by: Pamela S.N. Goldman, DO

We DO...Leadership Development

...because you're worth it.

We have a process here at the POMA Central Office. When we receive a phone call from a physician, the first thing we do is check membership status. Why? Because we thank our members for their support, then ask what we can do to assist them. So, what do we do when someone calls in who is not a member? Well, we ask if the individual is aware their membership has expired, and would they like to renew over the phone. Membership notices can get caught in spam filters or misdirected in health systems or get lost in the mail. Most of the time, the individual is not even aware their membership has expired. If the person calling is not a member and has no interest in joining or rejoining, then we take the information, and address requests as we have time.

The difference is that regardless of what is going on in the office – right now we are up to our eyeballs preparing for the POMA and POMA Foundation board meetings, and the POFPS CME Symposium and 60^th Anniversary party – we make time to address the issues and concerns of our members. POMA is able to act on strategic priorities because of members. POMA has upgraded technology because of members. POMA is gaining recognition in the executive and regulatory branches of state government because of members. Without membership, there would be no POMA.

The POMA Board of Trustees is meeting on Saturday to envision the future and how the current environment of osteopathic medicine impacts our members. This is part of an ongoing circle of development, implementation, assessment, and change. This is the final year of the ACGME transition. How are OPTIs coping? What’s happening with the match? Are you addressing a payment bundling issue with a private payer? How can we support OR in residency programs?

Why are we even discussing these issues? Because of members. And because you’re worth it.

Required Scheduled Drug E-Scripts — POMA Continues Its Work on Act 96 of 2018 Clarification

POMA has been in constant communication with the PA Department of Health (DOH) as it works to implement a law that goes into effect in October that will require electronic prescribing of scheduled prescriptions. The DOH is required to release regulations on how physicians can comply with the law, but because of the short time-frame, it will not be able to until after the law is already in effect.

Therefore, DOH has established an interim temporary exemption process as POMA recently reported. Since that time, POMA member questions and need for clarification have been plentiful and staff is doing its best to stay on top of the DOH’s intentions on regulating the new law.

These POMA member issues and concerns include the following:

• I don’t have an EHR. Do I still need to file for an exception with the DOH? (Although the Act clearly states a physician in this scenario is exempt from the law, the DOH has yet to provide clear compliance guidance on whether a physician needs to complete a temporary exemption form. POMA is working hard to obtain a definitive answer from the DOH ASAP.)
• I work in a small practice setting owned by a small hospital that does not have e-prescribing for scheduled drugs. Am I required to file an exemption?
• Can the nurse in my office still call in scheduled scripts once the law become effective?
• I have an EHR for scheduled prescriptions, but the pharmacies in my area are unable to accept them and require a hand-written prescription. What should I do?

POMA is expected to speak again with the DOH early next week and will report specific guidance as soon as it is obtained. If you have additional questions or scenarios not addressed above, please share them with me at [email protected].

Thanks for your continued patience as we try to obtain the correct compliance information on this act for you, your practice and your patients.

POMA Membership Status

Active – marked by present movement or use. 
Grace – an act of kindness, courtesy or clemency.

Do you know which you are?

Your current POMA status is 

If your status is active, we have received your dues for the 2019-20 membership year and thank you!

If it is anything else, your membership ends on September 30. This also means you lose access to all member benefits like your CME records.

Active members can access their CME records on-line at their convenience. Active members can print out the CME certificate to the Annual Clinical Assembly with a simple button click. Active members can upload programs they’ve attended accredited by other organizations very soon and have a complete picture of their professional development over the two-year cycle. But if you are ”Graced” it means your access ends on September 30.

We’ve made it easy for you to renew online through the POMA website. Log into www.poma.org, update your profile, and renew. For your convenience, your username is 

It’s as simple as that! It’s easier than ever to remain a part of our osteopathic community.

Questions? Contact [email protected].

District Dish

District 10

On a beautiful Saturday night, POMA District 10 members and their families converged on Citizens Bank Field to root on the Philadelphia Phillies as they battled the Chicago White Sox. The event, organized by District 10 leadership, offered two complementary tickets down the right field line and a food voucher.  The members told stories, bonded, and enjoyed a nice evening away from the everyday stresses of a physician’s life. The group brought good luck to the Phillies who won 3-2 — their only win over the White Sox this season.

The membership event was organized as part of the new community initiative to focus on socialization, networking, and comradery. If you have any suggestions for events you would like to see, contact your district chair or the POMA main office.

CMS Seeks Public Feedback to Further Reduce Regulatory Burden for Physicians 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued a Request for Information to solicit new ideas from the medical community on how to continue the progress of the Patients Over Paperwork initiative to reduce administrative regulatory burden under Medicare and Medicaid programs. Regulatory, policy or practice management recommendations to further minimize burden and improve administrative efficiency may include, but are not limited to the following areas:

• Modification or streamlining of reporting requirements, documentation requirements, or processes to monitor compliance to CMS rules and regulations;
• Aligning of Medicare, Medicaid and other payer coding, payment and documentation requirements, and processes;
• Enabling of operational flexibility, feedback mechanisms, and data sharing that would enhance patient care, support the clinician-patient relationship, and facilitate individual preferences; and
• New recommendations regarding when and how CMS issues regulations and policies and how CMS can simplify rules and policies for beneficiaries, clinicians, and providers.

If you have suggestions or comments on how CMS can further reduce administrative regulatory burden for physicians, please email them to Lisa Miller, MS, Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs and Policy Engagement. CMS will accept comments until Aug. 12, 2019, and will consider all input as future regulatory proposals and policy guidance is developed.

National Health
Awareness - August

National Immunization Awareness Month

National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) is an annual observance held in August to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. The CDC's website has a variety of resources including a video series for physicians.

The #HowIRecommend video series, recorded by CDC, features short, informative videos from clinicians like you. These videos explain the importance of vaccination, how to effectively recommend vaccines, address questions from parents about vaccine safety and effectiveness, and how to foster support for vaccination in your practice. https://go.usa.gov/xyeAy

National Breastfeeding Month

August is National Breastfeeding Month, and this year’s theme is “Support Changes Everything.” Learn how you can take action to support breastfeeding families at www.usbreastfeeding.org/nbm19.

APOMA will be holding a 50/50 Raffle during this year's POFPS 44th Annual CME Symposium in Hershey, PA. This raffle aims to raise funds for the stethoscopes that POMA presents to first-year osteopathic students. 

Tickets will go on sale Friday at 1:00 pm and conclude with the drawing at 6:00 pm Friday. One ticket is $5.00 and 3 tickets is $10.00.  

View the
newsletter online!

Table of Contents...

1. President's Perspective
2. Executive Opinion
3. POMA ISMIE Affinity Program
4. Policy Points
5. POMA Membership Status
   
6. District Dish
7. CMS Seeks Public Feedback to Further Reduce Regulatory Burden for Physicians 
8. National Health Awareness Month-August
9. APOMA 50/50 Raffle
10. Upcoming District Events
11. Upcoming Young Professionals Meetings
12. POMA Urges Toomey/Casey to Support THCGME
13. Applications for Membership
14. Classified Advertisements
15. Follow POMA on Social Media
16. POMPAC
17. Save the Date - Upcoming CME Conferences

Upcoming District Events 

Please address all correspondence for POMA Box Letters to: c/o POMA, 1330 Eisenhower Boulevard, Harrisburg, PA  17111-2395.

PHYSICIANS WANTED:

ROWANSOM SEEKS A CHAIR FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PEDIATRICS. The position provides leadership, director and development of all teaching, clinical, research, community, and support activities within the Department of Pediatrics. Candidates must hold a DO or MD degree, be either AOA or ABMS board certified in pediatrics, and have five years of professional experience. The RowanSOM clinical campus is located in South Jersey, 8 miles from Philadelphia, 1 hour from the Atlantic Ocean and 2 hours from New York City. Click here for more information and to apply online. 

ATTENTION DOs! MD AT HOME, Inc., is in need of a part-time doctor (great for retired doctors) one to two days a week making home visits to the elderly and the disabled that are homebound.  Chauffeured by a medical assistant in a company vehicle to scheduled appointments. Email [email protected] for more information.

Family Medicine Residency Core Faculty Position — Crozer-Keystone Health System, in suburban Philadelphia, is seeking a Family Medicine Physician for a Core Faculty position in our nationally recognized Residency Program. Must have broad-based inpatient and outpatient clinical skills and strong interest in teaching residents and medical students. Excellent benefits, generous CME allowance and malpractice insurance with tail coverage. Email CV to [email protected] or visit http://bit.ly/CrozerFamilyMedicine for more information.

OPPORTUNITY — PHYSICIAN POSITIONS AVAILABLE: Media and Lancaster. Flexible hours, private practice, 3-4 hour shifts, no on-call, malpractice insurance needed. For more information, please contact us at [email protected] or call 610-566-8885

PRACTICES WANTED: Retiring physicians, part-time or full-time practices, call 215-669-4001.

CLASSIFIED AD
RATES
— Per insertion —

Member Ads*: $10 for the first 20 words, $.25 for each additional word. $2 each for special services: box letter, all caps or all bold type, boxing an ad in.

Non-member Ads: (Payment must be received in advance.) $50 for the first 20 words, .50 each additional word. $5 for each special service (listed above).

*Please Note: Member ad rate to be used only by POMA members and only for their medicine- or practice-related ads. Charges for other types of members’ ads will be calculated using the non-member ad rate.

POMA does not take a position of endorsing any organizations, individuals or services whose classified advertisements appear in this publication. The POMA Newsletter reserves the right to select and edit all advertisements submitted.

Follow POMA on social media for all the latest news!

POMPAC is 
the collective voice of the osteopathic profession in Pennsylvania.

Send your personal check today to POMPAC c/o POMA, 1330 Eisenhower Boulevard, Harrisburg, PA 17111, or charge your contribution to your credit card! 

PAC contributions are not tax-deductible.

SAVE THE DATE - Upcoming CME Conferences

POFPS 44th Annual CME Symposium & 60th Anniversary Celebration

Aug, 9-11, 2019
Hershey Lodge, Hershey, PA

POMA District 8 33rd Annual Educational Winter Seminar
Jan. 30 – Feb. 2, 2020
Nemacolin Woodlands, Farmington, PA
Registration will open fall 2019!

POMA 112th Annual Clinical Assembly
Apr. 29 – May 2, 2020
Radisson Valley Forge, King of Prussia, PA
Registration will open winter 2019!

If you have any questions, please contact Deb Cargill-Roan at (717) 939-9318 ext 170 or email [email protected].

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association | 1330 Eisenhower Boulevard, Harrisburg, PA 17111  (717) 939-9318 | www.poma.org