Why be a member of the Escambia County medicalSociety? I believe there are many reasons why and I hope thatthis article helps explain some of them, but don’t just take myword for it, listen to what some of our board members had tosay on the subject.2013 E.C.M.S. President: "I joined E.C.M.S. to give back to themedical profession and interact with other doctors in the community.I know my contribution to E.C.M.S. will help keep the legislaturestrong for physicians." - Wendy Osban, D.O.2013 E.C.M.S. President- Elect: "I have always felt it was myduty to participate in organized medicine to help protect andpromote medicine as a profession. One of my mentors pointed out,'You owe it to all those physicians who came before you and gavetheir time and money to create the professional environment youenjoy today.'" - Susan Laenger, M.D.2013 E.C.M.S. Vice- President: "I joined E.C.M.S. because beinginvolved in organized medicine allows me to keep up with thechanges in healthcare and to be involved in shaping those changes." -Christopher Burton, M.D.2013 E.C.M.S. Secretary/Treasurer: "I joined E.C.M.S. becauseit gives me the opportunity to meet community physicians and workwith them to improve the quality of health care in Pensacola." -Brian Kirby, M.D.

A few things you may not have knownThe Escambia County medical Society (ECMS) was created

in 1873 and serves as a nonprofit organization that representsover 400 physicians living or working in Escambia and SantaRosa counties. The mission of the Escambia County MedicalSociety is to promote the art and science of medicine in orderto improve the health of our community. The ECMS supportsthe Florida medical Association (FMA) and the Americanmedical Association (AMA) although a physician does not haveto be a member of either organization to join the ECMS. Themedical society serves as a referral agency to the public for thelocation of reputable, legally qualified doctors in Escambia andSanta Rosa Counties.

Also a part of the ECMS is the ECMS Foundation. Thefoundation was created in 1994 and serves as a nonprofitorganization with its primary goal being to assure access ofadequate healthcare for the medically indigent in the area. Thetwo programs currently sponsored by the ECMS Foundationare the We Care Program and the Go Seniors Voucher Program.The We Care Program provides medically indigent patientswith specialists who provide their care on a volunteer basis. GoSeniors Voucher Program is a voucher transportation programthat provides transportation vouchers to local patients 60 yearsof age and older. The vouchers pay for transportation to

physician appointments and/or to get to the pharmacy toobtain their medications. The foundation gathers it’s moneysfor the programs through, always appreciated donations, andfund raising activities. Just last year the foundation raised over$4000.00 through a silent auction conducted at the 2013Annual Inaugural Ball.Why should I join?

The ECMS benefits our members in a number of ways. Itassists physician members in seeking self-improvement,leadership abilities, and volunteer opportunities potentiallyleading to opportunities in other organizations like the FMA.For example, Dr. Burton graduated from the FMA PhysiciansLeadership Academy in 2012 and now holds a position on theCouncil on Medical Services and Healthcare DeliveryInnovation. The ECMS also gives its members the opportunityto help each other exchange ideas, as well as give support(emotional and financial) to those who journey to Tallahasseeto ensure that our voices are heard.

Another benefit provided to ECMS members is DocBookMD at no cost. This is a smart phone application that providesmember physician’s names, addresses and an ease of contactingthem via secure messaging. Also included with DocBook MDare local pharmacy locations and phone numbers. Otherdiscounts to members include reduced fees for CE Broker,malpractice insurance, worker's compensation insurance, anddiscounts on purchases from the online resource store at theFlorida Healthcare Law Firm. Additionally, members have theability to get free consultation from the Florida Health CareLaw Firm.

In recent years the medical society has held manyinnovative programs and lectures. Every year traditionally thesociety has a doctor's day celebration in March and a minihealth fair in May. Important CME meetings presented yearlyinclude: risk management, domestic violence, and medicalerrors: this provides physicians with mandatory hours for re-licensure. Additionally, in 2012 our board welcomed twoFlorida State University College of Medicine students onto ourboard to increase the awareness of organized medicine amongthem and medical students as a whole. Looking ForwardLooking forward to the next couple of months a lot of excitingevents are taking place within the medical society. We wouldlike to invite all of our medical society members to bring a peerphysician to our next meeting for free and show them thebenefits of this outstanding society. Our medical society is asuccess because of the members. It is a unique society becauseit encompasses all types of physicians from the community.Thank you all for your participation.

President’s Message

A look into the EscambiaCounty Medical Society

Wendy Osban, D.O.

www.escambiacms.org

May/JUNE 2013VOlUME 43, NO. 3

BULLETINUpcoming

Events

Tuesday July 9 | Cactus

Flower | 5:30p

Topic: Debt Management

Speakers: Richard McCool

& Bessann Watson

Topic: Physician Burnout

Speaker: Fred Mixon, M.D.

Topic: Organized Medicine

at the local and state level

Speaker: John Katopodis,

M.D.

July 26, 27, 28

FMA Annual Meeting

Orlando, Florida

August 13 | People’s

Home Health | 5:30p

Topic: “Fall Risk &

Prevention” | Speaker:

Matt Norton, DPT

RSVP: 478-0706info@escambiacms.org

Wendy Osban, D.O.

Founded in 1873

E.C.M.S. BulletinThe Bulletin for and by the members of the EscambiaCounty Medical Society. The Bulletin publishes sixtimes a year: Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/Jun, Jul/Aug,Sept/Oct, Nov/Dec. We will consider for publicationarticles relating to medical science, photos, bookreviews, memorials, medical/legal articles, and practicemanagement

Vision for the Bulletin:• Appeal to the family of medicine in Escambia and SantaRosa County and to the world beyond.• A powerful instrument to attract the induct members toorganized medicine. Views and opinions expressed in the Bulletin are those of theauthors and are not necessarily those of the directors, staff oradvertisers.

Ad placementContact Erica Huffman at 478-0706

Ad ratesFull page: $600 ½ page $300 ¼ page $150

ContentsPage 3 - New Members/Member Dues & Benefits

Page 4 & 5 - OIG Shoots Down PhysicianOwned Distributorships (PODS)

Page 6 - 2013 Mini Health Vendor FairPage 7 - Continuing EducationPage 8 & 9 - New Approach to

License RenewalPage 10 - Sacred Heart Hospital NewsPage 11 - Baptist Health Care News

Editors:Brian Kirby, M.D.

Erica Huffman, Executive Director

2013 ECMS officersPresident - Wendy Osban, D.O.

President-Elect - Susan Laenger, M.D.Vice President - Christopher Burton, M.D.Secretary/Treasure - Brian Kirby, M.D.

Membership 3ESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY

Timothy Gooden, M.D.Twelve Oaks Recovery CenterAddiction Medicine2068 Healthcare AvenueNavarre. Fl., 32566(P) 850-939-1200(F) 850-939-1257

Douglas Bunting, M.D.Renalus Center for Kidney CareNephrology1619 Creighton RoadPensacola, FL 32504(P) 850-444-4700(F) 850-444-7497

Michael Coyle, D.O.Santa Rosa Medical GroupUrogynecology6072 Doctors Park RoadMilton, FL 32570(P) 850-983-3528(F) 850-983-3546

Samuel Sauer, M.D.US Army School of Aviation/ Naval Aeromed InstituteInternal MedicineUSASAM 340 Hulse RoadPensacola, FL 32508(P) 850-452-4740

Benjamin Havard, M.D.Pensacola Pathologists, P.A.Anatomic and Clinical Pathology5149 N. 9th Avenue Suite 122Pensacola, FL 32504(P) 850-416-7780(F) 850-416-7524

Jennifer Miley, M.D.Gulf Coast Primary CareFamily Practice1921 E. Nine Mile RoadPensacola, FL 32514(P) 850-479-4858(F) 850-494-2260

Philip Ham, D.O.West Florida Medical GroupFamily Medicine1190 E. Nine Mile RoadPensacola, FL 32514(P) 850-857-4040

NEW MEMBERS

Membership Dues:• Active ECMS Member: $375

• First Time Member: $250• Part-Time Physician: $200

20 hours or less/week• Retired Physician: $100Receiving $0 in income• Active Military: $60

Contact ECMS Today to Become a Member

P: 850-478-0706 x2 F: 850-474-9783

Email: info@escambiacms.orgwww.escambiacms.org

Meeting RSVP'sFirst, let me thank everyone for their

participation in the ECMS dinnermeetings to this point. There has been agood showing and some great topicsdiscussed. I would just like to remindeveryone that ECMS has to pre-pay for themeeting venues and menu so if you arenot able to attend we completelyunderstand with everyone’s busy schedulebut ask that you do not RSVP as it adds toun-needed cost for the ECMS. If you doRSVP and find that you will be unable toattend, a 72 hour advance notice, ifpossible would be greatly appreciated.Thank you for your support of the ECMS.

Member BenefitECMS provides our members several

membership benefits including free CME,discounts on professional services, and more!

I would like to tell you about the FREEHIPPA Compliant iPhone & AndroidApplication that you have access to as anECMS member called DocBookMD.

DocBookMD:> A Convenient way to share vital patient

information at the point-of-care> HIPPA-secure messaging> easy to use> accurate up-to-date physician contact

information> details on local pharmacies> ability to attach high-resolution images

of EKG's, X-rays, or wounds to anymessage

How to sign up to se DocBookMD:1. Download app onto your iPhone, iPad,

or Android2. Launch the app on your device and

click on Register3. Put in your email address (Twice to

confirm)

4. Put in state (FL) and society (Escambia)5. Put in society number (call ECMS for

your #)6. Put in password (twice to confirm)7. Answer sponsor questions8. Sign HIPAA compliance

The Escambia County Medical Society2013 Pictorial Directory has beenpublished. Please come see us at the 2013ECMS Mini Health Vendor Fair to pick upyour copy. If you cannot make it to theevent please call us to pick up your copyor we will arrange a time to deliver a copyto your office.

Thank you again to BallingerPublishing for publishing the ECMSPictorial Directory for our PhysicianMembers.

Physician owned distributorships (PODs) have been the source ofconsiderable controversy for years. A couple years ago, they caughtthe attention of Congress. Now, the Office of Inspector General of theDepartment of Health and Human Services (“OIG”) has issued a FraudAlert making clear their dislike of PODs and sending a clear shotacross the bow of those who are in that industry.

PODs distribute various things, most commonly surgical implantsand devices, that are reimbursed by insurers. A patient needs a spinalrod, a surgical implant/device company makes it and a distributor repdistributes it. Device/implant companies usually contract withdistributorships to sell their products. Distributorships contract withreps who are paid commissions for sales. Surgeons who actually orderthe devices sometimes think “Since I’m the one doing the surgery andordering all this stuff, why can’t I earn something from that? I’m notordering anything I don’t need or that I don’t think is good for thepatient.” PODs are one way for physicians to financially benefit fromthe sales of devices and items their patients need, but they have neverbeen more controversial than now.

Conceptually speaking, PODs are controversial becausegovernment regulators think physicians who have an economic stakein health care items or services will tend to over utilize them.Moreover, there is a specific concern that allowing physicians to profitfrom the devices their patients need violates federal anti kickback lawsor the Stark prohibition on compensation arrangements. That’s exactlywhat the OIG thinks; and physicians who are owners of PODs canexpect to be investigated by the feds.

In 2006, the Office of the Inspector General of HHS and CMSexpressed major concerns about PODs, and cited concerns about“improper inducements.” At that time, the OIG stopped short of

prohibiting them, but called for heightened scrutiny. CMS itself hasstated that PODs “serve little purpose other than providing physiciansthe opportunity to earn economic benefits in exchange for nothingmore than ordering medical devices or other products that thephysician-investors use on their own patients.”

Implantable medical devices are unusual in the way they come intouse. Unlike DMEPOS, for instance, medical devices are not sold todistributors. They’re sold from the manufacture to the medical facilitywhere the surgery will take place. So, the argument goes, physiciansare not actually in a position to drive the sales volume of the implants.The counter: physicians invested in a POD can leverage their hospitaladmissions to influence the device choice of hospitals and surgerycenters.

The biggest legal hurdle for PODs is the federal Anti KickbackStatute, which carries both criminal and civil penalties. Simply put, ifeven one purpose of an arrangement is to pay for patient referrals, thelaw is violated. So, the law is arguably violated if one purpose of thePOD is to induce physicians to order implants for their patients.Looked at another way, the law is violated if one purpose of a hospitaldoing business with a POD is to ensure patient referrals by thephysician POD investors.

A 1989 OIG Special Fraud Alert on fraudulent physician jointventures is especially interesting on the fraud and abuse issues inpointing out that the following would indicate unlawful intent toinduce patient referrals—

Investor choice. If the only investors chosen are surgeons with anopportunity to refer and if they lack any business or managementexpertise, the arrangement appears to be a cloaked way to incentivizeunlawful referrals (i.e. ordering implants). The key question is

whether the business, in selecting investors, islooking to raise capital or to lock in referralsources.

Risk. If the POD investment involves little orno financial risk, the OIG would likely take issuewith it.

The bottom line seems to be that if there isn’t areal business, with real financial risk and qualifiedinvestors, a POD will likely be viewed as asuspicious arrangement based on locking inpatient referrals or physician admitting pressureby physician investors.

In its June, 2011 Inquiry “Physician OwnedDistributors (PODs): Overview of Key Issues andPotential Areas for Congressional Oversight,” theU.S. Senate Finance Committee Minority Staff, theCommittee reports “A number of legal and ethicalconcerns have been identified as a result of thisinitial inquiry into the POD Models.” TheCommittee reviewed over 1,000 pages ofdocuments and spoke with over 50 people inpreparing its report. The Committee cited long-held concerns regarding PODs, and leaned heavilyon the 2006 Hogan Lovells (previously Hogan &Hartson) law firm’s anti-POD analysis.

4 Practice ManagementESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY

OIG SHOOTS DOWN PHYSICIAN OWNEDDISTRIBUTORSHIPS (PODS)

By Jeffrey L. Cohen, The Florida Healthcare Law Firm

ESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY

It is clear now that the OIG has accepted the Hogan Lovells anti-POD reasoning. In particular, the OIG, on March 26, 2013, issued aSpecial Fraud Alert regarding PODs. In it, the OIG recounts thereasoning of the Anti Kickback Statute and also reminds readers of theconcerns raised by Congress on the 2011 Senate Finance CommitteeReport. The Fraud Alert goes further than any governmentalpronouncement on PODs than ever before, keying in on such thingsas (1) “corruption of medical judgment,” (2) “overutilization” and (3)“unfair competition.” The OIG continues: “We do not believe thatdisclosure to a patient of the physician’s financial interest in a POD issufficient to address these concerns.” Calling PODs “inherentlysuspect under the anti-kickback statute,” the Fraud Alter specifieseight areas of particular concern, including:• “The size of the investment offered to each physicians varies withexpected or actual volume or value of devices used by the physician;”and• “The POD is a shell entity that does not conduct appropriateproduct evaluations, maintain or manage a sufficient inventory in itsown facility, or employ or otherwise contract with personnel necessaryfor operations.”

The OIG has gotten more proactive than ever by stating that theeight specified areas of concern are not intended to be used as adefense by those who structure PODs in such a way that responds tothose concerns. For instance, those structuring a POD in a way thatthe size of the physician investment does not vary on the basis ofexpected or actual volume or value of devices used by the physicianwill likely find the OIG unimpressed by the distinction. Instead, theOIG invites parties to engage in the OIG Advisory Opinion advisoryprocess. They are saying “Don’t do it.” If you think you can puttogether a POD that won’t violate the law, show it to us and we’ll tellyou if we think you got it right.”

Is this the death knell for PODs? Probably not, but the stakes areremarkably higher now that the OIG haspresented clear prosecutorial intent. Thosephysicians committed to developing a POD needto take more seriously than ever (1) the legalrisks, (2) the cost of investigation andenforcement, and (3) engaging in the advisoryprocess.

With almost 25 years of healthcare lawexperience following his experience as legalcounsel for the Florida Medical Association, Mr.Cohen is board certified by The Florida Bar as aspecialist in healthcare law. With a strongbackground and expertise in transactionalhealthcare and corporate matters, particularly asthey relate to physicians, Mr. Cohen’s practiceinvolves him in regulatory, contract, corporate,compliance and other healthcare law relatedmatters. As Founder of the Florida HealthcareLaw Firm, Mr. Cohen can be reached at 888-455-7702 or online atjcohen@floridahealthcarelawfirm.com.

Practice Management 5ESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY

The Fisher Brown HealthCare Practice team

provides All Lines of Insurance & offers

Risk Management advice for all aspects

of the HealthCare Industry.

Our Commitment is to reduce your Long Term Cost of Risk

Rob RemigNorthwest Florida Business Consultant

850-444-7606

PODS continued

6 Health Vendor FairESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY

2013 Mini Health Vendor FairTopic: Digital Medicine | 2 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

SpeakersWilson Gottschild, VP Sales Trice Imaging, Inc.

Pam King, AHCACraig Dalton, Strategic Health Intelligence

ModeratorPaul Glisson, D.O., MDA, FACEP, CHAIRMAN OF THEBOARD, STRATEGIC HEALTH INTELLIGENCE, CMIO

BAPTIST HEALTHCARE

PanelistWilson Gottschild, VP of Sales Trice Imaging Inc.

Pam King, AHCACraig Dalton, Strategic Health Intelligence

Kathy Ross, VP/CIO Sacred Heart Health SystemsSharon Hoyle, CHC, CHPC, CPC

VendorsThe Blake

BBVA Compass BankCatalyst CRE

Digital BoardwalkEmerald Coast Medical Group Management Association

Fisher Brown-Bottrell InsuranceGilmore Services

MAG MutualMASS MutualRegions Bank

Underwood Anderson & Associates Inc.Strategic Health Intelligence™

Sky Warrior, Inc.Trice Imaging, Inc.

Medical/Legal 7

The Department of Health will now verify apractitioner’s continuing education record at the timeof license renewal. If a practitioner’s continuingeducation record is incomplete they will be promptedto report their hours.

The project will be implemented in two phases.The first phase (optional phase) will promptpractitioner’s to input required continuing educationhours, but will not prevent licensure renewal. Thesecond phase (mandatory) will require reporting of allrequired continuing education hours in order toproceed with license renewal. Below is a chartidentifying the optional phase and first mandatoryphase for each Profession.

BUREAU OF OPERATIONSCONTINUING EDUCATIONINTEGRATION PROJECT

RELEASE PLANwww.ceatrenewal.com

PROFESSIONFIRST

MANDATORYREPORTING

CYCLE

FIRSTOPTIONAL

REPORTINGCYCLE

Medical DoctorsExpiring 1/31 even year

Medical DoctorsExpiring 1/31 odd year

Osteopathic Physicians

2/1/12 - 1/31/14

2/1/13 - 1/31/15

4/1/12 - 3/31/14

2/1/14 - 1/31/16

2/1/15 - 1/31/17

4/1/14 - 3/31/16

To place an ad

in this Bulletin

contact

Erica Huffman

at 478-0706

8 Medical/LegalESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY

Department of Health, Medical Quality Assurance will verify apractitioner’s continuing education record in the electronictracking system at the time of renewal. Practitioners will be ableto view their course history in the continuing education trackingsystem free of charge. The course history will show all thecourses that have been reported for the practitioner.

If the practitioner’s continuing education records are complete,they will be able to renew their license without interruption.

If the practitioner’s continuing education records are notcomplete, they will be prompted to enter their remainingcontinuing education hours before proceeding with their licenserenewal.

Why is continuing education being verified at renewal?Continuing Education is a requirement to renew a professional

license.Section 456.025(7), F.S. requires the Department to implementan electronic continuing education tracking system for eachbiennial renewal cycle and to integrate such system into thelicensure and renewal system. The two systems are nowintegrated.

When will this change become effective?Beginning with licenses expiring May 31, 2013, practitioners

will be prompted to report continuing education credits duringthe renewal process.

Can I create an account in the tracking system prior to beinglicensed?

No, you will not be able to create an account until you receivea license number from the Department of Health. Students needto know this information and once they are licensed beginreporting their continuing education.

What will happen if I do not have the required continuingeducation for renewal?

Beginning in 2015 you will not be able to renew a licensewithout having your continuing education reported into thecontinuing education tracking system. If you do not have thehours to report, your license will move to a delinquent status atexpiration. In order to renew a delinquent license you will berequired to complete the continuing education requirements.Additional fees may apply.

Do I have to wait until license renewal to report mycontinuing education credits to the electronic trackingsystem?

No, you can report your hours free of charge anytime duringthe biennium by registering for the Free Basic Account. TheDepartment encourages you to report early to avoid a delay in thelicense renewal process. For more information please visitwww.CEatRenewal.com.

Please note, if you take a course from a Florida Boardapproved Provider they are required to report on your behalf. If

you take a course from a National organization it is yourresponsibility to report completion. There may be other ways foryou to obtain credit towards continuing education required forlicense renewal. For specific approved methods of obtainingcontinuing education for your profession please review the Boardrules by visiting www.flhealthsource.com

Do I have to subscribe to the electronic tracking system?No, subscriptions remain optional. There are a number of

services you can receive by subscribing, however, it is optional. You do however need to report your hours. You can always

search for courses, report your hours, and view your coursehistory free of charge by creating a Free Basic Account

How will I know what has been reported?You are be able to view your course history in the tracking

system free of charge. Your course history will show all thecourses that have been reported, the completion date and thetotal number of hours. You can create your basic account orprofessional account at www.CEatRenewal.com

If I create a free basic account and enter all of my hours, willthe system tell me if I have met the continuing educationrequirements for my Profession?

If you are using the Basic Free Account it will be yourresponsibility to know the continuing education requirements foryour Profession and calculate your compliance using the datalisted on your course history.

If you enter your hours prior to renewal in a basic account thesystem will not generate a compliance status, however, thesystem will check compliance during your renewal period usingthe basic account. You will receive a complete or incompletemessage at the time of renewal. Profession specific informationand copies of the Board rules can be found atwww.flhealthsource.com.

What is the difference between viewing my course historyusing the basic free account or subscribing to the continuingeducation tracking system?

With a free Basic Account you can view your basic coursehistory, which will list the course name, educational providername, date of completion and hours reported. It would then beup to you to determine whether all of the courses that have beenreported will complete all of your specific continuing educationrequirements. You can also self-report any continuing educationthat may be missing.

A Professional Account (paid subscription) provides you withall of the tracking tools that CE Broker offers. Your transcript willdisplay what your specific CE requirements are and will calculatewhat requirements have been met and what may still beoutstanding. A Professional Account is a subscription service andis not a requirement but it can be a useful tool in managing yourFlorida continuing education requirements should you chose tosubscribe.

New Approach to License RenewalFrequently Asked Questions

www.CEatRenewal.com

Medical/Legal 9ESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY

Do I have to report my continuing education completion intothe tracking system or will the Provider report on my behalf?

If you take a course from a Florida approved continuingeducation provider, the provider is responsible for reporting yourcourse completion. If you take your course from a Nationalorganization you will be required to self-report into the trackingsystem.

How long does a Florida approved Provider have to reportmy continuing education completion into the trackingsystem?Pursuant to Rule 64B – 5.002, F.A.C Providers are allowed up to90 days to report. However, during the renewal period thisprocess is modified to allow licensees to self report courses takenfrom a Florida approved Provider to avoid a delay in licenserenewal.

Where do I go to report my hours?You can report your hours by logging into MQA Services

using your user id and password at www.flhealthsource.com ORyou can visit www.CEatRenewal.com. Both sites will direct youto the tracking system to create a free basic account.

For more information please visit www.CEatRenewal.com.

New Approach to License RenewalCotinued

Professional InterpreterServices for the Deaf Inc.

24-Hour Interpreting Services

850.791.0840 Text/Voice850.941.0460 Office

Request@professionalinterpreting.biz

Bridging the language gap between you and your Deaf patients

10 In The CommunityESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY

Hospital News - SacredHeart Hospital

Orthopedic Excellence AwardsSacred Heart Hospital Pensacola was recently named a BlueDistinction Center for Specialty Care in the areas of spine surgeryand knee-and hip-replacement surgery. The national designationidentifies hospitals that have a proven track record for deliveringbetter results – including fewer complications and readmissions –compared to hospitals without such recognition. The program of theBlue Cross and Blue Shield Association has recently been expandedto include additional measures focused on improved patient safetyand health, as well as new cost-efficiency measures.

Incentives for Rural Medical Practice PhysiciansThe Rural Practice Development Center (RPDC) announces theavailability of several significant financial-assistance programs toeligible medical-school students, residents and physicians desiringto practice in a Primary Care specialty in qualified rural areas ofFlorida. Sponsored by Sacred Heart Health System and the State ofFlorida Department of Health, the RPDC aims to improve thequality of healthcare available to people living in rural areas of northFlorida. The Center provides rural-medicine training opportunitiesto medical residents, and financial incentives for medical students,residents and physicians desiring to establish Primary Care Practicesin rural locations. For more information, contact Becky Bray at(850) 416-2840.

New Therapy for Critically Ill NewbornsWhole-body cooling therapy to prevent brain injury in critically illand premature newborns is now being offered at Children’s Hospitalat Sacred Heart. The hospital is the first in the region to offer whole-body hypothermia, which helps protect the developing brains ofcritically-ill newborns who are affected by hypoxic ischemicencephalopathy (HIE). Brain cooling has been effective in reducingthe extent of brain injury even when begun up to six hours after thebaby’s birth.

In The Community 11ESCAMBIA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANTA ROSA COUNTY

Hospital News - Baptist Health Care

Baptist Cardiology Team Offers Alternative toBypass Surgery

For the millions of people suffering with severely orcompletely blocked coronary arteries (chronic total occlusions orCTOs), Baptist Health Care and its team of 29 cardiovascularspecialists, Cardiology Consultants, now offer an advanced CTOprocedure that provides patients a minimally invasive alternativeto traditional open heart bypass surgery and/or medical therapy.

The Baptist cardiology team is the first and only team on theGulf Coast to offer the innovative CTO procedure that involves ahighly skilled, specially trained interventional cardiologist usingthe newest FDA-approved catheter technology to reopen thecompletely blocked (CTO) artery. Balloon angioplasty and stentsare then used to restore blood flow.

“CTO is the most common cause for open heart surgery, so byproviding this minimally invasive procedure, Baptist andCardiology Consultants are improving the quality of life ofpeople suffering from heart disease in a significant way. We cannow help patients who have previously been told that bypass orongoing medication management are their only options forchronically occluded coronary arteries,” explains F. JamesFleischhauer, M.D., F.A.C.C., the board certified interventionalcardiologist who completed the region’s first procedure on March12, 2013, at Baptist Hospital.

Baptist Hospital, Inc. Received Stroke QualityAchievement AwardBaptist Hospital, Inc. received the American HeartAssociation/American Stroke Association’s Get With TheGuidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. Theaward recognizes Baptist Health Care’s commitment and successin implementing excellent care for stroke patients, according toevidence-based guidelines.

To receive this award, Baptist Hospital, Inc. achieved 85percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Achievement indicators for two or moreconsecutive 12-month intervals and achieved 75 percent orhigher compliance with six of 10 Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Measures, which are reporting initiatives tomeasure quality of care. Baptist Hospital, Inc. also earned theTarget: Stroke Honor Roll designation for improving stroke careand achieving 60-minute “Door to Needle” times for at least 50percent of patients during a three-month period.

“The Gold award and the honor roll are two newachievements all of us at Baptist Health Care can take pride in.Our greatest award is caring for our patients and turningtreatment guidelines into lifelines,” says Wanda Kaye Hambrick,vice president of quality and safety for Baptist Health Care.

GBH Top 100Gulf Breeze Hospital was named one of the nation's 100 Top

Hospitals® by Truven Health Analytics, formerly the healthcarebusiness of Thomson Reuters. Truven Health Analytics is aleading provider of information and solutions to improve thecost and quality of health care.

The Truven Health 100 Top Hospitals® study evaluatesperformance in 10 areas: mortality; medical complications;patient safety; average patients stay; expenses; profitability;patient satisfaction; adherence to clinical standards of care; post-discharge mortality; and readmission rates for acute myocardialinfarction (heart attack), heart failure, and pneumonia. The studyis celebrating its 20th year, and has been conducted annuallysince 1993.

"We are thrilled to receive this honor for the secondconsecutive year. It recognizes that our patient-centered focusand Baptist Health Care culture bring value, efficiency and thehighest quality of care possible for our patients and ourcommunity," said Robert J. '"Bob" Harriman, Ph.D., senior vicepresident of Baptist Health Care and administrator of Gulf BreezeHospital.To conduct the study, Truven Health researchers evaluated 2,922short-term, acute care, non-federal hospitals. Hospitals do notapply, and winners do not pay to market this honor.

Training Magazine’s No. 39 out of the ‘Top 125’Baptist Health Care (BHC) again has earned a spot on

Training Magazine’s Top 125 corporate institutions in the U.S.This is the 12th consecutive year BHC has made the list for itscommitment to employee training and people development.BHC, the area’s only locally owned, not-for-profit health careprovider, is No. 39 in the rankings and is one of only sevenhealth care organizations in the nation to be recognized by themagazine. Only one other Florida health care provider made thelist – Miami Children’s Hospital, Miami, Fla.

The Top 125 ranking is determined by assessing a range offactors, including financial investment in employee development,the scope of development programs, and how closely suchdevelopment efforts are linked to business goals and objectives.

“The emphasis on continuing education to our team membersextends from the philosophy that an organization’s success andsustainability is contingent upon the knowledge and training ofits employees,” said Darlene Stone, vice president of humanresources, BHC.

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MECOP Reminder

44th Annual Pediatric

Symposium 2013

Memorial Day Weekend, May 25-27, 2013

Saturday | 7 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Sunday | 7 a.m. - 11:15 p.m.

Monday | 7 a.m. - 11:45 p.m.

12 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM