Medicine Curated Florida Medical Association

Following a financially devastating year for medical practices nationwide, physicians are facing a new threat from looming Medicare payment changes that will have consequences far beyond the federal program itself if Congress doesn’t act soon. In this episode FMA Director of Health Care Policy and Innovation Jarrod Fowler, MHA, joins CEO Timothy J. Stapleton to discuss four pressing payment controversies all physicians should be aware of, how the FMA is addressing them, and what to expect next. “Whatever the effects of these policies nationally, they’ll be greater in Florida," Fowler said.

This episode features Mayo Clinic-Jacksonville plastic surgeon and Florida Board of Medicine member, Sarvam TerKonda, MD, discussing artificial intelligence in healthcare. Other discussion topics include his role on the Board of Directors of the Federation of State Medical Boards, the latest advancements in AI that physicians need to know about, and challenges for state regulators related to the emergence of AI in healthcare.

The 2021 Florida Legislative Session will begin on Tuesday, March 2 — nearly one year after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. On this episode, FMA Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Christopher Clark and FMA General Counsel Jeff Scott, Esq., discuss the major bills to watch, how the FMA is advocating for clinicians, and COVID-19’s impact on the legislative process.

Our guest this episode is Congressman Neal Dunn, MD, a former FMA Board member who is beginning his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Dr. Dunn, a Panama City urologist representing Florida’s 2nd Congressional District, is also a member of the Congressional Doctors Caucus and was appointed in January to the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce. In a discussion with FMA CEO Timothy J. Stapleton, Dr. Dunn talks about the issues he’s working on that will be significant for physicians, the importance of clinicians being engaged in the legislative and political processes, and shaping national healthcare policy.

As Senior Medical Director, Medical Affairs for Florida Blue, FMA member Kelli Tice Wells, MD, serves as clinical lead for the health insurer’s medical operations work in the areas of virtual health, social determinants of health, opioid overuse response, and corporate social responsibility. On this episode of Medicine Curated, Dr. Wells talks about her work in the area of health equity and how her public health background informs what she does today. She also explains what physicians can do in order to reassure their patients who have concerns about receiving COVID-19 vaccinations. “Folks trust their doctors,” Dr. Wells said. “They’re going to a physician with whom they have a relationship to get guidance. It is important that we be in a position to answer those questions for them.”

As the American College of Physicians (ACP) American College liaison to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and a member of the COVID-19 vaccine workgroup, FMA Treasurer Jason Goldman, MD, FACP, is among a select group of medical and public health experts who develop vaccine recommendations for the entire U.S. civilian population. Dr. Goldman sheds light on ACIP’s work in crafting recommendations for the approved COVID-19 vaccines that began rolling out nationally in December. He also addresses the challenge of countering misinformation spread by vocal anti-vaccine activists, building trust with vaccine-hesitant patients, and what it will take to reach “normal” in our post-pandemic world.