AMS NEWS
2012 Vacancies on the Arkansas State Medical Board and Arkansas State Board of Health
Vacancies on the Arkansas State Medical Board Three vacancies will occur December 31, 2012, on the Arkansas State Medical Board. The Arkansas State Medical Board is empowered to license and regulate the practice of medicine, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, physician assistants, and radiology assistants. The board receives and…
Arkansas Autism Partnership Accepting Applications
The Arkansas Autism Partnership is currently accepting applications for an intensive intervention program for young children with a confirmed medical diagnosis of autism. Children must be between the ages of 18 months and five years. They must also meet the financial and level of care eligibility requirements. This…
CDC Warns Next Few Weeks Could Be The Worst For West Nile
From the AMA Morning Rounds, August 24, 2012: ABC World News (8/23, story 2, 2:20, Sawyer) reported, "We have news tonight about the explosion of the West Nile virus. Now in 47 states, 41 have died. Look at this: one month ago, 29 reported cases. Tonight, more than…
Announcement of a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for all extended-release/long-acting opioid analgesic drug products due to their risks of misuse, abuse, addiction, and overdose.
Extended-release and long-acting (ER/LA) opioid analgesics are approved for the management of chronic moderate-to-severe pain in the U.S., and can be safe and effective in appropriately selected patients when used as directed. However, opioid analgesics are also associated with serious risks and are at the center of a…
“Meaningful Use” Stage Two Final Rule Released
The American Medical Association has provided ongoing input since the inception of the EHR incentive program and has urged greater flexibility to make the program more reasonable and achievable for physicians. In a letter submitted by the AMA and signed by AMS, recommendations were outlined to eliminate physician…
Jurisdiction H Transition to New Medicare Fiscal Intermediary
As of August 13,2012, Pinnacle Business Solutions, Inc. is no longer handling the processing of Arkansas Medicare claims. The new Medicare Administrative Contactor is Novitas Solutions, Inc. AMS has been in contact with several office administrators across the state and has found that the transitions appear to have gone…
CPCI Clinics Selected for Participation
Applications for the Coordinated Primary Care Initiative (CPCI) have been processed and the physicians that have been selected for the pilot project were announced August 22, 2012. Arkansas was among the seven geographical areas targeted for participation. Primary Care Physicians were asked to go through an application process…
Possible Measles Cases in Northwest Arkansas
The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) has been notified of 3 siblings (ages 10,14 and 17 years) with presumptive measles. One of the three siblings recently returned from travel to Romania, Italy and Switzerland and developed symptoms consistent with measles shortly after returning to Arkansas on August 9th.…
The AMS Welcomes 40 New Members
The following physicians have recently illustrated their commitment to improving health care in this community and our state by joining the Arkansas Medical Society. "As a society members, these physicians are part of a statewide network of over 4,000 Arkansas physicians, residents and medical students, dedicated to protecting the interests…
Arkansas Physicians Support Medicaid Expansion
August 16, 2012 - Little Rock - Citing the tremendous health care needs of Arkansas poorest citizens, the statewide association for Arkansas physicians on Wednesday voted to support Medicaid expansion. On Wednesday, the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas Medical Society adopted a motion to support Medicaid expansion in…
AMS Member Authors “Amazing Nature” Column
Dr. Michale Pafford, an internist from Benton, recently authored a column in the Benton County Courier. His work about the "Arkansas Sabertooth" which was published in the Sunday, August 12 edition of the paper, can be found below. Mysterious cave in the Buffalo National River Forest intrigues…