MISSISSIPPI ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS

Wishing all of our members a joy-filled and blessed Easter! May your day be filled with love, laughter, and the warmth of cherished moments with family and friends.

FamDocPAC is a political action committee founded by the MAFP to promote the effective citizenship of FamDocPAC members and associate members through the financial participation in the electoral process of the State of Mississippi, and to assist in the nomination and election of candidates for the Mississippi House of Representatives, the Mississippi Senate and other Mississippi Statewide Elected Offices. This year our goal is to get 75 PAC Members for 2024 as we celebrate 75 years of MAFP.

The Medicaid State Plan now covers up to 12 in-person or telehealth counseling sessions per year for each beneficiary (formerly just pregnant women). We thank our partners at American Cancer Society for helping to make this important change.  They have shared a Cessation and Coding Document to help when billing. 

Tobacco cessation counseling must be provided by a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner in order to be covered. Here is a link to the State Plan Amendment (SPA) as approved by CMS.

To keep up with the sweeping changes in healthcare made in 2023, physicians need a source of truth for clinical documentation and coding. The 2024 Practice Enhancement Through Clinically Correct Coding sessions are now available for access through the Protime Ability education platform. Up to 20 CME credits are available upon successful completion of these courses.

MAFP Spring Conference Set for

Friday, April 12 - Sunday, April 14

MAFP’s Spring Conference features social activities and CME. Saturday is a day of CME sessions and exhibits. On Sunday, we offer a morning of CME with dismissal around lunchtime. The MAFPF’s Spring Fling for Residents and Students is held in connection with this event.

Discounted room blocks extended through 3/31!

Early bird registration ends 4/1!

MAFP has a discounted block of rooms for conference attendees reserved that has been extended through March 31. These rooms are $155 plus tax per night. We are also offering a discounted member rate for Conference registrations which expires April 1.

Register today to take advantage of both discounted rates!

We're excited to bring to you a lineup of speakers and the opportunity to earn 12 CME credit hours from this event.

Speaker Spotlight: John W. Norton, MD

We are pleased to have Dr. John W. Norton where he will discuss Alzheimer's and Treatment of Dementia. Dr. John W. Norton is a geriatrician in Jackson, Mississippi and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including University of Mississippi Medical Center and Mississippi State Hospital. He received his medical degree from Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center and has been in practice for more than 20 years. Dr. John W. Norton has expertise in treating anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, non-Alzheimer's dementia, among other conditions.

MAFP will offer Translation to Practice on 3 Spring Conference sessions, so attendees can earn 6 extra CME hours, in addition to the 12 offered at the meeting if you complete the commit to change form. We will have the forms at the MAFP desk for your convenience.

What is t2p^®?

“t2p^®” stands for Translation to Practice^® and is a three-step process that complements CME activities approved for AAFP Prescribed credit. (Elective credit activities are not eligible). t2p^® offers learners the opportunity to apply what they learned in the CME activity, and document how learned concepts were translated into practice as part of a three-step process:

• Step 1: Commitment to Change—Learners complete a Commitment to Change statement stating what it is they wish to change in their practice.
• Step 2: Implement Change—Learners implement indicated change into practice.
• Step 3: Post-Activity Response—Learners evaluate whether the implemented change resulted in improved patient care.

What is the purpose of t2p^®?

AAFP seeks to approve activities for CME credit that are designed to improve a physician’s ability to provide quality patient care. The result of quality education is better experienced when put into practice, and t2p^® creates an opportunity to purposefully apply learning following participation in a CME activity.

Are credits awarded per activity, or per presentation within an activity? How many credits may the learner claim?

Learners will receive two Prescribed credits for the full completion of a t2p^® activity. t2p^® is awarded at the session level. Therefore, learners may engage in as many t2p^® activities as made available; however, it is up to the CME provider organization to determine the number of sessions it has the capacity to offer t2p^® for since each session with t2p^® must be tracked individually.

For example, a live meeting approved for AAFP credit is considered one CME activity. The CME provider organization determines, at the time of application for AAFP credit submission, how many and which sessions will have a t2p^® component. As a result, learners can participate in a t2p^® activity for each session with a t2p^® component within.

The MAFP wishes our incredible family physicians a happy National Doctors Day! Thank you for all that you do. Your passion for helping others and commitment to provide exceptional care has made a tremendous difference in the lives of so many.

Mississippi has the 4^th highest incidence of laryngeal cancer in the U.S. Early symptoms are often attributed to other common symptoms of a cold, sore throat or benign neck mass. Primary care physicians are the front line of early cancer detection. Become an expert at spotting the early signs of laryngeal and other head and neck cancers and help us intervene early and save lives.

It's time to reserve your hotel rooms and condos for the MAFP's 2024 Annual Scientific Assembly in Sandestin, FL. The event will be July 20 - 24. Browse the available rooms and make your reservations online using this link. Make sure you change the dates at the top to your desired arrival and departure dates to see everything available.

Registration will open in a few weeks, but please go ahead and make your reservations.

It's time to nominate a fellow family physician for the MAFP's annual awards, including Family Physician of the Year, Humanitarian Award, Military Award, New Physician of the Year, and the Patterson Award. To nominate a member, please review the criteria for each award and complete the nomination form. The deadline for nominations is June 1 each year. Online Nominating Form - (only takes 2 minutes).

UMMC is on the hunt for their next Director for the Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce. For more information, click the photo above.