UPDATES

*NEW* Letter of Support for HB 2235 and SB 2327 –  Summary of bill attached. Representative John Mizuno has asked physician groups to support legislation to exempt physician offices from GET tax and to increase Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement rates to physicians. If you DO NOT want the IPA listing your name in the email message from the IPA (attached), please contact us ASAP by emailing jvitales@ehiipa.com or calling 808-797-3113.

Board of Directors Update   The Board met on January 7 to review the IPA’s “Road Map” for 2020. 2020 will focus on three key strategic initiatives in addition to current IPA programs and projects. Member work groups will convene to provide guidance for eCARE – IPA’s Walk-In, Continuing Care Clinic, ePRIMARY – IPA clinic that employs physicians, and eSUPPORT – MSO Services for IPA members. If you are interested in participating in a work group, contact Susan Mochizuki at smochizuki@ehiipa.com.

*NEW* IPA Quarterly Super Huddle – Tuesday, January 28, 2020, 12:00-1:15 PM – ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center – EVITE   All provider members and staff are invited to our 2020 “kick-off” Super Huddle to hear about Ohana Health Plan’s new Medicare Advantage program, understand HMSA Payment Transformation program 2020 requirements,  and learn about how Hawaii Radiologic Associates (HRA) can support Medicare’s “Clinical Decision Support” requirements for ordering procedures. Click here to RSVP. REMINDER: Please list your guest names in the comment section if you are RSVPing for staff. If you would like us to send EVITES to staff emails, please send them to jvitales@ehiipa.com.

*NEW* Announcement of Medicaid RFP Awardees for Hawaii   The State Department of Health has selected HMSA and United Healthcare as the two health plans to serve the Medicaid population on the neighbor islands.  The IPA plans to reach out and collaborate/partner with both entities to support Medicaid patients seen by our providers.

CANCELLED ‘Ohana Health Plan Medicare Meeting – Thursday, January 30, 2020, 5:30-7:00 PM – EHI Office

*NEW* Hilo Heart Walk Fundraising   The IPA is a proud sponsor of this year’s Hilo Heart Walk on March 28, 2020, and is trying to raise funds to raise awareness of heart disease and support programs benefiting patients. Please help us show team spirit by donating here. We are planning to have a garage sale (date TBD) to raise additional funds. We are also forming an IPA Hilo Heart Walk team – you can join our team here! If you are interested in donating, walking, and/or helping in any way, please contact Sara at skobayashi@ehiipa.com.

*NEW* New IPA Employee   Sara Kobayashi was hired as Provider Services Manager to coordinate and help deliver support provided to member clinics.

*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 #5:

Challenge your own assumptions: Physicians are generally highly driven perfectionists, which is why it may be helpful to take a step back and see if work stress is the result of you not meeting your own high standards. Give yourself a break, learn to say “no”, and realistically plan what you’re able to accomplish every day without feeling (3/20) overwhelmed.

HMSA PAYMENT TRANSFORMATION

Payment Rates and Performance Measures   At the Super Huddle on Tuesday, January 28 we will review 2019 results and 2020 requirements. Please see announcement above and RSVP via EVITE.

HMSA QUALITY PERFORMANCE

Support to Clinics   Please contact Jo Vitales at jvitales@ehiipa.com if you are interested in receiving help from the IPA to meet your engagement and quality performance requirements.

EVENTS

2020 Hawaii Pain and Addiction Conference – February 22, 9:00 AM-4:00 PM   Register for this ADAD-approved and highly informative conference to expand your knowledge of pain management and the treatment of addiction. Approved for a maximum of 6 CME and ADAD-approved CEU credits. Cost is $75 for providers, $35 for counselors. 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* Special Four-Part Seminar Series on Aging at UH Mānoa on Fridays starting January 24, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., January 31, 10:30-11:30 a.m., January 31, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m., and February 7, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Details attached.

  • Hilo Medical Center CME – “Common Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Problems for the Primary Care Physician” presented by Dr. Christian K. Kikuchi. CME Program will be held at the Hilo Yacht Club on Friday, January 31 at 6:00 PM. Dinner provided. 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

  • Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi January 2020 – Newsletter attached.

  • Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi: Ola Hou i Ka Hula Hypertension Class – Wednesdays starting February 5 to April 29, 5:00-6:30 p.m. at Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi office, 1438 Ave., Hilo. Flyer attached.

  • 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).