Volume 25, Number 4
2021-2022
President, Andrew Watson, M.D., and the 2021 Board of Directors
Peter F. Buckley, M.D. Member Spotlight: Jones UTHSC Receives its 11th Claudette Chancellor Shephard, M.D.
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COMPREHENSIVE CARE FOR YOUR PAIN. Medical Director: Moacir Schnapp, MD Pain Clinic Associates PLLC d/b/a Mays & Schnapp Neurospine and Pain is a licensed pain management clinic. License #PLLC0000000690
Volume 25, Number 4 2021-2022 The mission of the Memphis Medical Society is to unite the physicians of Memphis and Shelby County into an organization to promote the highest quality of medical practice and the health of our citizens.
Managing Editor Allison Cook 2021 Board of Directors President Andrew Watson, M.D. Immediate Past President Danielle Hassel, M.D. President-Elect Christopher M. Pokabla, M.D. Vice President Lisa Usdan, M.D. Secretary Dale Criner, M.D. Treasurer David L. Cannon, M.D. Members-at-Large James Beaty, M.D. Christopher Jackson, M.D. Walter Rayford, PhD, M.D., MBA Raymond R. Walker, M.D. James Wang, M.D. Paul Tackett, M.D. Perisco Wofford, M.D. Catherine Womack, M.D. Melanie Woodall, M.D Ex-Officio Board Members LaTonya Washington, M.D., President, Bluff City Medical Society Andreana Smith, President MidSouth MGMA
In this issue President’s Letter
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Hospital Updates
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Member Spotlight 9 Feature 12 Education 14 Finance Q&A 17 Legislative Update
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The Memphis Medical Society 1067 Cresthaven Road Memphis, TN 38119 901-761-0200 mdmemphis.org CEO/Executive Vice President, Clint Cummins, MHA
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Editorial
Project Access West Tennessee
Welcome to charity care that benefits patients and physicians. We are expanding healthcare to uninsured, low-income people throughout western Tennessee. Join us in providing speciality care to those in need.
Flexible Commitments Customize your level of commitment and choose from teleheath, phone consults or in-office visits.
Liability Coverage The Volunteer Health Services Act protects physicians providing charity care.
Simple Billing Our team collects all billing and reimbursement paperwork, and volunteers can receive CME for participating.
Easy Referrals Our team coordinates referrals and guides the patient through each appointment.
Donate Your Time and Your Talents Today 901-761-0200 projectaccess@mdmemphis.org
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President’s Letter
Welcome to 2022. We all optimistically anticipated that 2021 would put us well past the majority of pandemic-related challenges and bring a return to daily life as we once shared it. Everyone, I believe, can agree we’re not as close to that previous “normal” as we’d prefer to be. 2021 did improve on 2020 and, optimistically, this year will afford us the opportunity to solidly build on our experiences making the best data-driven, science-backed choices possible going forward. For any circumstances we encounter with limited data and knowledge, I hope we take the best information attainable and add logical, reasonable forethought before moving our community forward. Taking emotion out of the process is crucial to limiting public confusion and hysteria for the betterment of our families, our patients and practices, our community, and our state. Combatting the pandemic continues to be a huge task, but it’s one we’re capable of surmounting in conjunction with state and local government officials and other medical allied groups. Let’s take stock of a few other areas before getting too deep into 2022: We should be especially proud about Project Access West Tennessee. Launched in 2021, growing enrollee patient and volunteer physician numbers continue to expand specialty care access for the uninsured population in our community as we partner with the Tennessee Department of Health. I trust West Tennessee will reap the benefits of this program on the same, if not greater, scale as our sister Metro societies with similar programs across the state. An updated strategic plan designed by the MMS board of directors afforded us the opportunity: • to expand our membership to over 1,000 dues-paying members. This unprecedented growth garners MMS the unique opportunity to place another representative member on the TMA Board of Trustees. We now have another voice supporting West Tennessee interests in the fuller scope of Tennessee’s interests at this leadership table. I believe that MMS will be successful in expanding further to at least 1,100 members in the near future. Expansion is dependent on MMS providing greater value-added benefits to our membership along with the continued dedicated work of the great staff at MMS. •
to address the practical issue of increased Memphis Medical Foundation financial security. In this regard, the foundation will need to be redefined and re-entrenched with leadership to ensure that it is properly guided and funded for its future stability and vitality. I encourage our membership to augment foundation support through charitable and estate gifts as additional plans are developed.
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to further foster and nurture the inclusion of resident physicians and young physicians in more MMS and TMA programming going forward. Note that recently TMA reinforced the importance of young physicians by including them as voting members in future elections and at the house of delegates. It is imperative that we maintain awareness of the needs of this diverse and changing population. The challenges new physicians
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and residents face are far different from the ones many of us experienced years ago. Both MMS and TMA must be nimble in including and inspiring this group. Their success is the future success of not only both these organizations, but also of our profession and the key to ensuring the future health of our communities. Looking back over the past year in the role of president, I can tell you the time flew by. It was engrossing, challenging, and truthfully, I enjoyed it immensely. The experience reinforces the need for continued leadership development both within MMS and TMA at large. If you’ll allow a sports metaphor, the strength of any team resides in the diversity and depth of its bench, which ideally has a multitude of high-quality utility players. A comprehensive leadership program would be a valuable addition to MMS and TMA. We plan to explore opportunities to develop such a program to increase our roster’s range, perhaps with successful corporate leadership resources aiding the endeavor. The coming year undoubtedly will yield additional successes under the leadership of Chris Pokabla, MD, the board, and MMS staff. I remain vigilant that our efforts, both professionally and personally, ensure that we overcome the key, on-going challenges being faced. It has been an honor to serve as a president of the Memphis Medical Society and I thank you for your support.
Andrew Watson, M.D.
President, Memphis Medical Society 2021
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Hospitals
Regional One Health’s Skilled Nursing and Subacute Care Facility Honored by U.S. News and World Report For the fourth year in a row, Regional One Health’s Skilled Nursing and Subacute Care facility has been recognized as a Best Nursing Home for 2021-22 by U.S. News and World Report. Regional One Health Subacute Care is among the top elite 13 percent of facilities in the United States earning this honor. Regional One Health Subacute Care earned Best Nursing Homes status by achieving a rating of “High Performing,” the highest possible rating, for short-term rehabilitation. U.S. News gives the designation of Best Nursing Home only to those facilities that satisfy U.S. News’s assessment of the appropriate use of key services and consistent performance in quality measures. This year, additional requirements regarding patient safety had to be met in order to achieve a High-Performing rating, most notably at least 75 percent of staff needed to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Regional One Health Subacute Care is a skilled nursing unit providing post-acute care to patients. The team provides physical and emotional support to patients and families as they navigate next steps in their care plan. Care includes skilled nursing and medical services; occupational, physical and speech therapy; social work; group and individualized activities; and special services customized to meet the individual patient’s clinical needs.
Baptist Cancer Center recently became the only radiation center in the Mid-South to offer surface guided radiation therapy for adult cancer patients. Surface guided radiation therapy uses light projection and three-dimensional camera technology in real time to accurately deliver radiation to cancer cells while sparing nearby organs. The technology monitors patients’ movement and the location of tumors during treatment and makes adjustments so that only affected tumors are targeted. SGRT can be used in the treatment of breast, brain, head and neck cancers; sarcomas; and other conditions. “We are excited to offer this innovative treatment to our radiation patients,” said Dr. Michael Tomblyn, radiation oncologist at Baptist Cancer Center. “Not only will it make our patients more comfortable, but it will increase the precision and safety of procedures.” SGRT eliminates the need for external body markings, or tattoos, in the delivery of radiation treatment. “Body markings used to improve radiation precision often serve as permanent reminders to patients of their cancer after treatment is completed,” said Tomblyn. “And while this technique was the best practice in the past, it was limited in its ability to adjust to changes in patients’ positioning. Technology advances, such as surface guided radiation therapy, have provided better and safer options for patients.” Baptist’s SGRT system, from Vision RT, particularly benefits breast cancer patients, as it can help the radiotherapy team reduce radiation doses to the heart. Because the left breast is close to the heart, it is vulnerable to radiation exposure, which can cause heart issues years after treatment. 6
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Hospitals
Saint Francis-Memphis and Saint Francis-Bartlett Receive American College of Cardiology Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI Accreditation Both facilities provide necessary care, resources to patients with heart attack symptoms
The American College of Cardiology has recognized Saint Francis-Memphis and Saint Francis-Bartlett with the distinction of Chest Pain Center Accreditation with Primary PCI in December 2021 based on rigorous onsite evaluation of the staff ’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is also known as coronary angioplasty. It is a non-surgical procedure that opens narrowed or blocked coronary arteries with a balloon to relieve symptoms of heart disease or reduce heart damage during or after a heart attack. Hospitals that have earned ACC Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI Accreditation have proven exceptional competency in treating patients with heart attack symptoms and have primary PCI available 24/7 every day of the year. As required to meet the criteria of the accreditation designation, they have streamlined their systems from admission to evaluation to diagnosis and treatment all the way through to appropriate post-discharge care and recommendations and assistance in patient lifestyle changes. In addition, they have formal agreements with other facilities that regularly refer heart attack patients to their facility for primary PCI. For more, visit acc.org.
Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare receives a million-dollar grant for COVID-19 education. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare a million-dollar grant to increase COVID-19 education and vaccine access in underserved communities throughout Memphis, Shelby County and West Tennessee. Jonathan Lewis, director of Community Partnerships at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (MLH), shared that this grant will allow trained MLH navigators to collaborate with community members to heighten vaccine awareness and encourage vaccinations. “Our Mission Integration Division and our Congregational Health Network will collaborate with two community partners, Center for Transforming Communities and Legacy of Legends Community Development Corporation, to expand and diversify our outreach efforts,” Lewis said. The grant will build on Methodist’s previously launched community-wide vaccination awareness campaign to increase vaccine adoption, address vaccine safety and debunk vaccine myths. The campaign included social media influencers, billboard and bus shelter placements and radio PSAs. Another key component was collaborating with local churches and faith-based organizations to meet people where they are most comfortable to hear from trusted medical experts. “We know increasing vaccination rates is the only way to turn the corner on this pandemic,” said MLH President and CEO Michael Ugwueke. “As COVID-19 continues to have a devastating effect on our community, we must do all we can to encourage vaccination by sharing the latest evidence about vaccine safety and efficacy.”
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TMA PRESIDENT-ELECT CANDIDATE Society Updates
Dr. Watson's Top Three Pillars
1. Better patient care 2. Improving Tennessee's practice environment 3. Growing a more unified TMA Keep an eye out for this year's ballot distributed by TMA. If you don't receive a ballot, please contact Cara Azhar, cazhar@mdmemphis.org. Vote for Dr. Watson as TMA President. His experience and leadership in Memphis will benefit the entire state.
DR. ANDREW WATSON
2021 Memphis Medical Society President
Dr. Andrew Watson needs your vote for TMA President! Dr. Watson has served eight years on the Tennessee Medical Association's Legislative Committee, overseeing such issues as scope of practice and increasing GME funding for the state of Tennessee. Dr. Watson has also served on the Board of Directors for the Memphis Medical Society for almost 18 years. He looks forward to continuing to serve his colleagues as TMA President. Scan this with your phone's camera to watch an interview with Dr. Watson
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Gastro One
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Member Spotlight
Welcome our latest all-in member group Gastro One recently joined the Memphis Medical Society and Tennessee Medical Association as an all-in group member, securing membership for more than 30 physicians across eight locations and taking advantage of the first-ever member discount. As a group member, Gastro One’s leadership and physicians now qualify for the multiple member benefits and resources MMS and TMA offer. The Medical Society is happy to welcome the organization and grateful for a new partner as it supports physician wellness, advocacy, and organized medicine in Memphis. Gastro One serves Memphians exceptional care within the entire spectrum of gastrointestinal disorders, covering almost 20 specialty-related conditions and diagnoses. The organization offers various state-ofthe-art services to diagnose and treat medical problems; some are offered only at Gastro One. You can read more about Gastro One’s services and physicians on their website at gastro1.com
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Member Spotlight
Pediatrics East
Welcome our latest all-in member group Pediatrics East recently joined the Memphis Medical Society and Memphis Pediatric Society as a new, all-in group, securing membership for their 16 physicians. Pediatrics East specializes in pediatrics, or the healthcare of young people from birth through young adulthood. The group focuses on children’s comfort and health, and parents’ convenience and trust. The physicians also put a major focus on preventive medicine and health screening, along with proposing solutions to the challenges parents face in raising a child in today’s environment. The group has 16 physicians at five locations in the Memphis-metro area. Our members and staff are happy to welcome these wonderful pediatricians!
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Physician Wellness
President’s Gala
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Feature
Our 2021 Top 10
How 2020 lead us through 2021
After reviewing last year’s list, we were quick to note resilience and lessons learned from the pandemic by both our members and by us were irrefutably two themes from 2020 that continued through 2021. While those realities did not alter this year, much did for MMS and its members. Ultimately, having experienced and learned from these past two years, we are indeed stronger and more focused on building a better, brighter future.
2021 President’s Gala
The virtual event ended a challenging presidency in very unique times for Dr. Danielle Hassel. Her leadership was greatly appreciated and admired and I was honored to take the reins of our 144-yearold organization from her. Thank you again, Dr. Hassel, for your continued service.
What’s next?
Dr. Andrew Watson hands over the reins to our incoming president, Dr. Christopher Pokabla.
Project Access
The Society entered a partnership with the Tennessee Department of Health and our sister metro societies across the state to expand specialty care access for West Tennessee’s uninsured population.
What’s next?
We seek to effectively and efficiently grow this program and ask you to volunteer to see one patient each month. While there is good work occurring to meet this community need, it is time for our own physician community to get better organized and make an even greater impact to assist this vulnerable population. Please respond to this email for more information or call Nicole at 901-762-0200.
Our New Strategic Plan
Our board of directors took the initiative to create a strategic plan providing us with a vision of where we want our organization to go. * Increase membership to 1,100 dues-paying members. * Create a membership experience that is tailored to an individual physician’s needs. * Bring together the house of medicine through innovative solutions and strategic partnerships with healthcare stakeholders. * Create an inclusive medical community that supports and advocates for physicians, their practices, and their patients. * Reorganize governance and committee structure to grow and maintain physician engagement. * Grow MMS’s financial position to fund innovative programs through an endowment. * Utilize the talents of our members to improve the health of our communities. * Position MMS leaders in community leadership roles that have the greatest impact on community health.
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MedTemps
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MedTemps was instrumental in our community’s Covid-19 response, helping to ensure Feature practices stayed open, and even becoming a trusted staffing partner for testing and vaccination sites. At certain times this year, MedTemps saw triple the number of positions filled than pre-pandemic.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Our DEI efforts continued in partnership with Bluff City Medical Society. We are continuing our intentional efforts at diversifying the leadership of Memphis Medical Society and TMA.
Membership
Membership is the lifeline of this organization. As of this writing, we have surpassed 1,000 dues-paying members of Memphis Medical Society, and 2,400+ members overall when our student and resident members are included. What’s next? We need to finalize renewals for 2022 before we officially celebrate. So, please, renew your membership, and thank you for all your support!
New Benefits
A number of new member benefits were added this year. First, we added an official PPE and back-office supplies partnership with our friends at Ladd Safety, who were also integral to our pandemic response. Second, we added CPR/BLS certification to our menu of offerings. Certification classes will be hosted at our office, and we will also partner with your clinic to bring our certified instructor to your practice.
Partnerships
We continued our relationship with the Tennessee Medical Association and closed one of our most successful legislative sessions ever—influencing issues like scope of practice, telehealth, COVID-19 procedural changes and balance billing. What’s next? We are pursuing exciting opportunities with other third parties, including our friends at Mid-South MGMA. More to come on that!
Events
We know you might be Zoom-ed out (us, too). I do want to give kudos to our staff for executing several online events, most of which can be found on our YouTube channel. We also hosted in-person events to welcome our M1’s and new residents, as well as our annual Legislative Dinner. Our staff stayed on its toes, and ready with a backup plan for every event.
MMS staff
Speaking of that phenomenal staff, we have even more to be proud of… Our staff has grown from six to fifteen since this time last year. What’s next? We will continue to feature this impressive staff in our publications, so please be on the lookout to get to know these amazing people even more and don’t hesitate to reach out to them with any questions about how the MMS can better support you and your practice. 13
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Feature
Change in Chancellors UTHSC gains its 11th chancellor
Peter F. Buckley, MD, became the 11th chancellor of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) , after a unanimous confirmation vote by the University of Tennessee System Board of Trustees. His appointment is effective February 1, 2022.
Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Graduate Health Sciences, and Health Professions – as well as major regional clinical health science locations in Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville.
Dr. Buckley, most recently dean of the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and executive vice president of medical affairs for the VCU Health System, succeeds Steve J. Schwab, MD, who has served as UTHSC chancellor for approximately 12 years. “I am delighted to follow the great legacy of my colleague and friend, Dr. Schwab, and to build on that legacy and all the great work of the faculty, trainees, and staff, not just in Memphis, but all across the state,” Dr. Buckley said. “I had the privilege of interviewing for this distinguished position in the middle of the pandemic, and so I could see firsthand all the great work, the team cohesion, and the community engagement and the support across the state by UTHSC’s students and residents, faculty, and staff. That was very compelling to me, and I think we can build on UTHSC’s great legacy and very impressive momentum to have an even greater presence in our communities.” The pandemic has given the public a greater awareness and appreciation for academic health science centers like UTHSC, Dr. Buckley said. “They understand that science brings hope, science can change lives, science can save lives, and that science can do that in a very rapid way when we all work really well together,” he said. “There’s also a greater appreciation for the compassion and the skill of our clinicians, as well as an appreciation of the need to build up our clinical workforce all across the state, and of course, that is the hallmark of UTHSC.” The chancellor is the chief executive officer of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s statewide operation, which includes six doctoraldegree-granting health science colleges – Medicine, 14
“As you look at the Health Science Center, while our home is in Memphis, our footprint through our campuses is really all across the great state of Tennessee,” he said. “And so, that’s what I see as the opportunity, the opportunity to maximize that community relationship within Memphis, while also being the health sciences provider of the clinical workforce for the entirety of Tennessee, to have our science impact the health of all Tennesseans, and to maximize the cohesion across all elements of our
Health Sciences programs within its broad footprint across this great state.” UTHSC and its clinical practice plans employ approximately 4,000 people statewide. The university is the largest educator of health care professionals in the state and operates Tennessee’s largest residency and fellowship programs. While his focus is statewide, Dr. Buckley sees opportunity to continue to strengthen the university’s role in Memphis, home to its main campus. “I think Memphis is on an amazing trajectory,” he said, citing its high-quality health care, the worldclass institutions that UTHSC counts as partners, and a strong business community. “I think there is an opportunity for us to engage more with the business community, particularly with the biomedical device community. There are many firms located in Memphis that any other academic center across the country would absolutely be delighted to have that degree of resources and talent and support right in their own backyard. That’s a fantastic opportunity.” A native of Ireland, Dr. Buckley, and his wife, Leonie, emigrated to America in 1992. “Six years after that, we had the amazing joy of becoming American citizens,” he said. The couple have two adult sons, John and Brian, and enjoy raising Great Danes. “This country has embraced us, and we have embraced America,” Dr. Buckley said. “We’ve always found each city that we have moved to incredibly welcoming, and we’ve already had that experience, perhaps even more so in Memphis, than any other city.” Dr. Buckley described himself as a servant leader. “Doctors are trained with the immense privilege of providing care to people, and that is a very noble service,” he said. “I have tried to cultivate that physician service model into being a servant leader, which is very important when your administrative job is to help faculty, trainees, and staff in their great work and to advocate for them, as well as to celebrate their accomplishments. I look forward to doing that across all our sites and across the state.” Dr. Buckley has served as the dean of the VCU School of Medicine since 2017. Prior to that, he was the dean of the School of Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta for seven years, overseeing regional
campuses across the state of Georgia. Dr. Buckley chairs the Administrative Board of the Council of Deans of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and is on the AAMC’s Board of Directors. Dr. Buckley also serves as vice chair of the board of Intealth, an integrated organization that includes the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) and the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER), which is dedicated to advancing the global health care workforce. A psychiatrist and expert in schizophrenia, Dr. Buckley is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and sits on the Data and Safety Monitoring Board of the National Institute of Mental Health. He has served on numerous boards and committees related to his clinical specialty and is a member of the Board of Schizophrenia International Research Society. With a background of studies in brain imaging and neurodevelopment, he has published more than 360 articles and more than 80 book chapters, and has received numerous awards for his academic, clinical, and research work. A 14-member committee, along with an executive search firm, began the search process for a new chancellor in mid-summer, following Dr. Schwab’s announcement to step down. Dr. Buckley was one of two finalists, who came to the Memphis campus for open forums in November. The chancellor serves as a member of the UT System leadership team, reporting directly to UT president Randy Boyd, and is the chief academic and administrative officer for UTHSC. “I have been extremely impressed at the level of insight and energy Peter has demonstrated throughout the search process,” Boyd said. “I could not be more excited about the future of UTHSC under his leadership and with all of our support.” Dr. Buckley said he sees his role is as one of advocacy for the university. “It will be an immense pleasure and privilege to serve as a tireless ambassador for the UT Health Science Center and the great work of all our colleagues,” he said. 15
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Your Benefits
Financial Q&A Protecting your investment portfolio
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Financial Q&A
Q: I am concerned about the tax talk coming out of Washington. I read that if passed, my tax liability will increase. What can I do before the end of the year to cut my income and save my heirs potential estate taxes? A: While the proposed tax changes are indeed scary, the final version of the law will be somewhat different than what is being discussed. To address your income concerns, it is best to be proactive, so consider the following tax planning strategies. • Contribute to your retirement plan. The IRS is your silent savings partner since the contribution is tax deductible. Making the maximum allowed contribution helps to optimize the income deduction benefit. • Maximize itemized deductions with donations to charity. You can make significant charitable contributions that will lower your adjusted gross income, but you must itemize not take the standard deduction on your tax return. • Sell stocks that have declined. You can reduce income up to 3,000 from the loss. If you still believe in the stock you sold, you must wait 31 days before you buy it again (wash sale rule). • While the general rule is to defer income to the next year to avoid a larger tax bill, that may not be the case in 2021. The proposed tax legislation will most likely increase income tax rates for high-income earners, so it could make sense to accelerate or not defer income for this tax year. • Consider a Health Savings Account (HSA). If you participate in a high deductible health insurance plan, you can make tax deductible contributions to this type of account and use the funds to pay for qualified medical expenses (coinsurance, copayments, dental work, vision care, chiropractic visits, prescriptions, and more). Account funds grow tax free; funds are not subject to forfeiture at year end, and the account can be passed to a beneficiary at death. Estate taxes are here to stay. Even if the tax legislation fails, the estate exemption is scheduled to be reduced by approximately 50% to 5.3 million per person in 2026 (indexed for inflation). These basic estate planning strategies could prove valuable. • Transfer your life insurance policies to an irrevocable life insurance trust. You must live 3 years from the date of the transfer for the proceeds to be excluded from your estate. Additional insurance you purchase and owned by the trust is excluded from your estate and is exempt from the 3-year rule. • Take advantage of the annual gift tax exclusion. You can gift $15,000 to anyone and it avoids gift tax. • Make unlimited payments directly to medical providers or educational institutions on behalf of another without incurring a taxable gift or affecting your annual gift exclusion. • Consider using the lifetime gift and estate tax exemption during your life. Currently, individuals have an $11.7 million (double that amount for a couple) tax exemption. Gifting up to that limit during your life means no out-of-pocket gift tax and it decreases the size of your taxable estate. The new tax law will substantially reduce this amount, so if you are financially able to make a large gift, this calendar year would be ideal. I would recommend a review of your goals and objectives with your team of advisors before making any moves. Tax planning is especially challenging when you aren’t sure what changes are possibly coming over the next few months.
William B. Howard, Jr., ChFC, CFP International Place II 6410 Poplar Ave., Suite 330 Memphis, TN 38119 Telephone: (901) 761-5068 Fax: (901) 761-2217 whoward@whcfa.com
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75% Off
Your TMA Membership Newly-joining members of the Tennessee Medical Association and The Memphis Medical Society will receive 75% off our normal first-year rate, which amounts to roughly $20 a month. Your savings will actually extend two more years at 50% and 25% off each year. TMA and MMS are the only organizations with the clout to successfully influence laws and regulations that determine how healthcare is delivered in Tennessee.
Our member benefits include: • Dedicated legislative lobbyists
• Financial & investment programs
• Legal guidance
• Business discounts
• Insurance services
• Online CME/CEU courses
• Networking opportunities
• and more
We have multiple ways for you to join. Learn more about how we can bolster your voice in the community.
TNmed.org/Membership 18
2022 Legislative Priorities SCOPE OF PRACTICE TMA, as part of the Coalition for Collaborative Care (CCC), is leading efforts to preserve Tennessee physicians’ ability to supervise patient care and oppose unsafe scope of practice expansion by mid-level healthcare providers. TMA joined this coalition of medical specialty societies and other healthcare organizations to promote physician-led team-based healthcare delivery teams as the best model for patient safety and quality of care. Because of our leadership, advanced practice nurses and physician assistants have not succeeded in changing state laws to achieve independent practice in Tennessee, and TMA remains steadfast in advocating for policies that improve and strengthen interprofessional relationships, not weaken them.
TELEHEALTH TMA led a 2020 effort during a special session of the Tennessee General Assembly to ensure telehealth services are reimbursed at the same rates as in-office visits. The bill passed, but has a sunset date of April 1, 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the extraordinary utility of telehealth in increasing access to care. Patients expect providers to offer these services in the future, but without payment parity it will not be economically feasible. Medical providers cannot be expected to cover the cost of providing telehealth at a reduced rate of pay. This year, TMA, alongside our partners, will advocate for the removal of the sunset. We will also seek allowances for audio-only telehealth in circumstances where patients are unable to access audio-video technology.
that physician practices enrolled in Medicare and/ or TennCare are exempt from the law that was recently passed prohibiting businesses from mandating verification of a COVID-19 vaccine or face covering. Vaccine mandates imposed at the federal level have the potential to place medical providers in a conflicting position between state and federal laws. Although TMA worked to have health providers exempted from the final version of legislation, the language provided to the sponsors was changed during an early-morning hours debate and drafted incorrectly. The intent, however, is clear: medical practices are exempt. TMA will work to amend the statute to more accurately reflect the exemption.
BALANCE BILLING TMA leads a coalition of physician specialty organizations in protecting physicians’ ability to negotiate a fair reimbursement when providing out of network care. Our bill would only require patients to pay according to their in-network responsibility if they receive a surprise medical bill, and would allow out-of-network physicians to pursue fair payment from health insurance companies through an independent arbitration process if the initial payment was unsatisfactory. The bill is based on a successful model used in Georgia. It would incentivize health insurance companies to offer fair, innetwork initial payments to out-of-network hospital-based physicians.
COVID-19 SPECIAL SESSION CLEANUP TMA will be working on a cleanup bill with the Tennessee General Assembly to make it clear
701 Bradford Avenue, Nashville, TN 37204 | 615.385.2100 | tnmed.org
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“I am forever grateful and thankful for your part in my life.” VANCE STACKS, JR. Three-time cancer survivor
Some days, you need a warm blanket and a shoulder to cry on. On much harder days, you need a nurse that tells you, “You’re going to make it,” and a team of skilled oncologists with an evidence-based approach to back it up. Our individually-focused expertise detected and removed Vance’s breast cancer, but it was our caring team that truly saved him. At Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, we don’t just provide exceptional healthcare, we give every patient the comfort, support and care they deserve. Read Vance’s story of thanks at methodisthealth.org/thankyou.