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Why does our local medical society matter? And why should physicians support it? There are so many organizations vying for the interest of physicians these day that supporting your local organization can seem unimportant or unnecessary. Yet, the McHenry County Medical Society is the only collective professional voice representing all physicians in the county regardless of specialty or practice setting. MCMS keeps physicians organized around the causes and issues that matter the most; the safety and care of patients and the integrity of the profession. Your membership support helps keep the office of MCMS running with staff dedicated to keeping the Board operations running smoothly as well as producing programming throughout the year that encourages learning and engagement of physicians beyond the workplace.

As the opportunities for collegiality,  networking and activism have eroded with the rise and influence of corporate medicine, doctors are forfeiting their involvement in organized medicine at an alarming rate. A lack of involvement in organized medicine threatens to undermine the professional integrity of physicians. Without adequate involvement in organized medicine the professional standing of physicians is becoming weaker. Physicians must not abdicate their responsibility in making a difference in the politics of medicine. 

Whether you practice independently, with a group, or are employed with a health system, MCMS represents you and needs your support. The future of MCMS depends on each doctor making the local society a priority. 

Join MCMS or renew today! 

ISMS is teaming up with the Illinois Rx Card to get the word out to Illinois residents that they have access to a free Prescription Assistance Program (PAP). The free prescription card provides patients with up to 75% savings on prescription medication at over 68,000 participating pharmacies nation wide.  To download a free card go to https://www.illinoisrxcard.com/index.php

The Voice of Physicians is Growing. McHenry County Medical Society welcomes the following new members:

Mubashir Ahmed, MD Centegra Physician Care-Cardiology

Muhammad Ahmed, MD-Mercyhealth Family Medicine

Heather Beall, MD-Centegra Physician Care-OB/GYN

Kevin Cronin, MD-UrbanCare, LLC

Brian Flanagan, MD-Centegra Physician Care-McHenry County Orthopedics

James Krcik, MD-Mercyhealth-Orthopedics

Kun Wang, MD-Centegra-Hospitalist

The Illinois State Medical Society prevented the Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nursing (ISAPN) from moving its top priority this year i.e., to allow APRNs to practice completely independent of a physician.

After numerous negotiating sessions and intense advocacy from physicians throughout Illinois an agreement has been reached on this topic.

ISAPN introduced legislation that would have granted APRNs full independent practice, including full prescriptive authority, after completing additional clinical training under the supervision of either another APRN or physician. ISMS opposed this legislation.

There is strong support within the Illinois legislature for bills that would grant APRNs independent practice. Instead of voting against us, legislators asked ISMS to draft an alternative.

ISMS offered alternative language that was eventually accepted by the APRNs. Our language:

1. Maintains the requirement that APRNs have a written collaborative agreement, unless the APRN receives substantial post-graduate training under the direct supervision of a physician (4,000 clinical training and 250 hours in additional educational/training components). The physician then must sign a written attestation confirming that the training was completed.
2. Does not change current practice within a hospital setting; APRNs must still be recommended for credentialing by the hospital medical staff.
3. Requires APRNs to maintain a formalized relationship with a physician that must be noted in the state’s prescription monitoring program (PMP) if that APRN wishes to prescribe schedule II opioids and benzodiazepines. The opioids to be prescribed must be specifically noted in the PMP and APRNs and the consulting physician must meet at least monthly to discuss the patient’s care.
4. Says that APRNs are prohibited from administering opiates via injection. APRNs are also prohibited from performing operative surgery.
5. Prohibits APRNs from advertising as “Dr.,” which is extremely misleading to patients. APRNs who have doctorate degrees must tell patients that they are not medical doctors or physicians.
6. Makes clear that CRNAs are not included in the agreement; nothing changes as to how CRNAs currently must practice.

In most other states, advanced practice nurses already have full practice authority to diagnose and treat patients including full prescriptive authority. Some 24 states and the District of Columbia don't require any physician involvement for APRNs to diagnose, treat, or prescribe. In addition to those, eight states allow APRNs to diagnose and treat independently but require physician involvement for APRNs to prescribe.

ISMS physicians are committed to ensuring that care is centered on each patient’s needs and that each patient receives high-quality care by a well-trained team of professionals. These important provisions will be amended to HB 313 in the Senate this week. We would not have been able to make these important changes without all of your assistance.

IL Medicaid Managed Care: A Physician Survey

The state’s initiative to transition the majority of Illinois Medicaid patients to managed care organizations (MCOs) is causing significant confusion and unease among health care professionals and patients.

As a result, ISMS conducted a survey of physicians’ views on the subject. The survey findings show that in order to expand patient access and reduce physician burdens, Illinois’ Medicaid managed care system needs:

• A common credentialing system, to reduce hassles and duplication of effort by busy physicians;
• A baseline state-maintained drug manual, to protect patients by requiring MCOs to abide by the coverage guidelines and product offerings included on the existing Medicaid drug manual and preferred drug list;
• Greater transparency, including reliable staff contacts within the MCOs, to help physicians determine patient eligibility, clarify complex issues, and discuss coverage of medically necessary treatment and drugs; and
• Widespread public reporting on the quality and effectiveness of MCOs.

We have shared these results with policymakers and other key stakeholders, and will keep you informed about any further developments.

ISMS has revised our Medical Cannabis medical legal guideline to comply with changes to Illinois law.

Here’s the scoop. Senate Bill 10 was signed into law in late June, modifying Illinois’ Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act. ISMS-backed changes in the law impact the process of physicians certifying patients for medical cannabis.

Previously, physicians would certify that they believed the patient would benefit from the use of medical cannabis; now, physicians certify that a bona fide physician-patient relationship exists, and the patient has a qualifying condition. New qualifying conditions were also added to the roster of debilitating medical conditions.

Questions? Call 800-782-4767 or email sherridevito@isms.org.

The ISMS legislative team is active on your behalf every day, tackling dozens of issues in the legislature and elsewhere in state government. ISMS is the only organization that represents physicians of all specialities throughout Illinois. When leaders anywhere in the state want to know where physicians stand, they call ISMS.

The 2016 ISMS Legislative Activity Report is now available. Read what ISMS has been doing for YOU!

ISMS recently asked for physician feedback on the CMS proposed MACRA rules. Numerous practices provided feedback which allowed ISMS to communicate those concerns to CMS.

ISMS joined other state and national medical associations in a letter to CMS's Acting Administrator Andrew Slavitt, outlining and detailing concerns about the proposal and requesting considerable modifications.

If you would like to weigh in on MACRA and it's implications to your practice, you are encouraged to contact ISMS Advocacy at 800-782-4767 x 1470 or email advocacy@isms.com.

The Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) recently published a proposed rule that would give full practice authority to four categories of advanced practice nurses (APNs) in an effort to reduce wait times in the VA health system. The rule would allow APNs working as VA employees to provide services without the clinical oversight of a physician!

ISMS has weighed in on this controversial subject and has urged both the VA and Congress to maintain physician supervision with APNs.

• ISMS urges VA to maintain APN supervision requirements

• ISMS urges Congress to maintain APN supervision requirements

Your comments on this important decision are being solicited. Voice your opinion by submitting comments by July 25th.

The ISMS House of Delegates meeting was held in Springfield from April 15-17, 2016. For a recap on the weekend events and outcomes of resolutions go to https://www.isms.org/hod/.

Thank you to Dr. Steven Campau, MD; Dr. Vikram Patel, MD; and Dr. David Stumpf, MD for representing the physicians of McHenry County at this year's HOD meeting.