COVID-19
From KMS Executive Director Rachelle Colombo
While calendars bring new activities and resolutions, they rarely alter the challenges and opportunities before us as a mere matter of a date in time. And so, while we bid a hearty adieu to 2020, we greet 2021 with informed perspective and expectations for what might lie ahead. The medical community—and the world at large—has weathered much these last nine months and, like the rest of the globe, has been wearied by the experience and seeks hope of brighter days on the horizon.
From KMS Executive Director Rachelle Colombo
Circumstances in our professional and day-to-day lives continue to change, perhaps more rapidly now than previously in the pandemic. The Kansas Legislature is, of course, affected by these circumstances as well, and is currently considering potential new approaches to their process—as well as a significantly revised schedule—to their work for the upcoming session. While we are in close communication with legislative leadership, it is too early to predict what shape their plans may take.
From KMS Executive Director Rachelle Colombo
The pandemic environment continues to evolve and, in many Kansas communities, COVID-19 infections are on the rise more than ever. KMS continues to work closely with state and federal leaders to gather and disseminate pertinent information and resources for you and your patients.
With FDA approval of the first vaccines this week, there is naturally heightened interest in how and when vaccinations will become available across Kansas. We know that many of you are getting questions from patients for which you do not yet have answers. Likewise, we know you want to ensure that you and your staff members can be vaccinated as soon as possible, so that you can provide the safest possible care for your patients.
CDC announces codes for COVID-19-related conditions
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced six new ICD-10-CM codes to track conditions related to COVID-19. The new codes are intended to track: COVID-19 screenings; potential exposure to COVID-19; personal history of COVID-19; multi-system inflammatory syndrome; other systemic involvement of connective tissue; and pneumonia due to COVID-19. The codes will become effective Jan. 1, 2021. Full information is available here.
FBI advisory: Ransomware activity targeting health care and public health sectors
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and two other federal agencies are warning of an imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. health care providers, noting that several hospitals across the country have already been hit. In a joint advisory, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), FBI, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said they have credible information that cybercriminals are taking aim at health care providers and public health agencies amid the COVID-19 pandemic using Ryuk ransomware for financial gain. Physician practices, hospitals, and public health organizations are advised to take precautions to protect their networks from such threats.
From KMS Executive Director Rachelle Colombo
If there is one thing Americans can agree on, it is that we cannot finish election season soon enough. Layering local, state, and presidential politics on a year charged with so many divisive and difficult issues has added to overall exhaustion for most, and lack of interest in civic engagement for many. It can be hard to distinguish where to begin, who to support, and if it matters. While your vote is a personal decision, it also affects your profession and your patients — and it does matter.
Board of Healing Arts seeks committee nominations
The Kansas Board of Healing Arts is seeking nominations for its Medicine and Surgery Review Committee #2. Committee members serve for two years reviewing standard of care investigations and providing preliminary opinions. The Board welcomes all specialties but is in particular need of family physicians, pediatricians, or other primary care specialties. Let us know if you are interested or you may contact the Board directly: Associate Disciplinary Counsel Katie Baylie,
KMS Advocacy Day & Annual Meeting registration
Please register today for the Kansas Medical Society Advocacy Day & Annual Meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, as well as a networking event the evening prior. Attendees will meet with legislative leadership as well as one-on-one with your own representatives. You will also be able to meet with a number of specialty societies. We hope you will make plans to join your peers from across the state to network and learn how our collective advocacy shapes the practice of medicine in Kansas. Find more information and registration here: www.kmsonline.org/AdvocacyDay.
Additional funding for physicians announced via Provider Relief Fund
HHS announced this week that it will begin availing $15 billion in additional funds to eligible physicians via the Provider Relief Fund. The payment to each provider will be at least 2% of reported gross revenue from patient care; the final amount each provider receives will be determined after the data is submitted, including information about the number of Medicaid patients that providers serve.
A message from KMS Executive Director Rachelle Colombo:
This weekend marks the passing of two full months since a state of emergency related to COVID-19 was declared in Kansas. During that time, life has changed dramatically, bringing kids home from schools, adults home to work remotely, and the suspension of most medical care that wasn’t emergent or COVID-19-related. We have heard from you regarding the challenges of adapting to delivering care during the pandemic. As schools and the economy have shuttered, the delivery of health care has soldiered on, albeit at a different rhythm and with plenty of setbacks of its own. Many of you have reached out to tell us your stories, from the challenges of procuring PPE, to maintaining payroll and waiting for patient volume to resume as you’ve tried to keep your practices afloat. Hearing from you has honed our advocacy, as we have shared your stories with federal, state, and community leaders and urged them to adopt public policies that will address the problems you have identified, as well as enabling the health care system to reopen, safely and responsibly.
