UPDATES

 *NEW* Support for Increased Medicare Reimbursement Rates   EHI IPA sent the attached letter to House Representative Ed Case urging him to ask CMS for higher Medicare reimbursement rates especially in light of our area’s physician shortage and high cost of living. This was part of a joint letter writing effort by a regional task force of local healthcare organizations.

*NEW* Immunization Support   The Board at its meeting on December 4 agreed to endorse a letter to Representative John Mizuno, encouraging the State of Hawai‘i to promote and support state-wide immunization efforts. Attached is a copy of the endorsement letter.

Quarterly Pau Hana Mixer   Please join us for the last 2019 Pau Hana Mixer at the Hilo Yacht Club on Friday, December 13, 6:00-7:30 PM. This is a member networking event—no speeches, no formal program… just come and “talk story” with fellow providers over a glass of wine or beer and pupus! Residents have also been invited to attend. RSVP attached.

IPA Quarterly Super Huddle – Tuesday, December 17, 12:00-1:15 PM   The purpose of the last Super Huddle of the year will be to “kick” back, network and enjoy the friendship and camaraderie between EHI member providers and staff. Community health & wellness organizations will have tables with giveaway swag. There will be a lunch buffet & desserts to enjoy. Please RSVP by Friday, December 13.

*NEW* Wellness Tip of the Month   Electronic health records, stressed-out colleagues, and more can overwhelm even the most resilient physicians. This blog published by the American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL) on Oct. 23, 2019, outlines strategies for how to reduce stress by identifying ten top stress management activities that you can start today. We will be publishing one tip per month in the Weekly Alert to be incorporated into your daily habits. Here is tip #4:

Don’t confuse numbing yourself with self-care: It can be tempting to reach for an after-work drink to decompress after a long day, but if you’re reaching for one every day then there might be a problem. Relying on drugs or alcohol to destress means you’re numbing yourself instead of engaging in productive self-care.

*NEW* 2019 eClinicalWorks (eCW) October 2019 Conference Notes   Attached is a link to eCW conference notes taken by EHI IPA’s conference delegation. Learning objectives and summaries of sessions attended are included. If you have any questions and would like further information please contact mkurohara@ehiipa.com or jjvitales@ehiipa.com.

HMSA PAYMENT TRANSFORMATION

*NEW*  Bonus Payments to Payment Transformation (PT) Providers – The Board at its monthly meeting on December 4 approved giving year-end quality performance bonuses to providers who met or exceeded minimum quality performance thresholds. Bonuses will be awarded by line of business. The majority of PT providers will receive the maximum amount of $1500. A handful of PT providers will receive partial payments. Please contact Susan Mochizuki if you have questions at smochizuki@ehiipa.com.

*NEW* 2019 Annual Survey   HMSA sent a link to providers to complete this important measure – thanks to the TWENTY-FOUR providers who completed it already! This is a PO (IPA) measure.  There are only seven providers who HAVE NOT completed the survey.  If your name is not on the list below and you have completed the survey, please contact Jo at jvitales@ehiipa.com ASAP. The IPA will give $50 to providers who finish the survey by December 15, 2019.

  • Dr. Aaron Morita

  • Dr. Alan DeSilva

  • Dr. Brenda Camacho

  • Dr. Brian Wilson

  • Dr. Buddy Festerling

  • Dr. Carlos Abeyta

  • Dr. Craig Shikuma

  • Dr. Daniel Belcher

  • Dr. Darrett Choy

  • Dr. David Nakamura

  • Dr. Douglas Olsen

  • Dr. Heajung Ruesing

  • Dr. Jon Gerdsen

  • Dr. Kevin Kurohara

  • Dr. Lynda Dolan

  • Dr. Maria Perlas

  • Dr. Melanie Arakaki

  • Dr. Olivia Kapono

  • Dr. Pradeepta Chowdhury

  • Dr. Richard Lee-Ching

  • Dr. Roy Koga

  • Dr. Sheareen Gedayloo

  • Dr. Wanda Meurs

  • Dr. Young Kim

PO Engagement Performance Third Quarter 2019   EHI achieved 100% for its 2019 Third Quarter performance for “Physician Experience” and “Member Experience.” Mahalo to our PT providers for your hard work.

HMSA QUALITY PERFORMANCE

Reminder: Influenza Vaccine   The flu vaccine measure is a PO (IPA) measure and the denominator counts members 18 years and older. Please continue to use the codes attached to received numerator credit in Coreo. Please encourage your entire office to get the vaccine. Offices who have a staff flu vaccination rate (including providers) will receive $250. Any staff member receiving a flu vaccine will be entered into a separate $250 raffle prize drawing. Please complete the attestation form attached here to receive the $250 clinic incentive. Please send to jvitales@ehiipa.com or fax to 808-935-4472.

Need a Doc Campaign REVAMP   We are revamping this program to provide MORE support and help. If your office is accepting NEW HMSA PATIENTS, please let us know so we can help place patients in your clinic. Please contact Kahea Wakinekona at kwakinekona@ehiipa.com if you are interested. Kahea will meet with your practice to review the workflow and expectations.  

EVENTS

Free Healthcare Resource Talks for Healthcare Professionals   Hawaii Care Choices is hosting a resource talk on Monday, December 9, 9:00-10:30 AM at the ADRC Office of Aging Conference Room, 1055 Kino‘ole St. Any healthcare professional who provides care for seriously ill patients is welcome to attend. Flyer attached. Flyer attached.

Walk with a Doc – Lili‘uokalani Gardens Park – Dr. Craig Kadooka – Every Sunday, WWAD meets at the park across the street from Hilo Bay Café. Walkers gather at 8:00 AM to hear a short healthcare talk, followed by stretching and then walking at your own pace. Anyone is welcome to participate.

PROVIDER RESOURCES

  • *NEW* Hilo Medical Center CME Program: “Topics in Breast Cancer Screening” – Saturday, December 7, 8:00 AM at HMC Ground Conference Rooms A/B/C. Flyer attached.

  • BRIGHT GREEN POLST FORMS – If your office would like “bright” green POLST forms for your office, please email jbontuyan@ehiipa.com.

  • HIPAA Online Training – EHI IPA offers online training as a membership benefit for $20 per person. The certification received after successful completion is effective for 2 years. If you are interested, please complete the attached form and fax to 808-935-4472 or email to Jo at jvitales@ehiipa.com and send a check to East Hawaii IPA, 670 Ponahawai St., Ste. 117, Hilo, HI 96720.

  • Healthcare Source HR Screening Tool Available for Members – EHI offers member offices use of a complimentary employee screening tool. The tool helps assess whether potential new hires are the right fit for your office! The tool rates candidates numerically by job performance, retention and service excellence. It also customizes key questions for face-to-face interviews. This program has been used successfully by hundreds of healthcare organizations. Candidates are sent a link to the assessment with results forwarded to a designated office email address. Please email Jo at jvitales@ehiipa.com if you are interested in learning more about this tool.

  • CIN Recorded Webinar: How to Prevent Staff and Provider Burnout – Watch the recorded webinar here, featuring a conversation between a burnout researcher, Rachel Willard-Grace, and CIN managing partner, Sunita Mutha, exploring strategies to address burnout and promote resilience.

    • For additional resources on provider and staff burnout please visit the CIN Resource Kit: Improving Provider Well-Being. This resource kit now includes some of the resources that Rachel referenced in this webinar.

    • To sign up for the newsletter, sign up here to get the latest quality improvement resources, tips, and tools!

  • American Heart Association FREE CME Webinars – View list of activities here. Type in “CME” in the Keyword search box and register for free.

  • SAVE THE DATE! Hilo Medical Center Angiostrongylus Workshop – January 5-8, 2020 – Pre-registration form attached.

PATIENT RESOURCES

  • Refer Patients to Complete Their Advanced Health Care Directive at ADRC – March-November dates attached. 2020 dates attached.

  • KTA Diabetes Self-Management Education – KTA will begin another round of Diabetes Self-Management Education classes at the East Hawaii IPA office. Please use the attached REFERRAL FORM. Please see flyer attached and refer your patients to this valuable resource!

  • Hilo Medical Center Diabetes Support Group – Every first Tuesday of the month, 4:00 PM. Katie Seaton, who has her bachelor’s in dietetics and is a current intern at HMC in the process of completing her master’s degree, will be providing recipes to support diabetes management. Samples will be provided. Contact Colleen Talich at ctalich@hhsc.org or 808-932-3034 with any questions.

  • Halau Mauli‘Ola Medical Nutrition Program – Stacy Haumea is relocating to 83 Maika‘i St., Hilo, for appointments Mon/Tue/Weds. She will continue to see patients with Hui Mālama on Thurs/Fri weekly. Flyer attached. NEW referral form attached.

  • Individual Nutrition Counseling Referral for Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi (HMONO) – Refer your patients to nutrition counseling with Stacy Haumea at HMONO using their referral form (here). Under the “Referred to” section, select HMONO Family Medicine Clinic.

  • Mountain-Pacific Quality Health – CARDIAC HEART ATTACK SYMPTOMS. Flyer attached. Let us know if you’d like the IPA to print out copies for your office by calling 808-797-3113.

  • Mountain-Pacific Quality Health: New Patient Tool for Heart Health – Check the MPQH website for their heart health calendar. These are free for patients and can start anytime of the year and includes weight logs and health tips. These offer a fun and easy way for patients to monitor their weight. A calendar example (scroll to the bottom for the example) and order form can be found here.

  • Beacon Health – PCP Referral for Behavioral Health Support – Beacon Health offers behavioral health services for HMSA patients. Attached is the referral form (here), the overview of services (here), and the WHO-5 Well-Being index tool (here).