The Show-Me-State Update is your source for the latest news and information impacting the medical community. Time-sensitive information and requests related to healthcare, advocacy issues, and professional development opportunities from MAFP are included.

March 2023 – Important MAFP News & Events

2023 Virtual CME Series Registration

Sessions will be held via Zoom from 6:00 – 8:00 pm, with each date offering 2.0 Prescribed CME Credits for a total of 8.0 credits. 

Members – $30 for each session
Non-Members – $50 for each session
Free for residents and students

Thursday, March 23, 2023 – Men’s Health
Session 1: Addressing Gaps in HIV PrEP – Kento Sonoda, MD, AAHIVS
Session 2: Stroke and Hypertension in Men – Kim Yu, MD, FAAFP

Thursday, April 27, 2023 – Adolescent Care
Session 1: Behavioral Health, Substance Use, and Interventions for Youth – Fred Rottnek, MD, MAHCM, FAAFP
Session 2: Functional Abdominal Pain in Adolescents – Sarah Rastogi, MD

Thursday, May 25, 2023 – Nutrition and Obesity
Session 1: Medical Treatment of Obesity – Kara Mayes, MD, FAAFP
Session 2: Popular Diets for Weight Loss – Andi Selby, DO, FAAFP

 

Seeking Nominations for 2023 MAFP Awards

The Missouri Academy of Family Physicians is accepting nominations for the following 2023 awards:

  • Family Physician of the Year
  • Resident Stipend Award
  • Exemplary Teaching Award
  • Outstanding Resident of the Year
  • Distinguished Service Award

Members of the MAFP are the heart of the organization’s success. They are vital to every facet of the organization’s mission. These awards are a way to recognize the outstanding family physicians of Missouri who go above and beyond for family medicine with their patients and their communities.

Nominate a family physician or resident in your life who deserves recognition for providing exemplary care, is involved in their community, or is a leader in their practice. Nominations can be submitted online for each award by visiting https://www.mo-afp.org/join/member-recognition/. The awards criteria, eligibility, and nomination guidelines are also available there. The deadline to submit nominations is April 30, 2023.

Get involved in the MAFP Tar Wars Program!

The goals of the program are to:

  • Educate and motivate students on being tobacco-free.
  • Mobilize health care professionals to become proactive in their community’s health education.
  • Encourage community involvement in support of the Tar Wars program.

Sign up to present to your local 4th and 5th-grade students.  All materials and supplies will be provided to you. Learn more about the program by visiting https://www.mo-afp.org/foundation/tar-wars/.

Submit a Resolution for the 2023 Congress of Delegates

MAFP Members are invited to make a recommendation to the MAFP Board of Directors to consider a resolution to be submitted on behalf of our members at this year’s AAFP Congress of Delegates, October 25-27, 2023, in Chicago. The Missouri Academy of Family Physicians considers many issues that are important to our members. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Congress of Delegates (COD) meets annually to develop and set policy for the AAFP, and to elect its officers and the AAFP Board of Directors (BOD). More information can be found here.

Other News and Updates

X-Waiver to Prescribe Buprenorphine Clarification

As you may have seen, year-end legislation repealed the x-waiver to prescribe buprenorphine. DEA and SAMHSA have released statements confirming the X-waiver requirements and patient caps have been removed. However, the year-end legislation included a separate provision, known as the MATE Act, that requires prescribers of controlled substances in schedule II, III, IV, and V to complete a one-time eight-hour training to obtain or renew their DEA license. SAMHSA and the DEA have not yet released official guidance or embarked on rulemaking for this provision. This is completely separate from the x-waiver changes.

The AAFP is working closely with SAMHSA, DEA, and other stakeholders on a number of recommendations to ensure this provision does not unduly burden physicians or reduce patient access to care. At this time, SAMHSA and DEA have some discretion on how this is implemented, what training will meet or has already met the new requirements, what documentation is required, and how the timeline for this training will be established.

The AAFP will share these details as soon as possible and work with chapters and our continuing education staff to ensure our family physicians have access to the resources they need to renew their prescribing licenses. This provision may go into effect June 21, 2023 at the earliest, but again, we are awaiting further clarification on the timeline from the DEA. If your DEA license expires in 2024 or later, you will not need to complete any additional training this year unless you choose to do so.

CDC Adds COVID Vaccine to Routine Immunization Schedule for Kids, Adults

Source: The Hill

COVID-19 vaccines are now included among the routine shots recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for children, adolescents, and adults. The 2023 list includes shots for the flu, measles mumps and rubella, polio, and other inoculations. The vaccine schedule represents the current recommendations for people as a regular part of their vaccinations against common infectious diseases.  Read more in The Hill.

COVID Public Health Emergency Ending March 11

The Biden Administration announced the Public Health Emergency (PHE) will end on May 11, 2023. The decision to bring the PHE to a close is one the AAFP has anticipated, and their course of action is consistent with their previous commitments to provide at least 60 days’ notice prior to the termination of the PHE. AAFP’s response on the impact of the PHE wind down can be found in a letter sent to President Biden with updated recommendations for ensuring continuous access to care when the PHE expires on May 11.  CMS released a fact sheet outlining programs impacted by the wind down of the PHE.

Calling All Family Medicine Chief Residents

The University of Missouri Columbia is hosting their 25th Leadership Conference for all family medicine chief residents on April 24, 2023, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the University of Missouri Columbia campus.  The cost to attend is $200.  For more information, contact Pia Brown at brownpia@umsystem.edu, or call (573) 884-2912.

AAFP Family Medicine Update Livestream, April 24–28, 31.5 credits

Stay updated with medical breakthroughs that affect the broad spectrum of your practice including: Top POEMS of 2022, ACP Guidelines on Antibiotic Treatment for Common Outpatient Infections, Update of the Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention, Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder and Addiction, Reduction in Cardiovascular Mortality, Myocardial Infarction, and Kidney Failure Using SGLT-2 Inhibitors and GLP-1 Receptor Agonists, How Well Do Risk Scores Predict Cardiovascular Events?  NOTE: The course is a 5-day livestream course offered in seven half-day sessions. Join Us!

MO HealthNet is Offering FREE Continuing Education (CE) Sessions

Doctors, nurses, and pharmacists are invited to participate in these free, one hour, sessions. Each session is created and presented by Relias and all are available as live webinars and will be recorded so you can earn continuing education credit on your own time. The list of topics and schedule is available at https://dss.mo.gov/mhd/providers/pdf//relias-training-schedule.pdf 

Each session is for 1.0 CME hour for physicians, 1.0 CPE for pharmacists, and 1.0 contact hour for nurses.