To promote the practice of medicine for the ultimate benefit of the patient

DocbookMD – A Member Benefit of The Capital Medical Society

What is DocbookMD?

Designed by physicians and for physicians, DocbookMD is an exclusive HIPAA-secure application for both Apple and Android smartphones and tablets that allows physicians to send HIPAA-compliant messages bundled with photos of x-rays, EKGs, wounds, and more just as if they were sending a text.

DocbookMD is a free CMS member benefit that is breaking down the communication barriers between physicians, transforming medical collaboration and improving patient care. Join the growing community today by downloading DocbookMD from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DOCBOOKMD

How to Get DocbookMD 

DocbookMD is a free CMS member benefit. Across the country, the app is also offered for free to physicians exclusively through their county/state medical societies. DocbookMD is now in use by more than 25,000 physicians in 46 states.

It’s easy and free to get DocbookMD:

  1. Claim your account here.
  2. Download the app for iOS, Android, or access the web version from your desktop or laptop.
  3. Log in to DocbookMD and start messaging! If you need help, use the Quick Start Guide.

If you need any additional help, the support team at DocbookMD is available at help@DocbookMD.com or 888.204.0053.

Why DocbookMD? 

“DocbookMD allows you to look up another doctor at the point of care. You can then either call the physician or send a text message with room numbers, medical record numbers, even pictures of wounds and x-rays. And all of this is sent securely and in a way that meets HIPAA requirements.”  -Tim Gueramy, MD, orthopedic surgeon and cofounder of DocbookMD

Download DocbookMD
Apple
Android

What Does DocbookMD Offer Physicians?

  • Physician-centered patient care: Reach out to colleagues and coordinate your entire care team from nurses to front office staff.
  • A convenient way to share vital patient information from the point-of-care.
  • HIPAA-secure ability to attach high-resolution images of x-rays, EKGs, or wounds to any message.
  • A universal communication solution: Use DocbookMD to coordinate care across any type of practice setting ― even without an EHR.
  • Details on all your local pharmacies

April 19, 2016 Membership/CME Meeting!

Join us on Tuesday, April 19, 2016 – 6:00PM
Maguire Center for Lifelong Learning at Westminster Oaks
for our Membership Meeting
and One-Hour CME
NEW SCREENING, EVALUATION, AND TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR LUNG CANCER
presented by:
Jeffery Snyder, M.D.
Capital Regional Medical Center Heart & Lung Surgical Associates 

Click here to view brochure and to register!  

Happy Doctors Day!

Origin of National Doctors’ Day

George Bush
Proclamation 6253 – National Doctors Day, 1991
February 21 1991

By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation by President George Bush

More than the application of science and technology, medicine is a special calling, and those who have chosen this vocation in order to serve their fellowman understand the tremendous responsibility it entails. Referring to the work of physicians, Dr. Elmer Hess, a former president of the American Medical Association, once wrote: “There is no greater reward in our profession than the knowledge that God has entrusted us with the physical care of His people. The Almighty has reserved for Himself the power to create life, but He has assigned to a few of us the responsibility of keeping in good repair the bodies in which this life is sustained.” Accordingly, reverence for human life and individual dignity is both the hallmark of a good physician and the key to truly beneficial advances in medicine.

The day-to-day work of healing conducted by physicians throughout the United States has been shaped, in large part, by great pioneers in medical research. Many of those pioneers have been Americans. Indeed, today we gratefully remember physicians such as Dr. Daniel Hale Williams and Dr. Charles Drew, who not only advanced their respective fields but also brought great honor and pride to their fellow Black Americans. We pay tribute to doctors such as Albert Sabin and Jonas Salk, whose vaccines for poliomyelitis helped to overcome one of the world’s most dread childhood diseases. We also recall the far-reaching humanitarian efforts of Americans such as Dr. Thomas Dooley, as well as the forward-looking labors of pioneers such as members of the National Institutes of Health, who are helping to lead the Nation’s fight against AIDS, cancer, and other life-threatening diseases. These and other celebrated American physicians have enabled mankind to make significant strides in the ongoing struggle against disease.

However, in addition to the doctors whose name we easily recognize, there are countless others who carry on the quite work of healing each day in communities throughout the United States — indeed, throughout the world. Common to the experience of each of them, from the specialist in research to the general practitioner, are hard work, stress, and sacrifice. All those Americans who serve as licensed physicians have engaged in years of study and training, often at great financial cost. Most endure long and unpredictable hours, and many must cope with the conflicting demands of work and family life.

As we recognize our Nation’s physicians for their leadership in the prevention and treatment of illness and injury, it is fitting that we pay special tribute to those who serve as members of the Armed Forces and Reserves and are now deployed in support of Operation Desert Storm. Whether they carry the tools of healing into the heat of battle or stand duty at medical facilities in the Persian Gulf and elsewhere, these dedicated physicians — along with thousands of nurses and other medical personnel — are ital to the success of our mission. We salute them for their courage and sacrifice, and we pray for their safety. We also pray for all those who come in need of their care.

In honor of America’s physicians, the Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 366 (Public Law 101-473), has designated March 30, 1991, as “National Doctors Day” and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this day.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim March 30, 1991, as National Doctors Day. I encourage all Americans to observe this day with appropriate programs and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of February, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fifteenth.

GEORGE BUSH
Citation: John T. Woolley and Gerhard Peters,The American Presidency Project [online]. Santa Barbara, CA: University of California (hosted), Gerhard Peters (database). Available from World Wide Web: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=47267.

 

DOCTORS DAY 2016 clipart

April 2016 Lunch & Learn

CAPITAL MEDICAL SOCIETY LUNCH & LEARN – Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Capital Health Plan, 1491 Governors Square Boulevard
Legislative Session and How it Impacts Your Practice
This presentation will include a legislative update with an emphasis on issues that will impact physicians’ practice of medicine in the ever-changing world of health care.
Speaker:  Jarrod Fowler, MHA, Florida Medical Association
Sponsor:  Waddell & Reed

April 20 L&L Brochure

ZIKA VIRUS UPDATES


Zika Fever

Mosquito Bite Protection in Florida (DOH) 6-22-17

Mosquito Bite Protection in Florida (DOH) 6-22-17

Resource Guide for Clinicians: Zika Virus (6/20/17)
Resource_Guide_for_Clinicians_edit_508v2

Information for Clinicians

Information for Obstetricians

CDC Issues Updated Zika Recommendations – 3/25/16

http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/s0325-zika-virus-recommendations.html

Department of Health Resources for Physicians and the General Public

http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/zika-virus/index.html?utm_source=flhealthIndex

Department of Health Resources for Mosquito-borne Viruses in General

http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/mosquito-borne-diseases/index.html 

CDC for Zika

http://www.cdc.gov/zika/index.html 

Initial Guidance on Zika Virus Testing for Non-Pregnant Individuals And for Pregnant Women and Infants

Click here to download 

Zika Laboratory Guidance

Lab Guidance

Laboratory Packaging and Shipping Guidance Document

Zika Testing FAQ

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration

Guidance for Industry 

Medical Records

MEDREC

Every physician is aware of the need to maintain adequate medical records for each of their patients.  Such records are crucial to providing quality health care by serving as a basis for planning the patient’s care and recording essential medical information concerning the patient’s condition and treatment.  Moreover, the records protect the physician legally by documenting the patient’s changing medical condition and evaluation, as well as actions taken by the primary care and consulting physicians.  Furthermore, the need for adequate medical records is recognized not only by physicians themselves, but also by the federal and state governments, which have passed statutes and rules regulating the content, retention, and accessibility of medical records.

Federal privacy standards to protect patients’ medical records and other health information provided to health plans, doctors, hospitals and other health care providers took effect on April 14, 2003. Developed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to implement the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), those new standards provide patients with access to their medical records and more control over how their personal health information is used and disclosed. They represent a uniform, federal floor of privacy protections for consumers across the country. State laws providing additional protections to consumers are not affected by this new rule.  HHS has produced many materials discussing and explaining the provisions of the privacy standards. These materials are available athttp://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaaUnless expressly stated, the provisions of Florida law discussed below are not preempted by the federal privacy standards.

According to Section 458.331(1)(m), Florida Statutes, a physician may be disciplined for “[f]ailing to keep written medical records justifying the course of treatment of the patient, including, but not limited to, patient histories; examination results; test results; records of drugs prescribed, dispensed, or administered, and reports of consultations and hospitalizations.”  Moreover, Rule 64B8-9.003, Florida Administrative Code, in addition to the above, mandates that the records be legible and contain sufficient information to “identify the patient, support the diagnosis, justify the treatment and document the course and results of treatment accurately…”  Finally, the physician should be aware that failure to keep written medical records could subject the physician to penalties ranging from a mere reprimand to a combination of a two-year suspension, followed by probation and a $5,000 fine. Section 456.057(14), Florida Statutes.

Having created an appropriate record, physicians frequently are unsure of the time period during which they must maintain these files.  While Rule 64B8-10.002, Florida Administrative Code, mandates that a physician retain these records for at least five years, the rule also recognizes that this time frame “may well be less than the length of time necessary for protecting the physician.”  Under the Statute of Limitations and Statute of Repose, a claim of malpractice in certain instances may be brought against a physician up to seven years after “the date the incident giving rise to the incident occurred.”  Section 95.11(4)(b), Florida Statutes.  For this reason, it is recommended that physicians retain medical records for at least seven years.

Admittedly, the storage of seven years’ worth of medical records may be both expensive and burdensome.  Therefore, some physicians have chosen to store patient records electronically for easier storage.  While many courts allow reproductions of medical records to be admitted as evidence, even these courts require that several precautions be taken.  First, the physician must have a written policy explaining which types of records are to be stored electronically and this policy must be applied to all records uniformly.  Secondly, a custodian of the records must be appointed.  Overall, extreme care must be taken prior to instituting any electronic record reproduction/storage system.  Therefore, before instituting any document storage conversion, a physician should seek the input of qualified legal counsel.

Finally, having properly created and preserved a medical record, a physician must ensure the record remains confidential. Section 456.057(5), Florida Statutes.  Nevertheless, the physician must, upon request, furnish the patient or its legal representative with a copy of “all reports and records relating to [the patient’s] examination or treatment…(other than AIDS, mental, and substance abuse records),” although a psychiatrist or psychologist may substitute a report of the examination in lieu of the medical record. Section 456.057(4), Florida Statutes.

If a patient requests a copy of his/her medical records, it is very important that the physician provide the patient with a complete copy of all the records, which would include, at a minimum, patient histories; examination results; test results; records of drugs prescribed, dispensed, or administered; reports of consultations and hospitalizations; and copies of records or reports or other documentation obtained from other health care practitioners at the request of the physician and relied upon by the physician in determining the appropriate treatment of the patient, even those records obtained from another physician.  Section 456.057(4) and (13), Florida Statutes, Rule 64B8-9.003(3), Florida Administrative Code.  Failure to do so may subject the physician to disciplinary action.

Moreover, a physician must release copies of the medical record to parties authorized by the patient, and the physician must release copies of the record, even if not authorized to do so by the patient, if the records have been subpoenaed for a deposition, evidentiary hearing, or trial. Section 456.057(5), Florida Statutes.

It should be pointed out, however, that HIV/AIDS records, sexually transmissible disease records, alcoholic drug abuse records, and psychiatric and psychotherapeutic records are extremely confidential medical records and are not to be disclosed pursuant to a general release.  The disclosure of these types of records require a written release by the patient identifying the specific records to be released or a court order to the same effect. Even a subpoena signed by an attorney is ineffective to release these super confidential records.  In maintaining a patient’s medical records, it is a good idea to clearly indicate a presence of superconfidential materials to avoid inadvertent disclosure.

Physicians are required to keep a record of all disclosures of information contained in the medical records to third parties, including the purpose of the disclosure.  Physicians must maintain the record of the disclosure in the patient’s medical records.  The party to whom the physician disclosed the information may not disclose the patient’s medical information without the expressed written consent of the patient or the patient’s legal representative. Section 456.057(10), Florida Statutes.

When furnishing such copies, a physician  may charge as follows:

  1. For patients and governmental entities, the reasonable costs of reproducing copies of written or typed documents or reports shall be no more than $1 per page for the first 25 pages  and 25 cents for each additional page. Rule 64B8-10.003, Florida Administrative Code.
  2. For a workers’ compensation case, a physician may only charge up to .50 per page for the records and the direct cost for x-rays, microfilm, or other non-paper records.  Section 440.13(4)(b), Florida Statutes.
  3. For other entities, the reasonable costs of reproducing copies of written or typed documents or reports shall not be more than $1.00 per page.
  4. Reasonable costs of reproducing x-rays, and such other special kinds of records shall be the actual costs.  Rule 64B8-10.003, Florida Administrative Code.

While a physician can condition the release of medical records upon payment of the copying costs, the release cannot be conditioned on payment of the physician’s bill for services rendered.  Upon the receipt of a written request, the physician must provide the patient with a copy of his medical records within a reasonable time, regardless of whether or not he has outstanding charges due on his account.

As has been shown above, medical records certainly are subject to a variety of federal and state statutes and regulations, all of which the physician must be aware of in order to avoid potentially drastic state action.  In order to minimize this risk, it is recommended that the physician’s medical record procedures be reviewed for compliance with the forementioned laws.  The physician may wish to enlist the aid of a qualified health care attorney in this endeavor, as the input of informed legal advice may well aid the physician in the development of a medical record program which is workable and in compliance with state mandates.

 

Source: Florida Medical Association
This article is presented for educational purposes only and should not be taken as a substitute for legal advice, which should be obtained from personal legal counsel.  Nevertheless, the FMA hopes that the information provided here and in its other publications continues to assist physicians in answering many of their most common legal questions allowing them to treat patients, instead of addressing legal concerns.

 

 

 

 

Update To Department of Labor Announced Proposed Rule Change To The Fair Labor Standards Act

By Bill Krizner, The Krizner Group

The United States Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division has announced a dramatic increase to the minimum salary threshold for the executive, administrative, and professional exemptions. Experts believe that the increase to nine hundred seventy dollars ($970) per week or fifty thousand four hundred forty dollars ($50,440) annually will impact forty seven percent (47%) of those positions currently treated as exempt. The Department is also proposing to increase the highly compensated exemption from one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) to one hundred and twenty two thousand one hundred and forty eight dollars ($122,148) annually. The Department intends to introduce mechanisms that will automatically update these salary thresholds on an annual basis by either using a fixed percentile of wages or looking to the Consumer Price Index to make such adjustments.

 

While the salary threshold increase is certainly the news of the day, the Department clearly indicated within its Notice that it is looking at potentially modifying the job duties requirements also required to make an employee exempt from overtime under the executive, administrative, and professional categories. In particular, the Department seems determined to more closely consider the time that exempt individuals spend in performing non-exempt work. Our Firm believes that this is particularly concerning for midlevel management positions that are currently treated as executively exempt under the Act. The Department also briefly indicates that is it more closely considering computer professional positions and the potential of updating the requisite job duties to better allow the possibility of exempt status.

 

Our Firm has reviewed the Department’s just issued two hundred and ninety five (295) page Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and offers the following immediate advice:

 

Do Not Overreact. While we were shocked by the news that the salary threshold will likely more than double with this week’s announcement, it is premature to make immediate decisions. The NPRM has not yet been published in the Federal Register, meaning that the comment period regarding the proposed changes has not yet opened. We believe that the new rules will not go into effect until the beginning of 2016 and it remains possible, although highly unlikely, that the threshold could be lessened during that period of time. The final rules should provide greater clarity on which more informed business decisions can be made.

 

Identify. It is prudent, however, to identify any and all of your current exempt positions whose salaries fall short of the announced $50,440 annual minimum. We do not advise alerting such individuals of the announcement yet; however, given the publicity associated with this topic, you can expect that they will soon be informed.

 

Estimate. Consider the cost of increasing each impacted exempt position to the newly proposed minimum salary threshold. Then consider the cost of instead simply converting such positions to non-exempt status and adding the resulting overtime pay based upon the average number of hours over forty that they work weekly. This exercise will allow an immediate cursory assessment of the pending financial consequence of the announcement.

 

Contemplate. The NPRM does not appear to prohibit employers from reducing the compensation of currently exempt positions, converting the positions to non-exempt status, and then utilizing the newly required overtime hours worked and corresponding compensation to offset the loss in existing pay. This will likely be a strategy considered by many employers but will present its own set of challenges, including both correctly estimating overtime hours and managing the very real impact to employee morale.

 

Await. We are working diligently to gather as much information as possible as it is made available and will continue conveying it to our valued clients with corresponding practical advice. Our preventative retainer concept will best ensure that we work together to overcome the challenges that this newly proposed rule change will have on your culture and your bottom-line.

 

Ask. As always, we encourage our clients to electronically mail message us with any questions related to this or any other employment law or human resource topic as they arise. Proactive management of such matters can greatly reduce the risk of ultimate financial exposure.

 

The Krizner Group is the leading employment law audit practice in Florida and provides counseling, training and audit services for dozens of medical practices in the local Big Bend area. Mr. Krizner can be reached at bkrizner@thekriznergroup.com for assistance.

Medical Student Scholarships

The Capital Medical Society Foundation awards scholarships annually. These unrestricted financial scholarships are made to first and second year medical students at the FSU College of Medicine and third and fourth year medical students at the Tallahassee Regional Campus of FSU College of Medicine on the basis of financial need. Applications are accepted each year in June.  To apply, please download and fill out the scholarship application and return by mail based upon the application instructions.