Newsroom
November 6, 2017
On Monday, November 13, Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) will welcome
Dr. Hendrée Jones from UNC Chapel Hill to discuss strategies for improving health outcomes for women with opioid use disorder during pregnancy.
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November 6, 2017
The Western Carolina Medical Society Foundation’s (WCMS) Healthy Healer Program has been awarded a two-year grant from The Physicians Foundation to develop a replicable program for medical societies to address the growing trend of physician burnout.
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November 3, 2017
WCMS is now offering confidential, voluntary peer to peer assistance for physicians flagged by the NCMB for opioid prescribing practices.
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November 3, 2017
November 1, 2017
Dear Colleagues,
The Minority Medical Mentoring Program (MMMP) will select six interns for the 2018-19 academic school year. This opportunity is designed for under-represented minority high school seniors enrolled in Asheville City and Buncombe County schools that participate in school-sanctioned internships. Candidates should have interest in the pursuit of a high-level health career. The Minority Medical Mentoring Program, which began in the fall of 2005, pairs students with a wide range of health professions.
To be eligible for this internship, students must have a minimum weighted grade point average of 3.0, qualify as an under-represented minority, have a strong desire to pursue a career as a health professional, have an active record of leadership work and/or community service and have access to reliable transportation.
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October 30, 2017
Chronic disease is now responsible for 70 to 80% of all health care expenditure, yet most health professionals treat chronic disease the same way they treat communicable disease: with pills and injections. While this might temporarily relieve acute symptoms, it does not address the underlying cause of the chronic disease. Most physicians and health professionals receive little to no education on nutrition, exercise, rest or social connectivity, which are the four pillars of Lifestyle Medicine.
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October 27, 2017
Colorectal cancer is largely preventable. It is estimated that 40 out of 100 deaths from late stage colorectal cancer are preventable if all adults aged 50 and older were routinely screened. Colon cancer was the 2nd leading cause of death in North Carolina in 2012. There were 1,533 colorectal cancer deaths in 2012 and over 7,550 deaths from 2008-2012 in North Carolina.
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October 25, 2017
This month, Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) providers are helping patients identify goals that support their overall health by asking questions about family planning, physical activity, nutrition and risk factors including intimate partner violence (IPV).
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October 25, 2017
CDC issued the attached Health Advisory on 10/24/17 to remind clinicians assessing patients currently in or recently returned from hurricane-affected areas to be vigilant in looking for certain infectious diseases, including leptospirosis, dengue, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, vibriosis, and influenza.
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October 25, 2017
In 2005 this patient went in for surgery to correct a deviated septum. The surgery was successful and he was discharged home with a prescription for 30 Percocet tablets. His recovery was uneventful and when he went back for a re-check and reported that he had not needed to take any of the pain pills he was given the surgeon informed him that this was pretty much a “painless surgery.” When he asked why he been given the 30 pills he was told it was “expected.”
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October 24, 2017
Most physicians and physician assistants (PAs) are aware of the increasing trend of burnout that faces our profession. The challenge remains how to best address this crisis that threatens not only our enjoyment of medicine but its effects on the patient experience and the overall vitality of our health care system.
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October 24, 2017
We trust you are aware that Mission Health is now out of network with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. We also anticipate that you have had or will receive questions from your BCBS patients regarding the implications of this for them. This email is intended to clarify the impact of this situation.
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October 24, 2017
Physicians and other healthcare workers who use a simple tool for 2 weeks show reduced burnout within a few days of starting the intervention and retain most of the benefit a year later, researchers reported here at the American Conference on Physician Health.
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October 23, 2017
WCMS’ Cutting Edge highlights WNC physicians, practices and programs that are on the cutting edge of healthcare transformation, both big and small. WCMS supports local physician members who are change agents by recognizing them and sharing among other WCMS members and the general community information about these local innovations.
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October 23, 2017
WCMS’ Cutting Edge highlights WNC physicians, practices and programs that are on the cutting edge of healthcare transformation, both big and small. WCMS supports local physician members who are change agents by recognizing them and sharing among other WCMS members and the general community information about these local innovations.
Read more
October 23, 2017
The families of a WCMS physician and two WIN interpreters are affected by the ongoing crisis in Puerto Rico. WCMS is helping the physician and interpreters gather supplies to send to their families.
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