KAFP loses a generous friend, servant leader

I am feeling the loss of Carol A. Johnson, MD, a true friend and leader.  She had a personal mission of service and a legacy of generous giving that ultimately touched lives throughout the world.

Kansas Academy of Family Physicians (KAFP) benefited from the thoughtful and consistent leadership of Dr. Johnson for many years through her service as an officer, Delegate, KAFP-Foundation President and the 2012 winner of the Kansas Humanitarian Award. She was an inspiration to all who met her. Her willing spirit and giving nature set her apart. While there was also a tough tenaciousness, she lived by the Beatitudes, and exemplified the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers.  Her acceptance speech at the 2012 Annual Meeting was one of the most inspiring speeches I’ve ever heard.  She called us all to action to share the many blessings we are given. It was powerful and very moving.

While serving as an officer of the Academy, Dr. Johnson led the way and inspired many to get involved in the fight against second hand smoke, for clean indoor air in her community and throughout the state of Kansas. She championed many other public health issues including immunizations & fluoridation.

During her years as Program Director at Wesley Family Medicine Dr. Johnson trained many family physicians who now serve communities in Kansas and across the United States. This is a lasting legacy and if she had done nothing else it would be totally outstanding on its own.  Yet there is more. 

Dr. Johnson served as KAFP President in 2003 and has been one of KAFP’s Delegates to the AAFP Congress of Delegates (CoD) since 2004. She saw this as an opportunity to represent the views of Kansas family physicians and took her duties very seriously, surveying members on key issues to gain insight into their positions. Serving as a Delegate, she always encouraged colleagues to be advocates for family medicine and the Academy.

Dr. Johnson served as President of KAFP-Foundation (KAFP-F) from 2008 to the present. She generously contributed many items for the annual KAFP-F Silent Auction fundraiser and enjoyed putting together her themed baskets. There was always a K-State purple one each year, which she sometimes bid on herself if she didn’t feel it was going for enough.  Though she did not partake of wine herself, she also spearheaded efforts to raise funds for KAFP-F through a Wine Tasting fundraiser.  During the live auction the first year, she bought an expensive bottle of wine, and then gave it back immediately to be auctioned and sold once again, thus bringing in twice as much, and providing a lighthearted moment of fun. The funds raised for KAFP-Foundation are primarily used to help residents and students get involved with family medicine through programs such as the Poster Contest, the summer rural program, the Faces in Family Medicine Program, and various scholarships.

Dr.  Johnson’s heart was with the many missions she supported. She used funds earned from her practice in Andover to support her international mission work. Dr. Johnson’s life philosophy was that “Each one of us is blessed with God-given talents that we should develop to the fullest, and use to serve. Each one of us can make a difference in someone's life every day.” She was passionate about her family, church, and international Christian medical mission work, traveling to do medical mission work internationally in Russia, Romania, Brazil, Egypt, China, and her most recent trips included Myanmar and Haiti. It brought her joy to introduce others to international mission work.

Dr. Johnson also loved the state of Kansas, celebrating Kansas Day in January, and otherwise commemorating the state’s heritage.I remember when the stairway to the capitol dome reopened in 2006 after being closed for many years.  She instigated a “climb to the top,” inviting others gathered in Topeka for Family Medicine Advocacy Day to make the trek. It ended up being 3 "Carol’s" at the top. Carol Ludwig and I huffed and puffed our way to the top of the dome behind our fearless leader, Carol Johnson.  It was windy outside but we had a great view and I remember Carol saying, "I think I can see heaven from here!"

Dr. Johnson began medical related service at St. Luke’s Hospital in Marion, Kan., where she grew up. As a Kansas State University college graduate, she taught burn prevention, first aid, CPR, nutrition, and other skills to members of the Cherokee Nation for several years as a Vista volunteer in the early 70s. As a Wesley Family Practice resident, graduating in 1980, and then as a new faculty member, she served at the Hispanic Clinic, now named GradeMed Clinic.  Dr. Johnson served as Wesley Family Medicine Residency Program Director from 1990-2001. She then worked ER and trauma in various Kansas communities before eventually settling into the Family Physicians of Kansas practice in Andover.

She served as the team physician at Sunrise Christian Academy football team and personal physician for the school’s international students.

Dr. Johnson and her ministry will be deeply missed but will live on within her family and the many missions she supported. Services were on Saturday, Feb. 9 at 10 a.m. at Sunrise Christian Academy, 5500 East 45^th St North, Bel Aire, KS 67220.  I am confident she is indeed seeing heaven today. 

 

KAFP-Foundation and the family have set up the Carol A Johnson MD Family Medicine International Mission Scholarship as a memorial in her honor.  Contributions are tax deductible and may be made payable to KAFP-Foundation and sent to 7570 W 21^st St N, 1046 C, Wichita, KS 67205.  Proceeds will be used to help medical students and/or residents interested in international missions.

Kansas Medicaid Payment for Primary Care Services to Increase

IMPORTANT NEWS!

The Kansas Medicaid Program is working to implement the Medicaid/Medicare parity provision and bring Medicaid rates for primary care services up to Medicare levels for the next two years. According to AAFP figures, Medicaid payments for primary care services in Kansas are currently at about 82% of Medicare rates. I confirmed with Susan Mosier, MD, Director of Kansas Medicaid Services, that the State of Kansas is implementing the enhanced Medicaid rates and the MCO’s are committed to it.

This should provide a significant increase for primary care providers that we hope will build more capacity for Medicaid services, and result in higher quality and better controlled costs.
 

The increased payments will be retroactive to Jan. 1, 2013.  The program is scheduled to run for calendar years 2013 and 2014. 

The recent AAFP article Despite Lagging Implementation of Parity Provision, Physicians Will See Full Medicaid Payment Boost explains national implications of the provision. According to AAFP President Jeff Cain, MD, "This is one part of the Affordable Care Act that helps primary care practices, improves payment rates and increases access to health care for the underserved. These are priorities for the AAFP."

To qualify for the increased payments you need to fill out a form and self-attest you are board-certified in family medicine, internal medicine or pediatrics, and that at least 60 percent of your billing for evaluation and management (E/M) codes is for primary care services.

Each state has until March 31 to send CMS their plan amendments.  Kansas has decided to include increased payment for coverage of children in the CHIP program, although that was not required by CMS.

There is a Kansas attestation form for you to complete to receive the Primary Care Rate Increase. Click to access the CERTIFICATION ATTESTATION on the KAFP website.  We will stay in contact with the state and provide updates as available.

A recent KDHE newsletter provides these points:
·         Effective with dates of service January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2014, Medicaid payment rates to primary care physicians for furnishing primary care services will be no less than 100% of Medicare payment rates for 2013 and 2014 respectively (or if greater, the Medicare payment rate in effect in July 1, 2009).
·         Advanced practice clinicians under the personal supervision of an eligible physician may also be eligible and reimbursed at 75% of the increased rate.
·         Increased payments do not apply to Rural Health Clinic and Federally Qualified Health Center services.
·         For retro-active self-attestations, increased payments will be limited to the beginning of the quarter in which the attestation is submitted.
·        CMS did not require Kansas to include increase payments to providers caring for CHIP children, but the state decided to do so anyway. 

Self-Attestation Form: In addition to the KAFP website the Certification and Attestation for Primary Care Rate Increase form can be found under the Provider Information heading on the Forms page of the KMAP website.

Here are additional resources from CMS that you may find helpful for more information:

Q&A’s on the Increased Medicaid Payment for Primary Care: http://www.medicaid.gov/State-Resource-Center/Frequently-Asked-Questions/Downloads/Q-and-A-on-Increased-Medicaid-Payments-for-PCPs.pdf

FAQ’s on Increased Medicaid Payment for Medicaid Managed Care:  http://www.medicaid.gov/State-Resource-Center/Frequently-Asked-Questions/Downloads/Q-and-A-on-Increased-Medicaid-Payments-for-PCPs-managed-care.pdf
 

KAFP breaks 1,000 active member mark!

Volunteer leaders:  Thank you officers, board and committee members. YOU make the difference!

The end of October membership records from AAFP show KAFP exceeding 1,000 active members for the first ever!  Congratulations to Cayle Goertzen, MD, chair, members of the Membership and Member Services Committee, officers and board members.  Your leadership and efforts are what put us over the top! 

Reaching this milestone is significant in a number of ways: The larger our membership base, the stronger we are in political clout and in dues income, and the more we can accomplish in Topeka,  within the house of medicine.  The bigger we are the more opportunity there is for you to be involved! 

When I first started with KAFP, almost 23 years ago, we had 545 active members. Over the years I've gotten to know many active members personally, and that's what I like best about what I do!  Each year has shown slight but steady increases in membership, bringing us now to the tipping point over 1,000 active members. With all the other membership categories added, we have 1,570 total members.  Our official membership numbers are taken from reports later this year, so we will see how many we have at that point and do a news release with the official benchmark membership numbers. We celebrate this now, though, as it's the first time to cross the threshold! 

Our chapter is known for a personalized, family feel.  We pledge to work hard to retain that, continuing the personal attention and sharing that is the hallmark of our organization.

I truly appreciate and enjoy knowing individual members and interacting individually.  So as a soon-to-be- recognized large chapter of AAFP, I pledge continuing personal attention.  I believe that's what volunteer leaders over the years have recognized and enjoyed about being a KAFP leader: it's an opportunity to shine and work together to do good things for family medicine in Kansas. 

Thank you again to each leader who has contributed to this milestone along the way, and to each member for your membership!  We don't take it for granted - we hope we earn it each year. 

Thanksgiving: grateful for YOU!

Happy belated Thanksgiving!  Vacation and the Thanksgiving holiday combined this year to provide a much needed time to relax, think, unwind, and unplug, things I don't do as often as I probably should. So here is a partial list of things I'm thankful for, in no particular order:

• Family
• Friends
• Work
• Family Medicine
• Sunshine
• Rainbows & butterflies (we saw lots of those while in the BVI's!)
• and YOU!

I hope you know we value your efforts to care for Kansans and though we don't say it often enough, thank you for your support for KAFP!

Celebrate Rural Health!

Nov. 11 - 17 is National Rural Health Week 

Thank you to all the terrific rural health providers we have in Kansas, especially family physicians!   Here are some ideas on how you can celebrate National Rural Health Week:
  

 

Answer your phone on November 15, 2012 by saying “Hello … Happy National Rural Health Day”

Wear a National Rural Health Day T-shirt to work or school

Plan a group run or some other kind of fitness activity

Do something “healthy” that day – eat more vegetables, bike instead of drive to work, get your blood pressure or cholesterol checked, etc.

Write a letter to the editor or contact a local legislator to stress the importance of addressing the health needs of rural communities

Participate in one of the FREE Rural Health Week webinars noted below

Thank a rural health provider for all they do!

 

WEBINAR SCHEDULE:

The  Kansas Office of Rural Health is publicizing a national series of free webinars highlighting the good work being done to address rural health concerns.

All webinars will be recorded and made available to the public at www.celebratepowerofrural.org
Monday, November 12, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. EST
The Basics of Rural Health
Kristine Sande, Program Director, Rural Assistance Center
Rebecca Davis, Executive Director, National Cooperative of Health Networks
Mike Shimmens, Executive Director, Rural Recruitment and Retention Network (3RNet)
Teryl Eisinger, Director, National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health

Tuesday, November 13, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. EST
Cultural Awareness While Serving Rural Veterans
Jay H. Shore, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, University of Colorado Denver
WJ "Buck" Richardson
 
Tuesday, November 13, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. EST
Exploring Rural Health Policy Issues
Bill Finerfrock, Legislative Liaison, NOSORH

Wednesday, November 14, 2:30 - 3:15 p.m. EST

HRSA Rural Health Update
Mary Wakefield, HRSA Administrator

Thursday, November 15, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. ESTHRSA’s Office of Rural Health Policy - Celebrating 25 Years and theRural Assistance Center - Celebrating 10 Years
Tom Morris, HRSA Associate Administrator for Rural Health Policy
Kristine Sande, Program Director, Rural Assistance Center

Friday, November 16, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ESTLooking Towards the Future of Rural Health Care
Randall Longenecker MD, Project Director, Rural Training Track Technical Assistance Program
Jim DeTienne, Supervisor, Montana EMS and Trauma Systems; President, NASEMSO

For additional information, contact: Stephanie Hansen 208.375.0407
steph@nosorh.org
Click to register for a webinar - https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NRHD2012

100 years of women's voting rights in Kansas

Photo courtesy of Kansas Historical Society,
Lawrence, KS, circa 1911

I am grateful today for the right to vote. 

Yesterday was the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote in Kansas.Women in Kansas fought for equal rights since the earliest days of statehood. They won the right to vote in municipal elections in 1887.  

On Nov. 5, 1912, the Kansas amendment giving women full voting rights in state elections passed by a vote of 175,246 to 159,197.  Kansas was the 8th state to do so.  Two earlier attempts to pass a voting rights amendment had failed in Kansas in 1867 and 1894.  However, Kansas women were allowed to vote in school elections from the start of statehood in 1861, and they were allowed to vote in municipal elections in 1887. In fact, Susanna Salter was elected mayor of Argonia in 1887, becoming the first female mayor in the nation.

Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/#storylink=cpy

Eight years after passage in KS, the 19th amendment was adopted nationally, which provided the right for women throughout the US to vote. 

Women in some other parts of the world suffer the lack of many rights. So get out there and vote, EVERYONE! (If you haven't already.)

The fall issue of the Kansas Family Physician has a wonderful letter from our president, Chris Cupp, MD, of Scott City.  Titled "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants," it's on page 4 and you can access it by clicking here. 

While you have the KFP open, check out the other articles, especially the one on page 12 about the summer Rural Primary Care Practice and Research Program.  Some students got truly inspired this summer! 

It's another great issue, thank you, Marina!