Top Docs Radio

Tanya Mack and Jason Bearden CareSource Beginning, July 1 st , CareSource, an Ohio based Care Management Organization (CMO) will expand into the Georgia market and begin serving a portion of Georgia’s 1 million Medicaid consumers and become the state’s 4 th CMO. They will share an over $4B agreement over the next 6 years […]

 

Dr. Tarik Shaheen and Iris Telehealth

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD is now the most prevalent psychiatric illiness of young people in America, affecting approximately 11% of children between the ages of 4-17. This brain/mental health disorder is characterized by inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. The cause is unknown, but suspected to be a link between genetic and environmental factors.

ADHD affects males almost 3x more than females. Complicating this problem in our healthcare system is both a lack of access (especially in rural areas) and a shortage of child psychiatrists and counselors. Join our segment today as one of the top child psychiatrists discusses ADHD and his company’s unique approach to provide these services via telehealth.

www.iristelehealth.com

 

Dr. Kay Kirkpatrick

Georgia Senator Dr. Kay Kirkpatrick

Dr. Kay Kirkpatrick won a May 16 runoff election for the Georgia Senate District 32 to become

the fifth physician to serve in the current General Assembly. Sen. Kirkpatrick was an orthopedic

surgeon in the Atlanta area for more than 30 years, she served as the co-president of Resurgens

Orthopedics for 12 years, she remains active in the Resurgens Charitable Foundation she

founded, and she is a member of the Medical Association of Georgia’s Medical Reserve Corps –

which is prepared to respond to natural disasters and disease outbreaks in the state. Dr.

Kirkpatrick’s district stretches from east Cobb County to Sandy Springs. She succeeds Sen.

Judson Hill, who ran for the 6th U.S. Congressional District seat that was vacated by Rep. Tom

Price, M.D., who became the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

Dr. Kirkpatrick believes that a lot of important health care issues will be addressed at the state

level regardless of what happens with the American Health Care Act – which recently passed the

U.S. House of Representatives. Sen Kirkpatrick believes that the key health care challenges we

face in Georgia include ensuring that patients who live in rural areas and other underserved

populations have access to the care they need. She also believes that we need to manage the

Medicaid program in a more effective way, including using a more proactive approach to

managing chronic disease. Dr. Kirkpatrick says that, “We also have a big problem with a lack of

competition in both the health insurance and health care delivery arenas in the state. These are

complex problems, but we need to protect patient choice and we need to promote competition in

health care.” Sen. Kirkpatrick also emphasizes that, “We need to take steps to address the

prescription drug abuse and heroin overdose epidemics in the state, which have taken an

especially heavy toll on our young people.” Finally, she believes that the medical profession can

play a key role in helping the state prepare for natural disasters and disease outbreaks, which is

why she volunteered to become a member of the Medical Association of Georgia’s Medical

Reserve Corps.

MAG President Steven M. Walsh, M.D., says that, “The Medical Association of Georgia is

extremely proud of Dr. Kirkpatrick. It is imperative for physicians to have a voice in the state’s

legislative process, so I hope that her election inspires other physicians to run for elected office.”

Dr. Kay Kirkpatrick Georgia Senator Dr. Kay Kirkpatrick Dr. Kay Kirkpatrick won a May 16 runoff election for the Georgia Senate District 32 to become the fifth physician to serve in the current General Assembly. Sen. Kirkpatrick was an orthopedic surgeon in the Atlanta area for more than 30 years, she served as the co-president […]

Dr. Tarik Shaheen and Iris Telehealth Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD is now the most prevalent psychiatric illiness of young people in America, affecting approximately 11% of children between the ages of 4-17. This brain/mental health disorder is characterized by inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. The cause is unknown, but suspected to be a link […]

Sydney Welch

Does My Practice Still Need To Prepare For MACRA?

Lawmakers changed the way Medicare physicians and other health care professionals are paid

when they passed the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) in 2015.

MACRA resulted in the Medicare Quality Payment Program (QPP), which is designed to move

physicians from a fee-for- service program to a value-based payment system.

The actions that physicians take in 2017 will determine what they get paid in 2019. The Centers for Medicare, Medicaid Services’ goal is to tie 90 percent of all Medicare fee-for- service payments to quality or value by the end of 2018. The QPP replaced the Medicare SGR, and it is a zero-sum gain

program – which means that there will be winners and losers. Physicians could see their pay

increase or decrease by as much as four percent in 2019, depending on what they do in 2017.

The QPP established two paths for physicians to take, including the Merit-based Incentive

Payment Program (MIPS), which is a modified fee-for- service system, and Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs), which is a track for physicians who are already participating in one of the eligible advanced alternative payment models. It is crucial for physicians to figure out how to fulfill their QPP reporting requirements to avoid any cuts in pay in 2019 – as well as determining whether they will go above and beyond the minimum requirements to position themselves for a pay increase in 2019.

Finally, it is highly unlikely that MACRA/MIPS will be revised or repealed in the foreseeable

future.

Sidney Welch is the chair of Health Care Innovation at Polsinelli PC. Sidney counsels physicians, physician practices, and health care technology clients in transactional, regulatory, administrative law, and litigation matters on a national basis. She serves in leadership roles for the ABA Health Law Section, the America Health Lawyers Association, and the American Society of Medical Association Counsel.

Sidney has a bachelor’s degree from Davidson College, a master’s degree in public health from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and a law degree from Samford University. It is also worth noting that she has written a regular feature for MAG’s quarterly Journal since 2008.

Sydney Welch Does My Practice Still Need To Prepare For MACRA? Lawmakers changed the way Medicare physicians and other health care professionals are paid when they passed the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) in 2015. MACRA resulted in the Medicare Quality Payment Program (QPP), which is designed to move physicians from a fee-for- […]

Dr. C. Anne Patterson

Womens Health Week

This week marks national “Women’s Health Week” in America! The goal is empower women to make their health a priority and to take time out to reflect on how we can improve our health. Women are never too busy to take care of their health! Dr. Anne Patterson, a board-certified OBGYN and past President of the GA OBGYN Society will be discussing steps women can take to improve and maintain their health throughout their lives and preventive screenings for women.

  Womens Health Week This week marks national “Women’s Health Week” in America! The goal is empower women to make their health a priority and to take time out to reflect on how we can improve our health. Women are never too busy to take care of their health! Dr. Anne Patterson, a board-certified OBGYN and past President […]

Dan Huff

Talking About Bad Outcomes

All medical malpractice cases involve bad outcomes that generally involve significant damages.

In addition to the patient and their family, bad outcomes often devastate the physician and other

care providers. Unfortunately, bad outcomes are unpreventable in many cases.

How a physician handles a bad outcome with the patient and their family is critical when it comes to avoiding litigation, and how a physician responds to a bad outcome can say more about them than the fact that the bad outcome occurred.  In the event of a bad outcome, the interest of the patient must be first and foremost.

A physician must put his or her pride aside and do what is best for the patient under the circumstances – and the patient’s needs and timeliness should always govern the decision-making process.  Good communications and documentation are also important factors when a bad outcome occurs.

All medical malpractice cases involve bad outcomes that generally involve significant damages.

In addition to the patient and their family, bad outcomes often devastate the physician and other

care providers. Unfortunately, bad outcomes are unpreventable in many cases.  How a physician handles a bad outcome with the patient and their family is critical when it comes to avoiding litigation, and how a physician responds to a bad outcome can say more about them

than the fact that the bad outcome occurred.

In the event of a bad outcome, the interest of the patient must be first and foremost. A physician

must put his or her pride aside and do what is best for the patient under the circumstances – and

the patient’s needs and timeliness should always govern the decision-making process.  Good communications and documentation are also important factors when a bad outcome occurs.