Practice Support Newsletter

December 2024

Measure of the Month: Appropriate Treatment for Upper Respiratory Infection (URI)

With the seasons changing and the colder weather moving into our area, the incidences of upper respiratory infections (URI) tend to increase. Although URIs can be seen at any time during the year, they are most commonly seen in the Fall and Winter months. 

Most URIs, also known as the common cold, are caused by viruses that require no antibiotic treatment. Too often, antibiotics are prescribed inappropriately, which can lead to antibiotic resistance and can cause unnecessary adverse side effects and outcomes.:

What's the measure?

• Percentage of episodes for patients 3 months of age and older with a diagnosis of upper respiratory infection (URI) that did not result in an antibiotic order. 
  
• Numerator: URI episodes without a prescription for antibiotic medication on or three (3) days after the outpatient visit, telephone visit, online assessment, observation stay, or emergency department visit for an upper respiratory infection. 
  
• Denominator: Patients 3 months of age and older who have had outpatient visits, telephone visits, online assessments (i.e., e-visit or virtual check-in), observation stays or emergency department visits with a diagnosis of URI from January 1 to December 28 of the measurement period.
• Review full measure details from eCQI

Steps your practice can take to improve measure rates:

• Increased education and awareness of appropriate treatment for URIs among Provider teams can reduce the danger of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. 
  
• Encourage accurate, complete diagnosis coding: include a diagnosis code and a patient encounter code (CPT or HCPCS) to satisfy the performance for the measure; each episode is eligible for inclusion.
  
• Leverage best practices from the CDC’s Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship. 
• Promote patient engagement through secure messaging and patient portals to navigate home treatment options. 
• Work with your South Piedmont AHEC Coach!  

Regulatory Reminders: Survey on Patient
Safety Culture 

As the year comes to an end, now is a great time to survey your team on Patient Safety Culture so you can plan for 2025. AHRQ has great resources to implement a survey in your office. The SOPS Medical Office Survey contains English and Spanish versions of a survey along with a guide on administration and analyzation of the results. If you would like support in completing a survey in your office, contact your South Piedmont AHEC Coach! 

An effective program will include:

• Written plan
• Training
• Understanding risks
• Chemical inventory
• Safety data sheets
• Secondary container labels
• PPE

If you have not reviewed your bloodborne pathogen plan recently and would like support in doing so, please reach out to your South Piedmont AHEC coach.

Lunch and Learn: NC HealthConnex 

New Look for Easier Navigation

We will review the functionality of the updated portal and how it could work for your team to access information to support decision making. You do not need to have a participation agreement with NC HIEA or a portal login to join. This FREE one hour webinar will be on December 17th, 2024, at 12 PM. Registration is required.

Financial Health Scorecard: Ready for a checkup?

NC AHEC now has a Financial Health Scorecard that can help your practice assess and plan your practice’s financial health. The scorecard includes assessing your payor mix, analyzing reimbursements and claims data to evaluate your overall financial data for a usable dashboard to understand your fiscal health. 

Thanks to Shannon Peaden, MBA, from Eastern AHEC and Stephanie Whitekettle, MBA, from South East AHEC for their expertise creating this resource. To access this resource, reach out to your South Piedmont AHEC Coach.

Vaccine Information Statements: Federally Required

Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) are produced by CDC and explain both the benefits and risks of a vaccine to recipients. Because federal law requires that current VISs be provided before each dose of certain vaccinations, all healthcare professionals who administer vaccines require the most up-to-date versions. 

Immunize.org has a unique repository of VIS translations makes VISs available in dozens of languages for vaccine recipients whose preferred language is not English. For these recipients, the use of translations alongside English language VISs lowers barriers to important vaccination information and increases their confidence in vaccination. This repository is made possible through Immunize.org’s cooperative agreement with CDC.

COVID-19 Statewide Standing Orders Expiration

From NC DHHS, they have informed providers and offices via email that the COVID-19 Statewide Standing Orders (SWSOs) authorized under North Carolina Session Law 2022-74, Sec. 9G.7.(a)-(e) and extended under Session Law 2023-65, Sec. 9G.7, will expire on December 31, 2024. No additional extensions have been provided. 

What this means for your facility: 

If your facility currently uses the SWSOs issued by Dr. Elizabeth Tilson, NC State Health Director, to facilitate COVID-19 vaccinations, action is required to prevent disruptions in vaccine administration. Coordinate with your lead physician or medical director to develop standing orders or protocols that will take effect by January 1, 2025. 

Action Required:

• Review and prepare to transition to facility-specific standing orders by coordinating with your medical leadership.
• Finalize and implement new standing orders or protocols by January 1, 2025.

MIPS Update: EUC Available for Many Counties in the South Piedmont Area

From Quality Payment Program (QPP):In response to Hurricanes Helene, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has determined that the MIPS automatic EUC policy will apply to MIPS eligible clinicians in the following designated affected counties of North Carolina: 

• HHS Public Health Emergency (PHE) declaration for Hurricane Helene: North Carolina
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster declaration for Hurricane Helene: DR-4827-NC

MIPS eligible clinicians (individual participants) in these areas will be automatically identified and have all 4 performance categories reweighted to 0% during the data submission period for the 2024 performance period (January 2 to March 31, 2025). This will result in a score equal to the performance threshold, and they'll receive a neutral payment adjustment for the 2026 MIPS payment year.

For more information, please reference the MIPS EUC Exception section on the Quality Payment Program Exception Applications webpage and connect with your South Piedmont AHEC coach.

South Piedmont AHEC Class Spotlight: Super Science Saturday: Give Your Bones a Break!

Part of the mission of Sout Piedmont AHEC is to recruit the next generation of healthcare professionals into the field. Super Science Saturday is a great chance to connect high school students to the medical profession. The success of a student in a medical program relies in part on reading, understanding, and following through with instructions. In addition, comfort working in teams and with models is a must as this is often part of preparatory programs.

If you know a high school student looking to learn more about healthy bone anatomy, have them register online at South Piedmont AHEC. This is a FREE in-person class held on December 14th.