For Members
Next RIAAP Board Meeting is this Wednesday May 20 at 6:00-8:30pm. I need your help, please. The Health Insurance Commissioner Chris Koller is attending our meeting in order to hear from us, so please come and share your experiences and views. We will be speaking about UnitedHealthcare's Premium Designation program and how it is affecting each of us. If you are unable to attend this meeting, but would like to share your experiences, please contact me directly this week (elizlange@cox.net or beeper 350-1128).
Congratulations to RIAAP - This week our chapter learned that RIAAP is one of five state chapters which has been awarded a $20,000 grant from AAP's Friends and Family Fund to study vaccine administration rates in our state and to implement ways to improve our vaccines rate, education about vaccines and maximize best practices. The second part of our grant is to incorporate Quality Improvement initiatives in our state on the subject of vaccines. As we all know, QI is part of our Maintenance of Certification program. By rolling this out as a state wide initiative, RIAAP hopes to make this part of MOC easier for all of us. Therefore, in the next 18-20 months, you will be hearing more about this research program that will benefit all of us, so we appreciate your genuine input and participation. This is a huge award for our state!
Golf Tournament - The third annual charity golf tournament is Saturday August 29 - Save the Date. We would love to have your help on the planning committee. The next meeting is this Tuesday morning at 7:30am in the RIH cafeteria. Come join the fun!
Another honor - RIAAP was asked to stand with Senator Reed at a press conference on Friday to announce legislation about vaccines that he submitted in DC earlier this week. Nationally this legislation will reduce the cost of vaccines to offices. Locally, he has secured $800,000 for this state to improve the delivery and access of vaccines in RI. Please feel free to thank him for promoting the value of vaccines.
Global Medicaid Waiver - As you may remember, DHS named 60 people to a Task Force to oversee and to guide the implementation of this Waiver. (http://www.eohhs.ri.gov/taskforce/pdf/taskforce_member_list.pdf). The first meeting of this group was last week. The next step is the work groups. (http://www.eohhs.ri.gov/TFworkgroups_5_12_09.pdf) This is where the work is to be done, and where we can and should get involved. The six groups are titled - Housing, Employment, Long Term Care Insurance Partnership, Dual Eligibles, Katie Beckett, Medicaid Benefit Redesign. Mr. Alexander said there will be a medical work group but it is not listed in the six groups, so I am not sure where it fits in. Timeline - the task force members are signing up for the groups that best align with their interests, chairs of the work groups will be assigned, this will all be posted on the eohhs website and then we can contact the chair of the committee we are interested in to sign up to that Work Group. DHS is expecting these groups to do the heavy lifting in terms of crafting the implementation of this waiver. Again, it is not clear where medicine fits in to all of this.
RItecare Mandatory Generic Medications - How's it going? There was a big public campaign last month about the detriments of this overarching and inflexible rule, and then not much has changed. RIAAP is still out front on this issue. Please feel free to contact me with your ideas or concerns or experiences.
RIDOH - It is time again for their annual Title V Maternal and Child Block Grant Community Input. Please access this survey via to give your input. Completing a survey to assist the Department of Health in determining funding priorities to meet the diverse needs of RI families. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=gXtjhLKusxmjgouAitpkrA_3d_3d
(Survey feedback for this years' application will be accessible through May 29, 2009.)
H1N1 - As you know, RIDOH has been very active in the past month regarding flu, swine flu and office preparedness. Recognizing that we all improve with experience, please feel free to share any feedback about this experience either with me or RIDOH.
National AAP elections - The vice presidential candidates have been announced. AAP is trying to give the members more access to their ideas and platforms via www.aap.org/moc/vp/eleclink.htm. Considering that only 20-25% of RI pediatricians vote in each election, it is important that we each learn about the candidates to make an educated vote in the fall.
RIAAP Listserve - Have you moved? Are you graduating? Is your colleague not on the listserve? Please let me know if you want on this listserve, or off this listserve, and I shall oblige. We are a busy chapter with great diversity, great ideas and great energy. Get involved - we're a fun bunch! and we can do so much together. |