The Role of Our Regional Medical Staff Offices (MSOs)
At Munson Healthcare, our regional medical staff offices (MSOs) are here to help:

• Facilitate the process of provider medical staff applications, for both initial appointments and reappointments, from initial application through Munson Healthcare (MHC) board approval. 
• Ensure that credentialed medical staff meet accreditation and regulatory standards.

Providers are asked to notify their regional MSO immediately if any of the following occur:

• Name change
• Are subject to a professional liability lawsuit
• Any arrest, charge, indictment, conviction, or a plea of guilty or no contest in any criminal matter other than a misdemeanor traffic citation; or any charge of, or arrest for DUI
• Complaint or action against licensure or DEA
• Any Medicare/Medicaid exclusions, preclusions, or sanctions
• Change in staff status and/or privileges at any other health care entity because of peer review activities

Also, please notify us if one of your providers is planning to leave your practice, such as for retirement, relocation, termination, or leave of absence.

Recently we transitioned from each MHC hospital having its own MSO to a regionalized MSO approach to better align with our system strategy, improve efficiencies, and provide better continuity in our approach to our credentialing and privileging processes across the system.

“We’re very excited about the synergies already occurring between the Med. Staff Offices and look forward to continuing to strengthen our partnerships and standard work,” said Julie Smeltzer, Director, Provider Services Verification, Compliance & Recruitment, Munson Healthcare.

We want to introduce you to our regional MSO leads: Angela, Katryna, Teresa, and Heather. Please reach out to them directly with any questions on medical staff membership for your providers.

Regional Medical Staff Office Leads

• East Region | Charlevoix, Gaylord, and Grayling: Angela Gee, 231-547-8570
• Grand Traverse Region | Traverse City: Katryna Glettler, 231-935-5891
• Kalkaska Region | Kalkaska: Teresa Smith, 231-358-7502
• South Region | Cadillac, Frankfort, and Manistee: Heather Lucas, 231-876-7406

GETTING TO KNOW | MSO

Teresa Smith | Kalkaska Region
“Be the best that you can be.”

COVID CORNER

Treatment of COVID-Positive Outpatients
When selecting a course of treatment for patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19, providers can refer to MHC COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Table 1 for preferential order of COVID medications. Treatment is NOT recommended for mild-to-moderate COVID-positive patients without risk factors. In particular, a recent Pfizer study reported that Paxlovid is NOT effective in a low-risk population.

Ambulatory preferential order for treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 for patients with risk factors (not hypoxic):

1. Paxlovid: The following prescriber guides are available on our website.
• MHC Safe Paxlovid Prescribing Quick Guide
• FDA PAXLOVID Patient Eligibility Screening Checklist Tool for Prescribers
• CDC Paxlovid “Rebound”
2. Bebtelovimab: Due to high demand and limited supply, not all qualifying patients referred for monoclonal antibody therapy will be scheduled for treatment.
3. Molnupiravir (alternative if above are unavailable)
4. No role for corticosteroids

COMMUNITY HEALTH

Community Connections: Helping Patients Find Community Resources
Community Connections is a no-cost, confidential, one-on-one program that can help connect patients to community resources for basic needs, including:

• housing
• food
• bills
• shelter
• utility assistance
• childcare
• medical care transportation
• disaster recovery
• counseling

 Through a combination of phone calls as well as office and home visits, a team member will help patients navigate the often complex systems to get the help they need. To refer one of your patients, please visit the Community Connections website.

Every Child Deserves a Healthy Future
Pregnant patients are encouraged to enroll in the Healthy Futures program, but new parents can also sign up.

By enrolling in Healthy Futures, parents will receive:

• Newsletters: Mailed newsletters that are personalized based on their child’s due date or age, including baby safety, nutrition, developmental milestones, and sleep.
• Home Visits: Free home visits from a nurse after the baby is born to help support feeding issues (and breastfeeding). Also includes newborn weight checks and blood pressure checks for mom. Helps to connect moms and their babies with immunizations, well-visits/find a doctor, playgroups and support, and other helpful resources.
• Text Updates: Parents can sign up for regular text updates that are customized to their child’s due date or age.

For more on the Healthy Futures program, parents can visit the Healthy Futures website, call 231-935-5640 or toll free at 1-888-403-8468, or email contact@healthyfutures.com. They can also enroll by mailing this form.

Providers should also be aware that CMS and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) have extended Medicaid coverage for one year postpartum, which includes behavioral health support for postpartum depression and anxiety.

RESOURCES

Specialty Clinics Available in Frankfort
A reminder that Benzie County residents have close-to-home care for specialty services at the Munson Healthcare Frankfort Specialty Clinics.

Services:

• Cardiology
• Obstetrics/Gynecology
• Orthopedics
• Sleep Disorders
• Wound Care
• Urology

To refer or schedule your patient, please call the provider’s main office number (see referral guide).

Provider Moves
The Provider Moves webpage that lists provider moves across the Munson Healthcare system has been updated for May, including new, location changes, retirees, providers no longer on staff (or practicing), and other updates (e.g., name changes, practice moves, new phone and fax numbers).

REMINDER

Please Notify Munson Healthcare When Either a Provider or Employee Is Leaving Your Practice

PROVIDERS
Please notify Munson Healthcare when a provider is planning to leave your practice, such as for retirement, relocation, termination, or leave of absence. This allows us to ensure that all access to Munson Healthcare systems is removed as well as support the transition of care for patients.

A reminder that all outstanding orders will need to be re-assigned to next care provider as this ensures test results are distributed. If there is NOT a new provider designated, this will result in tests being canceled. 

Regional Medical Staff Office Contacts:

• Cadillac, Frankfort, and Manistee: Heather Lucas, 231-876-7406
• Charlevoix, Gaylord, and Grayling: Angela Gee, 231-547-8570
• Kalkaska: Teresa Smith, 231-358-7502
• Traverse City: Katryna Glettler, 231-935-5891

Provider onboarding and offboarding resources for practices, including forms and checklists, are available here.

EMPLOYEES
It is a reportable HIPAA data breach if a former employee accesses electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI). Therefore it is important to remove all computer access when an employee leaves your practice.

When a staff member leaves your office who has access to the Munson Healthcare system (e.g., PowerChart, Physician Web Scheduler, Outlook, etc.), please notify us ASAP by one of the following methods:

• Call Help Desk at 231-935-6053
• Complete Computer System Access Request Form (PDF, Word) and fax to 231-935-3215

Global Shortage of Iodinated Contrast Used for CT Scans
Although there continues to be an ongoing worldwide shortage of the iodinated contrast agents used for diagnostic CT scans, angiograms, cardiac catheterization, and other image-guided procedures, Munson Healthcare continues to be in good shape. We anticipate that contrast supplies will return to normal by the end of July 2022.

At this time, we are NOT asking providers to make any changes to how they are ordering CT scans as we currently have an adequate supply of contrast on hand. We will notify providers if that direction changes.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Electronic Prescribing: Required by Jan. 1, 2023 for All Prescriptions
A reminder that state and federal law will require prescribers to electronically transmit ALL prescriptions beginning Jan. 1, 2023.

When: Although the mandate goes into effect Jan. 1, 2023, affected providers who use Cerner are asked to not delay enrolling in Cerner ePrescribe and/or Cerner ePCs.

What:

• Cerner ePrescribe is required to electronically transmit prescriptions directly to the pharmacy.
• Cerner ePCs is required to electronically transmit controlled substance prescriptions.

Who: All prescribers who are either employed by Munson Healthcare or who are privileged to practice medicine at a Munson Healthcare hospital are affected.

Action Requested: Providers who use Cerner and have not yet enrolled in ePrescribe or ePCS are asked to call the Help Desk now at 231-935-6053 to request enrollment, unless they practice exclusively at Charlevoix Hospital, Manistee Hospital, or Otsego Memorial Hospital. They will be contacted to schedule an in-person meeting.

• Meeting in-person is required for Cerner ePCs. Providers are asked to bring their driver’s license and smartphone to get set up.
• Meeting in-person is required again if a smart phone is replaced or if the provider has legally changed his/her name.

Munson Healthcare Direct Trust Email Search Names to Start with “MHC”
To make it easier to electronically refer from your office’s electronic health record (EHR), we are renaming the search name of Munson Healthcare direct trust emails to start with “MHC.”

For example …

When: Although we have submitted the MHC direct trust search name changes to all EHRs (eCW, Cerner, NextGen, Meditech, Athena Health, Greenway, etc.), it could take several months to complete.

Who’s affected: Providers, referral coordinators, and staff that send referrals from their practice’s EHR using Direct Trust email technology (e.g., P2P).

Action requested: When sending an electronic referral to an MHC organization from your practice’s EHR, search by name using “MHC” as the prefix.

More information:

• Despite the search name change, the direct trust email addresses themselves are not changing.
• Current lists of Direct Trust email addresses are available on our For Providers website.

Support: meaningfuluse@mhc.net

Cerner Patient Portal Upgrades Now Live
Munson Healthcare's Cerner patient portal, MyHealthInfo, now has a new look and enhanced patient communication!

This MyHealthInfo upgrade improves the patient portal interface and patient communications. Patients now have the option to enroll in text notifications to receive new information from their portal (e.g., lab results and after-visit summaries). The first time a patient logs into their portal after the upgrade — using their normal access credentials — they will be prompted to select their notification preferences: email, text, or portal app notifications.

EDUCATION

Implicit Bias Recognition and Remediation Training
Training includes an overview on how to recognize implicit bias, an in-depth discussion, and exercises on race, gender, socioeconomic status, mental health, body habitus, and neurodiversity. In this hybrid delivery model, learners will watch a 1-hour video on demand and attend a 1-hour webinar to engage with the instructor and other learners in a robust discussion and group exercises. Total hours = 2.

Cost: $50/person

Certificate: Michigan participants will earn a certificate of completion to meet the requirements for (re)licensure in the state of Michigan.

For details and to register: click here; download flyer here

MHC Provider Symposium | Block Your Providers' Calendars Jan. 13-14, 2023!

We are excited to once again host our annual Provider Symposium in person.* The Provider Symposium will be January 13-14, 2023 at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Acme.

Participants at this exciting and dynamic event will:

• Attend two days of varied CME sessions tailored to the educational needs of Munson Healthcare providers
• Develop a stronger network of colleagues throughout the Munson Healthcare system

Please block your providers' calendars for the Provider Symposium | January 13-14, 2023. Registration starts this fall.

*We are very hopeful that we will be able to host this event in-person. We will, however, comply with Munson Healthcare, state, and national guidelines that are in effect at the time of the event and will communicate any changes to all participants.

PROVIDER CME & EVENTS