We hate to say it, but the time for “I’ll deal with this later” is officially over.

There are only 36 days left for physicians to become successful electronic prescribers (or qualify for an exemption) for the purpose of avoiding the Medicare Part B payment adjustment of 1.5% in 2013.

Physicians who take one of the following steps by June 30, can avoid this scheduled reduction to their Medicare Part B payments:

• Report via claims code G8644 at least one if he/she does not have prescribing privileges.
• Report via claims either G8642 or G8643 if he/she practices in a rural area without sufficient high speed internet access or practices in an area without sufficient available pharmacies for electronic prescribing, respectively.
• Report via claims at least 10 separate electronic prescribing events.
• File for one of the permitted hardships here. 

Physicians who are electronic prescribing need to make sure they are using the correct electronic prescribing G-code (G8553) on their Medicare Part B claims. By reporting G8553, the physician is indicating that at least one prescription created during the patient encounter was generated and transmitted electronically using a qualified electronic prescribing system. Additionally, G8553 needs to be submitted with a line-item charge of $0.00 (a nominal amount such as $0.01 can be substituted if the physician’s billing system requires a charge). 

It is important for physicians or their staff to review the remittance advice to make sure their vendor or clearinghouse did not mistakenly remove the G-code. They should look for the N365 remark code on the remittance advice to make sure the electronic prescribing G-code was properly processed. The presence of the remark code indicates that the electronic prescribing G-code was received by the National Claims History database, but it does not mean that the code is accurate for that claim. 

The grid below identifies all of the various criteria by which individual physicians and other eligible professionals (EPs) can avoid the 2013 Medicare Part B penalty.

An individual EP is not subject to the 2013 payment adjustment:

Daniel Goldberger, MD, is the new medical director of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and the Enhanced External Counterpulsation Program (EECP) at Borgess Health & Fitness Center.

As medical director, Dr. Goldberger will coordinate care of cardiac patients with their referring physician during their treatment time. He also is a physician with ProMed Family Practice in Portage, Mich. In addition, Dr. Goldberger has served as medical director with Borgess VNA Home Care and Borgess Visiting Nurse & Hospice since 2009, and also is chairman of the Borgess Visiting Nurse & Hospice Medical Advisory Board.

Prior to joining Borgess in 1992, Dr. Goldberger was an attending physician with Meadville
Medical Center in Meadville, Penn., and was a private practice physician in Cochranton, Penn. He also served as attending physician with Shawano Community Hospital in Shawano, Wis., and was a physician with the Menominee Tribal Clinic in Keshena, Wis.

Dr. Goldberg received a bachelor of science degree the University of Michigan, and earned his MD degree from Medical College of Ohio at Toledo. He was a pediatric intern with Graduate Medical Education Inc. in Lansing, Mich., and also completed a residency in family practice at St. Lawrence Hospital in Lansing, part of the Michigan State University program.

For information on Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and the Enhanced External Counterpulsation Program (EECP) or to schedule an appointment, call (269) 552.2200 or visit www.borgess.com.

2012 Borgess Friends of Nursing Award Recipients
Borgess Lamplighter Award
James L. Wierman, DO, FACP – Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital

Rising Star Award
Erica Danov, BSN, RN – Borgess Medical Center

Excellence in Clinical Practice I Award
Judy Cooper, BSN, RN – Borgess Medical Center
Margaret Woollet, ADN, RN – Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital
Doreen Hilton, BSN, RN – Borgess-Pipp Hospital
Mary J. Smith, RN – Borgess VNA Home Health & Hospice
Shannon Wixson, BSN, RN, CDE – Borgess Medical Group

Excellence in Clinical Practice II Award (tie)
Nan Meyers, MSN, RN, CNRN – Borgess Medical Center
Susan Kay Ryan, MS, RNC-NIC – Borgess Medical Center

Nursing Leadership Award
Janet Bierlein, BSN, CPHQ, CSHA, CHC, CCEP – Borgess Medical Center

2012 Friends of Borgess Nursing Certification Grants
Danyell Burrus, ADN, RN – Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital
Caroline Kusa, ADN, RN – Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital
Holly McDonald, ADN, RN – Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital
Mary Tumbleson, ADN, RN – Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital
Margaret Woollet, ADN, RN – Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital
Desiree Cortes, BSN, RN – Borgess Medical Center
Brook Mishler, BSN, RN – Borgess Medical Center
Maggie Paynich, MSN, RN – Borgess Medical Center

Held on May 9 at the Fetzer Center on the campus of Western Michigan University, the Friends of Borgess Nursing Awards Dinner raised important funding to sustain nursing education, research and certification. To date, $198,000 has been raised. For more information, or to make a donation, call (269) 226.8100 or visit foundation.borgess.com.

A $2 million gift from a group of anonymous donors to the Borgess
Foundation is strengthening minimally invasive surgical capabilities throughout Borgess Health.The gift hastened the recent deployment of the da Vinci® surgical system, advanced robotic procedures which expand opportunities for numerous surgical specialties that utilize minimally invasive procedures for patients. The donors’ actions enhance Borgess’ longstanding leadership role in seeking ways to reduce less pain and promote faster healing for patients, while also placing the health ministry on the cutting edge of robotic and other minimally invasive technology.

“This is a tremendous gift that already is paying dividends for our patients,” said Paul Spaude, president & CEO, Borgess Health. “We sincerely thank these generous donors whose confidence in our leadership and alignment with our mission has enabled us to provide the greatest access to the most advanced surgical treatments in southwest Michigan. They exemplify the latest great example of how gifts to Borgess
directly impact our ability to provide a consistent stellar experience for our patients.”

Borgess and its physicians, nurses and technicians who are part of the Borgess Robotic Surgery Programutilize da Vinci, the most advanced system in southwest Michigan, for numerous surgical procedures including colorectal, cardiothoracic, radical prostatectomy and OB-GYN. The latter procedure, for example, allows surgeons to enter through the belly button, reducing scarring that came with certain procedures in the past and shortening the length of recovery periods. Among the physicians who praise da
Vinci for its promising applications in promoting future advances in healing is Rajiv Rangrass, MD, Obstetrics & Gynecology at Borgess Women’s Health in Plainwell.

Dr. Rajiv Rangrass, MD

“The gift is enabling us to train in specialized robotic and other minimally invasive best practices andperform complex surgical procedures using smaller incisions,” Dr. Rangrass said. “Such procedures reduce trauma, blood loss, post-operative pain and infections, as well as shorter hospital stays. I am grateful for the support from our donors who are committed to improving care and making sure that my patients heal quicker.”

The $2 million gift is among several recent large gifts to the Borgess Foundation. The Foundation has helped raise more than $22 million since fiscal year 2005 for Borgess programs that enhance access to health care in southwest Michigan. In recent years, the Foundation through its “Habitat for Healing Campaign” raised approximately $10.5 million to help complete two projects: the renovation and expansion of the Burton H. Upjohn Emergency and Trauma Center at Borgess Medical Center; and the construction of
Borgess Gardens, Kalamazoo’s newest skilled nursing and rehabilitation center in more than 20 years.

Dr. Canfield has served on the MOA’s Board of Trustees since 2005. In addition to his role on the board, he has served the MOA in a number of capacities, including chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Physician Access and Michigan Medicaid and the President of the Internal Affairs Department.

During Dr. Canfield’s message, he said, “It is my great honor and privilege to serve as the 114th President of the Michigan Osteopathic Association.”

Dr. Canfield’s address focused on service, “I believe that Service is one of man’s greatest callings. When I teach medical students and residents I ensure that they realize as physicians we are to serve our patients. We are fortunate that by any standard we are compensated well for what we do, but we are still servants.”

The focus of his speech was on the following:

- Cost of Health Insurance: It is “estimated the average cost of a families’ health insurance plan by the year 2019… in just seven short years, will be more than $30,000.00 per year… According to U.S. Census for the year 2000, the average Michigan family earned approximately $54,000.00 per year. By the year 2010, the average Michigan family earnings actually dropped to $45,000.00 per year. We cannot expect that Michigan businesses will continue to support this burden or those families will spend three-quarters of their income on health insurance. We must anticipate that a serious change to what health insurance is, and what it will pay, is going to occur within the next few years.”

- Michigan Medicaid: “Reduce the number of Medicaid HMO’s from 14 to, ideally one or at least fewer; A single drug formulary for all Michigan Medicaid; press for administrative consistencies in the programs; and continue to work on tort reform.”

- Affordable Health Care Act: “If the Act remains, however, the Medicaid roles in Michigan are expected to swell by more than one million additional lives… the plan touts a partial solution for the first few years; it is to pay at least primary care physicians at Medicare rates. That should help if you believe that the Federal Government will address the Sustainable Growth Rate, which threatens to cut Medicare rates next year by about one third. That would bring Medicare rates back toward current Medicaid rates.”

- Military Service People: “Are you aware that many doctors and hospitals do not accept TRICARE Prime, one of the insurances provided by the federal government to our retired, disabled and active duty service men and women and their families living in remote areas? This has shocked me for years! Recently I inquired at a local hospital, known for its compassionate care, why they did not support our military service people. I was told that they could not afford to see them, as TRICARE Prime for many services, reimburse at less than Michigan Medicaid rates! This is a totally unacceptable way to treat our heroic service men and women and their families!”

The Michigan Osteopathic Association represents more than 8,000 osteopathic physicians and students and promotes osteopathic medicine in Michigan by shaping the health care delivery system to better serve the community. To learn more about the MOA and osteopathic medicine, visit the MOA website at www.mi-osteopathic.org.

SOURCE  Michigan Osteopathic Association (MOA)

Keystone Pharmacy is one of only five pharmacies in Michigan that has received this accreditation and is the first to go through reaccreditation.  It was also among the original 50 pharmacies in the nation to receive the accreditation; today there are approximately 140 pharmacies that are PCAB accredited.

PCAB was created by eight of the leading organizations in the pharmacy profession for the purpose of recognizing those compounding pharmacies that have demonstrated their outstanding commitment to quality.  Accreditation means that the pharmacy ranks among the best in the nation for compliance with quality standards.

“We are exceptionally pleased to receive re-accreditation from the PCAB,” said Dave Miller, chief formulation scientist and co-owner.  “Demand for compounded medications continues to increase and quality remains of the utmost importance.  We are committed to providing the highest quality compounding services to our patients and are proud to be acknowledged for our efforts once again.”

CHAP accreditation demonstrates that Hospice of Michigan meets the hospice industry’s highest nationally recognized standards. Rigorous evaluation by CHAP focuses on structure and function, quality of services and products, human and financial resources, and long-term viability. Through CHAP certification, Hospice of Michigan is also certified as a Medicare provider.

“Hospice of Michigan sets high standards for quality care, and we are very proud to be accredited by CHAP, which is an independent accrediting organization,” said Marcie Hillary, executive director of Hospice of Michigan/West Michigan.  “Patients, their families and referral sources can be confident in the quality care that Hospice of Michigan provides.”

The study, which was conducted at 40 adrenal cancer specialty centers across 12 countries, randomly assigned 304 patients with advanced adrenal cancer to undergo one of the two most successful combination chemotherapy treatments. One treatment combined the chemotherapy drugs etoposide, doxorubicin and cisplatin (EDP) with mitotane, and another combined streptozocin with mitotane.

Researchers found that the EDP plus mitotane treatment staved off progression of the disease longer than the other option. Neither regimen improved how long patients lived.

The consortium – which grew out of an international adrenal cancer symposium at the University of Michigan Health System in 2003 – is the first effort to compare treatment regimens in patients with advanced adrenal cancer. About 600 Americans a year are diagnosed with adrenal cancer and almost all will die within five years of diagnosis.

To read the full story please visit: http://www.uofmhealth.org/news/adrenal-cancer-0516

Sarah Riley Howard, a partner with the law firm Warner Norcross & Judd LLP, has been elected to the Grand Rapids Bar Association’s board of trustees.

She will serve a three-year term beginning on July 1.  Trustees are responsible for providing oversight to the GRBA, which is one of the largest bar associations in Michigan.  Howard has been active with the Bar since joining the firm, serving as chair and vice chair of the GRBA Young Lawyers Section.Howard specializes in helping companies prevent and defend criminal charges, as well as

Sarah Riley Attorney at Law

other punitive civil and administrative cases. She also concentrates her practice in complex federal civil litigation – helping clients bring, defend and prevent federal constitutional rights claims, class actions and statutory suits. She chairs the White Collar Criminal Defense and Compliance Practice Group.

Howard has been named an Up & Coming Lawyer by Michigan Lawyers Weekly and was recognized as a Rising Star by Michigan Super Lawyers.

She is a member of the Federal Bar Association, serving as executive board member and vice president of operations.  She is also a member of the American Bar Association, State Bar of Michigan, National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, Women Lawyer’s Association of Michigan and American Health Lawyers Association.