Each month, TCMS physician members and their office staff can register to win one of several prizes by visiting www.tcms.com.

 

Congratulations to the June winners! Sandra Esparza, MD of ABC Medical Center and Ginger Douglas of Austin Children’s Chest Associates each won a $50 gift certificate to restaurant.com. Yvonne Leza of Central Texas Colon and Rectal Surgeons won a Flip Video Camera.

 

Visit www.tcms.com to register for the monthly prize drawing. Browse the website for information about upcoming educational events, compliance regulations, practice management tips, community events, and much more. Check back frequently for new and updated information.

 

On Thursday, July 14 at 6:00 pm in the TMA Thompson Auditorium, 401 W 15th, Linda Byars Swindling, JD will present Negotiations for Physician Leaders: Harness the Power of Positive Influence, Persuasion, and Negotiation. Ms. Swindling is the creator of the Passports to Success book series and author or co-author of numerous other books.

 

This presentation is designed for people who want to improve their outcomes, enhance their bargaining position, and optimize their impact. Learn the secrets of making the most of each interaction and business opportunity. Understand how to respond effectively, whether you are negotiating physician employment or insurance contracts or handling disputes with physicians, staff, hospitals, or other groups.

 

To RSVP, contact the Society at 512-206-1146 or tcms@tcms.com.

 

This event sponsored in part by these Friends of the Society: Medical Service Bureau; TCMS Healthcare Staffing; Texas Medical Association Insurance Trust; Texas Medical Liability Trust; University Federal Credit Union; and Broadway Bank.

 

Health Information Exchanges and Meaningful Use

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released final meaningful use standards in 2010 for electronic health records (EHR) (see www.texmed.org/stimulus/). Physicians must meet those standards to qualify for up to $44,000 in Medicare incentive payments from 2011 to 2016, and up to $63,750 in Medicaid incentive payments from 2011 to 2021. Medicare penalties begin in 2015 if meaningful use of EHR technology has not been reached.

 

One standard involves the use of a Health Information Exchange (HIE). HIEs allow for the secure, electronic transmission of health records between physicians, facilities, and laboratories, thereby improving patient quality of care. For now, Stage 1 meaningful use criteria require physicians only to prove they can share information. In Stage 1, one of the core objectives says physicians should perform at least one test of their capacity to electronically exchange key clinical information. Physicians will need to actually share information to qualify for meaningful use incentives in Stage 2 beginning in 2013.

 

The Austin/Travis County community is fortunate to have two HIEs. While TCMS does not endorse either program, physicians should consider signing on for one or both of the following HIPAA compliant exchanges.

 

CriticalConnection Central Texas Community Health Record
The CriticalConnection HIE is managed under the CriticalConnection Central Texas Collaborative – a self-sustaining, doctor-owned cooperative. The HIE provides doctor-driven, community-wide connectivity that promotes collaborative patient care between primary and specialty care physicians, hospitals, laboratories, and radiologists, etc.  The HIE is available whether or not you have an EHR. For more information, call 512-236-3887 or email membership@centexcoop.org.

 

Integrated Care Collaboration (ICC) Health Information Exchange
ICC is a collaborative of hospitals, non-profit clinics, and other safety net health care providers who arrange for or provide care for uninsured or underinsured individuals. The ICC’s regional health information exchange called the ICare system has received state grant funding to expand beyond safety net providers to include private physician practices, specialty groups, laboratories, pharmacies, and other patient care providers. The HIE is available whether or not you have an EHR. For more information, visit www.icc-centex.org/hie.html , email epadula@icc-centex.org, or call 512-804-2090.

 

Meaning in Medicine, a wellness program for physicians developed by Seton Cove, an interfaith spirituality center, and TCMS President Brian Sayers, MD, will present the second in a series of presentations in McFadden Auditorium at Seton Medical Center Austin on Thursday, July 14.

 

The program will feature a panel with Drs. Leigh Fredholm, Frank Mazza, Ed LeBlanc, and Brian Sayers discussing ways in which they integrate their own sense of purpose and meaning into their daily work as physicians. There will be a reception at 6:00 pm followed by the presentation and discussion at 6:30 pm. All TCMS members, regardless of medical staff affiliation, are invited to attend.

 

For more information or to RSVP call 512-324-0000
ext. 86822 or email setoncove@seton.org.