VIRGINIA MEDICAL NEWSFEBRUARY 2015

Over the last few years, the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) has celebrated a lot of legislative successes, including its efforts to reform prescription prior authorization, preserve a stable and affordable malpractice insurance market, ensure patient safety through scope of practice protections and protect public health with smoke free restaurants. All of these ideas were developed through MSV’s annual process to seek member input on its legislative agenda—which begins at the MSV legislative summit.

This year’s summit will be held on May 1 from 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at MSV headquarters in Richmond. Be sure to come to learn about and discuss priorities for 2016.

It is easy to get involved. If you have an idea that you would like to be considered as part of MSV’s legislative agenda,

you simply need to submit a proposal online at www.msv.org/legislativesummit. Proposals are due by April 15. All MSV members and local and specialty medical societies have the opportunity to submit proposals for potential inclusion in MSV’s 2016 legislative agenda.

After the summit, MSV’s legislative committee reviews the input and prioritizes issues for possible legislative initiatives based on MSV policy, available resources and the current political landscape. The issues are then presented to MSV’s board of directors for consideration in developing and approving the final MSV legislative agenda.

For additional information on the legislative summit, please visit www.msv.org/legislativesummit.

02 Mid-session update

04 Advocacy boot camp: How to get and keep someone’s attention

05 Administrative activites:Can you charge patients?

07 FAQs: Private health insurance exchanges

08 evolve tackles population health management issues

11 Who is your champion for high quality care?

IN THIS ISSUE

MSV legislative summit – Submit your ideas by April 15

2 www.msv.org

The General Assembly session has officially reached its halfway point, referred to as crossover, where any bills that have been passed by one body must move on to the opposite body for review. The Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) staff has been right in the middle of things, monitoring 198 bills that have an impact on the medical community. The following is a more in depth review of where a handful of those bills currently stand.

MSV’s most important legislation this year is HB 1942/SB 1262 – prescription prior authorization reform. MSV members reported that this issue was the one that they most wanted addressed in the 2015 General Assembly session, and MSV took action. Del. Greg Habeeb (R-Salem) and Sen. Steve Newman (R-Lynchburg) introduced bills that sought improvements in three key categories impacting prior authorization – uniformity, transparency, and efficiency. After much negotiation, the health plans, MSV, and other stakeholders came to an agreement on the final language of the bill. Sterling Ransone, M.D., FAAFP testified on behalf of the bill in front of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee on Feb. 2, and MSV President William Reha, M.D., M.B.A. and Virginia Academy of Family Physicians (VAFP) President Robert Elliott, M.D. testified in front of the House Commerce and Labor Committee on

Feb. 5. Both bills passed committee unanimously, and have now crossed over to the opposite body to be heard. MSV would like to thank the many partners who are working tirelessly for these reforms, including the VAFP, the Virginia Group Management Association, and countless other stakeholders and specialty societies.

Another one of MSV’s legislative priorities was requiring childproof packaging on liquid nicotine containers used with e-cigarettes. Del. Bill DeSteph (R-Virginia Beach) put forth HB 2036, which prohibits the distribution or sale of liquid nicotine containers without child proof packaging. It was passed by the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources and was unanimously approved by the House on Feb. 9. On the Senate side, Sen. Richard Stuart (R- Westmoreland) introduced the same bill, SB 1325, which passed unanimously and is now waiting for action by the house.

An issue that has also been on the radar at MSV is legislation requiring use of the prescription monitoring program (PMP) and universal mandatory continuing medical education (CME) on substance abuse, addiction and pain management. Del. Sam Rasoul (D-Roanoke) proposed HB 2358 to require all prescribers to take CME on substance abuse, addiction and pain management prescribing practices.

Advocate for my profession

Mid-session update

February 2015 3

MSV opposed this legislation because it was overly broad and applied to all licenses regardless of their prescribing patterns, and HB 2358 was tabled in the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions on Feb. 3. The Chairman of the committee, Del. Bobby Orrock (R-Spotsylvania), is submitting a letter to the Governor’s Taskforce on Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse to ask for further study of this issue. HB 2136, sponsored by Del. Scott Taylor (R-Virginia Beach), proposed changing the requirements for automatically checking the PMP when prescribing an opiate or benzodiazepine from a 90 day supply down to a 30 day supply. MSV opposed this legislation on the grounds that the proposal is not medically indicated as appropriate care for pain management, and the proposal was also tabled in the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions. MSV takes seriously the concerns regarding these issues and will be convening an internal workgroup to address prescription drug abuse this year.

Finally, on Feb. 8, the House and Senate released their respective budget proposals. Unlike last year, there is no language in the budget addressing Medicaid expansion, but legislators have proposed some other ideas of ways to expand coverage to the underserved. On the Senate side, their budget supports the Governor’s “Healthy Virginia” plan, including the Governors Access Plan (GAP), which would provide medical and mental health care to 20,000 severely mentally ill Virginians. In total, the Senate has proposed $102 million in funding for mental health. On the House side, they supported some of the Governor’s proposals, including providing dental care to 45,000 pregnant women and extend health care coverage to the children of low income state employees. Instead of funding the GAP, the House budget would provide psychiatric care, including prescription coverage, to 30,000 mentally ill people, but not general health care coverage. The House is also proposing $3 million in funding for free clinics. The House’s plan provides $124.5 million for its mental health budget proposals. Also, on the House side, Del. Chris Peace (R-Mechanicsville) put in an amendment that would apply any prescription prior authorization reforms from HB 1942 adopted this session to Medicaid managed care.

There are still a few more weeks of session left, and MSV staff will continue to monitor these key pieces of legislation, providing updates to members as needed. Advancing our legislative agenda is only possible with our members’ participation and advocacy, so watch your email inbox for opportunities to let your voice be heard on issues impacting physicians. If you have any questions regarding the General Assembly session, please contact the government affairs team at govtaffairs@msv.org.

Advocate for my profession

4 www.msv.org

Advocate for my profession

The staff of the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) government affairs department is hitting the road after the close of the legislative session on Feb. 28 and coming to a town near you to give legislative briefings and a general overview of all the exciting legislation that was passed or defeated during the 2015 session.

If you are interested in having us in your office, please contact Patti Seitz by e-mailing pseitz@msv.org or calling 804 | 377-1051. We will do our best to make it to as many group offices as possible as our schedule permits.

Coming to a town near you!

More than 50 members braved the snow to learn how to appeal to busy legislators and make meaningful, lasting impressions at the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) and MSV Foundation (MSVF)’s advocacy boot camp on Jan. 27.

During the morning training session, media expert Roy Heffley shared tips for communicating effectively and staying on point to address legislators with a compelling message. He gave the dos and don’ts for deciding on key messages and deciphering which facts and talking points would make the most impact. He said the most compelling components of a message should include: a human interest story, figures relating to money, third party endorsements and figures or facts.

Following the training, where participants got to practice speaking on issues a nd answering questions from legislators and members of the media, everyone headed over to the General Assembly building to practice their newfound skills.

Thank you to all the advocacy boot camp participants and to everyone who supports MSVF so it can continue to offer similar leadership programs.

Advocacy boot camp: How to get and keep someone’s attention

February 2015 5

As practices try to find balance in dealing with increasingly demanding and costly administrative activities, questions often arise regarding which of those activities are reimbursable. Often, those answers can be found in managed care contracts and those agreements should be reviewed prior to establishing any patient fees that seek to cover the costs of these activities.

The following represents general guidance based on feedback from health plans and practices. Individual provider contracts should be consulted for guidance that is specific to your practice. Remember, you can often charge for a non-covered service (often upon completion of patient waivers required under the health plan contract) but be cognizant of health plan policies regarding services that may be considered “bundled” or fall within a covered service. When in doubt, call your participating health plans to confirm that what you’re doing is consistent with any agreements you have signed.

Care coordination fees – bill insurance when possible. Medicare recently implemented new care coordination codes related to patients with multiple chronic conditions; other payers include per-member-per-month reimbursement intended to cover the costs of care coordination. Health plans may already consider this to be part of covered services so careful consideration is necessary.

Concierge fees – probably can’t charge if you participate with the insured’s plan. Many health plan contracts prohibit providers from charging their members for “preferred access.” Physicians considering a concierge model will want to carefully consider participation with health plans and how those contracts may impact the business structure.

CDL physicals – may be able to charge. Medical physicals are required for commercial drivers’ license applications, and these physicals are rarely covered by medical insurance. Physicians should establish a standard fee for providing physicals for specific purposes. Click here for related guidance on how to become eligible to provide CDL physicals. Disability, school, FMLA and sports forms – may be able to charge. So long as the paperwork is completed separate from any physical you have billed for, many health plans would consider these activities to be a non-covered service. You’ll want to be sure the

fees are clearly posted and that patients are aware of the fees prior to preparing the documents. Health plan authorizations and certifications – can’t charge. These activities can be time consuming for both administrative and clinical staff; however, health plans often consider these activities to already be reimbursed as part of their fee schedules. Further, CPT coding doesn’t incorporate these activities as part of the components for supporting procedure codes.

Medical records copies – can charge. Virginia law allows physicians to charge patients and third parties for copies of records. Click here to review guidance from the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) on what is allowable and what to charge. However, health plan contracts may prohibit you from charging the health plan for copies of documentation.

Manage my practice

continued on page 6

Administrative activities: Can you charge patients?

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6 www.msv.org

Refills outside of an office visit and phone consults – may be able to charge. When considering these fees, you may want to consult with legal counsel to ensure your health plan contracts don’t consider this part of the service you are being reimbursed for when you bill for certain services. As with other fees, you’ll want to make sure your policy is clearly posted and that patients are aware prior to providing the service.

To assist with your consideration, Anthem contract language generally includes the following restrictions:

This Agreement applies to all Covered Services that Provider provides to Covered Individuals, regardless of the time or place. When Provider renders Covered Services to Covered Individuals, Provider will not charge the Affiliate or the Covered Individual (i) any amount that is not a charge for a professional service, including without limitation, charges for overhead and maintenance of office infrastructure administrative fees (including without limitation, fees for training of staff, fees for equipment maintenance or calibration, ensuring compliance with applicable regulations or other requirements, efforts to maintain certifications, etc.), charges for preferred access to services (e.g., “concierge” or “boutique” practice fees), malpractice premiums, costs or surcharges, fees for referrals or fees for completing claim forms or submitting additional information, or (ii) any amount for any service that Provider is not licensed to perform under the laws of the jurisdiction where the services are provided. Provider will not charge the Covered Individual any additional amount because goods or services are provided outside posted business hours, except for any additional copayments or deductibles that may be permitted under the Covered Individual’s Contract.

This advisory should not be considered legal advice and cannot substitute for such. Each practice and each physician-health plan relationship is unique so consult your contracts and your counsel for specific guidance.

Manage my practice

Administrative - continued from page 5

On Mon., Feb. 23, 2015, CAQH is launching the next generation of the Universal Provider Datasource (UPD). All completed UPD applications with attestations (current or expired) will automatically migrate into CAQH ProView.

A range of new features will make it easier for providers to update data, reducing the time and resources necessary to submit accurate, timely data to organizations that require that information. Providers will be able to easily submit information through a more intuitive, profile-based design. CAQH ProView’s time saving features include:

• Complete and attest to multiple state credentialing applications in one intelligent workflow design.

• Upload supporting documents directly into CAQH ProView to eliminate the need for manual submission and to improve the timeliness of completed applications.

• Review and approve practice manager information before data is imported.• More focused prompts and real-time validation to protect against delays in data

processing.• Self-register with the system before a health plan initiates the application process.

To learn more about the launch of CAQH ProView and the transition, click here. To learn more about CAQH ProView and review the updated FAQs, click here.

Are you taking advantage of all of the benefits and services that the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) offers to its members? MSV offers significantly discounted classes to its members and help with the innumerable aspects of proper coding.

ICD-10 boot campsJoin AAPC-certified ICD-10 instructor Lesley Wagner for a two-day boot camp that will prepare you for the transition to ICD-10 diagnostic coding. MSV has scheduled several boot camps in every MSV district until the Oct. 1 implementation date. Click here to register for a boot camp in your area.

ICD-10 on-demand training MSV is excited to partner with the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) to offer online training for physicians, clinicians, out-patient and in-patient staff with special pricing exclusively for MSV members. For more information please visit www.msv.org/icd10.

Professional Medical Coding Curriculum Course (PMCC) Take this comprehensive 18 week program to get prepared for the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) certification exam offered by AAPC. Click here to register for the next course, which begins on July 13.

CAQH launches improved credentialing system

Sign up for a coding class near you

February 2015 7

What is a private health insurance exchange?Private health insurance exchanges are a way for organizations to offer health insurance coverage and options to their workers. They are marketplaces of health insurance and other related products where employers can purchase health insurance and then their employees can choose a health plan from those supplied by participating payers.

The adoption of private insurance exchanges is growing faster than experts anticipated. This year, it’s estimated that between 2.5 to 3 million people will be enrolled in a private insurance exchange for their benefits coverage. That number is poised to potentially soar to as many as 40 million by 2018. That’s roughly one quarter of all individuals who have employment-based insurance.

How do private exchanges work?Defined contribution models work like this: a company gives a fixed amount of money to each employee to use toward his or her health care coverage. Through a private exchange, each worker then shops for and selects the coverage options that best suit their needs and budget. There is no traditional “one-size-fits-all” plan. The decision for choosing a plan shifts from the employer to the individual employee. This shift to a more retail, consumer-driven way of thinking about obtaining insurance seems to be a natural by-product of the longer-term trend of companies moving more benefits costs onto their employees.

Why do employers use private exchanges? Switching to a private exchange does several key things for employers. It relieves the company of the burden of having to choose plans, provider networks and financing strategies for their entire workforce. It cuts out administrative hassles. The employer still has to pick what plans to make available, assess the costs involved, decide on the contribution strategy and communicate to their employees. But perhaps the biggest lure to a defined contribution approach via a private exchange is the ability to help keep escalating costs under control in both the short and long run. A recent Towers Watson & Co. poll showed almost one-quarter of employers surveyed view private exchanges as a way to cut their health care expenses.

Health insurance remains one of a company’s largest expenses. The Kaiser Family Foundation said that annual

premiums for employer-sponsored family health coverage topped $16,800 this year, triple what it was in 1999. Since funding health plans can make or break an organization, defined contribution enables an employer to take control of its spending.

The cost savings benefit can be substantial, especially for small to mid-sized companies. PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates that for the more than 5.6 million U.S. employers in this category, private exchanges may supply more affordable coverage to workers than what the company could obtain on their own.

What’s in it for employees?Employees can find savings and value in using a private exchange since they are in the driver’s seat—buying health insurance and other benefits that suit their individual lifestyle, financial and risk tolerance and changing needs. With defined contribution, employees get a fixed amount of money to put towards “right-sizing” their insurance for their situation. Workers choose what coverage best suits their needs and their budget.

Additional informationStill want to learn more about private health insurance exchanges? Please call the Medical Society of Virginia Insurance Agency’s (MSVIA) Director of Life and Health Dustin Beekman at 804 | 422-3100 X1006 or visit www.msvia.org.

Manage my practice

FAQs: Private health insurance exchanges

CAQH launches improved credentialing system

8 www.msv.org

Care for my patients

The second cohort of the Medical Society of Virginia Foundation’s (MSVF) evolve leadership program finished its year-long program with its final session on Feb. 13. The teams presented their capstone projects during the session and finished off with a graduation ceremony and reception. This year’s cohort focused on population health management (PMH) issues, centering around helping clinical teams find solutions to succeed in today’s health care environment.

Speakers included:• William A. Hazel Jr., M.D., Secretary of Health and Human

Resources• Lynne Hughes, nationally recognized grief expert and founder

of Comfort Zone Camp.Sec. Hazel gave an update on health care reform in Virginia,

stressing its two underlying problems in health care: cost and access. He told attendees that health care teams were needed in order to create healthy communities.

“Typically, we fix things that are broken, but how are we going to keep things from being broken?” he asked. “The answers is team care. I hope the teams here at evolve are not finished with their work. I hope you are just beginning and that you can have a broader impact in the community.”

Ms. Hughes gave her presentation on work-life balance and burnout prevention. The presentation was embraced by participants who shared their experiences with the difficulty in achieving work-life balance in the health care profession and the need for more resources for burnout prevention. For additional information on burnout, please visit the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV)’s webpage at www.msv.org/happy.

To learn more about evolve and the efforts it has taken with providing clinical teams with the leadership business and innovation skills needed to be successful in today’s health care environment, visit http://foundation.msv.org/evolve.

evolve tackles population health management issues

1. Dr. Philip Snider, Bon Secours; 2. Dr. William Hazel; 3. Lynne Hughes; 4. Dr. William Rea, Carilion; 5. Dr. Nzinga Teule-Hekima, VDH

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February 2015 9

Care for my patients

1. Carilion; 2. Crossover Ministry; 3. Bon Secours; 4. Lakeview Medical Center; 5. Virginia Department of Health; 6. VA League for Planned Parenthood

Congratulations to evolve’s six clinical teams: Carilion, Crossover Ministry, Bon Secours, Lakeview Medical Center, Virginia Department of Health, and VA League for Planned Parenthood.

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10 www.msv.org

The Richmond Academy of Medicine (RAM), along with Bon Secours Richmond Health System, HCA Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, have created a program called Honoring Choices® Virginia to train and educate health care professionals about best practices in advance care planning. Together, they hope to seek a pathway to honor patients’ end-of-life choices. The goal of this program is to ensure that patients have the ability to express their wishes to their family and care team and that those wishes are honored.

“A good death happens when advance care planning is an expected part of quality medical care and physicians, family and caretakers are mutually supportive in both the conversation and the carrying out of the patient’s wishes,” said Richard A. Szucs, M.D., a radiologist with Commonwealth Radiology, P.C. and chairman of the Honoring Choices® Virginia board.

The Honoring Choices® Virginia program currently consists of nine implementation sites (three from each health system) where thirty professionals have been trained as advanced care facilitators to initiate discussions with patients and have already begun offering services. By the end of the year, nine more sites will be added and there will be 18 Honoring Choices® sites within Virginia.

In the program, each of the three health systems have agreed to the five promises:1. We will initiate the conversation with our patients about their

preferences for future medical care.2. We will provide assistance with advance care planning (ACP)

to those patients who express an interest in addressing this issue.

3. We will make sure plans are clear when the planning process has reached an end.

4. We will maintain and retrieve these plans whenever and wherever they are needed.

5. We will appropriately follow these plans when the patients can no longer participate in their own decision making.For additional information on Honoring Choices® Virginia,

please click here. Please direct any inquiries to Honoring Choices® Virginia Program Manager Deborah Love at honoringchoicesvirginia@ramdocs.org or 804 | 564-8386.

Additional advance care planning resourcesNational Health Care Decisions Day (NHDD) is coming up on April 16 so there has never been a better time to talk to your patients and educate them on how to communicate and document their health care decisions. This initiative was created to inspire and empower the public and providers about the importance of advanced care planning, encouraging patients to express their wishes regarding health care and for providers to respect those wishes. Click here to visit the NHDD Web site and get tools to help educate your patients on the importance of advance care planning.

Available resources • MSV advance directives knowledgebase – Several online

resources on advance directives.• Virginia State Bar Web site – Get advance directive forms,

which are documents that list an individual’s wishes regarding medical care in writing.

• Virginia Advance Health Care Directive Registry – Securely store critical planning documents like advance directives, health care power of attorney and declaration of anatomical gift for access by authorized medical providers, emergency responders and family members.

Care for my patients

Honoring Choices® Virginia: The importance of advance care planning

February 2015 11

Physicians are the leading authority on medical information and best practices in care delivery. Every day, physicians work to achieve their ultimate goal—to be the best resource for their patients and serve as the patient’s ally in advocating for optimal health and accessible health care.

The Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) celebrates physicians for being champions for their patients every year with its Doctors’ Day Facebook campaign, which commemorates the March 30 Doctors’ Day holiday that recognizes the contributions of physicians to the community. Nominate a physician who inspires you at www.facebook.com/MedicalSocietyofVirginia. Nominations are due by March 30, and the photo or story that gets the most number of “likes” will be featured in MSV’s Virginia Medical News.

Previous winners include Fred Arnold, M.D. and Carol Shapiro, M.D., M.B.A. This year could be your year to be recognized among other physician leaders who have made

tremendous contributions to their communities and the profession.

Here’s how to submit your nomination: Simply visit www.facebook.com/MedicalSocietyofVirginia or to share a story of a Virginia physician who embodies leadership to you. Click on the empty “Post” box and start typing! If you would like to post a photo, please click on the “Photo/Video” button and attach a photo. Once you are done, simply click on the “Post” button and all the information will be available on the MSV Facebook page. If you do not have Facebook, you can e-mail webmanager@msv.org to share your photo and story.

This is your chance to recognize those in the medical profession who inspire you and who represent physician leadership. Please share stories and photos of physicians who make an impact and who you would like to thank for their many contributions.

MSV news

Who is your champion for high quality care?

12 www.msv.org

MSV news

AbingdonKaren A. Ourth Elmore, M.D.Harold Douglas New, M.D. ArlingtonSteven R. Bullard, M.D.

BlacksburgScott R. Boerth, M.D., PhD Richard Brownstein, M.D.Elliot Freed, DO Stuart Alexander Gardner, M.D.Kathleen M. Goldstein, DOShelby Edward Jarrell, M.D. Christine Drombetta Jordan, M.D.Jennifer Leigh Nelson, M.D.Michelle B. O’Neil, PA-C Matthew Shortt, PA-C Marc S. Siegel, M.D. Jennifer Ann Sinclair, M.D.

Robert Charles Solomon, M.D.Mary Elizabeth Tekesky, PASandra Toensing, PA-C

ChesapeakeCharles Larry Harris, M.D. Steven Michael Hartline, M.D.

ChesterLinda Kay Brown, M.D.

ChristiansburgDawn Fouse, PA Carl Robert Hannah, M.D. Thomas Scott Jamison, M.D.Sandra Shawhan, PA

DanvilleEdwin Laserna Fuentes, DO

DublinMichael Ross Simpson, DO

FairfaxMayo F. Friedlis, M.D. Dana Clark Rice, M.D.

Falls ChurchTimothy Alexander Kline, M.D.Raul Antonio Lazarte, M.D.

FredericksburgMakini Shani Garrett Ainsworth, M.D. Allyson Marie Hilliard, M.D. Rezhan Hama Ali Hussein, M.D.Mohammad Khalid Jamal, M.D.Rachel H. McCarter, M.D. Hala Moukhachen, M.D. Veena Nevand Vangani, M.D.

Glen AllenMichael John Barker, M.D. George Greenfield, PA-C

HenricoJohn R. Belhumeur, PA-C John Lee Ditto, Jr., M.D.

HopewellKenneth E. McColley, PA-CDavid Michael Neifeld, M.D.

LeesburgVenkata Naga Rama Suresh Allada, M.D.

Low MoorPradip Koirala, M.D. Edward Spires Stanton, M.D.

Welcome new members

The Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) medical student section (MSS) is taking an active role in MSV’s lobbying and advocacy efforts this session. More than 20 students from Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS), University of Virginia (UVA), Virginia Tech Carilion (VTC) and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) attended MSV’s advocacy boot camp and White Coats on Call. Following the training, students met with the staff members of legislators across Virginia, and they also met with Del. John O’Bannon, M.D. and Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, M.D.

Students have spent their efforts lobbying for MSV’s legislative agenda along with an issue very meaningful to each of them—graduate medical education (GME) funding. Right now, Virginia exports far more medical students than it retains. Although there was a nearly 70 percent increase in the number of medical students studying in Virginia from 2002 to 2012, there was only a 12 percent increase in the number of residents and fellows for that same time period. This means that Virginia currently ranks 42nd in the country when it comes to residency spots. This shows that while Virginia schools are educating our next generation of physicians, it is not doing enough to keep them.

Federal funding for GME has not increased since 1996. Due to population increases, there are only 26 residents per 100,000 Virginians, while the national average is 36 per 100,000 people. Most residents train at teaching hospitals, which provide 40 percent of all charitable care, or at veterans’ affairs hospitals. Fewer residents mean fewer physicians to help care for veterans, elderly, indigent and other underserved populations. Virginia is struggling with how to meet the

growing health care demands of its population in a quality way. Del. Christopher Stolle, M.D. and Sen. John Watkins

proposed budget amendments that would have provided state and matching federal funds to create new residency slots in Virginia. While the budget amendments were not included in the house or senate budget, a study, 301 #19s, to look at state and federal funding for GME has been included in the Senate’s version of the budget. The students are strongly advocating for the study as its purpose is to determine recommendations on how to encourage hospitals to increase support for residency positions.

In addition to speaking about the proposed budget amendments during their General Assembly visits, the MSS launched a grassroots advocacy campaign called “MSV for GME”, engaging medical students from across the country. The campaign includes students submitting letters to the editors of Virginia publications, an action alert and a video message where several medical students from the various Virginia medical schools and Clifford Deal, M.D. appealed to legislators for support. Students changed their Facebook profile pictures to the campaign logo to raise awareness through their social networks.

Medical students ask for GME funding

# forGME

February 2015 13

MSV news

LynchburgWilliam Kittrell, M.D.

MechanicsvilleRobert Donohue, PA-C MidlothianAtiya Momin Atique, M.D. James Frost Bampton, M.D.Piya Kim Barkley, M.D. Katherine L. Dec, M.D. Lorena Limon Harvey, M.D. Bogale Jima, M.D. Zaroh Lu Neth, M.D. Onyeije Wil Ozurumba, M.D.

MonetaBrent Wilson Chapman, M.D.

Newport NewsNancy Buchser, M.D. Jason D. Mazzurco, DO Drina Anne Northam, M.D.

NorfolkKrystel Rita Lappinen, M.D. Brittany Ann Palmer, M.D.North ChesterfieldSheila D. Clasbey, M.D.

PembrokePaul Alan Olson, M.D. PulaskiSteven R. Evans, PA-C Anthony A. McPherron, DO

RadfordAthena Auvil Howard, M.D.Amy Neuhs, PA-C

RestonVirginia Chiantella, M.D., FACSTobin T. Eckel, M.D. Elizabeth Denice Feldman, M.D.

RichmondMukong Adeso, M.D. Alynn B. Alexander, M.D. Michael Lawrence Arcarese, M.D.Joel T. Ashworth, Jr., M.D., FAAFP Catherine Bagley, DO Erin Banks, PA Dreama Vikram Brar, M.D. Sara Scott Breeden, M.D. Matthew Lester Brengman, M.D., FACS Graham Matthew Bundy, M.D.Tova Lynn Burge, M.D. Leemore McNamara Burke, M.D.

Kimberly Ann Caldwell, M.D. Marc Jason Caligtan, M.D. James Taylor Christmas, M.D.Thomas David Christopher, M.D.Robert J. Cohen, M.D. Jerome M. Daniel, M.D. Sumac Dolores Diaz, M.D. Denise Margaret Dietz, M.D. John Colman Feore, M.D. Tyler Ford, M.D. Taylor Fricke, PA Steven Gaylor, PA-C Leo Masuchi Gazoni, M.D. Kristyn C. Gentry, PA-CBambi L. Gladfelter, DOConstance Rickard Hanna, M.D.Daniel Michael Hardy, M.D. Joseph Kim Harris, M.D. Barbara B. Head, M.D. Elizabeth Leigh Iselin, M.D. Rakesh Kumar Jain, M.D. Joseph Alexander James, M.D., FAAFP Djuna Denise Jones, DO Neelima Katragadda, M.D. William E. Kelley, Jr., M.D., FACSGeorge A. Knaysi, M.D., FACSJulie Humphrey Ladocsi, M.D.Courtney Stuart Legum-Wenk, DO Leanza Hui Liu, M.D. Shailaja Malhotra, M.D. Adrienne L. Maraist, M.D. Christopher G. Marshall, M.D.Susanna A. Mathe, M.D. F. Wayne Mathewson, M.D. George T. Maughan, M.D. Judith McKenzie, M.D. Eric Perry Melzig, M.D., FACSAmy Frey Miller, M.D. Jessica Moore-Scheeler, PA-CJanice Gibson Neale, M.D. Hayden Merrill Pasco, M.D. Richard C. Peebles, Jr., M.D.Kausalya Pendyal, M.D. Richard Joseph Pettit, M.D., FACS Mary Margaret Ransom, M.D.Kari A. Rudinsky, M.D. Harriet Schanzer, M.D. Gregory L. Schroder, M.D., FACSAlan Eliot Schulman, M.D. Peter William Smithson, M.D. Michael Paul Taylor, M.D. William Travis Tucker, Jr., M.D.Nicolas Paul Tulou, M.D. Thomas Hayden Veech, M.D.George Gould Wedd, III, M.D.Robert Jerome White, M.D. Jean A. Wisgirda, M.D. John Joseph Wittman, M.D. Daniel Scott Woolley, M.D.

RoanokeDebra Hart Clapp, M.D. Monica Cooper, PA-C Stephen Andre Couture, M.D.John F. Daugherty, M.D. Gerald Alan DeMasters, M.D., PhD Carla Foster, PA-C Brian Christopher Gross, M.D.Louis Paul Gualdoni, PA-C Vandana Reddy Karri, M.D. David Allen Keilman, M.D. Susan L. Kinnison, M.D.Andrew Joseph Maiolo, M.D. Donna Lynn Maxfield, M.D. Garth Mills, PA-C David Henry Mortlock, M.D. Son Hoang Nguyen, M.D. Larry W. Patton, M.D. Quasir Raza, M.D. Ivaylo Draganov Staykov, M.D.Joseph L. Troise, M.D. Susanne Erika Voekler, M.D.

SalemJoseph F. Artusio, PA-C Garry E. Bayliss, M.D. Luthur A. Beazley, III, M.D. John William Bouldin, M.D., FAAP Matthew Bowles, PA-CMuddasar Nisar Chaudry, M.D.Joyce Anderson Cummings, M.D.Mark Stuart Currie, M.D. Sorina Dancea, M.D. Jessica Danison, DO Russell Evans Delaney, M.D. Lauren Dorn, PA Douglas Russell Dorsey, M.D.Alfred Ainsley Durham, M.D. Clement Amadi Elechi, M.D. James Mastin Farmer, M.D. Charles S. Gery, Jr., PA-C Steven Howard Goldstein, DONelson Brent Greene, M.D. Mark W. Gustafson, M.D., FACOG Christopher Guth, PA-C Mark R. Hanabury, Jr., M.D. Ali Khalid Husain, M.D. Elizabeth Hutchens, PA-C Chetna Jha, M.D. Kristy Karas, PA David Killeen, DO Douglas Wade Kirtley, M.D. Joanna Amy Kolodney, M.D. Moriah Susanne Krason, M.D.Joseph Peter Lemmer, M.D. Lesli W. Mace, PA-C George Walter Maxymiv, M.D.Brenda May May, DO

Bryan McDonnell, M.D. Mary-Ellen Mick, DOLaurie Moyer, PA Joseph L. Nelson, M.D. Vashist Varune Nobbee, M.D.Sarika Patel, PA Robert Kenneth Payne, M.D. Jonh Pineda Bonilla, M.D. Mackenzie Prandi, PA-CKamran Rasul, M.D.Sanjoy Saha, M.D. Marie Frances Sharkey, M.D. Abby Aspel Smith, M.D. Lee Anne Steffe, M.D. Edward Opom Tackey, M.D. Brian A. Torre, M.D. Tu Anh Tran, M.D. William Tung, M.D. Steven Williams, PA James A. Witten, M.D. Paul Yeaman, PA

SpotsylvaniaTony John Fiore, DO SpringfieldGeorge Paul Forsyth, M.D.

Vienna Tong Soo Park, M.D.

Virginia BeachRobin Nicole Anderson, M.D.Charlene D. Darrow, M.D. George Horea Pop, M.D.

WashingtonRobin Lee Baker, M.D.

WinchesterLaura N. Dabinett, M.D.

WindsorBryan Douglas Mack, M.D.

YorktownAmr Aly Elsaadat, M.D.

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