June 29, 2020
Safety, liability concerns move to forefront as more employees return to work
As businesses reopen and workers return to their jobs, a feeling of angst underlies the hope of getting back to normal. Employees are afraid of getting COVID-19 at work, and business owners worry about being sued if a worker does get sick.
June 19, 2020
Joint Statement on the Spread of COVID-19 in South Carolina - SC BCBS, SCHA and SCMA
Every day we see reports of COVID-19’s impact on the people of South Carolina. We have watched these numbers closely, and we are concerned about the health and safety of our citizens. All of us can help. Wearing a face mask in public is one way to help slow the spread of this disease. This is a new disease,but there is growing medical evidence that wearing face masks along with handwashing, social distancing, testing and isolation can successfully limit the spread of the virus. What do we know?
June 7, 2020
South Carolina Family Physician Chosen as AMA President-Elect
The American Medical Association (AMA) today announced the election of Gerald E. Harmon, M.D., a family medicine physician from Pawleys Island, S.C., as the new president-elect of the nation’s premier physician organization. Following a year-long term as president-elect, Dr. Harmon will assume the office of AMA president in June 2021.
May 20, 2020
American Academy of Pediatrics Urges Parents: Call Your Pediatrician!
With national data showing immunization rates for all ages dipping to dangerously low levels, today the American Academy of Pediatrics is launching a campaign urging parents to call their pediatricians to schedule check-ups and vaccines for children of all ages.
May 8, 2020
97% of practices feel COVID-19 financial sting: Where to get help
AMA experts offer advice on financial sustainability for the many physician practices faced with tough decisions amid postponements, cancellations of nonurgent care.
April 27, 2020
How doctors can claim share of additional $20 billion in CARES Act aid
Physician practices will get COVID-19 relief pay in proportion to 2018 net patient revenue.
April 16, 2020
NIH says researchers have confirmed there are ways to decontaminate N95 masks so they can be reused
The New York Times (4/16, Gorman) reports the NIH announced that “researchers have confirmed that there are several effective methods for decontaminating the N95 masks worn by health professionals so that they can be used more than once.” The NIH publicized the research, which was posted on medRxiv.
March 20, 2020
COVID-19 Resources
At this time, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is monitoring a rapidly emerging outbreak of COVID-19. The SCMA is participating on calls with DHEC and the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) regularly and will send out additional emails as the COVID-19 issue develops. Below are state and federal resources to prepare for a patient who presents with COVID-19, as well as updated information from our March 3rd email compiling state and federal resources to facilitate finding answers on COVID-19.
March 19, 2020
8 Terms Every Doctor Should Know about Practice Transformation
Understand these essential terms to cut doctor burnout and discover the AMA resources that will help your physician practice change for the better.
