Vitalyst Health Foundation, in their new report titled The Progress and Promise of Accountable Care Organizations, offers a look at the standing and role of ACOs in Arizona. Lead author, Palmer Evans, MD interviewed ACO leaders throughout the state for…
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has recently release new HIPAA guidance on the risks of being victimized by file-encrypting malware. Under the new guidelines if any healthcare organization’s computers are infected with ransomware…
In early July, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that updates payment policies, payment rates, and quality provisions for services furnished under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) on or after January 1, 2017…
U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced several new actions the department is taking to combat the nation’s opioid epidemic. The actions include expanding access to buprenorphine, a medication to treat opioid use disorder, a proposal…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), also known as the “nasal spray” flu vaccine, should not be used during the 2016-2017 flu season. CDC continues to recommend annual flu vaccination, with…
The Pima County Health Department has released the following guidance to answer questions about identifying and testing for Zika. This information is intended to inform the way providers in Pima County consider Zika virus infection as a diagnosis for their…
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs released its proposed rule regarding Advanced Practice Registered Nurses. It grants independent practice to all APRNs in the VA health system, including nurse anesthetists. While nurse practitioners (NPs) and certified nurse midwives (CNM) can…
Physicians continue to be targeted under a tax return scam that began in 2014. ArMA reports more than 50 physicians have notified them that they have been victimized by the cyber scam. Some have been victimized more than once. Under…
The Arizona Medical Board (AMB) is urging physicians to keep their contact information current. In an email, physicians were reminded of their statutory obligation to maintain their contact information with the Arizona Medical Board. In part the email read: As…