Pertinent Information
PLEASE NOTE - THE HCMA OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED DECEMBER 25, 2023 - JANUARY 1, 2024.
IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO RSVP!
Holiday Social for HCMA members
December 5, 2023, 6:30pm
At the home of Dr. & Mrs. Michael Cromer
Dr. Michael and Carol Cromer will open their home to HCMA members and their guests for an evening of cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, socializing, live music, and celebrating the holiday season! Whiskey enthusiasts are welcome to participate in a tasting hosted by Steward Cromer! Thank you to our sponsors Physicians Wealth Planning and SGP Advisors. Mark your calendar and RSVP today!
Number of COVID-19 cases caused by BA.2.86 variant has tripled in past two weeks
On November 28th, HealthDay reported “The prevalence of a highly mutated COVID variant has tripled in the past two weeks, new government data” show. Now, nearly 10% of “new COVID cases are fueled by the BA.2.86 variant, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Monday.” Officials “first warned of the highly mutated variant back in August, but it has since spread in several regions of the United States.” However, thus far, “preliminary data on the variant suggests it does not trigger more severe illness than previous variants, the WHO said in a recent risk evaluation, but the international agency still noted a recent and ‘substantial rise’ in BA.2.86 cases.” Read more.
U.S. life expectancy starts to recover after sharp pandemic decline
A CDC analysis of 2022 data finds that U.S. life expectancy is improving after being knocked backward during the COVID emergency. But it's still lower than it was pre-pandemic. Read more.
HC3 warns health care industry about threat of Emotet malware
HealthIT Security reported “The HHS Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3) issued a brief about Emotet, a notorious malware strain that has impacted the health care sector” since “at least 2014.” The malware “has been described as the ‘world’s most dangerous malware’ by Europol.” For now, “HC3 stressed that the information in the brief is accurate as of the date of publication, but Emotet will likely evolve and update its capabilities in the future.” HC3 added, “The cybercriminal ecosystem is resilient, fluid, and dynamic – gangs form and disband, but the talent and intellectual capital continues to grow over time. This is not expected to change.” Read the report.
Tampa Bay Street Medicine - Wish List
Tampa Bay Street Medicine, a USF Health student-led organization dedicated to bringing healthcare to Tampa’s unsheltered population, is holding a donation drive via an Amazon Wishlist. Please view their list via THIS LINK and consider making a donation. If you have any questions, please contact Emily Heideman, MD Candidate ‘24, Morsani College of Medicine, eheideman@usf.edu.
Congress must prevent imminent Medicare pay cut
In a letter on behalf of the FMA, President Jason Goldman, MD, FACP, urged members of Florida’s congressional delegation to prevent an imminent 3.4% Medicare physician payment cut from taking effect next year. Action is especially critical given that Medicare physician pay rates have declined continuously since 2001, and medical practice inflation is projected to be 4.6% in 2024. Find your FL representatives.
Doctors and Clinicians: Don’t Forget to Preview Your Performance Information
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) opened the Doctors and Clinicians Preview Period on November 13, 2023, and it will close on December 12, 2023, at 8pm (EST). The Preview Period provides an opportunity for doctors and clinicians to review their 2022 Quality Payment Program (QPP) performance information before it’s publicly reported on clinician and group profile pages on the Medicare.gov compare tool and in the Provider Data Catalog (PDC). You can access the secured Preview through the QPP website.
Please refer to the resources below on how to preview your information:
Please note the 2022 QPP performance information planned for public reporting in 2024 will be added to Medicare.gov compare tool profile pages and/or the PDC after all targeted reviews are completed. If you have an open targeted review request, you’ll still be able to preview your 2022 QPP performance information during the Doctors and Clinicians Preview Period.
Alert: DOH Scammers target Florida-licensed practitioners
Scammers posing as the state Department of Health (DOH) have been sending fraudulent emails to Florida-licensed physicians and other healthcare practitioners as part of a phishing scheme. This email, which did not originate from the DOH, offers to provide licensees with “important information” about a temporary change to their license status. You will never receive unsolicited calls or emails from the DOH that request personal information, demand payments, or make threats against your license. If you receive an email that looks suspicious, do not click any links or attachments, and do not provide any personal information. You can report the scam email by visiting the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
PHYSICIANS NEEDED to conduct guardianship evaluations for the Court in Hillsborough County
Applications are currently being sought from licensed Florida physicians to serve as members of the 13th Judicial Circuit’s Guardianship Examining Committee. The work product of the Examining Committee is an essential consideration of the Guardianship Court, before declaring a person to be legally incapacitated, in whole or in part, and before removing any of that person’s rights and, potentially, delegating some of those rights to a legal guardian. Physicians are required to complete the evaluation and file a written report to the Court, for which they are paid a $350 or $500 flat fee, depending on the circumstances of the case.
A completed application must be submitted for consideration, along with a résumé reflecting relevant experience. Applicants must also be cleared through a court-conducted criminal records check. A one-time initial training is required to be completed within four months of appointment and is available in this Circuit via online video training. After that, members of the Committee must simply demonstrate 2 hours of relevant continuing education training that will enhance their ability to conduct the evaluations.
For more information about this Examining Committee work and/or to request an application, please contact the Court’s Elder Justice Center by email at elder@fljud13.org or by calling (813) 276-2726. Thank you for your consideration regarding this important community service.
Recognizing group practices with 100% HCMA membership
HCMA recognizes the following practices for their dedication to strengthening the voice of medicine in the Tampa Bay area. Thank you for your continued support!
10-25 Physicians
26-50 Physicians
Over 50 Physicians
HCMA Government Affairs Committee
The HCMA's Government Affairs Committee (GAC) is gearing up for another busy legislative season.
- The GAC, in conjunction with the FMA, has compiled a list of 2024 Legislative Priorities, that will be presented to our legislators locally, through our Key Contact program, and in Tallahassee.
- The GAC is coordinating a contingency of members to visit Tallahassee on February 20th, during the 2024 Legislative Session. This one-day event includes a meeting with FMA legislative experts followed by scheduled appointments with legislators and/or their administrative staff. Members often arrive in Tallahassee the evening prior to the scheduled day at the Capitol. If you are interested in joining the GAC contingency in their visit to Tallahassee, contact Elke Lubin or call the HCMA office: 813.253.0471.
- If you are interested in serving as "Doctor of the Day" any time during the 2024 Legislative Session (January 9 - March 8), download this information packet which includes the DOD application. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Legislative Services directly: Kelly Welborn, (850) 717-0301, welborn.kelly@leg.state.fl.us.
Work/Life Balance
‘Physician’ as identity vs. a position in the workforce: What generational differences may teach us all. A sense of well-being, connected relationships and time to pursue physical fitness, connection to nature and social justice projects are all primary values for this upcoming generation of future physicians. Read the article.
The do’s and don'ts of calling out a patient's bad behavior
It’s a clinical curveball, though in this case, a physician in training can’t turn to science for help. What does a doctor do when a patient’s biased, disrespectful, or hateful language threatens to get in the way of necessary treatment? Read the article from the AMA.
The future of medicine can begin with you.
Both pre-med and medical students have asked to shadow members in their offices to gain early clinical exposure. If you would like to serve as a mentor and allow a student to shadow you please register here. The HCMA is compiling a list of volunteers. When a student contacts us, we will share the volunteer's information so the student and physician volunteer can make final mentoring arrangements. Thank you for your participation!
From the Board of Medicine
Check your medical license - if you are in GROUP 1, your medical license will expire in TWO MONTHS. Renew by clicking HERE.
Medical Doctors
Group 1 – current license will expire at midnight, ET, January 31 of each even year.
Group 2 – current license will expire at midnight, ET, January 31 of each odd year.
Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine
Current licenses expire at midnight, Eastern Time, on March 31, 2024.
The Florida Board of Medicine and the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine are responsible for setting the CME required for licensure and re-licensure in Florida. Each Board specifies a certain number of hours, including some mandatory topics, that must be completed within each two-year licensure term.
2024 Allopathic Medical License Renewal Guide
Updated for 2024 and exclusively for members, the FMA’s new Allopathic Medical License Renewal Guide is now available. If your Florida medical license is due for renewal by Jan. 31, 2024, download this printable resource designed to help you meet your deadline, identify possible exemptions and CME benefits, and choose the best option for reporting your CME credits to CE Broker.
CE Broker
The HCMA has formed a partnership with CE Broker, the official continuing education tracking system. HCMA members receive a discount when subscribing to a CE Broker account. Subscriptions renew annually and offer a user-friendly system that helps you sort through complex CE requirements. Contact Elke Lubin at 813-253-0471 or click here to receive the promotion code. Go to CEBroker.com and subscribe or set up a 7-Day Free Trial Account. Use the HCMA promotion code to apply your discount.
