News

Appropriate Use of Vitamin D Testing Vitamin D deficiency is common in many populations, particularly in patients at higher latitudes, during winter months and in those with limited sun exposure. Over the counter Vitamin D supplements and increased summer sun exposure are sufficient for most otherwise healthy patients. Laboratory testing for Vitamin D levels with 25-OH Vitamin D testing is appropriate only in higher risk patients when results will be used to institute more aggressive therapy (e.g., oste...

Quality Performance Opportunities Multiple payors are beginning to report on 2021 quality performance. One common trend noted is the decrease in preventive services and gaps in care closure during 2020 and the start of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts cannot agree whether 2021 will be a catch-up year or continue with decreased services similar to 2020. Ambulatory clinic volumes are slowly returning to pre-pandemic volume as patients are becoming vaccinated and are more comfortable with the “ne...

June 30, 2021   McLaren Physician Partners (MPP) is pleased to announce the release of the MPP Clinical Integration Payment 2 of 2 for 2020. This payment is based on physician performance on quality measures and value- based payments received from August 2020 to January 2021. In response to the financial difficulties our providers endured in 2020 due to COVID-19, MPP has waived the 10 point requirement on the Quality Metric Composite measure to be eligible for a payment and all PCPs scoring 55 poin...

June 15, 2021 DPP4 Inhibitors vs GLP-1 Agonists There are no guidelines that support the combined use of a GLP‐1 agonist and a DPP‐4 inhibitor. More and more evidence is showing that the use of DPP4 Inhibitors and GLP‐1 Receptor Agonists in combination, is a practice worth changing. Together, this combination does not provide clinical benefit due to similar mechanisms of action (see picture below). More on, ADA and AACE Guidelines prefer GLP1‐RA over DPP4i for patients with established ASCVD or indicato...

June 8, 2021 Tele-Care Coordination is Available for your Patients “Tele-Care Coordination” services are available to your patients by referral. This service aims to provide more care in the home environment, allowing us to visualize the patient and their surroundings for greater quality of care and easier understanding on both ends. Using Persivia, our Population Health Software, patients are connected to our licensed Care Coordinators who assist with disease education and management, routine questions...

June 2, 2021 Mclaren Physician Partners Spring Key Staff Meeting Please join us for our MPP Key Staff meeting  via webinar on  Tuesday, June 22, 2021 12:00 pm –1:30 pm Presenting updates on:  McLaren Physician Partners Website New Population Health Platform Accountable Care Organization Care Coordination 2021 CI Scorecard PCMH/PCMH-N   ***New for 2021 CI Score Card *** CI metric—Key Conversations Physician attendance achieves 10 points  Staff Champion attendance achieves 5 point...

June 1, 2021 Appropriate Advanced Imaging in the Emergency Department Focus:   In order to expedite appropriate patient care, minimize patient/provider conflicts, improve patient satisfaction, meet patient expectations and to minimize waste in both cost and imaging in the emergency department with respect to advanced imaging requests from the primary care and consulting base. Basis:   It is a common occurrence for outpatient providers to refer patients to the emergency department to secure adv...

May 15, 2021   Major Depressive Disorder   Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the second leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting an estimated 120 million people. 1 Screening is to be done once per year in the year that the patient is seen for an encounter. HEDIS measures the percentage of members 12 years of age and older who were screened for clinical depression using a standardized tool and, if screened positive, who received follow-up care    A positive screen MUST have a...

Family Practice Management (FPM) Supplement Introduction MPP Medical Leadership is providing the following resource to provide further education on Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) coding. The referenced supplement provides a review of risk-adjustment and explains how CMS combines HCC and a patient’s Risk adjustment Factor (RAF) to predict future costs. In addition, strategies on how to be successful in the Value-Based Payment environment are included. Please note: a subscription to AAFP/FPM is req...

May 1, 2021 New Treatment Option for CHF   More than 9 million people in the Unites States have congestive heart failure reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).  It is the most common diagnosis in hospitalized patients over the age of 65.  One of nine deaths have heart failure as a contributing cause and inflicts considerably quality of life.  It’s an illness that consumes healthcare resources.   Established therapies for chronic HFrEF include angiotensin receptor-neprilysn inhi...