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VIRTUAL TOWN HALL: Physician Group Operational, Financial & Legal Resilience: Navigating the Recovery in 2020.

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NJ DOH: Guidance for COVID-19 Diagnosed and/or Exposed Healthcare Personnel

NJ DOH: Quick Reference: Discontinuation of Transmission-Based Precautions and Home Isolation for Persons Diagnosed with COVID-19

CDC Site: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

 

Pursuant to law, New Jersey controlled dangerous substances (CDS) registrants are required to register with the New Jersey Prescription Monitoring Program (NJPMP). To date, approximately 2,500 New Jersey CDS Physicians have been identified as non-compliant with the NJPMP registration requirement. As a result, the CDS registration for said physicians has been placed in “active non-renewable” (ANR) status and they will be unable to renew their CDS during the October 2020 renewal period until they’ve successfully registered with the NJPMP.

In the coming weeks, a detailed notice will be emailed to those CDS Physicians placed in ANR status advising them of the status of their CDS and the NJPMP registration requirement and instruct them to immediately register with the NJPMP.

No action is required by CDS physicians who already have an active NJPMP account.

CDS Physicians who are not registered with the NJPMP must:

STEP 1: Register to access the NJPMP
Immediately register at https://newjersey.pmpaware.net/. Registrants will be required to enter his/her full professional license number; federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) number; NJ CDS registration number; full name as it appears on his/her professional license; unique email address; and other identifying information.

STEP 2: Notify the Drug Control Unit
Once the physician has registered to access the NJPMP, he/she should notify the New Jersey Drug Control Unit via email at CDS@dca.lps.state.nj.us.

STEP 3: Permission to renew CDS registration
Following verification of the Physicians NJPMP registration, the status of his/her CDS registration will be updated to “active” and he/she will receive an email permitting him/her to renew his/her CDS during the October 2020 renewal period.

Physicians with an active CDS registration that do not prescribe controlled dangerous substances or do not currently hold a New Jersey DEA registration, in accordance with N.J.A.C.13:45H-1.2(m), must email the New Jersey Drug Control Unit to place his/her CDS registration in “inactive” status.

Drug Control Unit
P.O. Box 45045
Newark, NJ 07101
Phone: (973) 504-6351
Fax: (973) 504-6326
Registration Verification: (973) 273-8090
Email: CDS@dca.lps.state.nj.us

BULLETIN NO. 18-14

IMPLEMENTATION OF P.L. 2018, C.32 (N.J.S.A 26:2SS-1 to -20) OUT-OF-NETWORK CONSUMER PROTECTION, TRANSPARENCY, COST CONTAINMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

Click Here for More Information

Extortion Scam Targeting DEA Registrants

DEA is aware that registrants are receiving telephone calls and emails by criminals identifying themselves as DEA employees or other law enforcement personnel. The criminals have masked their telephone number on caller id by showing the DEA Registration Support 800 number. Please be aware that a DEA employee would not contact a registrant and demand money or threaten to suspend a registrant's DEA registration.

If you are contacted by a person purporting to work for DEA and seeking money or threatening to suspend your DEA registration, submit the information through "Extortion Scam Online Reporting" posted on the DEA Diversion Control Division's website, www.DEADiversion.usdoj.gov.

Extortion Scam Online Reporting

New Jersey Earned Sick Leave Law

Governor Murphy signed a major employer mandate, the "earned sick leave" law (A1827), on May 1, 2018. Click Here for more information.

INFECTIOUS DISEASES SOCIETY OF NEW JERSEY
2018 ANNUAL FELLOWS RESEARCH DINNER
ROUND UP

fellows dinner group fellows dinner group fellows dinner group

Altaf Rasoo, MD; Kimberly Stawarz, MD; Nilesh Tajura, MD; Lisas Dever, MD, Society President; Maria Nagori, MD and Hasan Mustafa, MD.

Nilesh Tejura, MD - “Efficacy of Elvitegravir/Cobicistat/
Emtricitabin/Tenofovir Alafenamide Plus Darunavir in Treatment-Experienced
Veterans With Persistent HIV Viremia “

 Maria Nagori, MD - “Tularemia in a Non-Endemic Area: a Case Series”;“Tularemia in a Non-Endemic Area: a Case Series”; “An Unusual Complication after Dental Procedure Prophylaxis”.

Click Here for Abstract Summary

New Jersey Residents Who Are Current/Former Patients at Tomorrow’s Medicine in New York Encouraged to Get Tested for Hepatitis and HIV

The New York State Department of Health is advising current and former patients who received intravenous infusions, injections or blood draws at Tomorrow Medicine’s two Westchester County locations to get tested for hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is spread through exposure to blood. 
Tomorrow’s Medicine is at the center of a hepatitis C investigation being conducted by the New York State Department of Health and the Westchester County Department of Health. Four patients from the practice with HCV were identified during an ongoing investigation. The investigation revealed that some patients might have become infected with HCV due to lapses of infection control and concerns regarding the preservation, preparation, handling and administration of medication. The practice’s patient list includes residents from multiple states, including New Jersey. The medical license of Tomorrow’s Medicine owner, Dr. Timothy Morley, has been suspended and he has been ordered to stop practicing medicine, pending a formal hearing, by the New York Health Commissioner.
Tomorrow’s Medicine has two locations:

  • 37 Moore Avenue, #3, Mount Kisco, NY
  • 1133 Westchester Avenue, White Plains, NY

Patients should also be tested if they received services at a previous medical practice known as Advanced Medicine of Mount Kisco.

Individuals who are current or former patients of Tomorrow’s Medicine and received intravenous infusions, injections or blood draws are recommended to contact their health care provider to get tested. Testing is also available at no cost for patients through the Westchester County Department of Health (NY) by calling (914) 995-7499 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Representatives from the New York State Department of Health are available to answer questions at 1-888-364-4902, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Opioid Epidemic Update

The President recently directed federal agencies to use all appropriate emergency and other authorities to respond to the crisis caused by the opioid epidemic. The federal InterAgency Board (IAB) publication "Recommendations on Selection and Use of Personal Protective Equipment and Decontamination Products for First Responders Against Exposure Hazards to Synthetic Opioids, Including Fentanyl and Fentanyl Analogues" establishes guidance for personal protective equipment selection and use, decontamination, detection, and medical countermeasures for first responders who may be exposed to opioids in the course of their occupational activities.

Given these events, knowing that we're two weeks away from the Labor Day weekend and closing in on some important anniversaries (such as 9/11), and understanding that we've yet to enter the peak of our "hurricane season," now is the opportune time to review emergency plans, policies, and procedures; test equipment; check supplies and other resources; reinforce organizational structures and emergency job responsibilities; and, drill/exercise to test capabilities. Below you will find an updated PDF version of our "Preparedness Briefing" with links to resources critical for your emergency preparedness and operations; also attached are the two PDF posters we've published on initial steps during emergency operations, and considerations for different types of emergencies (hard copies are available by emailing contact.preparedness at doh.nj.gov).

Preparedness Briefing PDF

Emergency Opertions PDF 1

Emergency Operations PDF 2

You should also be reminded to be on alert for any unusual disease activity. NJDOH reviews data from emergency departments statewide to facilitate the recognition of disease outbreaks. However, the NJDOH always relies on clinicians to report by telephone those conditions that require immediate notification, including any suspected cluster or outbreak of disease or any unusual clinical presentation. Report immediately notifiable conditions, or other issue of public health concern, to the local health department (LHD) where the patient resides, or to the local health department of the event or outbreak. If LHD personnel are unavailable, healthcare providers should report the case to the NJDOH Communicable Disease Service at 609-826-5964, (normal business hours) or 609-392-2020 (weekends, evenings, and holidays).

Lastly, The American Hospital Association (AHA) recently conducted a comprehensive study on the financial impact of violence to hospitals and healthcare systems, the first research of its kind. It studied both community or public violence as well as in-facility violence, prevention and preparedness costs, and post-incident costs. The AHA estimates proactive and reactive violence response cost hospitals and health systems in the United States approximately $2.7 billion in 2016 (PDF, 341 kb), broken down as such:

  • $280 million in preparedness and prevention addressing community violence.
  • $852 million in unreimbursed medical care for victims.
  • $1.1 billion in prevention of violence within hospitals.
  • $429 million spent as a result of violence against hospital employees.

These numbers are further broken down in the study results. The AHA presents this data to highlight the enormity of the problem and the demands placed on the medical community and make the information available for further research and action; it does not make any recommendations on addressing the issues.

In Memoriam

Anthony V. Boccabella, Ph.D, JD
1927-2017

Zigmunt C. Kaminski, Ph.D
1929-2017

DEA Reverses Announced Change to Registration Renewal Process

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has announced that effective January 1, 2017,  they are changing its long-standing policy of allowing a grace period for registrants who failed to file a timely renewal application.  The DEA reversed its decision and posted a notice that it is retaining its current policy and procedures, with one minor change, regarding registration renewals.  The revised announcement states the following:

REVISED ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING RENEWAL APPLICATIONS 
Starting January 2017, DEA will no longer send its second renewal notification by mail.  Instead, an electronic reminder to renew will be sent to the email address associated with the DEA registration.

At this time, DEA will otherwise retain its current policy and procedures with respect to renewal and reinstatement of registration. This policy is as follows:

  • If a renewal application is submitted in a timely manner prior to expiration, the registrant may continue operations, authorized by the registration, beyond the expiration date until final action is taken on the application.
  • В•DEA allows the reinstatement of an expired registration for one calendar month after the expiration date. If the registration is not renewed within that calendar month, an application for a new DEA registration will be required.
  • В•Regardless of whether a registration is reinstated within the calendar month after expiration, federal law prohibits the handling of controlled substances or List 1 chemicals for any period of time under an expired registration.

CMS Makes it Easier to Opt Out of EHR Requirements

The CMS is making it easier for providers to waive out from meaningful use requirements of electronic health records amid a series of proposed changes to the 6-year-old $31.8 billion EHR incentive payment program. In December, President Barack Obama signed the Patient Access and Medicare Protection Act, which expanded providers' eligibility for hardship exemptions to Stage 2 of the meaningful-use program. Basically, the law provides the CMS with the authority to batch process hardship applications by categories instead of the case-by-case method used previously. To comply with the law, the CMS posted a new streamlined hardship application, reducing the amount of information that providers must submit to apply for an exception. Eligible professionals will have until March 15 to apply for an exemption. If you have any questions, please contact Kern Augustine Conroy & Schoppmann, P.C. at 1-800-445-0954 or via email at


Influenza Resources

CDC -Influenza
Avian Flu
H1N1
NJ Dept of Health -Influenza

Participate in NJ State Bioterrorism On-Call

Complete form with your availability and fax!!

Hydrocodone Combination Products rescheduled as a Schedule II Controlled Dangerous Substance, Effective October 6, 2014

Click here for official notice from the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General

Enterovirus‐D68 (EV‐D68) Frequently Asked Questions

Click here for complete information from the New Jersey Department of Health
Click Here for PDF version

Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Clinical Guidelines for Initial Evaluation of Suspect Cases of Ebola Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Society office. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

New Jersey Department of Health Reminds Residents To Take
Precautions to Avoid Norovirus

As expected, New Jersey is experiencing an increase in norovirus outbreaks and Health Commissioner Mary E. O'Dowd reminds residents to take precautions to protect their health. Colds and flu are not the only infections that thrive in the winter. Norovirus - sometimes called the stomach flu, viral gastroenteritis, or food poisoning - also likes the colder weather.  
"The best way to avoid the norovirus is to wash your hands often using soap and water," Commissioner O'Dowd said. "Alcohol-based hand cleansers are not effective against this virus." 
Norovirus is a highly contagious viral illness, which begins suddenly and usually causes stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Some people may also experience low-grade fever, chills, headache, body aches and fatigue. Most people recover quickly, but serious complications can occur - particularly in those with other medical conditions.  Those infected with norovirus are contagious from the moment they begin to feel sick until as long as two weeks after recovery. 
There is no vaccine to prevent norovirus infection and there is no drug to treat it. The best way to reduce the risk of getting norovirus is to:

  • Practice good hand hygiene.  Wash your hands with soap and water, especially after using the bathroom and changing diapers.
  • Carefully wash fruits and vegetables and cook oysters and other shellfish before eating
  • Do not prepare food while infected or while you have symptoms of norovirus
  • Foodhandlers should wait 3 days after they recover from their illness before returning to work.
  • Clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces.  After throwing up or having diarrhea, immediately clean surfaces by using bleach-based household cleaner as directed on the product label or a diluted bleach solution (5-25 tablespoons of household bleach per gallon of water). Never use undiluted bleach.
  • Remove and wash clothing and linens that may be contaminated with vomit or stool.  Handle soiled items carefully to avoid spreading the virus. If available, wear rubber, disposable gloves while handling soiled clothing or linens and wash your hands after handling. Items should be washed with detergent at the maximum cycle length and machine dried.
  • Report all outbreaks to the local health department. 

Noroviruses are the most common cause of gastroenteritis in the US. It is estimated that each year, more than 20 million cases of gastroenteritis are caused by norovirus. That means that 1 in every 15 Americans will become ill from norovirus each year.  In New Jersey, approximately 100 norovirus outbreaks are reported to the health department each fall-winter season. 
Noroviruses can spread quickly from person to person in crowded, closed places like long-term care facilities, daycare centers, schools, hotels, hospitals, family dinners, student housing, restaurants, and cruise ships. In other words, places where people often eat food that is prepared or handled by others.  
Noroviruses are found in the stool and vomit of infected people. People can become infected by:

  • Eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus.
  • Touching surfaces or objects that are contaminated with norovirus, and then placing your hand in your mouth.
  • Having direct contact with an infected person; for example, by exposure to the virus when caring for or when sharing food, drinks, or eating utensils with an infected person. 

For additional information about norovirus please visit:  nj.gov/health/cd/norovirus/index.shtml or www.cdc.gov/norovirus/index.html