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Editors: Kacey Montgomery, M.D. | Erica Huffman, Executive Director
www.escambiacms.org
Bulletin MAY/JUNE 2019 VOLUME 49, NO. 3
CONTENTS
Physician burnout…what is it? How do I know if I have it? What can I do about it? Many definitions of burnout have been proposed since the introduction of the term in 1970 – the year after I was born (I had no idea it was this old). The widely-accepted definition suggests burnout combines emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a sense of reduced personal accomplishment. To date, no precise diagnostic criteria have been defined for this condition. Burnout is not a disease, but rather a syndrome characterized by exhaustion, cynicism, and decreased sense of efficacy. Burnout and depression may coexist but are not synonymous. It is job related and situation specific. Exhaustion is a factor, as medicine is tiring. Medicine is hard. Physicians seldom truly rest, putting in long days in the clinic and nights on call. Making things even worse, most of us won’t leave medicine and cannot change careers early on due to high debt levels. Unable or unwilling to cut back hours, change or quit our jobs, the indentured servitude of debt leaves the burned out physician trapped, depressed, or even suicidal.
Save the Date May 23 Social Networking Gulf Coast Brewery June 6 Physician Wellness Hilton Garden Inn Airport
The root cause of physician burnout is placing highly motivated, empathetic physicians in a work environment in which they are unable to succeed. Physicians are asked to: - Increase productivity by administrators who have limited medical knowledge - Haggle with payers and deal with prior authorization issues
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Continued on Page 4
The prevalence of the syndrome is even more difficult to assess. Rates of burnout range from four to sixty percent depending on the definition and degree of severity that is measured. To be honest, I am not sure if I have burnout or not – it depends on the time of day and situation. In general, I truly love my job – but I like less and less how I practice medicine now compared to how I did twenty-five years ago. I think most of us drift in and out of degrees of this syndrome. My symptoms can come and go quickly with a change in the work environment that precipitates them.
Page 4 - President’s Letter Ctd. Page 6 - Practice Mgmt. Page 8 - Medical/Legal Page 13 - Foundation Page 15 - Community
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ESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY
1 | ECMS
A local Medicaid Health Plan created by doctors you know and trust.
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844-243-5176 (TTY: 711) www.lighthousehealthplan.com ECMS | 2
Š Ascension 2019. All rights reserved.
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New Members
4771 Bayou Blvd. # 157 Pensacola, FL 32503 Ph: 850-478-0706 Fx: 850-474-9783 Email: info@escambiacms.org www.escambiacms.org
E.C.M.S. Bulletin
The Bulletin is a publication for and by the members of the Escambia County Medical Society. The Bulletin publishes six times a year: Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/Jun, Jul/Aug, Sept/Oct, Nov/Dec. We will consider for publication articles relating to medical science, photos, book reviews, memorials, medical/legal articles, and practice management.
•
•
Vision for the Bulletin:
Appeal to the family of medicine in Escambia and Santa Rosa County and to the world beyond. A powerful instrument to attract and induct members to organized medicine.
REJOINING Elias Banuelos, M.D. Family Medicine VIP Care Milton 6061 Doctors Park Road Milton, FL 32570 (850) 983-8500 Fax: (850) 983-0009
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Mission:
Advancing physicians’ practice of medicine in our community.
• Who: ECMS General • • •
Membership Meeting What: Social Networking When: May 23 Where: Gulf Coast Brewery
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View and opinions expressed in the Bulletin are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the board of directors, staff or advertisers. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit or reject any submission. ESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY
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Letter Ctd. President’s Letter Continued Continued from Page 1 - Pick the correct diagnostic code from a seemingly neverending list called ICD-10 - Craft varied patient clinical scenarios to fit the constraints of a checkbox EHR - Provide compassionate care while the threat of a lawsuit lurks behind every chart - Spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars on maintenance of certification and “lifelong learning” - Continuously debate with patients the advice they receive from “Dr. Google” - Click all the boxes to satisfy meaningful use requirements of the EHR - Make entries into E-FORCE and other databases to prescribe clinically-appropriate scheduled medications - Ensure documentation of multiple quality measures to maximize reimbursement from MACRA and MIPS - Disregard what is truly best for the patient for the sake of achieving high patient satisfaction scores
- Spend our “free time” emptying the ever-filling EHR inbox We must fight back. Physicians are human beings. We need to talk to one another and be there for one another. Each physician represents a family. It is family that allows us to weather the storm of burnout. Time is our most precious commodity. We need to work smarter, not harder so we have more free time to spend with the ones we love. We need to stick together and fight against ridiculous rules and regulations. We need to strive towards physician wellness to a greater extent than patient satisfaction scores. We must be willing to seek help even though it is against our very nature to do so. The very dedication that draws us into medicine can be a trap which prevents us from leaving. It is okay to take a break or even quit. What more can you do to address burnout? The ECMS offers free – yes, that’s correct – free and anonymous psychological counseling sessions with Rick Spencer, PhD and Paige Spencer, PhD via our Physicians Wellness Program. Visit www.escambiacms.org/foundation for more information. Further, please attend and bring your spouse, to our ECMS meeting June 6th at the Hilton Garden Inn. Here we will review and discuss in detail the topic of physician burnout. In conclusion, one statement rings loud and clear – physician heal thyself.
2019 ECMS Delegates
ECMS | 4
Ellen McKnight, M.D.
Hillary Hultstrand, M.D.
John Lanza, M.D.
Susan Griffee-Belcher, M.D.
Brett Parra, M.D.
Thomas Westbrook, M.D.
Brian Kirby, M.D.
Kacey Montgomery, M.D.
Ken Long, M.D.
Casey Mickler, M.D.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Vendors Thank You to our Vested Vendors
The Doctors Company Shelly Hakes, Manager, Business Development 12724 Gran Bay Pkwy. W. Ste. 400 Jacksonville, FL 32258 Phone: 800-741-3742 ext 3294 Fax: 888-723-7177 | www.thedoctors.com HIP Creative Luke Infinger, Co-Founder, Director 301 N Barcelona Street, Ste. B Pensacola, FL 32501 850.359.3081 | hip.agency Lighthouse Health Plan Dan Sontheimer, CMO 700 E Gregory Street Pensacola, FL 32501 Phone: 908-3001 | www.lighthousehealthplan.com
MAG Mutual Insurance Angela Flanagan, Account Executive, Malpractice Consultant C: 407-720-0976 aflanagan@magmutual.com Lesa Kemp, VP Independent Agent Distribution Phone: 904-813-9284 lkemp@magmutual.com 8427 South Park Circle, Ste. 130 Orlando, FL 32819 | www.MagMutual.com Sacred Heart Health System 5151 N. Ninth Avenue Pensacola, Fl 32504 Phone: 850-416-7000 | www.sacred-heart.org
Fisher Brown Insurance Lauren Speechley, Business, Insurance Consulatant 1701 West Garden Street Pensacola, FL 32504 Phone: 432-7474 | www.fbbins.com Rob Remig, Business Insurance, Consultant 1701 West Garden Street Pensacola, FL32504 Phone: 850-432-7474 | www.fbbins.com Underwood Anderson and Associates, Inc. Dawn Grace, Commercial Agent 2302 North 9th Avenue Pensacola, FL 32503 Phone: 850-434-5526 Fax: 850-438-0330 | www. underwoodanderson.com The First Private Bank Curt Morse- Vice President-Private 40 N. Palafox Street Pensacola, FL 32502 Cell: 850-232-8356 Email: cmorse@thefirstbank.com Northwestern Mutual- The Vaughn Financial Group Tom Vaughn, Wealth Management Advisor/Estate and Business Planning Advisor Kristan Brinkley, CFP, CLU, CHFC, RICP 108 Palafox Place Pensacola, FL 32502 Phone: 474-1020 Fax: 757-0040 | http://www.tomvaughn.com/
CREATIVE INC.
Tom Vaughn, CFP®, CLU®
ESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY
5 | ECMS
Practice Management Retiring from Medical Practice Checklist By Jacqueline Bain, Florida Healtcare Law Firm •
Notify your malpractice provider to put tail insurance in place.
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Meet with your accountant.
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Meet with your attorney to ensure that your obligations to your patients are achieved.
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Review your vendor agreements to give timely notice of your intent to terminate.
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Review your insurance contracts to give timely notice of your intent to terminate.
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Send a notification of your retirement to the National Government Service Provider Enrollment.
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Send a notice to the DEA surrendering your registration and your surrender/destruction of any medication inventory.
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Notify any hospitals or surgery centers where you are credentialed of your intention to retire.
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Send a notice to the Board of Medicine to transition to “retired status”.
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Notify the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System of your intention to retire your NPI.
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Notify any professional societies of your intention to cancel or transition your membership.
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Put in place an agreement for a vendor or other qualified physician to act as your medical records custodian after your retirement.
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Send a notice to your patients letting them know where they can find their records and a new physician.
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Place a newspaper advertisement for patients letting them know where they can find their records.
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Record an answering machine message for persons attempting to find their records or a new physician after your retirement. Keep this message active for up to 12 months.
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File a notice with the United States Postal Service, United Parcel Service and Federal Express of your intent to close your practice.
Checklist prepared for Escambia County Medical Society by Jacqueline Bain, Esq., leader of the Florida Healthcare Law Firm’s compliance department and both board certified as a specialist in Health Law and certified healthcare compliance expert by the Health Care Compliance Association.
ECMS | 6
ESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Medical/Legal What’s the Deal with CBD Laws? By Michael Silverman, Florida Healthcare Law Firm As reported in various media , on January 24, 2019 a trucker got into some hot water when he and his big rig were passing through Idaho en route to California from Oregon. In going through a weigh station and having his cargo inspected, state police didn’t take to kindly to what he was transporting. His haul? Almost 7,000 pounds of hemp. His customer? A company that intended to wholesale that crop to businesses that manufacture hemp-derived CBD. Why the fuss? Drug sniffing dogs alerted to his cargo, and field tests indicated the presence (not concentration) of THC. The trucker was immediately apprehended, spent four days in jail, and was freed after posting $100,000 bond. The company that hired the trucker to transport the product maintains that the load was indeed hemp, that the amount of THC in the hemp was within permissible federal limits, and that it was improperly confiscated. They want it back! So much so, that they’re suing for it; they filed a lawsuit against both the police and the prosecutor. Everybody seems to be getting into the CBD business as if it’s the new gold rush. It’s estimated that the American hemp derived CBD market could hit $22 billion in the U.S. alone by 2022. It’s popping up everywhere – from café’s to pharmacies, headshops to doctor’s offices. It is administered through creams, tinctures, edibles and vape pens, and is even being given to Fido in an attempt to ease his anxiety or arthritis. CBD oil is even making appearances in food products, from milkshakes to pizza sauce. It’s a new craze and some folks act as if there’s zero questions surrounding its legality. But tell that to the trucker who was charged with felony drug trafficking and could serve at least 5 years in prison if found guilty. This all begs the question . . . . What’s the deal with CBD? The answer seemingly depends on who the question is posed to. Responses are typically not a “grey area”, but rather they run the gamut of the color spectrum. Hemp derived CBD seems to be perfectly fine in certain states and by certain regulators, and black & white prohibited by others (such as by our friends in Idaho). There is a tremendous difference in the laws between CBD derived from hemp versus CBD derived from marijuana; this article focuses on the former. At the federal level, the CBD craze was seemingly ignited by the 2014 Farm Bill, which jumpstarted the industrial hemp industry in the U.S., and, again depending on who you ask, permitted the production of CBD derived from hemp at the federal level. I, however, am far from convinced this was the intent of the 2014 Farm Bill or that such CBD production was legalized by the same. In fact, CBD, no matter whether derived from hemp or marijuana has been considered a Schedule I Controlled Substance by the DEA until just recently. The recently passed 2018 Farm Bill clarified matters when it effectively removed hemp derived CBD from the DEA’s Schedule I Controlled Substance list if such hemp derived CBD meets specific parameters (e.g., no more than 0.3% THC), but there is still a lot of uncertainty concerning the FDA. They seem to consider it a drug that must go through the regular approval process, especially when claims are made about efficacy or when its added to food products.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY
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Practice Management Medical/Legal
Medical/Legal
Continued from 7 At a state level, for some states, especially those that allow for recreational marijuana, the mere sale of hemp derived CBD wouldn’t be problematic from their perspective. Ohers, like Idaho, seem to treat ANY presence of THC, even if within the federally allowed THC limits for hemp derived CBD, as illegal. Lawyers for the business that got its hemp confiscated in Idaho argue that the state is acting contrary to federal law and is in violation of the commerce clause. Prosecutors in Idaho argue, in part, that the jurisdiction from which the the hemp was obtained has not yet gotten into compliance with the 2018 Farm Bill’s mandates thus falling outside of its protection, and furthermore that Idaho law categorizes substances containing any levels of THC as illicit - even hemp derived CBD with federally permissible amounts. Again, depends on who you ask. We’ll see how this one plays out in court. Needless to say, while it’s a booming industry, it is not one without its serious risks, especially as state and federal regulations continue to develop. From criminal prosecutions like the one in Idaho, to civil lawsuits that will inevitably be filed by aggrieved consumers over inappropriate claims of medical efficacy and false advertising, as the CBD and hemp continues to “grow” there will certainly be more litigation. Mitigate risk by becoming educated about the depth of the water before diving in head first.
Mark Your Calendar Pick up your copy of the 2019 ECMS Directory on May 23 at the Gulf Coast Brewery for social networking at the ECMS General Membership Meeting.
ECMS | 8
ESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Medical/Legal
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Prescribing Controlled Substances via Telehealth under Florida and Federal Law By Susan St. John, Florida Healthcare Law Firm
Pursuant to Section 456.44(3)(a), Florida Statutes, and Rule 64B-9.013(3)(a), Florida Administrative Code, a practitioner must evaluate a patient by taking a complete medical history and performing a physical examination prior to prescribing a controlled substance to a patient. The aforementioned statute and rule do not specifically rule out a patient evaluation taking place via a telemedicine visit. However, under current Florida law, only controlled substances used to treat psychiatric disorders may be prescribed using telemedicine technology, that is audio and video technology commonly referred to as telepsychiatry. Specifically, Rule 64B89.0141(4) states, “controlled substances shall not be prescribed through the use of telemedicine except for the treatment of psychiatric disorders.” Psychiatric disorders include Substance Use Disorders since the DSM-V classifies addiction as a mental health condition. Although the Standards for Telemedicine Practice under Rule 64B-9.0141, Florida Administrative Code, allows licensed practitioners to prescribe controlled substances for psychiatric disorders via telehealth technology, the federal law has lagged somewhat behind. The federal Controlled Substances Act requires a practitioner to register to prescribe controlled substances via telehealth. This special registration was intended to increase patients’ access to practitioners who can prescribe controlled substances via telemedicine in limited circumstances. The registration would allow a practitioner to deliver, distribute, dispense, or prescribe a controlled substance via telemedicine. Further, under the special registration, a practitioner would not need to examine a patient in person – a telemedicine encounter would be sufficient. Currently, practitioners have not been able to apply for the special registry under the Controlled Substances Act since the DEA has yet to promulgate the final rules for a registration’s application process and procedures. However, this should change in the near future. On October 24, 2018, President Trump signed into law the SUPPORT Act which mandates that the DEA’s final rule for the special registration be in place within one year of the enactment of the SUPPORT Act. Once the final rule for the special registry is promulgated, registration opens up, and a Florida practitioner obtains special registration, that practitioner should be able to prescribe controlled substances without an “in-person” face-to-face encounter. The practitioner should be able to prescribe controlled substances for psychiatric disorders via telemedicine technology (audio and video). However, keep in mind, a practitioner must still follow standards of care for his or her practice act including, but not limited to, obtaining previous medical records, preliminary and routine lab work (e.g. urine analysis) or other diagnostic studies to determine if the patient is or continues to be an appropriate candidate for a controlled substance prescription. To comply with Florida law a practitioner prescribing controlled substances will need to adhere to Section 456.44, Controlled Substance Prescribing and Rule 64B8-9.013, Florida Administrative Code, Standards for the Use of Controlled Substances for the Treatment of Pain. When treating patients with controlled substances via telemedicine, careful planning will need to be implemented in order to obtain lab results, other diagnostic tests, or other practitioners’ medical records ahead of scheduled telemedicine encounters. Susan St. John is an attorney with the Florida Healthcare Law Firm in Delray Beach, FL. Her practice focuses on health law and tax law business issues, estate planning, and also includes practitioner representation before the Department of Health, Agency for Health Care Administration, and the Board of Medicine. Email susan@floridahealthcarelawfirm.com or call 561-455-7700.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY
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Medical/Legal
providing
educational loans for studies in
medicine, nursing, medical technology and the ministry. For more information, visit
www.fellowsfund.org
ECMS | 10COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY ESCAMBIA
ESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Practice Mgmt. Concerns abour U.S. Measles Outbreak By Christopher M Cirino, DO
A recent poll by The Doctors Company received 9,459 responses to the question: How concerned are you as a healthcare provider about the recent U.S. measles outbreak? Some 43 percent responded that they are very concerned. There are significant reasons for this level of concern. The number of measles cases reported in the United States in 2018 (372) was three times higher than that of the preceding year, and currently, only the second month in to 2019, there are more than 100 reported cases of measles. With an estimated worldwide 30 percent increase of measles cases over the last few years, it is frustrating to think that this vaccine-preventable illness, which can be associated with serious consequences, including death, is resurging. Do we as healthcare workers really need to be concerned about measles? In this global stage, what goes on in one country really does affect the entire world. The highest caseloads of measles worldwide in 2018 were seen in India, Ukraine, and the Philippines. We are now in a time when you can cross the globe in as little as 18 hours—in less than the typical time it takes for an infected person to develop the telling measles rash. A person can acquire the infection from a high-prevalence country, spread the infection to others in the closed quarters of an airplane, and return to a low-prevalence country with a silent stowaway, only to then go back to a social circle with similarly low vaccination rates—and this is precisely what is happening. Measles, which is one of the most transmissible infectious diseases (with an attack rate of 90 percent), has always been regarded as a “canary in the coal mine” for the status of vaccine programs both nationally and worldwide. Breakdowns in the vaccine chain have typically been seen in countries beset by war and political turmoil, which often abandon vaccine programs, leaving children unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated. There has also been a growth in the level of distrust and “alternate facts” about vaccine safety and need, specifically regarding the MMR and MMRV, and this spread has been kindled by social media. Unfortunately, this distrust isn’t something that can easily be mitigated by education initiatives. It might be easier for some to decline a vaccination, because the risk of death from measles is one in 1,000. Though sadly, with the estimated caseload of measles each year worldwide, more than 100,000 children likely die from measles each year. The medical field is steadfast on the principal of reducing the risk of death from a vaccine-preventable illness, and concerted vaccination programs were able to eradicate a much more harmful viral illness—smallpox—which had a death rate of one in three. Though until we can bridge the rift between public health goals and anti-vaccination sentiment, and bolster the more highly prevalent countries’ vaccination programs, we should all expect to see more cases of measles, mumps, and a myriad of other vaccine-preventable illnesses coming to a clinic near you. Dr. Cirino works in Portland, OR and specializes in infectious diseases. Dr. Cirino is affiliated with Portland Adventist Medical Center and Vibra Specialty Hospital and is the health officer at the Marion County Department of Public Health. Dr. Cirino has also written a blog on this topic at his site https:// yourhealthforumbydrcirino.org
ESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY
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Foundation May 9, 2019
PRESS RELEASE
ESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY FOUNDATION OFFERS NEW WELLNESS PROGRAM TO PHYSICIAN MEMBERS
Contact: 850-478-0706 The Escambia County Medical Society Foundation (ECMSF) is pleased to announce the addition of licensed psychologist, Dr. Paige Spencer to our Physician Wellness Program (PWP). The PWP is geared towards taking care of our physician healers, “helping healers heal�. The program provides a free, confidential, safe harbor for Escambia County Medical Society (ECMS) active physician members to address everyday life difficulties and the challenges of a medical career. Dr. Paige Spencer is a licensed psychologist who completed her Doctorate in Psychology at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, FL with a pre-doctoral internship at Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System in Biloxi, MS. Dr. Spencer provides individual, couples, family, and group psychotherapy services to preteens, adolescents and adults. Dr. Spencer enjoys helping patients utilize their individual strengths to overcome obstacles in their lives and promote personal growth. She works with patients with a variety of concerns including depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, grief, sexual abuse and PTSD. In addition, she has an extensive history of working with Veterans and with patients who have a chronic medical illness (e.g., chronic pain, CFS, diabetes, obesity, and multiple sclerosis) to manage the psychological symptoms and improve their quality of life. On Thursday, June 6th, Drs. Paige and Rick Spencer will provide a continuing medical education (CME) program on physician burnout for the physician members and their spouses at the ECMS General Membership Meeting on June 6, 2019. ### For more information about the Physician Wellness Program or any of our programs please visit our website. www. escambiacms.org/foundation For media inquiries call Erica Huffman, Executive Director (850) 478-0706
ECMS | 12
Foundation
THE 1873 SOCIETY Since 1873, Escambia and Santa Rosa County Medical Society physicians have dedicated themselves to their patients and the people of Escambia/Santa Rosa County. To further our mission and build on the loyal support of our members, the Board of Directors approved the formation of The 1873 Society, a special recognition opportunity to formally honor physicians who contribute to our organization and have demonstrated a long-term commitment to the quality of health care and well-being of our community. As a member of The 1873 Society your good name as a physician will be honored in our community forever--entwined with the good works of the medical society in a cherished legacy. Membership in The 1873 Society is for physicians who have chosen to pledge $3,000 to Escambia County Medical Society Foundation, Inc. This can be accomplished through a single gift or a recurring gift of $1,000 over three years, THREE IN THREE! The 1873 Society members are recognized and awarded with their names permanently engraved on a traveling Wall of Honor to be displayed in the ECMS office and at ECMS and ECMSF events.
THE 1873 SOCIETY MEMBERS The individuals listed below are both founding members as well as others who have joined The 1873 Society since its founding. We thank you for joining their distinguished ranks. Joanne Bujnoski, D.O. Hillary Hultstrand, M.D. Kurt Krueger, M.D. Brett Parra, M.D. Ken Long, M.D. Robert Sackheim, M.D. Ellen W. McKnight, M.D. Michelle Brandhorst, M.D. Jennifer Miley, M.D. Steve Ziller, M.D. Jack Kotlarz, M.D.
Who is the Escambia County Medical Society Foundation? The Escambia County Medical Society Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing healthcare services on a volunteer and funding basis through its members. The Foundation was created in 1994. The primary goal is to assure access to adequate healthcare for the medically indigent citizens of the area, to study and promote improved methods and facilities for healthcare, to pursue the protection of public health, implement the means of financing healthcare at reasonable costs to cooperate with other organizations and institutions interested in pursuing these goals, and disseminate information concerning healthcare in general. Current Foundation programs include “We Care” and “Go Seniors!” Contact the ECMS Foundation for more information | 850.478.0706 or info@escambiaCMS.org
ESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY
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Foundation ECMS Foundation Newsletter Dear County Medical Society Members, Greetings as we near the end of the school year! I can’t believe another is finishing, as high school seniors prepare for college and everyone else for the next step up. Moms may have mixed feelings? We have had a lot going on in the Foundation, so let’s get started! 1. First and foremost - we have completed the endowment for The FSU Medical Student Scholarship Program! This was recently achieved and no further funds will need to be added. Each year a 4th year student will be awarded a scholarship, and the present class has submitted their applications. We are in the process of selecting the winner as we speak! 2. Secondly, but just as important - The Physician Wellness Program. The PWP continues to expand with more physicians taking advantage of the offering. We now have two Psychologists and both Dr. Rick Spencer and Dr. Paige Spencer will present a discussion of the program at the June 6th Society Meeting. AND - we are in the process of applying for a grant to help further the expansion! I will keep you posted. 3. The Blood Pressure Cuff Program continues to supply cuffs to indigent patients through our local Free Clinics. They are filling a much needed tool to help patients with their monitoring. AND - we are in the process of applying for a grant to help expand the program to other Primary Care offices. I will keep you posted! 4. The We Care Program continues to provide needed medical care to indigent patients, through the volunteer services of all Medical Society physicians involved. 5. The Go Seniors Program continues to provide transportation vouchers for patients’ doctor visits. The Fellows Fund has again contributed $10,000 towards the Go Seniors Program. 6. Scholarships continue to be enabled through our Foundation and The Pensacola State College Endowment. This awards scholarships who are entering health related fields of study. 7. The 1873 Society is continuing to expand to help enable our programs. Consider membership to make a permanent imprint on the health of our patients and your fellow physicians. Have a great summer - and keep our membership meetings on your calendar! Personally, Kurt A. Krueger MD Pres., ECMS Foundation
ECMS | 14
the Community Community InInThe Baptist Health Care Ferrel is New Medical Director for Baptist Occupational Health Nancy L. Ferrel, M.D., has joined the Baptist Medical Group multispecialty physician network. She will serve as medical director for Baptist Occupational Health. Dr. Ferrel is board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine. She has more than 30 years of experience in emergency and urgent care medicine as well as extensive training and experience in occupational medicine. Jalbert Earns Board Certification in Rheumatology Baptist Medical Group rheumatologist Eugene R. Jalbert II, D.O., MBA, has earned board certification in rheumatology from the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Jalbert completed his residency and fellowship training in internal medicine and rheumatology at the Largo Medical Center, Nova Southeastern University in Largo, Fla. McCutcheon Earns Board Certification in OBGYN Baptist Medical Group obstetrician and gynecologist Regina McCutcheon, M.D., MPH, has earned board certification from the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. McCutcheon received her medical degree at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans and completed her residency at Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Baton Rouge.
Sacred Heart Health Care Dr. Keller Joins Sacred Heart Medical Group Dr. Curtis Keller is a Sacred Heart Medical Group board-certified neurologist practicing at 5153 N. Ninth Ave, Suite 404, in Pensacola. Dr. Keller has a special interest in seizures/epilepsy, headaches/migraines, stroke and neurocritical care, trigger point and Botox injections, nerve blocks, neuroradiology, acute concussion and postconcussion evaluation and management, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, neuropathy, and neurologic complications of systemic disease. He earned his medical degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Miss., and completed residency in Neurology at the University of South Florida in Tampa and fellowship in Neurophysiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. New Childer’s Hospital Welcomes First Patients Patient care began at the new Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart on May 4. More than 50 physicians, leaders and associates assisted in the move, with 70 patients transported from the old hospital into the new one in less than four hours. The hospital was dedicated and opened for public tours on April 1, the 50th anniversary of Children’s Hospital. Heatlth Center to Open May 31 The grand opening of the new Sacred Heart Health Center at Milestone will be held on Saturday, May 31, at 10 a.m. Located at 2156 9 Mile Road at the entrance to the Milestone subdivision, the $7-million outpatient center will provide family medicine services, specialists in cardiology and OB/GYN, outpatient rehabilitation, including physical, occupational and speech therapy, lab services and advanced diagnostic imaging, including mammography, CT, X-ray, MRI and ultrasound.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY
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Working continuously to balance the
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