Clark County Medical Society

County Line

Newsletter  104   September 2008

 

Contents

 

President’s Message – September

Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada

Malpractice Filings Against Health Care Providers, Jan 2001 – July

Member News

Risk Reduction Policies and Procedures for your Office Manual

Past President’s Message

CME Calendar

BOT Meeting Minutes Synopsis June 2008

2008-09 Alliance Co-Presidents Message - September

Southern Nevada Health Officer Report

Classified Ads

County Line Advertisers

 

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President’s Message – September

By Jerry Jones, MD

2008-09 CCMS President

Hospitality, Generosity, Kindness

      I think often of my friend Dr. Robert Buckley.  Bob had a lot of friends. Many of his friends knew Bob much longer than I did. Robert Buckley passed away in 2007 having lived a life full and rich with memory and meaning. His wonderful wife Barbara, their children and grandchildren honor Bob and his life.

      Dr. Buckley was the older generation of physicians who lived, remembered, and survived adventures that I have not. Bob traveled the world literally while working with the Hilton Foundation. They founded and assisted medical clinics all over the world.  Bob would often talk about Haiti, as he was especially fond of that destination.

      One of Dr. Buckley’s sons told me on one of their more remote destinations he saw an examination table donated by the Robert Buckley family. He said he was proud they were leaving something; a memory behind.

      Dr. Buckley had asked me to travel with him on one of his trips. I could not accompany him because of the trip destination.  Practicing OB/GYN does not give me a lot of flexibility with my schedule. Most of us do not and cannot make the commitment of travel and time that Dr. Buckley did. 

 

Community Service Opportunities are of increasing importance this year.

      The 2008-09 CCMS Pictorial Directory will arrive in your offices in the next month or so and now has a new section on “Service Opportunities”.  Unemployment, difficult financial times, home foreclosures and loss of health insurance are probably issues your patients are talking about to you.

      We are most excited about Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada “VMSN” which will open clinic doors in 2009.  VMSN is the first community service project endorsed by the Clark County Medical Society.  An excited board meets biweekly to navigate all of the details that are needed to open the clinic.  No matter your talents or background VMSN will find a good place for you. I think Dr. Buckley would have liked the plans for VMSN.

 

Membership Drive

      We started our membership drive for CCMS July 2008.  If you are a member of a specialty or multi specialty group and members of your group are not yet CCMS members, please ask them to join.

      We will continue our office patient safety column by Antoinette Sparkuhl in the County Line each month. We will make you even more proud of your Clark County Medical Society.                                                                                                                                                                          

 

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Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada

By Florence Jameson, MD

 

            I want to share with you an amazing project that is unfolding here in Southern Nevada.  It is called Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada (VMSN).  I have previously written about VMSN in my President's Messages and now I would like to update you with the incredible progress we have made in the last year.

     VMSN was established in 2008 by a group of concerned citizens who wanted to find a way to provide access to health care to the medically underserved and uninsured. It is estimated there are 40 million uninsured in the United States including more than 400,000 in Southern Nevada. In July of 2006 there were 171, 043 uninsured persons in Clark County within 200% of the poverty level, a startling 38% increase over the prior six years. In our current economic recession the situation is rising to a crisis level. In March of 2008, Family USA used Nevada as their example when writing an article on the uninsured crisis.  In the article titled, “Dying for Coverage in Nevada”, it was noted that more than five working age Nevadans die each week due to lack of health insurance. Between 2000 and 2006 there was an excess of 1,600 that died in Nevada due to lack of health insurance. Nevada is 47th in the Nation for uninsured children.

     VMSN plans to use both active and retired health care professionals and lay people to run the clinic. We expect to be one of the largest clinics in the country because our medical needs are among the greatest in the country. In a large clinic located centrally, it is anticipated that 200 to 300 volunteers will be serving 25,000 to 50,000 patient visits annually. VMSN’s philosophy is to create a “culture of caring.” The clinic will initially focus on primary care, newborn check-ups/immunizations, pediatrics, prenatal care and social services. Additional services such as eye, dental, and others will be added in time.

     The mission statement is to identify, understand, and serve the health and wellness needs of the medically underserved in Southern Nevada. The model for this program, Volunteer in Medicine Institute, is a tested one, with over sixty similar clinics around the country successfully providing medical care to the underserved.  These clinics serve primarily the working uninsured, 200% poverty level or below who simply cannot afford medical insurance.

      We now have over 200 volunteers: 60 physicians, 20 nurses, medical assistants, social workers, and others. Our volunteer organization team has grown to approximately 16 people, including health lawyers in our city, a premier grant writer, a top executive administrator, event planners, and many others.  Our supporters are extensive, including City Councilman Barlow, County Commissioner Weekly, Mayor Oscar Goodman, Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, Senator Barbara Cegavske, Attorney General Catherine Cortez-Masto, HCA CEO Sylvia Young, Valley CEO Carla Perez, St. Rose CEO Rod David, Quest Diagnostics, and many major philanthropic individuals in our community.  The secret to our success is to have as large a volunteer force as possible, thereby minimizing the load on any one person. 

      Our medical goal is to open two clinics in Las Vegas, to cover most of the high poverty zip codes.  One clinic will hopefully be near Tropicana and Pecos and be operational within the next 6 to 12 months.  The larger of the two clinics will be located somewhere near the downtown area and should be open within 24 months.  Our focus is on registering under the FCTA, a federal provision which ensures liability protection for the health care professionals who are volunteering their time.  We plan to enlist the help of both active and retired health care professionals.  In the fall we are hoping to raise approximately $3 million to build our downtown clinic.   

      Let us be the generation that began the work in a conscious effort to answer the challenge of universal healthcare;  to be one of the few communities in the country to declare that everyone has access to quality medical care.  Every person deserves health care which is critical to good health, happiness and the pursuit of dreams.  I want to invite you to participate in VMSN.  We desperately need primary care doctors and pediatricians. We are looking for volunteers and also a Medical Director.  Any physicians out there that are either working full-time, part-time, or retired and are interested in volunteering for the Medical Director position please contact us.  Visit us on our website at www.vmsn.org and sign up on our volunteer page; or call us at 702-994-3760.  Thank you.

 

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Clark County District Court Medical Malpractice Filings

                   2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Jan            39     33     108   61     41     50     109   64

Feb            20     14     98     72     63     61     41    77

Mar            35     30     169   123   64     38     70    3126

Apr             37     34     111   81     70     58     60    505

May           37     35     126   65     14     71     84    225

Jun            27     24     103   90     65     83     56    116

Jul              19     100   114   45     66     74     84    171

Aug            54     51     76     67     33     82     74

Sep            20     65     105   79     36     51     62

Oct             37     83     110   59     26     74     78   

Nov            38     184   59     78     73     50     53

Dec            9       170   67     47     30     28     53   

Sum           372   823   1246 867   581   720   824   4284

 

 

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Member News

 

Applicants to go before the

Credentialing Committee

 

Kevin Chang, MD - Diagnostic Radiology

Andrea Dempsey, MD - Internal Medicine

Howard Francois, MD - Diagnostic Radiology

Mirza Irfan, MD - Internal Medicine

Joel Schwartz, MD - OB-Gyn

Quynh Vo, MD - OB-Gyn

Lavanya Vuddagiri, MD - Diagnostic Radiology

 

If you have any pertinent information about the membership candidates listed above, please send written information to:

 

Clark County Medical Society

2590 E Russell Rd

Las Vegas, NV 89120

 

Listed below are some of the benefits of membership:

5% Discount on Malpractice Insurance with Nevada Mutual Insurance Company, PIC Wisconsin and PPIC

Group Health PPO for members and their families, and office employees and their families at very competitive rates

VISA credit card through Community Bank with no interest for 60 days

iTransact credit card processing service at special rates

MedPac, your CCMS political action committees, and NemPac, the NSMA political action committee, both supporting physician friendly candidates

Notary services at the CCMS office, free to CCMS members

Through NSMA, representation in State Legislature via paid lobbyist

Fax updates on breaking news important to local physicians

Free classified advertising (up to 40 words) in our monthly newsletter (limit of 3 per year)

Complimentary Copy of our Membership Directory annually

Publication of members name, address, phone number, and specialty on the CCMS website

Our informative monthly newsletter, the County Line, featuring articles on practice management, legislation, and more

ePrescribing through Allscripts – electronic new prescriptions and refills with formulary information

St. Rose Hospital’s new application and renewal application fee waiver

Approximately 1,600 referrals per year are provided to the public

 

Congratulations and Welcome to the Clark County Medical Society New Members – July 2008

 

Matthew Fouse, MD

Orthopaedic Surgery

2800 E Desert Inn Rd #100

Las Vegas, NV 89121

 

Pouya Mohajer, MD

Anesthesiology

9280 W Sunset Rd #412

Las Vegas, NV 89148

 

Orrenzo Snyder, MD

Urology

1301 Bertha Howe #9

Mesquite, NV 89027

 

Michael Tay, MD

Radiation Oncology

3730 S Eastern Ave

Las Vegas, NV 89169

 

Steven Thomas, MD

Maternal/Fetal Medicine

2011 Pinto Ln #200

Las Vegas, NV 89106

 

 

Welcome to the Clark County Medical Society Reinstated Members - July 2008

 

Lawrence S Copeland, MD - Internal Medicine

Arthur Tayengco, MD - OB-Gyn

Patricia Pierce, MD - Maternal Fetal Medicine

 

For information on becoming a member of the Clark County Medical Society, call Janiceanne Poblete at 739-9989.

 

 

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Risk Reduction Policies and Procedures for your Office Manual

By: Antoinette Pretto-Sparkuhl, RN, BSN, MHA

       

              Patient safety is paramount to a successful medical practice. Today's patients are savvier due to increased availability of medical information and therefore are more apt to scrutinize their medical care. Consequently, physicians need to be more prepared in order to successfully manage their patients. Becoming more prepared includes developing a Policy and Procedure Manual for the physician's office which will promote patient safety and quality care. Remember, physicians are not only liable for their own negligent acts, but can also be held accountable for the negligent acts of their staff.

        Standardization is the most obvious reason for having a Policy and Procedure Manual. This helps to ensure that staff is on the same page with a particular process thus reducing the chances of errors from occurring. Other reasons may include: to orient/re-orient new staff, establish processes for handling various situations in the office, set expectations regarding who does what and how, support the physician practice mission, and establish rules to support customer service.  All of these support the primary reason for a Manual which is to provide written guidelines which support patient safety and quality care.

        In my experience, one of the most common reasons for offices not having a Policy and Procedure Manual was due to small staff size.  Excuses such as "There are only 3 of us that work here, so we don't really need one", or "We are small and have all worked together for so long that we don't really need one" is what I was told.  Regardless of practice size or how long you have been in business, without a formalized written Manual you are putting yourself and staff, your practice, and your patients, at risk.

        Key Risk Reduction Policies and Procedures are summarized in the following categories:

        1.  Patient Satisfaction, Communication and Customer Service - A lack of one or all of these have been directly linked to malpractice claims even in the absence of negligence. Policies and Procedures should be created for: Addressing Patient Complaints, Telephone Communication, (triage, advice calls, prescription refills, after hours calls) and Scheduling, (scheduling, cancellations, and no-shows).

        2.  Patient Rights - Regulations have been enacted to ensure patients rights, including HIPAA and anti-discrimination laws.  Policies and Procedures for cultural competency issues, confidentiality and access to medical records should be created to address these issues.

        3.  Documentation – We have all heard the old adage the “If it wasn’t documented, it didn’t happen.”  Malpractice cases are lost because of inadequate documentation.  Therefore, you should have Policies and Procedures for: informed consent and refusal, records retention and tracking referrals and tests.

        4.  Operations - In order to promote certain office operations which enhance patient safety

and protect your practice, you should have Policies and Procedures for: medication management, disclosing medical errors, medical emergencies and handling high risk patients.

        5.  Legal Issues - These issues should be dealt with timely and efficiently so that there is minimal disruption to your practice. Policies and Procedures for: management of  professional liability claims, terminating a patient and request for medical records release, should be created.

      Enhanced communication, enhanced productivity thus reduced lost time, consistency among staff, compliance with state, federal laws and accreditation agencies and improved customer service are just some of the benefits from implementation.  All of these benefits will help to reduce your liability exposure.  (Seek legal counsel as needed, to ensure compliance before implementation of a Policy or Procedure).

      Compliance with office Policies and Procedures must be audited in order to protect yourself and staff, your practice and ultimately the patients you serve. Now is the time to develop formalized written processes which can reduce the chances of errors occurring in your office.

     

            Antoinette Pretto-Sparkuhl can be contacted at 700 Shadow Ln #430, Las Vegas, NV 89106.

 

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Past President’s Message

By Charles Ebert, MD

CCMS President 1990-1991

 

      Being President of the Clark County Medical Society for the year 1990-1991 was a high point in my medical career.  Rereading excerpts from my installation speech, I feel without a doubt, those thoughts are just as pertinent to the issues we as a medical community face today as they were 18 years ago.

      The year was full of satisfying and fun events as well as giving back to the medical community and the Las Vegas community.  For example, the year started with a Welcome Barbeque for the new members of the society, then, frequent general membership dinner meetings with guest speakers such as the president of the AMA and the Governor.  The programs were pertinent, concise, and well received by the membership.  A Christmas Charity Ball was the highlight of the holiday season and this was followed by a Spring Golf Tournament that was fun, promoted collegial camaraderie, and raised close to $12,000 for our scholarship fund.  This was the year of Desert Storm, and, the society developed a program to treat families of active duty military personnel in the war zone without charge, additionally, society members volunteered to cover the practices of several physicians who were called to active duty.

      And this was the year of the legislature……A new respect for the society emerged from Carson City due to the active participation of our physicians, our lobbyists, and of course, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, our Executive Director, Senator Nick Horn.  The message throughout the legislative year was, “Don’t mess with the docs!”.

      18 years after being installed as the President of the Clark County Medical Society my message to President Jerry Jones and the members of the Society is this: “A past NSMA President, Dr. Tom Brady, adopted as his motto, “To those who much is given, much will be required”.  “Can there be any better application of Noblesse Oblige, than to the physician?  …..I respectfully ask, then, that you…. the members of the CCMS…. make it our own rallying cry, and join me in a sincere effort to regain the respect and trust of those under our care… the people of Southern Nevada.”  (Excerpts from installation speech of Dr Charles Ebert, III, President, CCMS, 1990-1991)

 

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CME CALENDAR   

 

   Bechtel Nevada                        702-295-0208

 

      NV Chapter AACE                   702-434-8400

     

      NV Cancer Institute                 702-822-5290

      Sep 26 - "Radioembolization for Primary and Secondary Liver Malignancies."

     

      Pri-Med Institute                     877-4PRI-MED

 

      Sierra Health Services            702-242-7735

 

      Southern Nevada AHEC         702-318-8452

 

      Southwest Medical Assoc      702-242-7735

 

      Sunrise Hospital                     702-731-8210

      Aug 1 - "Neurovascular Case Discussion"

 

      UMC                                         702-383-2604

      Sep 5 - "Cystic Fibrosis"

      Sep 10, Sep 12 & Sep 19 - see www.umcsn.com/events/cme.asp

      Sep 26 - "Women's Health Issues"

 

      Valley Hospital                        702-388-4847

 

      Education Opportunities for Practice Managers, Call  the NV Medical Group Management Association: 702-697-5471 ext 134.

 

 

 

      Only CME Activities held at the Clark County Medical Society office are specifically endorsed by CCMS.

 

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BOT Meeting Minutes Synopsis June 17, 2008

 

I.              Call to Order - The meeting was called to order by Dr. Havins at 6:02 pm.

II.            Action Items

                A.            Minutes from the May 20, 2008 meeting were unanimously approved.

                B.            Financial report was presented by Dr. Steinberg: General Revenue – Actual income for 11 months of Fiscal Year 2007-08 is $430,591.37 compared to $433,114.00 in Fiscal Year 2006-07, for a decrease of $2,522.63 over last year at this time.  

Operating Expenses – Actual expenses for 11 months of Fiscal Year 2007-08 is $348,074.46 compared to $337,424.44, for an increase of approximately $10,650.02 over last year at this time. 

Overall, for 11 months of our fiscal year, revenues exceeded our expenses by $82,516.91.  The bank balance for the end of May was $566,609.49 compared to $490,091.70 last year at this time.

Dr. Jones presented Dr. Steinberg a plaque of appreciation for his years of service as CCMS Treasurer.

III.           Committee Reports

                A.            Membership Count - Dr. Adashek presented the Membership Report: 

As of May 31, 2008, total dues-paid membership is 716, compared to 781 last year at this time.  This is a net decrease of 65 members.

Total CCMS members is 1,003, including 197 dues exempt members.

There are 38 new members, 0 new student members and 17 reinstatements in the Fiscal Year 07-08.

There are 90 Student members in the Fiscal Year 07-08.

Membership Round-Up:  Janice Poblete reported that five members have renewed their membership.

B.            Credentials Committee Report - Dr. Vanderharten presented the Credentials Committee Report.   Candidate Michael Her, MD – Internal Medicine was unanimously approved for membership.  Michael Valpiani, MD was reinstated for membership.

The BOT discussed the member disciplinary process.  A motion was made/passed to task the Bylaws Committee to develop an amendment stating:

                o              A member under investigation (at the direction of the Board of Trustees) by the Credentials Committee who voluntarily resigns prior to the end of the investigation is still subject to further investigation by the Credentials Committee.

o              The Credentials Committee may complete the investigation and report their findings to the Board with recommendations. 

o              The Board will reserve the right to officially remove the member even though they have voluntarily resigned.

C.                            Community Health/Community Relations Committee - Dr. Teijeiro presented the report.

Foster Care – The Department of Family Services spoke at the committee meeting and updated the group on the process of becoming a foster care giver.  They provided us with a descriptive paragraph to be placed on our website.

Healthy Living – Dr. Jones made a motion to endorse the program by MGM/Mirage.  After discussion, the BOT passed the motion to endorse and provide them with our logo for their letterhead. 

VMSN – All documents are in place.  The BOT passed a motion to:

                o              Re-affirm VMSN as CCMS’ pilot project under AB629, and to resubmit the feasibility study and justification to the LCB for reimbursement. 

                o              Place an endorsement in the County Line showing support for VMSN.

Articles in the County Line – Dr. Jones advised the BOT that Antoinette Sparkhul submitted 5 articles for printing in the County Line and there will be a total of 12 articles.  Dr. Havins concurred that the articles are of good content and will be printed.

D.            Remodeling Committee  - Dr. Fathie stated that the committee will meet tomorrow and will refine the first scope of work to be bid.

IV.           Alliance Report - Beverly Daly-Dix presented the report.                            

The June 5 co-sponsored (CCMS & CCMSA) event with Governor Gibbons was a great success with over 200 people in attendance. 

The “Mercedes” co-sponsored event will be held in September wherein we will invite candidates to meet/greet our members.

Nevada Tobacco Prevention Coalition – The Alliance was instrumental in passing the smoking ban.  The monies needed to fund the coalition until February 2009 is $36,000; $72,000 is needed to fund the coalition through the legislative period.

The two goals for the Alliance are:

o              Be branded as the organization who promotes community health

o              Increase membership to 175 by May 1, 2009

V.            County Health Officer Report (report in packets) - Dr. Sands presented the report.

A Hepatitis C Registry is being established in order to gather additional information related to patients of both Endoscopy Centers of Southern Nevada and the Desert Shadow Endoscopy Center. Registration forms have been mailed and, to date, over 500 enrollment forms have been received.

Approximately 1,400 patients have requested their records from the Endoscopy centers.

The West Nile Virus season is here. Due to real estate foreclosures, the SNHD has already exceeded the usual number of complaints regarding “green” pools.  So far, trapped mosquitoes and birds have tested negative for the virus. 

VI.           University of Nevada School of Medicine Report  - Dr. Bar-on presented the report.

Orientations to be held in Reno and Las Vegas will include a new pilot program consisting of a 3 hour workshop on professionalism.  The workshop’s focus is to help students think professionally and provide tools to students to help coach those who are not conducting themselves professionally.

The transition of Deans is progressing well. 

Dr. Lenhart and Dr. Baron are actively collaborating on equipping the combined simulation center as part of an initiative with UNLV School of Nursing.  A demonstration was conducted approximately 10 days ago. 

The new medical education building in Reno is progressing.  Some of the faculty will be touring the University of Utah’s new medical education building to see what their new features are and if they should be incorporated into Reno’s building.

A new medical education building in southern Nevada (a collaborative effort between the UNLV School of Nursing and School of Medicine) has been put on hold for budgetary reasons by Governor Jim Gibbons.

VII.          Nevada Health Sciences System Report - Dr. Lenhart presented the report.

The Andre Agassi fundraising event was successful and raised $2MM.  The Lindsay Foundation matched the $2MM+ for a total of $5.5MM towards the Health Science System.  A large portion of the monies will go to the joint clinical lab simulation center.  Dr. Lenhart thanked CCMS for their sponsorship.

Making strides in human research relating to two initiatives; inter-institutional biomedical research activities fund consisting of five $50,000 pots of money to start inter-institutional studies.  In order to qualify the intuitions cannot be related.

Developing research infrastructure, especially for clinical research at the southern campus, and streamlining the institutional review board, all of which subjects of research must pass.

Next week a seven-entity nursing collaboration symposium will be conducted.

VIII.        Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine Report - Dr. Forman stated no report this month.

IX.           Scholarship Fund Report - Dr. Ellerton was not present; therefore, Dr. Havins presented the report:

The scholarship distributions have been made to the schools.

Most of the scholarship recipients will be attending the Installation Dinner June 28th.

X.            NSMA Report - Dr. Kingsley was not present; therefore Larry Matheis provided the report.

The legislature committee on healthcare will have one more meeting in which they will discuss issues including the Hepatitis C crisis.

Working with the national Hepatitis C advocacy group and the CDC foundation to develop the materials to go into the physician practices in Nevada. 

The issue that is most difficult to communicate is the issue of usage of medication vials and how to communicate what is safe so it makes sense to the public.

The special session called by Governor Gibbons will be highly focused on the budget. 

XI.           MedPAC Report - Dr. Evins presented the report.

BOD next meeting will be July 1 to decide the next round of interviews.

After the August 12 primary, another round of interviews will be conducted.

A number of requests have been made by CCMS endorsed candidates to email information regarding their respective campaign events to our members.  After discussion with Dr. Havins, it was decided that the Board of Trustees needs to determine if a policy should be established to email upcoming events from endorsed candidates.  Dr. Evins recommended that the Board of Trustees entrust the Board of Directors of MedPAC to make the decision, on a case by case basis, to allow or deny such email solicitations.

Dr. Steinberg recommended that MedPAC establish a separate email account for mass emailing capabilities.

Dr. Havins recommended that the endorsed candidates purchase CCMS labels and send out their own mailings.  The value of the labels would be considered a contribution to the endorsed candidate’s campaign.

It was decided that the Board of Directors of MedPAC will discuss the issue further at the next MedPAC meeting.

XII.         AMA Report -      Dr. Nelson and Dr. Kline were not present; therefore Larry Matheis presented the report.

One major focus of the AMA meeting will managed care reform.  The first evaluation report of national insurers has been issued in the form of a report card. 

Another major focus will be the 10.6% cut which will be voted upon next week by the legislature.  Their computers have been updated to implement the cut July 1 (if passed).

XIII.        NBME Report - Dr. Rodriguez provided the report.

NBME elections were held in which Charles Herald, MD from Reno was elected President.  Dr. Rodriguez was elected Vice-President.

Hearings will begin in September/October for Dr. Desai and Dr. Carrera. 

Dr. Baepler, NBME Secretary, passed away recently.  His replacement has not yet been named.

A request has been submitted to the legislation to allow the NBME to raise their bi-annual dues to $1,000.

The NBME website will be revamped to include judgments against physicians in excess of $5,000

XIV.        President’s Report - The President’s Report was merged with the Administrative Report (below).

XV.         Administrative Report         - Dr. Havins provided the Administrative Report.

CME for Profit – Dr. Havins asked the BOT’s consensus on whether we should charge a fee to advertise CME’s for profit in our County Line.  After discussion, the BOT passed a motion to allow individual members to petition the BOT to advertise for free in the CME section of the County Line CME’s for Profit. 

XVI.        New Business      

Dr. Jones and Dr. Jameson advised the BOT that Senator Cegavski visited them at the Juvenile Justice Center and was favorably impressed by the work being done.

XVII.       Old Business - None to report.

XVIII.     Future Meetings - Next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 6:00pm.  This will be an Executive Council meeting, though all BOT members are welcome to attend.

XX.         Adjournment -      Meeting adjourned at 8:15 pm.

 

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2008-2009 CCMS Alliance Co-Presidents Message - September

By Beverly Daly Dix and Sheila Bazemore

 

     

 

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SNHD Health Officer Report

Hepatitis C update and policy issues

By Lawrence K Sands, DO, MPH, Chief Health Officer, Southern Nevada Health District

           

      On July 29, 2008, representatives from the Southern Nevada Health District and the Nevada State Health Division provided the Legislative Committee on Health Care with an update of the hepatitis C investigation and outlined policy recommendations for consideration by the committee.

      Updates related to the hepatitis C investigation included the identification of two source cases in the hepatitis C outbreak at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. One patient had a procedure on July 25, 2007, and the other on September 21, 2007 – the dates that disease transmission was known to occur. An additional non-acute case of hepatitis C infection has also been linked to the September 21 source case. The health district can now link a total of eight hepatitis C cases directly to the Endoscopy Center on Shadow Lane and one acute case to the Desert Shadow Endoscopy Center.

      Genetic testing and results of the epidemiologic investigation allowed the health district’s epidemiology team to positively identify the two source cases among clusters of patients who underwent procedures on the same dates. Samples were tested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These results will help us to better understand how the disease was transmitted on those days and supports the initial findings of the investigation.

      The health district continues to receive enrollment forms for the Hepatitis C Exposure Registry.  The registry was developed to assist in the identification of patients who had procedures at both clinics, including those who are infected with the hepatitis C virus, and allows patients who have tested positive to learn their case classification. To date, the health district has received more than 6,000 completed enrollment forms.

      As a result of the hepatitis C investigation the Legislative Committee on Health Care asked for policy recommendations that would allow the health district to strengthen its public health response and to address barriers identified during the course of the investigation and subsequent response activities. Many of the recommendations were made in conjunction with the Nevada State Health Division and included provisions that will:

           Strengthen the authority of local health authorities or officers of health districts to subpoena records related to an ongoing investigation of a medical facility.

           Clarify statutory language as it relates to the powers of a local health authority or officer of a health district during disease investigations, including the ability to issue cease and desist orders when an immediate hazard is identified at a health care facility, and establishing methods to cover the costs of such disease investigations.

           Clarify the circumstances and method by which information in an investigation is shared with law enforcement authorities.

           Expand statutory definitions in “Chapter 441A Communicable Diseases” to include: disease, exposure, outbreak, and significant health event.

      The expansion of the definitions will provide health authorities with the necessary authority to investigate issues such as elevated lead levels, suspected exposures to biological, radiological or chemical agents and other significant events such as the identification of unsafe injection practices that could lead to adverse health effects.

      In addition to the recommendations that would enhance local public health authority, the Nevada State Health Division made additional policy recommendations to expand and solidify its ability to administer penalties, close facilities and assume administration of medical records. These recommendations include:

           Allowing the State Board of Health to adopt regulations to specify the conditions under which a medical facility can be closed during an on-going investigation.

           Clarifying statutory language as it relates to the power of the health division to fine medical facilities for violations.

           Giving authority to the health division to take control over a facility’s medical records in the event the facility is closed during the course of an investigation.

           Clarifying statutory language related to sentinel events and establishing penalties for facilities that do not report a sentinel event.

           Including the recommendations of a health authority investigating a disease outbreak or potential exposure in any statement of deficiency and requiring the appropriate response to be addressed in the resulting action plan.

      Through the joint efforts of state and local health authorities we are confident we can work with the health care community and the Legislative Committee on Health Care to institute sound policies that serve to strengthen our ability to respond to public health issues.

 

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Classifieds

 

Join us for a review and analysis of the years events in workplace drug testing.  AAMROs Annual Drug Testing Symposium, November 7-9, 2008. The Mirage Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada. Call 800-489-1829 or www.aamro.com

 

Add another zip code to your letterhead by sharing office space near Summerlin.  Westside “timeshare space” for lease.  New medical office building (full or half days available) convenient to 215 near Flamingo Hualapai.  Call 458-4263 ext 209

 

SEEKING INTERNIST: Local internist with booming practice, including clinical research, relocating and seeking interested parties to take over patients, research. Open to different arrangements. Fax interest, ideas to 702-871-1098.

 

seeking pediatrician: North Vista Hospital campus, bilingual spanish helpful.  Open to different arrangements.  Email interest, ideas to rotyf72@aol.com

 

Looking to share space and reduce overhead? Internal Medicine Doctor in GV near St Rose has more space than he needs. Free Standing Visible Building, Lots of Parking. 7 Exam rooms, great staff,Billing Service and more! Call 279-7056

OB/GYN: Established dual office practice in need of another physician. Great location. Excellent starting salary and benefit package. Definite opportunity for partnership or ownership. Please inquire by email Holly@ccfwobgyn.com

 

Business opportunity: Buy or lease new office space along Sunset/Rainbow. Adjacent to 3 hospitals and easy I-215 access. Contact: Mario 702-951-0770 or Mario@lasvegasurology.com

 

Ernest Sussman, MD is pleased to announce the opening of his solo practice specializing in Urology with emphasis on sexual medicine, male infertility (vasectomy and reversals), incontinence (female urology), and voiding disorders including BPH.  For more information, please call 702-293-0176.

 

SUBLEASE MEDICAL SPACE: Great location and price. FP specialist happy to work alongside any specialty. Accepting new patients. Se Habla Espanol. Office Hours M & Th Noon-8 pm and T,W,& F 9-5 pm. Please call Julie, 234-7458.

 

for lease medical facility: Free standing 6500 sqft (+/-) building on W Charleston Blvd close to Valley and UMC hospitals, freeways & downtown.  Ample parking.  Ideal for medical, dental & rehab facility.  Call Richard Krieger at 271-2746 for further details.

 

Physician needed: Internal Medicine/FP or Primary Care Physician.  Established patient base waiting for your attention for growing multi specialty practice.  Full time position with comprehensive benefit package.  Fax resume to 702-893-0109.

 

SELF DISTRIBUTE $1 MILLION OF YOUR stock in Nevada expand your company issue stock options get paid for your growth and hard work with your stock value Dr Emil Frei III invites you to discover the benefits of going public. 702-222-9076.

 

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County Line Advertisers

Nevada Mutual Insurance Company ….. 798-6001 ….. www.nevadamutual.com

Medicus……..512-467-2800 ……. www.medicusinsurance.com

Consultants in Marketing for Hutchison & Steffen ……944-2464  www.wemarketo.com

The Firm for Comprehensive Cancer Centers ….702-739-9933

SK+G for NV Cancer Institute … 478-4122 … www.skgadv.com

IND………697-6400…………  www.ind-insurance.com

Ensemble Real Estate, LLC …. 562-7595

Ferguson Advertising for Medical Protective 260-426-4401 …. www.medpro.com

Premier Physicians Insurance Company…..860-6130 ...  www.ppicmedmal.com

Status Group, LLC…. 702-252-7005  www.statusgroupllc.com

Bozell & Jacobs for MX Secure ….402-965-4300  www.mxsecure.com

MassMedia for Territory … 702-433-4331 … www.massmediacc.com

E & S Medical Billing … 362-9494

Shamoon Ahmad, MD …………702-363-2020

21st Century Oncology ……274-2000  www.21stcenturyoncology.com

Purdue Marion and Associates for Colliers International  ………..702-222-2362

R&R Partners, Inc for Saint Mary’s Health Plans ….702-318-4331… www.rrpartners.com

St Joseph’s Hospital ….602-406-3929 or 877-602-4111

Joe Kaufman Physician Mgnt Co …..702-318-6517

Bernhard Hodes Group for IPC the Hospitalists….. 713-690-0272

BJC Investments, LLC ……228-7464 …. www.priorityonecommercial.com

Nevada Docs Support Association, Inc ….. 702-215-4894… www.nvdocs.com

Medical Group Management Association ….. 697-5471 ext. 134

Merrill Lynch Michael Libraty .. 702-227-7030

 

 

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