News To Note

News To Note

TIME IS RUNNING OUT - HAVE YOU RENEWED YOUR LICENSE?

Approximately half of Florida MDs are set to have their licenses to practice medicine expire on January 31, 2008, however, the Florida Department of Health reports that only 38 percent have renewed their license to date.

If you have not received your licensure renewal information and are unsure if it is time to renew, visit www.flhealthsource.com to view your profile. Your license expiration date should be at the top. You cannot practice if your license expires. Renewing after the deadline is costly and time-consuming. Additionally, third-party payers may refuse to reimburse you for services rendered under an inactive license, so renewing early is important. The Board of Medicine has made this easy by putting the renewal process online. To renew online, go to www.flhealthsource.com and click on "Licensees/Provider" and then "Renew License." You will need an account/user ID number and password, which was included in your license renewal notice sent in October. If you do not have your notice, you may email licensure_services@doh.state.fl.us or call 850.488.0595, and press menu option 3.

The licensure renewal process this year has a new requirement. The Legislature passed a bill that requires all physicians to complete a Physician Workforce Survey as a condition of licensure renewal. The information submitted in the survey will help our state identify physician workforce issues and plan for Florida's health care future.

www.kidney.org/takeaction

Be apart of the fastest growing kidney advocacy program to make lives better. On Friday, September 28, 2007 a new Action Alert calling for support for the Kidney Care Quality and Education Act was sent out. Please pass the message along to friends and family members to increase support for the National Kidney Foundation's e-advocacy network. If you are not registered to receive NKF's e-advocacy alerts go to www.kidney.org/takeaction and sign up today!

Take Action on NKF's FEATURED ALERT:

Kidney Care Quality and Education Act

Over 335,000 Americans have dialysis at least 3 times per week to stay alive. Most of these people depend on Medicare to pay for treatments. Although dialysis has improved over the past decade, more can be done to improve the well-being of dialysis patients.

Ask your Senator to co-sponsor the Kidney Care Quality and Education Act (S. 691) to empower kidney patients to make the best treatment choices for them, and improve care for people on dialysis. Send a message to Congress now! (read more of the action alert www.kidney.org/takeaction)

RPA Guidance to Nephrology Care Providers

Regarding the FDA Public Health Advisory on ESA's

Click on above link to read

FREE CMEs/CEs FOR FLORIDA PHYSICIANS, NURSES, AND DIETICIANS.
The Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in
collaboration with St. Petersburg College is offering unique on-demand
provider education modules that address prevention, treatment and control
of:
. Cancer
. Diabetes
. Heart Disease and Stroke
. Obesity
Any physician, nurse, or dietician in Florida can log on to
www.OnlineCE.net, click on DOH, and access the online registration. You
can complete each module as your schedule permits. This program is
offered at no charge for Florida providers while funding lasts. Modules
may be accessed at no fee for those not seeking CME/CE credits.
Non-Florida providers who want CME/CE credits will be charged a nominal
fee per CME/CE hour.

Click on above for current Florida Medical Association news

Click on above for updated drug coverage

National Kidney Foundation

Recent FSN Newsletter

Click on link above to view Newsletter

Medicare Carrier

Click above for recent Medicare updates

Dialysis Day February 19, 2008 the Florida Renal Coalition

Click for recent news

2008 ANNUAL MEETING

The details on the FSN's 41st Annual meeting are below

Location:

Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa

Dates: Sept. 12 ─ 14 (2008)

DETAILS ARE ON THE ANNUAL MEETING PAGE

SAFE DRUGS NOW!!! <<Click link

The Florida Legislature is considering a bill that would undo a 2003 law requiring drug wholesalers to track the movement of their drugs through the supply chain. This law was designed to crack down on counterfeit drugs. Expensive cancer, Renal and AIDS treatments are some of the more commonly counterfeited and mislabeled drugs. (The above link takes you to the website for further details on preventing repeal of the law protecting our patients from counterfeit drugs.)

Please Keep Us Up-To-Date

PLEASE SEND IN ANY OF YOUR ADDRESS, EMAIL, OR PHONE CHANGES TO THE OFFICE AS LISTED BELOW.

DISASTER PLANNING

Hurricane season starts June1 ---- Now is the time to be prepared!

It is now time to update your patients' and Units' disaster plans

Listed below are some useful resources :

Patient Disaster Booklet

Disaster Planning Guide

Spanish Version

FLORIDA DISASTER COALITION POWERPOINT PRESENTATION

Home Dialysis Central Update
[Vol.3, No.9, September 26, 2006]

Share Home Dialysis Central with your fellow dialyzors and coworkers with our handy FREE POSTCARD HANDOUTS. Order yours today!

Northwest Kidney Centers Hosts 2nd Annual Family Health & Kidney Expo
Plan to attend NKC's second Expo! Held from 9:30am-3:00pm on Saturday, October 14, at Qwest Field in Seattle, WA, the Expo will offer:

Exhibit booths & medical tips
Demonstrations & products (with samples & give-aways!)
Free health screenings
Food...
...and even a Kids Korner!

Admission is FREE--and sponsors are donating more than $20 to NKC for each attendee. Don't miss it! (And stop by the Medical Education Institute booth to say hi!) Win an iPod!

AAKP Launches New, Online Self-Management Tool
Check out "MyHealth"--a new section on the updated AAKP website. With FREE membership, you can track and store 19 different lab test values, test your health knowledge, and much more. Now you can know your medical records even away from home--this is especially useful in case of a disaster.

Topic of the Month -- How to Find a Home Dialysis Center
In the U.S., home dialysis (PD or home hemo) training is set up through a dialysis center. The center will train you and a partner. You don't have to buy the machine yourself--you just have to find a center that will support you. Learn about it here.

Bob Has Been Doing Fine on PD for More than A Year
Some people might consider Bob Gibbs an "unusual" peritoneal dialysis (PD) patient. He's a large man--weighing in at 200+ pounds--and he has been taking oral diabetes medications for more than 20 years. Read his story!

What is the Difference Between Method I and Method II?
Click here to learn the answers to this & other questions about Medicare payment for PD and home hemo.

Read All About It!
Review home dialysis-related news, courtesy of Nephrology News & Issues. This week's stories include:

Nursing shortage will become a crisis by 2020
U.S. health care system scores a D for quality
Aksys Ltd appoints Karen Krumeich as interim CFO

Featured Link: Landmark "Milestone" Papers
Read summaries of 25 milestone papers published by the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO).

Find the site or this eNewsletter helpful? FORWARD THIS E-MAIL and encourage others to sign up for our free eNewsletter at http://capwiz.com/meiresearch/mlm/.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
(C) 2006, Medical Education Institute
Visit our other sites:
Kidney School: http://www.kidneyschool.org
Life Options: http://www.lifeoptions.org
Medical Education Institute: http://www.medicaleducationinstitute.org

Florida Society of Nephrology
218 E. Bearss Avenue #410
Tampa, FL 33613
Phone: 813-909-0450 Fax: 813-949-8994

Email: fsn@cobbemanagement.com