In this edition:

• NCSS Annual Meeting: Registration Now Open!
• NC HealthConnex: Are You Connected?
• NC DHHS: Fewer Opioid Prescriptions, Improved Access to Care
• Practice Staff Updates

NCSS Annual Meeting, Aug. 24-26: Registration Now Open!

Registration is now open for the 2018 NC Spine Society Annual Meeting! The conference will be held at the Rizzo Center and UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, NC, over the weekend of August 24-26. This meeting is designed to improve understanding of the rapidly changing and expanding body of knowledge in the area of spinal disease. The educational program is appropriate for orthopaedic and neurosurgical spine surgeons, residents and fellows-in-training. The purpose of this meeting is to educate and facilitate discussion on innovative surgical techniques, minimally invasive spine surgery, and to facilitate discussion on current outcome metrics as they relate to quality and value in spine care. This year’s exciting program features an expanded, three-day format to include hands-on labs at UNC Hospitals!

• Online Registration
• Download the Registration Brochure
• Accommodations: For room reservations, book online or call the Rizzo Center at 919-913-2098 and request the NC Spine Society rate of $210++ per night.
• CME Credit Statement: The Southern Regional AHEC designates this live activity for a maximum of 7.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
• Exhibiting Opportunities: Help ensure a successful meeting by sharing the Exhibitor Prospectus with the product and service representatives who call on your practice.
• Questions? Contact Nancy Lowe at 919-833-3836 or nlowe@ncmedsoc.org.

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NC HealthConnex: Are You Connected?

The June 1, 2018 deadline for hospitals, physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners with an electronic health record (EHR) system to have initiated a connection to NC HealthConnex, North Carolina’s designated statewide health information exchange network, has passed. Providers with an EHR system who did not meet this deadline can request an extension for their connection.

To request an extension, providers must:

1. Complete and sign an NC HIEA Participation Agreement;
2. Have NC HIEA countersign the agreement; and
3. Begin the onboarding process to connect to NC HealthConnex.

Hospitals, physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners who currently do not have an EHR system must connect by June 1, 2019. For complete details, visit the NC HIEA website.

NC HealthConnex is a secure electronic network that facilitates conversations between health care providers, allowing them to access and share health-related information across the state. Created by the North Carolina General Assembly (NCGS 90-414.7), NC HealthConnex is the state-designated health information exchange. It is managed by the North Carolina Health Information Exchange Authority (NC HIEA), housed within the NC Department of Information Technology.

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NC DHHS: Fewer Opioid Prescriptions, Improved Access to Care

The NC Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that the oversupply of prescription opioids in the state is being reduced and North Carolinians' access to treatment and recovery services has increased. This data comes from a new NC DHHS-created data dashboard.

According to an NC DHHS press release, there were 20 million fewer opioid pills dispensed statewide in the fourth quarter of 2017, compared to the same period the year before when 141 million were distributed. Data also indicate more people are receiving care through medication-assisted treatment, coupled with clinical treatment services, for substance use disorder.

"The opioid data dashboard is a powerful tool for health care providers, community coalitions and everyone involved in turning the tide of the opioid crisis in North Carolina," said DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen, M.D. "While we are encouraged by these early metrics, our data show that we still have a lot of work to do."

More information, including instructions on how to use the dashboard, is available at the Opioid Action Plan Data Dashboard site. More details on the Opioid Action Plan and other steps being taken to turn the tide of opioid addiction in North Carolina are also available from the NC DHHS.

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Practice Staff Updates

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