April 16, 2024

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Dear Professional Staff Members,

We are holding our virtual Professional Staff Town Hall on Wed, April 17, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. The Town Halls will continue to provide educational opportunity, and situational updates from Children’s infectious disease experts and physician leaders relevant to both community- and hospital-based physicians and providers.

Last year’s town hall survey suggested a strong interest in workplace violence and safety—we are pleased to have Tom Morris, Children’s SVP of System Hospital Operations, join us for an update on this topic. Children’s Chief Quality Officer, Dr. Srikant Iyer, will also be providing a brief refresher on the Occurrence Notification System (ONS).

As always, we’ll also have time for questions and answers. Attendees will be placed on mute to facilitate the call, so please send as many of your questions as possible in advance to kate.johnson@choa.org so we can address them during our Q&A session.

You can join the meeting via computer, tablet or smart phone (Event link Ι Password: TPebqJfP662 (87327537 from phones) | Event Number: 263 182 01592). If you are unable to join us for the virtual Town Hall on Wednesday, you may listen to the recording at your convenience. Details will be shared following the Town Hall. 

We continue to offer CME credit for these town halls. You must register as an attendee during the meeting to receive credit—either scan the QR code on the screen or email kate.johnson@choa.org for the link. An evaluation link will be sent following the town hall—once you complete it, your CME certificate will be emailed to you.

Thanks for your ongoing care for kids.

Best regards, Jim

James D. Fortenberry MD, MCCM, FAAP, FELSO

Chief Medical Officer | Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

Professor of Pediatric Critical Care | Emory University School of Medicine

1405 Clifton Road NE | Atlanta, GA 30322

james.fortenberry@choa.org | 404.785.1600 office | 770.826.6559 cell 

The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) has confirmed a measles infection in an unimmunized child who traveled from central Africa to Atlanta. The patient presented to the Scottish Rite Emergency Department (ED) on April 9 and remains in our care. Patients and their families who may have been exposed are being notified and specific guidance is being provided to them in collaboration with Georgia DPH. Click here to read more.

The Department of Community Health (DCH) and Gainwell Technologies invite you to participate in one of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Services workshops scheduled during the month of April 2024. Providers are encouraged to send their practice managers and billing staff, as well as business associates, including billing/service agents that submit Medicaid claims. The workshops will provide important information you will need to know on the following topics including, but not limited to:

• Scope of Services
• Program Updates
• Common Denials
• Procedure Code and Modifier Combinations
• Prior Authorization Requests
• Contacting Gainwell Technologies
• Closing - Questions and Answers

Attendees must individually register to reserve a seat. The registration must be completed online. Click here to view available workshop dates and to register.

Upon completion of your registration, a confirmation notice will be sent by e-mail to the address provided on the form. Please review the confirmation e-mail for accuracy. 

Should you have any questions regarding the Autism Spectrum Disorder Services workshops for the month of April 2024, please contact Gainwell Technologies via e-mail at gaworkshopregistration@gainwelltechnologies.com.

As physicians and advanced practice providers, you are an important part of the Children’s Story, providing care that heals, research that cures and prevention that protects. You are on the frontline of our mission to make kids better today and healthier tomorrow—so your feedback matters a great deal to us.

Please complete the Children’s Engagement Survey, which opens on April 8 and runs through April 24. The survey should take 5 minutes or less to complete. You will receive an email from our third-party vendor with your individual survey link. Physicians and APPs employed by Children’s will receive a link from Qualtrics, while other members of the Children’s Professional Staff will receive surveys from Press Ganey. We utilize third-party vendors so you can be assured that the results are anonymous. Your feedback will provide information that will help us support a meaningful work experience at Children’s.

Thank you for your participation.

If you have questions about the survey, please email physician.communications@choa.org. 

Members of Children’s Professional Staff are invited to attend the Children’s 2024 Professional Staff Annual Meeting on Thursday, August 15, from 6 – 8 p.m. in a very special location—Arthur M. Blank Hospital. This meeting is presented by Medical Staff Services and The Children’s Care Network (TCCN).

Join us for a casual evening of celebration and fun, featuring food and drinks, networking opportunities and tours of the emergency room, an operating room, a general patient care room and the garden at Arthur M. Blank Hospital. This event will offer a “first look” inside the new hospital before it opens in September, and we cannot wait for you to see it.

Because we want to be sure to have enough food and staff to lead the tours, we are asking that you register for the Children’s 2024 Annual Professional Staff Meeting by

Wednesday, May 1. Please register here.

Please contact professionalstaff@choa.org with questions about the meeting. We hope to see you there!

We are excited to build on last year’s momentum as we launch the 2024 TCCN Quality Program. We will continue to renew our commitment to excellence by focusing on moving the needle forward on quality improvement outcomes.

Click here to view details and requirements for this year's Quality Program.

For questions regarding TCCN Value Added Services, please reach out to

Barbara Douglas, TCCN Associate Director of Programs at Barbara.douglas@tccn-choa.org.

The McKesson team has created another special with a discounted price just for the TCCN McKesson Medical Supplies Program!

Asthma is one of the cornerstones of TCCN quality programming. One tool in the effective management of asthma is spirometry and following Asthma Action Plans. Spirometers provide additional objective data to diagnose asthma severity and control, monitor lung function, and adjust medication. Sharing lung function readings also provides an opportunity for patient and family education around the importance of compliance.

We are excited to offer an opportunity to utilize this technology at the point of care in your

office.

Features and Benefits - EasyOne ® Air Spirometer

• Large color touchscreen for easy data entry and navigation
• EasyOne® Connect software for EMR integration and PC spirometry
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Long-lasting rechargeable battery
• Calibration-Free TrueFlow Technology for high accuracy of results
• Not made with natural rubber latex EasyOne ® Flow Tube
• Disposable mouthpiece helps reduce risk of cross-contamination
• Resistance-free testing for precise measurement
• Non-sterile
• Not made with natural rubber latex

Seasonal TCCN promotion on NDD EasyOne Air and Easy on-PC spirometry systems

• Free 2-year extended warranty ( Total of 5 Years )
• EasyOne Air: $1,950 per Unit
• Easy on PC: $1,650 per Unit

If you are not a part of this program – please reach out to your McKesson Rep about joining the

program.

You may also reach out to Barbara Douglas via email barbara.douglas@tccn-choa.org.

Thank you for your continued support of TCCN!

TCCN FluMist Purchasing Program offers practices upfront discounts for FluMist purchases. To receive the highest discount amount, practices must place their prebook orders by April 30, 2024 to lock in 14% prebook discount. If you prebook by April 30, 2024, then all future orders for this season will reflect 14% discount.

Click here for additional program details and instructions on how to pre-book orders by April 30th, 2024.

Topic:

We Are In An Epidemic Of Pediatric Firearm Injuries: Challenging Safe Firearm Storage and Injury Prevention Conversations for the Pediatrician

Date:

April 24^th, 2024 from 12:00-1:00pm via Zoom

Speakers:

Drs. Keisha Fraser Doh and Sofia Chaudhary

Webex Details:

Click here to join the meeting

More ways to join:

Join from the meeting link

https://choa123.webex.com/choa123/j.php?MTID=m2034b68c955033bd0e50dc4366714680

Join by meeting number

Meeting number (access code): 2633 015 5981

Meeting password: MPscuN3T3h4 (67728638 from phones and video systems)

Tap to join from a mobile device (attendees only)  

+1-415-655-0001,,26330155981#67728638# US Toll  

Some mobile devices may ask attendees to enter a numeric password. 

Join by phone  

+1-415-655-0001 US Toll  

Global call-in numbers

Join from a video system or application

Dial 26330155981@choa123.webex.com 

You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number.

As pediatricians increasingly play a critical role in “whole-child” care, they consistently identify a need to learn more about how to care for children with Behavioral and Mental Health (BMH) needs. Specifically, learning how to screen, when and how to treat, understanding the referral options and when it is appropriate to refer for specialty care.

Utilizing the Project ECHO platform, this cohort will meet every other Wednesday at lunchtime starting May 1^st for six sessions and will cover multiple facets of caring for pediatric patients with substance related and addictive disorders. Upon the conclusion of this cohort, we will offer additional cohorts through 2025 covering new behavioral and mental health topics.

Project ECHO uses the online platform, Zoom, and participation in Project ECHO is free of charge. Participants will have the opportunity to earn CME and MOC Part II credits for their participation.

Registration is open now through May 14^th. Registration is open to primary care providers in the state of Georgia only. Active participation is required and participants are expected to present at minimum one case during the series.

Event Details:

Substance Related and Addictive Disorders cohort sessions will take place every other Wednesday from 12:00pm – 1:00pm via Zoom. This series will be facilitated by Kayla Mays, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC.

· May 1st: Introduction to Substance Use Disorders and Other Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders - Olu Osoba, MD and Gretchen Weeks, MSN, APRN, PNP-C, PMHNP-BC

· May 15th: Pharmacotherapy for Opioid Use Disorder and Other Disorders - Joe Mathias, MD

· May 29th: Legal and Social Aspects of Substance Use in Youth - Pauline Anderson, MSW, LCSW

· June 12th: Marijuana Use in Youth: Recent Epidemiology, Presentation, Treatment Strategies, and New Research - Darron Lewis, MD

· June 26th: SUD and the Impact of Trauma: Correlation Between Connection and Addiction Recovery - Tina Niziurski, LCSW

· July 10th: Conference Updates: Substance Use Disorder: A Comprehensive Review and Update 2024 Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy - John Gransbach, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC

This series will be limited to 35 participants due to the time constraints of case presentations. There will be an active waitlist so please add your name if the course is full and you will be contacted if you are able to join.

To register for this series, click here.

We wanted to update you about the fully-funded pediatric mental health training opportunity for providers in Georgia. Thanks to a generous donor, The REACH Institute is offering 70 more scholarships for their flagship course, the Patient-Centered Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care (PPP) program! 

This opportunity is available exclusively for primary care providers (pediatricians, family physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants) practicing in Georgia and will take place May 3-5, 2024. 

Please check out the updated flyer with all the details. For questions, please email ppp@thereachinstitute.org.

Click Here to Register for the Program

Hosted by the Stephanie V Blank Center for Safe and Healthy Children. This online training series features monthly webinars on a variety of topics related to child safety, protection, and child sex trafficking designed to keep professionals and community members up to date on legislation and research developments in child abuse, health, and trauma.

Sign up for the Child Protection Webinar Series.

The Stephanie V. Blank Center also offers four On-Demand webinars. To register, please click here.

TCCN Requirements

• Effective August 1st: 2-Week Data Submission Requirement
• 2024 Quality Program Requirements

TCCN Resources

• TCCN RSV Toolkit
• TCCN Seizure Action Plan
• Endocrinology Referral Guide
• Nephrology Referral Guideline
• 2023 TCCN OSHA Webinar Recording and Slides and Bloodborne Pathogens Test
• TCCN Webinar: New AAP Clinical Practice Guidelines for Obesity
• TCCN Pediatric Coding Seminar- Webinar Recording and slides
• TCCN Antibiotic Stewardship Webinar Series: Why It's Important for Your Practice and Patients:
• Webinar #1: How to Access and Use the Website
• Webinar #2: Prescribing Guide
• Webinar #3: Antibiotic Dosing: Maximize antibiotic adherence, limit wastage, and promote antibiotic stewardship
• TCCN Risk Management Webinar Recording and Presentation

Community Updates

• Georgia Composite Medical Board Decisions Regarding Prescribing Via Telemedicine
• DPH Confirms Case of Measles in Atlanta Metro Area
• Moderna Pediatric COVID Vaccines Purchased on or After January 9, 2024 Now 100% Returnable
• Important Information About the Correct Dosage and Administration of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (2023-2024 Formula) for Individuals 6 Months Through 11 Years of Age
• DEA Requirement for All Providers - MATE Act FAQ and Resources
• Resilience and Emotional Wellness – Healthcare Training | Strong4Life
• The InFLUence of Vaccine Technology on Pediatric Influenza Outcomes
• URAC Clinical Integration Accreditation Announcement
• Bilirubin Level Testing and Phototherapy Vendors
• Antibiotic Alternatives Tip Sheet

We are here for you. Please reach out to your TCCN Provider Relations Representative contact@tccn-choa.org with any questions.