PlainsCapital Bank TMAIT TMLT

Silver American Bank Harbor Hospice– Corpus Christi Conviva/Humana Humpal Physical Therapy Premier Bio-Waste Solutions Friends of Medicine – Commercial Support of NCMS The Nueces County Medical Society (NCMS) established Friends of Medicine to invite businesses that serve physicians to support NCMS and increase their visibility among its physician members. Corporate support of NCMS contributes to its ability to advocate and care for physicians and patients in Nueces County. NCMS thanks these organizations and shares information about their products and services with NCMS members. Please consider these organizations for your practices. For information about their products and services, go to www.nuecesmedsociety.org and click on the Friends of Medicine at the top of the page. Participation in Friends of Medicine does not constitute an endorsement by NCMS of the participating organizations or the organizations’ products and services.

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WHO, CDC Warn Measles Is An “Imminent Threat” Worldwide The Washington Post (11/24, Jeong) reported measles “could be on the verge of a comeback after a lull in the immediate months following the emergence of the coronavirus, the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.” Calling the disease “an ‘imminent threat in every region of the world,’ the two public health bodies said in a report that almost 40 million children missed their vaccine doses last year.” An increase in measles cases in 2021 “came amid poorer disease surveillance and vaccine campaigns that were delayed by the pandemic, the WHO and CDC said.” The AP (11/23, McDonald, Soo) reported, “In 2021, officials said there were about 9 million measles infections and 128,000 deaths worldwide.” The agencies “reported that only about 81% of children receive their first dose of measles vaccine while 71% get their second dose, marking the lowest global coverage rates of the first measles dose since 2008.”

Reuters (11/23, Rigby, Mahobe) also reported.

Source: Medical News Roundup

Texas Children’s Hospital Sees 800% Increase In Children Visiting ER With Mental Health Crises The Houston Chronicle (11/16, Bauman) reports “the number of children turning up in the emergency

room with mental health crises at Texas Children’s Hospital has skyrocketed 800% since before the pandemic, according to the hospital.” In 2019, Texas Children’s Hospital’s “three emergency centers in Houston typically saw fewer than 50 kids per month seeking help for a behavioral health crisis, said Dr. Karin Price, chief of psychology at Texas Children’s.” Now, about “400 to 450 children and adolescents are coming to those emergency centers each month..., Price said.”

COVID-19 Rebound Following Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir Treatment Appears To Be At Least Twice As Common As Previously Thought, Study Suggests CNN (11/16, Goodman) reports “cases of Covid-19 rebound following treatment with the antiviral medication” nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) “-- where infections rev back up again after people complete their five-day course of the medication – appear to be at least twice as common as doctors previously knew, a...study suggests.” Furthermore, “Covid-19 rebound...seems to be more common in people who take Paxlovid compared with those who don’t take the antiviral.” Of the 127 people “who took Paxlovid, about 14% saw their viral loads climb again after treatment,” according to the findings (PDF) published online “as a preprint, ahead of peer review.”

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Beware of Phony TMB, DEA Agents and Other Scams The Texas Medical Board (TMB) continues warning physicians to be on alert for scammers involving criminals who pose as officials from TMB or other state and federal agencies. The Texas Medical Association also warns of third parties pretending to be affiliated with TMA or our authorized vendors. TMB passed along a report from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that says physicians registered with the DEA are receiving calls and emails from criminals who identify themselves as DEA personnel or other law enforcement agents. “In some instances callers may claim to be employees with the Texas Medical Board, DEA, FBI or other law enforcement entity and may even attempt to spoof agency phone numbers or send documents on official-looking letterhead demanding money,” TMB said in its alert. “Please know the TMB would never call and make such requests for sensitive information over the phone or send demand letters for money to reinstate licenses or threaten the arrest of licensees. The TMB does not suspend licenses at the direction of the DEA, FBI or other federal entity. Additionally, the TMB has no authority to issue, cancel, or influence arrest warrants as some scams have indicated.” According to the DEA notice, the criminals mask their telephone number on caller ID by displaying the DEA Registration Support 800 number. A real DEA employee would not contact a registrant and demand money, or threaten to suspend someone’s registration over the phone, the DEA says. FBI has issued similar fraud alerts. If you receive such a call from someone claiming to be either a DEA or TMB official, report it using the DEA’s online extortion scam reporting form here. For more information, you can also go here to locate and contact your local DEA field office, or contact the Registration Service Center at (800) 882-9539 or [email protected]. TMA experts also urge vigilance to identify and avoid scam contacts and websites from third parties claiming affiliations with the association, a TMA event, or a TMA authorized vendor. They offer this information regarding common scams:

1. Mailing Lists: Mailing lists are a popular tool used by individuals or organizations trying to get you to provide

your personal information and/or to pay them money. Organizations and individuals might try to target TMA vendors, guests, and our members by offering to rent or sell attendee, member or exhibitor contact information. TMA does not rent or sell lists like this to a third party broker for the purpose of the broker to then re -sell or rent the lists to others in exchange for payment. If you are ever contacted by an entity or individual claiming to offer you a list like this or similar information for rent or sell relating to TMA, a TMA event, or a TMA-authorized vendor, please contact TMA to verify whether this is a legitimate offer. 2. Websites: Organizations or individuals also may create websites falsely claiming to provide registration for TMA events (including continuing medical education classes) and hotels. For TMA event registration and related hotel accommodations (to the extent applicable for a TMA event), please go through TMA’s official website, http://www.texmed.org, for valid information. If you have trouble navigating our website, you can contact the TMA Knowledge Center by phone at 512-370-1550 or by email at [email protected]. Use caution if you receive a message from a third party claiming you have received a reward relating to a TMA event or claiming there is a problem with your registration, membership, or a TMA or authorized vendor service. Many times those messages might include language to pressure you to take quick action, such as marking the message “immediate action required” or “urgent.” If the communication is asking for you to click a link, download an attachment, or asking for financial information or private contact information, make sure to stop and consider whether this could be a scam. If you have any doubt about the authenticity of a communication or website relating to TMA, a TMA event, or a TMA-authorized vendor, or to report a potential scam encounter, please contact TMA at [email protected]. Source: TMA

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2022-2023 NCMS Have you picked up your copy?

NCMS Members & Advertisers receive a complimentary copy. NCMS members additional copies @ $21.65 (sales tax included) Non-members and businesses: $43.29 per copy (sales tax included) 10 copies or more receive a discount: $32.48 per copy (sales tax included) Supplies are limited.

The Most Widely used book in the Coastal Bend Medical Community! Preview Your MIPS Performance Data Before It Goes Public Physicians participating in Medicare’s 2021 Quality Payment Program have until Dec. 20 to preview their performance ratings before they are made publicly available in 2023. Physicians and groups can see their MeritBased Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Qualified Clinical Data Registry quality measures; MIPS promoting interoperability measures and attestations; MIPS improvement activities attestations; and final scores plus those in the four individual reporting categories (quality, promoting interoperability, improvement activities, and cost). The information is later displayed on Care Compare and in the PDC using star ratings, percent scores, and checkmarks. Read more.

Source: TMT

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Coastal Bend Medicine September/October issue

NCMS Walk With A Doc Refreshment Station

Would you like to sponsor refreshments for a future WWAD? Contact NCMS at 361-884-5442 or via email [email protected]

Come by the NCMS office to pick up your copy or view it online at https://www.nuecesmedsociety.org/tmaimis/

NCMS Walk With a Doc is back and we are looking for sponsors/ donations for refreshments, water, fruit and other treats. If you are interested in helping sponsoring refreshments contact NCMS via email [email protected] or 361-884-5442. We are excited to be walking again and partnering with “Safe Fun-Fit at the Bayfront”

2nd Saturday of every month!

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Walk With A Doc

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Friends of Medicine

Thank you to our Sponsors

Gold Level

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Harbor hospice xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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Flu and RSV Patients Filling Up Texas Hospitals The two viral respiratory diseases have made an unwelcome early appearance this fall, causing cases to rise sharply weeks earlier than normal across the U.S. And while COVID-19 rates remain low for now, they are expected to rise this fall and winter as well, posing a triple threat – particularly among

children – that could overwhelm health care systems. Read more.

TMB Physician Health Program Guides Physicians Through Impairment Issues Help, not discipline. That's the goal of this confidential Texas Medical Board program when an addictive disorder or another behavioral health problem impairs the physician’s ability to practice medicine. And such programs have a successful track record. Read more

From the Desk of Dr. Mark Geneser, Editorial Board Member, Coastal Bend Medicine

A Call For Cases I am certain that most, if not all physicians that appreciate these “Standout Cases” have tens, if not hundreds of similar cases experienced through their training or practice that have been instrumental in forming their clinical base of knowledge. We on the editorial board would like to extend an invitation to local physicians to summarize and share these cases that have been uniquely instructional to them and might be of interest to others. Please submit articles to: Sandra Montemayor at: [email protected]

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Are you looking for an advertising opportunity? The NCMS Coastal Bend Medicine has an excellent readership and is marketed to Corpus Christi and surrounding communities. Interested in promoting your business to physicians and other businesses contact NCMS at [email protected]

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NCMS EXECUTIVE BOARD At its November 12th meeting, the Executive Board took the following action: . Public Education/Public Relations – Walk with a Doc will have it’s fourth walk . Membership Committee – 770 members, membership increasing. Employee Relations Committee— met to discuss performance of the Executive Director. Executive Director’s Report – – NCMS continues to increase membership, NCMS events and TMA Never Member campaign have

helped to increase interest in membership. First round of dues invoices have been distributed and 116 renewals have been received. All tax filings and forms have been submitted and the medical society is in good fiscal standing. Installation Dinner sponsorships continue to increase and all contracts for the event have been finalized. Sponsors to date are Driscoll, HCA, TMAIT, TMLT, Coastal Bend Eye Center, Humpal Physical Therapy, and Premier Bio Waste Solutions. The Coastal Bend Medicine continues to struggle to gain advertisers, Grunwald will no longer print the magazine at no cost to the society after 2022; advertising will have to increase to sustain publication. Currently two past presidents are hospitalized and would welcome visitors as part of the NCMS Cares program.

NCMS Installation Dinner Art Museum of South Texas , Singer Gallery December 13, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.

December 2022 December 5 ,

Executive Board Meeting, 6:00 p.m., NCMS Office

December 8,

PHR Committee Meeting, 6:00 p.m., NCMS Office,

December 10,

NCMS Walk With A Doc, 8:00—10:00 a.m., Water’s Edge Park

December 13,

Installation Dinner, 6:00 p.m. Art Museum of South Texas, Singer Gallery

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