Delaware County Medical Society

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The Delaware County Medical Society (DCMS) is a professional organization for physician members, medical and osteopathic doctors affiliated with the Pennsylvania Medical Society and the American Medical Association. Learn More

History
Founded in 1850, and later incorporated as a non-profit organization, the DCMS is an active grassroots organization for physicians.
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Delaware County Resource Guide
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Last Updated 12.07.09
Topics include: Abuse, Advocacy, Child Day Care, Mental Health, Psychiatry, Crisis, Substance Abuse, Developmental Disabilities, Detox, Referrals, Treatment, Eating Disorders, Emergency Assistance, Family and Parenting, HIV/AIDS, Home Health Care Agencies, Hospice, Medical/Low Cost Health Care, Special Needs, Older Adults, Support Groups, Suicide, Grief & Loss, Youth, Women's Issues and more.

The Delaware County Medical Society and Tycor Benefit Administrators, Inc. announce a strategic partnership.

We ask our members to use Tycor for group medical, dental, disability, and life.

Tycor brings the DCMS members years of knowledge in working with medical practices of all sizes serving solo practitioners, small, medium, and large group practices. DCMS has endorsed Tycor to guide its members through the quickly changing landscape of employee benefits.

Knowing many DCMS members are concerned with spiraling health insurance costs, Tycor was contracted because they have a proven track record of working with practices to creatively manage costs to maximize benefits and minimize premium.

Lauren Stuart will be contacting members currently utilizing the DCMS medical plans to fill out the required paperwork needed to transfer their account to the new DCMS plans. If your practice has an immediate need for an evaluation of medical insurance options, please feel free to call Lauren at 610-251-0670 to arrange a personal consultation regarding:

Medical Section 125 Flexible Spending Accounts
Dental Section 225 Health Reimbursement Arrangements
Life / AD&D Section 223 Health Savings Accounts
Short Term Disability COBRA Administration
Long Term Disability HIPAA Compliance
Long Term Care Insurance Executive Benefits

Tycor maintains industry experts in the areas of employee benefits and retirement planning. Tycor is located at 850 Cassatt Road Suite 310 Berwyn, PA 19312. They can be reached by phone at 610-251-0670. Please feel free to call Lauren Stuart.

Posted 5.06.2010

Health care reform and the fragile physician-patient relationship: Medical Horror in a US Territory

By Christopher Guadagnino, Ph.D.
Freelance health policy writer

There's plenty of partisanship, misunderstanding, and name-calling in our current national debate on health care reform. Legislative health reform proposals are lengthy and complex, and many people are understandably concerned about the way that fine print may gain the force of governmental authority over some of the most personal details [Read Full Story]

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Posted 5.06.2010

Teen Suicide & Suicide Clusters: A Community Health Problem
by Terri Erbacher, Ph.D.

Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for teens with approximately 10 teens taking their lives daily in the United States. This does not account for all those who have attempted to take their lives as there is no effective way of collecting this data. Delaware County is no different. We currently have a community health crisis as we have lost 4 teens from the same school district to suicide [Read Full Story]

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UPDATED 3.10.2010

DCMS Health Literacy Workgroup

Communication is essential for the effective delivery of health care, and is one of the most powerful tools in a clinician’s arsenal. Unfortunately, there is often a mismatch between a clinician’s level of communication and a patient’s level of comprehension. In fact, evidence shows that patients often misinterpret or do not understand much of the information given to them by clinicians. This lack of understanding can lead to medication errors, missed appointments, adverse medical outcomes, and even malpractice lawsuits.

There are many reasons why patients do not understand what clinicians tell them, but key among them is inadequate health literacy – i.e., a limited ability to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions and follow instructions for treatment. Clinicians can most readily improve what patients know about their health care by confirming that patients understand what they need to know and by adopting a more patient-friendly communication style that encourages questions.

The need for today’s patients to be "health literate" is greater than ever, because medical care has grown increasingly complex. We treat our patients with an ever-increasing array of medications, and we ask them to undertake more and more complicated self-care regimens.

Unfortunately, current data indicate that more than a third of American adults – some 89 million people- lack sufficient health literacy to effectively undertake and execute needed medical treatments and preventive health care. Inadequate health literacy affects all segments of the population, but it is more common in certain demographic groups, such as the elderly, the poor, members of minority groups, and people who did not speak English during early childhood. The economic consequences of limited literacy for the US health care system are considerable, estimated to cost between $50 billion and $73 billion per year.

As follow-up to a recent DCMS practice administrators meeting we’ve formed a DCMS Health Literacy Workgroup to develop and promote the use of some great "health literacy tools" for local medical practices. Stay tuned for more details. Additional DCMS physician and practice administrator members are welcome to participate in the work group – our next meeting is scheduled for Friday morning March 19, 2010 from 8:30 am – 10:00 am at the DCMS office in Media. Call (610) 892-7750 for more details.

Posted 1.22.2010

Watch Out for CME Audit Notices from the Medical Board

Several physicians have reported to the Pennsylvania Medical Society that auditors from the Pennsylvania Board of Medicine have found discrepancies in their Category 2 CME credits.

The Pennsylvania Medical Society is working with the state Board of Medicine and the American Medical Association (AMA) to address the discrepancy concerns.

In the meantime, if you receive a discrepancy notice from the state Board of Medicine, be sure to address it.

The Pennsylvania Medical Society’s CME department can assist members with CME questions. If you have any questions or need assistance, please call (800) 228-7823.

More information will be available soon, so stay tuned for details.

Posted 1.22.2010

How You Can Help Haiti

If you would like to help Haiti recover from the devastating earthquake, consider donating your time, money, or supplies.

The Haiti Emergency Relief Fund is accepting monetary donations, as is the American Red Cross. You also can easily donate $10 to the Red Cross by texting “Haiti” to 90999. Visit the Red Cross website to donate a different amount or to find your local chapter of the Red Cross to inquire about volunteer opportunities.

The American Medical Association also has assembled a list of organizations that are accepting donations.

The Center for International Disaster Information is in the process of coordinating donations and volunteers for the Haiti relief effort. Forms should soon be available on their website to allow you to volunteer your services or donate supplies.

Rodrigue (Rod) Mortel, MD, a retired physician in Hershey and a native of Haiti, is involved in relief efforts. He is willing to speak to physicians wanting to offer assistance. Call the Pennsylvania Medical Society at (800) 228-7823 for information on how to reach Dr. Mortel.

Posted 12.07.2009

Red Flags Rule Pushed Back Again

The deadline for the "red flags" identity theft rule has been delayed again at the last minute.

On Oct. 30, 2009, the deadline to comply with the rule was pushed back from Nov. 1 to June 1, 2010, to allow for more time for education.

Initially slated to go into effect Nov. 1, 2008, the rule requires creditors and financial institutions—including medical practices—to develop and implement identity theft prevention programs.
A US District Court recently ruled that attorneys are not required to comply with the red flags rule. The American Medical Association (AMA) is working for a similar exception for physicians and medical practices.

The Pennsylvania Medical Society has provided information and resources on the red flags rule, including a prevention program template, at www.pamedsoc.org/redflags.

Several resources, including a how-to guide and a prevention program template for low-risk businesses, also are available on the FTC website.

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Posted 12.07.2009

LifeGuard Helps Physicians Recover Clinical Skills

LifeGuard, a new program administered by The Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, helps physicians who have raised quality concerns or fallen behind in clinical skills or education.

“This is a vital program that will give help to physicians who need it without judgment or punishment,” said Peter S. Lund, MD, past president of the Pennsylvania Medical Society.

The four-step LifeGuard program is modeled after...[Read More]

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Posted 12.07.2009

The Delaware County Medical Society announces an opportunity for physicians and eligible clinicians to earn CMS Bonus through the PQRI Alternative Reporting Method Program from DocSite

After a successful campaign in 2008, the Pennsylvania eHealth Initiative (PAeHI) has once again teamed up with DocSite to offer a great opportunity for Pennsylvania providers and practitioners to earn a bonus of up to 2% of their total 2009 Allowed Medicare Services! The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) has authorized a simple Alternative Reporting Method for the 2009 Physicians Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) program that asks for only a small set of data to be reported for a small subset of patients - no claims or G-codes required.

While participation in the PQRI Alternative Reporting Method can be realized through a few qualified registries, agreement has been reached to offer the unique program using “Advanced PQRI Registry from DocSite”. [Read More Here]

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Posted 09.07.2009

From American Medical News...

Doctors Seen As Key In Fighting
Nation's Battle of the Bulge

By Susan J. Landers, AMNews staff Aug. 10, 2009.

A CDC obesity conference offers concrete suggestions on how physicians can help reduce the country's growing weight problems, one patient at a time.

Washington -- Physicians should tread carefully when bringing up weight loss with patients. Tact and sensitivity in broaching the subject may go a long way toward attaining the desired result -- the loss of excess pounds, a weight-loss expert says.

Try to find a good time to address the need for patients to diet, bearing in mind that most have tried and failed to lose weight and continue to labor under the stigma that obesity carries, said Keith Bachman, MD, clinical leader of Kaiser Permanente's Weight Management Initiative in Portland, Ore. Dr. Bachman spoke at the Weight of the Nation, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conference held in Washington, D.C., July 27-29.

The event was the first CDC conference to focus on the obesity epidemic, and it provided a national forum for health care professionals and policymakers to discuss measures to combat this growing health threat...[Read Full Story in American Medical News]

Posted 6.28.2009

EVANFEST - Local Charity Provides Financial Help to Families
The proceeds from Evanfest provide financial assistance to the families of children with life-threatening illnesses. Evanfest is an annual lacrosse festival which is held each spring at Malvern Preparatory School in memory of Evan Brady of Newtown Square who died in 2005 after battling osteogenic sarcoma. If you have a child in your practice whose family could benefit from this charity - contact the DCMS staff for more details at (610) 892-7750.

Help Prevent West Nile Virus

Certain mosquito species carry the West Nile virus, which, when transmitted to people, can cause West Nile encephalitis, an infection that can result in an inflammation of the brain [Read Full Story Here in MS Word]

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Moonlighting
By Jim McLaughlin

Since the word’s initial use in America in the mid 50’s, it has been defined as “engaging in a second job after a primary job is finished”. Nowhere is moonlighting more necessary, lucrative and high-profile than in the medical field. Moonlighting physicians can be found everywhere from cruise ships to urgent care centers to house staff positions. [Read Full Story Here in MS Word]

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Avoiding Common Pitfalls
in Selecting an EMR System

Sure the demo version is wonderful, but how can you tell what the program is really like?

By Brian Stello, MD, and Eileen M. Charlton
Family Practice Management
November/December 1999, Vol. 6, No. 10, pages 47-8

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If you’re thinking of moving to electronic records,
the results of this survey may help.

User Satisfaction With EHRs: Report of a Survey of 422 Family Physicians

By Robert L. Edsall and Kenneth G. Adler, MD, MMM
Family Practice Management
February 2008, pages 25-32.

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3.23.2009

NIDA launches New Website for Health Professionals

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has launched a new Web site (http://www.nida.nih.gov/medstaff.html) to provide physicians and other health professionals with the latest science on drug abuse and addiction.

Drug abuse affects the course and treatment of many medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, and lung disease. NIDA’s new Web site shares the latest on:

Relevant research
Clinical practice
Materials for patients (including youth)
Trends in drug abuse and addiction
Clinical trials

NIDA, a component of the National Institutes of Health, is committed to timely dissemination of promising research findings for real-world application.

The new Web site for physicians and other health professionals is part of NIDA’s continuing efforts to raise awareness about drug abuse and addiction.

Featured Links

Delaware County Library System's Health Links
Not only can you find a good read at the library nowadays, but you can access entire databases of useful health info online from your home computer!
Check out the new Delco Library "A Power +" resource and library databases. Just enter your name and barcode from your library card--and voila!--Health information at the click of a button! The site also contains many other useful resources for life and good health in Delaware County.

For Volunteers During Disasters or Emergencies
ServPA is Pennsylvania’s online System for registration of volunteers interested in responding to or assisting with a disaster or other emergency. [Read More]

www.chipcoverspakids.com
1-800-986-KIDS

What is CHIP? CHIP is short for the Children’s Health Insurance Program – Pennsylvania’s program to provide health insurance to all uninsured children and teens that are not eligible for or enrolled in Medical Assistance.

There are lots of reasons why kids might not have health insurance – maybe their parents lost a job, maybe their job does not offer health benefits, or maybe it just costs too much. Whatever the reason, CHIP may be able to help .

Parents may think they can’t get CHIP because they make too much money – Not true! CHIP has expanded to cover all uninsured kids. Now no family makes too much money for CHIP because there is no income limit! For many families, CHIP is free. Families with higher incomes will pay low monthly premiums and co-pays for some services.

You can apply for CHIP online at www.chipcoverspakids.com or by phone at 1-800-986-KIDS. Apply today!

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Pennsylvania Medical Society | www.pamedsoc.org
The Pennsylvania Medical Society is 20,000 physicians and medical students working together to: Represent physicians in public venues including the government, insurance companies, and the media; Provide Members with timely information, expert services and professional support on medical practice issues; Advance public health, public policy, medical science, education, and ethics; Advocate for patients.

American Medical Association | www.ama-assn.org
The American Medical Association helps doctors help patients by uniting physicians nationwide to work on the most important professional and public health issues.