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David Bains, MDNephrology 2780 Bob Wallace256-533-4627

MCMS Quarterly NewsletterSummer 2015

Sheela Parrish, MDFamily Practice301 Governors256-535-3100

Muriel DeSimone, MDPediatrics751 Pleasant Row 256-533-6311

Summertime! I hope each of you is making time to recharge your batteries by spending time with your family, travelling, or just catching some rays. If not, plan something to look forward. Medicine is a demanding career and

taking care of “you” is an important part of being able to function as the best version of yourself at work and at home.

At MCMS and MCMA summer also means staying busy planning a party to welcome the newbies – Madison County’s new physicians. They come from all over - some fresh out of residency, some making the move while the kids are out of school, some just deciding this seems like a great place to work. Think back to when you started practicing here. Things were probably exciting, interesting and at times, overwhelming. One of our favorite events of the year is gathering to welcome our new doctors to help make the transition more fun and less stressful by surrounding them with soon to be familiar faces.

So, how can you be a part of the welcoming committee?

•Let us know ASAP if you hear of a new physician who has just arrived or is coming to town (amymcms@bellsouth.net). Those new doctors are sneaky – every year we manage to miss one… We want to be sure we don’t leave anyone out of the New Physician program that MCMA produces each year for the On Call! New Physician Reception.

•Join the Pager Club and sponsor a new physician – your $150 donation to the Madison County Medical Alliance helps us pay for the program that shares information about each and every new physician, and all proceeds from On Call! benefit the Madison County Medical Alliance scholarship fund and community health initiatives. No brainer – lots of people (new docs, med students, our community) benefit from your tax-deductible donation.

•Place an ad in the OnCall! Program to let the new physicians know about you and your practice.

Welcome

THE

Executive Director’sMESSAGE

Friday, August 28, 20156pm - 10pm

The Ledges / 32 Castle Down DriveCocktail Attire / Photos by Chad Graham

Music by Top Tier / LIVE Auction

cont’d on pg 5

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Name: Ashley Elizabeth JacksonSpecialty: Internal Medicine Resident

Practice Name: UAB Internal Medicine

Member Spotlight

2Society Events

3NAMRC / MCMA

4Benefits of Membership

5Pro Assurance

6Sponsors

7-11Upcoming Events

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2015 Executive Board

PRESIDENT: Amit Arora, MD VICE PRESIDENT: James Gilbert, MDSECRETARY/TREASURER: Debbie Kolb, MD

Board of TrusteesWilliam Brix, MD / James Byrd, MD / Michael Conrad, MD

Deason Dunagan, MD / Tobin Fisher, MD / Daniel Fox, MD Sharon Gardepe, MD / Akram Haggag, MD / Heather Haley, DO

Erik Henninger, DO / Scott Lynn, MD / Dawn Mancuso, MD Philip McGee, MD / Alan McCrory, MD / Brad Rice, MD / Sherrie Squyres, MD

Paul Tabereaux, MD / Alex Talalight, MD / Tarak Vasavada, MD Ex Officios

COUNTY DISASTER LIAISON: John Higginbotham, MD / Norman Sabio, MD MASA FIFTH DISTRICT CENSOR:Brad Rice, MD / MASA PLACE 2 CENSOR: Tim Stewart, MD

REDSTONE ARSENAL LIAISON: David Cole, MD IM RESIDENT REP: Ashley Jackson, MD / FP RESIDENT REP: Tate Hinkle, MD MEDICAL STUDENT: Courtney Culbreath / NAMRC DIRECTOR: Brooke Rawlins

Board of CensorsJeremy Russell, MD / Irma de Leon, MD / Amit Arora, MD / James Gilbert, MD / Debbie Kolb, MD

MCMS Administrative StaffEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Laura Moss / ADMIN ASSISTANT/ MEMBERSHIP: Amy McDonald

What advice would you give to someone just entering the profession of medicine?Just remain true to yourself…. I feel blessed that I have always had a very clear idea about who I am as a person. Everyone has their own version of what makes them the most comfortable, the most confident. For me, I know I can remain in the right moment on the right path when I am doing something for others. I’ve found advocating for equal access to bring patients to the bedside is just as crucial as treating patients at the bedside. It is a disciplined process to be involved in every aspect, but I frankly require that level of commitment from myself and those around me in order to go the distance to make things great. That determination helped me blaze my own trail to find my full voice so I can champion the causes I believe in.

Who or what has had the most influence on your professional career?Since a young age, I’ve watched my mother dedicate her life to medicine and me. As a critical care nurse spanning neonates to the elderly, I remember her working tireless hours with very sick patients, which in turn afforded me so many educational and extracurricular opportunities to enrich myself. Along the way, I realized that she was not only teaching me the tools to live to my fullest potential, but she was inspiring me to involve myself in the struggles of others. I frequently recall the story when, at the end of a long work day, an acutely sick patient with no family questioned if it was yet time for my mother to leave; her simple reply, “This is exactly where I am supposed to be” still resonates so profoundly with me. My tendency now to inherently connect with the plight of others has enabled me to build my own definition of practicing medicine. What has been the most rewarding experience as a physician? Creating a culture of encounter with each patient. I’ll always remember the moment I held my great-grandmother’s face in my hands as she passed at 104 years old. There was her graceful countenance, unlike any other face, preserved in my memory. Even in death, she was showing me that each person has a purpose in this world and a story to share. I carry that lesson with me to every fleeting patient interaction in an effort to fully enhance each patient’s health and wellbeing. I’m grateful for that.

Inside LOOK

Member SPOTLIGHT

Your BOARD

The Madison County Medical Society has been organized to serve

its members as an advocate for the physician/patient relationship, and to promote and preserve the highest standards of professional, educational, and moral conduct.

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UAB Resident/Fellow Reception hosted by MASA

MCMS ICD-10 Training at Warren Averett

S.W.I.M. hosted by ServisFirst Bank

In June, MCMS hosted our quarterly Independent PhysicianRoundtable meeting sponsored by Warren Averett.

Useful information, great discussion. Make plans to join us in September!

OMRTsponsored

by

SocietyEVENTS

UpcomingMCMS

Office Manager Roundtable Meeting

Tues., July 21st11:30-1pm

The Ledges

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2014 – 2015 MCMA Year in Review MCMA donated $18,700 to our community this year. The groups benefitting in 2014 – 2015 were the NAMRC, Huntsville Hospital’s MMU, Huntsville Madison County Senior Center, Crestwood Teen Volunteer Scholarships, UAB Medical Scholarships, AMASA Scholarship Fund and our 1933 Fund. MCMA was proud to receive more than $3,000 in grants from AMA Alliance and AMASA in support of training, health education and legislative awareness.AMAA Southern Regional Meeting: MCMA in conjunction with AMASA hosted this meeting in January at the Embassy Suites Hotel. Over 55 attendees joined us for our conference that featured many great speakers. Attendees were invited to tour HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Marshall Space Flight Center and the Space and Rocket Center. On Call! saw its second year as MCMA’s annual fundraiser. Over 200 guests attended The Ledges to help us in welcoming New Physician Families to Madison County. Guests enjoyed the music of JUICE while shopping the silent auction and visiting with medical friends old and new. We are delighted to be partnering with the MCMS for this year’s On Call! Please join us on Friday, August 28 at The Ledges of Huntsville for another great evening! The 2015-2016 Alliance year will begin in August with the New Member Luncheon, followed by On Call! It is our honor to work together with the MCMS Board of Trustees, staff and members in support of our medical families and partners in Madison County.

The mission of the North Alabama Medical Reserve Corps is to recruit and train medical and non-medical volunteers to supplement existing community organizations in preparing for and responding

to an emergency or disaster and to provide community education in disease awareness and prevention during non-crises times.

NAMRC STAFFDIRECTOR: Brooke Rawlinswww.northalabamamrc.com

NORTHALABAMA

medicalreservecorps

Connect on Facebook

Michelle ArmstrongMCMA President 2015-16

SPECIALOPERATION TRAINING

Thanks to all of our MCMA members and partners, we have been able to make an impact in our community!

Pictured below: Dr. Brian Clayton, Principal of James Clemmons High School, along with Josh Abreo, Crestwood Teen Volunteer Scholarship winner, Michele Armstrong and Stephanie McCarthy. Jeremy

Walker, top UAB Medical Student Scholarship Winner, along with Michele Armstrong and David Uptagraft. Stephanie McCarthy with kindergartners from Owens Cross Roads Elementary. Taylor

Woodfin receiving the 2nd place UAB Medical Student Scholarship from Michele and David. Michele and Stephanie with a happy classroom of kindergartners and their new Healthy Plates. Emily Taylor from Huntsville Hospital Foundation, along with Stephanie, Michele, Mobile Medical Unit personnel

and Brooke Rawlins from North Alabama Medical Reserve Corp.

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Thanks 2015 ANNUAL SPONSORS •Thank our MCMS Annual Sponsors when you see them and get to know them. They

allow us to host an entire year full of fun, informative and necessary events at no cost to our members: Blue Creek Investment Partners*, Brookdale Senior Living, Crestwood Medical Center, Huntsville Hospital, Pro Assurance, Regions Bank*, Renasant Bank, Servis First Bank, Snelling Medical and Warren Averett. (*OnCall! Presenting Sponsors)

•Most importantly - come on out and join the fun on August 28th from 6-10pm at The Ledges! Awesome complimentary food and drinks, great music, live auction – another no brainer. Look for your invite in the mail soon.

Can you remember some of the people who were a “just plain nice” to you when you first got to town? We hope that each of our members will befriend at least one new doctor to help make the transition to Madison County a little bit easier.

Amy McDonald and I, your MCMS staff, consider it a pleasure to serve you, our members. And your Board of Trustees strives to do things as a united group for all of our doctors that they can’t easily do for themselves. We are always open to suggestions. (mcmslaura@gmail.com)

Happy Summer!Laura MossExecutive Director

cont’d from on pg 1

in the Medical Society? Share this newsletter with them!

Benefits of MembershipCOUNTY

Diverse Board of Trustees that meets monthly and provides strong physician leadership. Please reach out to you colleagues on the board if you have

ideas or issues that you’d like to see addressed.Social events throughout the year that provide opportunities to network in a relaxing

environment and also afford your spouses the chance to get to know one another.Friday Update emails and quarterly newsletters

that keep you up to date on issues and events.Independent Physician Roundtable meetings, Office Manager Roundtable meetings,

Healthcare Update events to keep you abreast of ever changing regulations and issues that affect the practice of medicine.

Society staff who are available to refer patients to our member’s practices, help answer your questions and solve problems, and help to resolve patient complaints.

Work with MASA on legislative issues to ensure that your ability to practice good medicine is never compromised by bad legislation.

STATEProvide members exclusive access to BCBS health insurance plans.

Partnership with ProAssurance, the largest provider of medical liability insurance.Discounts on life, disability, and personal lines of insurance.

3 law firms that offer discounts on review of employment contracts.Dedicated advocacy staff that lobbies on the physician’s behalf on issues such as

medical liability, scope of practice, standards of care, tobacco legislation, expansion of rural medicine, and Medicaid and Medicare issues.

to Join: www.masalink.org or www.madisoncountydoctors.org

Do you know a colleague that would benefit by being engaged

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Are You Informed About Informed Consent?

Informed consent is an important risk management tool and helps to ensure that patients have realistic expectations of a treatment or procedure. The allegation of lack of informed consent is included in many malpractice claims. A properly executed and documented informed consent process provides a physician’s defense team with powerful evidence to defeat the informed consent aspect of a plaintiff’s case and to weaken the plaintiff’s malpractice claim. It can also be a strong deterrent to frivolous claims based on communication errors, misunderstandings, and unrealistic expectations of risk-free outcomes. Additionally, patients are better informed and generally exhibit higher satisfaction with the encounter.

Informed Consent ProcessRisk resource advisors encourage physicians to obtain informed consent from all patients undergoing treatments or procedures with significant risks of complications.

• It is the physician’s responsibility to educate the patient about the proposed course of treatment—including procedures—and to discuss the associated risks, benefits, and alternatives.

• It is the patient’s responsibility to weigh the information and make an informed decision.

Informed consent is NOT a signed form. It is a process that encompasses three elements:

• Discussion• Documentation• Consent Form

Informed Consent Discussion The purpose of an informed consent discussion is to encourage questioning, dialogue, and understanding, thus allowing the patient to make an informed decision about whether or not to proceed with the physician’s recommendations.

Conducting the informed consent discussion is the non-delegable duty of the treating or performing physician. A physician should not delegate the responsibility to anyone. Even when a trained patient educator or educational videotapes are used, the physician should still be involved in the process.

Provide patients enough information so that they are able to reach an informed decision. Generally, the discussion should include:

• Diagnosis – Explain what has been found, what is suspected, and what danger it may present to the patient if left untreated. • Recommended Treatment – Describe the recommended treatment/procedure. Be specific in explaining what it will involve (e.g., the surgery, anesthesia, duration of the procedure, and any temporary effects the patient may experience). Discuss whether the procedure is new or experimental in nature. • Prognosis/Risks/Benefits – Explain the likelihood for success and disclose the material risks. Be realistic. Disclose a risk if its occurrence is serious and frequent enough to affect the patient’s decision, and disclose the most serious risks even if they occur infrequently. Do not cover only the complications specific to the proposed procedure. You should also explain the general complications that may be encountered because of the patient’s physical status. The patient should be advised that an imperfect result is possible and that there may be resulting consequences.

• Alternative Treatments – Discuss other reasonable treatment options available to the patient. Present the nature of each, the potential for success, and reasons for recommending against them and selecting the recommended treatment. Also, inform the patient of the risks of refusing treatment and offer the patient a second opinion.

Remember, the practice of medicine is not an exact science and the patient must understand that you make no guarantees as to the results of the procedure.

Conduct informed consent discussions in easily understood lay terminology, with ample time for questions. We also recommend you conduct the informed consent discussion and document the discussion well in advance (not on the day) of the procedure or beginning of treatment.

DocumentationMake a note in the patient’s medical record to document the informed consent discussion occurred, that you answered questions, and that the patient accepted the risks and agreed to proceed with the treatment or procedure. Sign and date/time the note. If you gave the patient any handouts, instructional or educational materials, document this in the patient’s chart and note what materials were provided to or viewed by the patient. The note does not have to include the entire content of the discussion; however, it should record that:

• An informed consent discussion, including major risks, benefits, and alternatives, occurred. • The patient had the opportunity to ask questions.• The patient understood the discussion and agreed to proceed.

Consent FormIn addition to documenting the informed consent discussion, obtaining the patient’s signature on a consent form provides evidence that an informed consent discussion occurred.

The consent form should include the same elements as the discussion and should be written in easily understood “lay language.” Include an introductory paragraph describing the informed consent process and its importance. Indicate in the introductory paragraph that the patient should sign only if he or she understands the risks, benefits, and alternatives of the proposed procedure or treatment.

Consider using procedure-specific forms that identify the most common risks and complications. However, the forms should provide space to allow additional risks and alternatives, depending on the patient’s condition. Whether you use procedure-specific or generic forms, the forms should be completed in their entirety.

The physician should personally sign the consent form. Give the patient a copy of the signed and dated form and retain a copy in the medical record.

Physicians insured by ProAssurance may contact Risk Resource for prompt answers to questions regarding this or other liability questions by calling 205-877-5015 or via e-mail at riskadvisor@proassurance.com.

Submitted by ProAssuranceContact: Harper Wood

800-282-6242, extension 4471hwood@proassurance.com

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50 YEARS of Quality Care & Service Excellence

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To us, intense client focus starts with the notion that we’re in the relationship business. Yes, it’s personal. But it goes beyond the personal trust factor to forward thinking advice. We offer medical practices a sounding board for ideas and guidance for ensuring they are profitable, efficient and compliant. In the end, we’re a resource so our physician clients can get back to taking care of the most important things in life. Let’s thrive together.

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TAKING CARE OFMEDICAL PRACTICES

INTENSE CLIENT FOCUS

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Mon. JULY 13 Board of Trustees Meeting/ Community Free Clinic 5:30-7pm Field Trip

Tues. JULY 21 Office Manager Roundtable Meeting The Ledges 11:30am-1pm

Mon. AUG 10 Board of Trustees Meeting SportsMed 5:30-7pm

Fri. AUG 28 On Call / New Physician Reception The Ledges 6-10pm

Mon. SEP 14 Board of Trustees Meeting SportsMed 5:30-7pm

Madison County Medical Society3330 L&N Drive, Suite IHuntsville, AL 35801

Visit us at:www.madisoncountydoctors.org

Send us your news!amymcms@bellsouth.net

UpcomingEVENTS