Roberto E. Quintal, M.D. Installed as OPMS’s 119th President

Dr. Roberto E. Quintal became the 119th president of the Orleans Parish Medical Society at the 128th installation on January 26, 2006 at the OPMS Council of Governors meeting. A member since 1986, Dr. Quintal began serving in OPMS leadership in 2002 when he became a member of the Council of Governors.

Born in the Yucatan city of Merida, Dr. Quintal began his impressive academic career by earning a Medical Degree from the Universidad de Yucatan in 1975. He went on to complete a Master’s Degree in Public Health and Tropical Medicine and a Ph.D from Tulane University in New Orleans. Upon completion of this scholastic training, Dr. Quintal began his Internal Medicine Residency at Tulane in August 1978. He completed a Fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease at Tulane University School of Medicine and Touro Infirmary from July 1981 to June 1983.

In addition to his Cardiology practice, Dr. Quintal is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine and an associate professor at Louisiana State University School of Medicine.

After being installed, Dr. Quintal recognized the leadership of outgoing president, Patrick C. Breaux, M.D. He thanked Dr. Breaux for his leadership and dedication before, during and after Hurricane Katrina noting that he was the “right person at the right time.”

Ricardo Febry, M.D. elected President-Elect

The process of the Nominating Committee, chaired by Patrick C. Breaux, M.D., Immediate Past President, was de-railed last Fall because of Hurricane Katrina, and was re-initiated in January. The slate of officers was disseminated to the membership and included Ricardo Febry, M.D., a practicing internal medicine and geriatrics physician, as President-Elect, and Cherie Niles, M.D., a gastroenterologist, as Secretary-Treasurer. The process was closed as of February 22, and the election is final.

The Nominating Committee is also responsible for the election of four at-large members of the Council of Governors. Six physician members have been nominated and a ballot will soon be sent to the membership.

OPMS Successful in Getting State Group Benefits Checks Released

Over the last couple of weeks, the Medical Society has had an increasing number of telephone calls from physicians practicing in Orleans Parish regarding the fact that they are not receiving reimbursement for care provided to patients in the State Group Benefits plan.

In conversations with these physicians and their staff, it appeared as though the main reason for holding payments to these doctors was the perception of the Office of Group Benefits that physicians in Orleans Parish are not receiving mail of any kind. In a letter to the organization, Dr. Quintal, OPMS President, said, “At a time when physicians in our area are re-establishing their practices in an effort to continue serving your enrollees, we ask that you do everything in your power to ensure that their reimbursement gets to them. These physicians have committed themselves to serving the New Orleans area. They face significant challenges in rebuilding their personal and professional lives. Getting paid in a timely manner for seeing Group Benefit enrollees should not be one of those challenges.”

We are happy to report that, as of February 16, all payments to New Orleans zip codes were being released to physicians. If you are still having a problem with getting your reimbursement from State Group Benefits, please call Susan D’Antoni, OPMS Executive Director, at 523-2474.

OPMS Actively Addressing Physician Reimbursement Options for Uncompensated Care

During the last several weeks, an ad hoc committee, chaired by Jay Shames, M.D., has been addressing what was viewed as the membership’s #1 concern: lack of physician reimbursement for providing inpatient and outpatient care for uninsured patients, and the growing access issue which is surely arising as a result.

Members of the ad hoc committee have met with Representative Bobby Jindal, DHH Director, Dr. Cerise, and LRA Health & Social Services Chair, Mary Ella Sanders, M.D., and LRA member, Walter Isaacson. The strategies for funding that are being pursued include block grant funds under the control of the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA), and funding through approved waivers to CMS for use of UCC funds for physician payments.

During our exploration, Congress approved payment for uncompensated care patients for a period beginning with the storm and going through 1/31/06; however, the specific details are not yet available from DHH about what physicians qualify for this payment, the process to be used, and the patient information needed to process the invoice. As soon as this is available, it will be sent to the membership.

In addition, as a result of OPMS’s bringing attention to this matter, it’s our understanding that DHH is considering other options for compensating physicians for UCC for the remainder of this year, and into next fiscal year. Dr. Quintal, OPMS President, was interviewed by the Times-Picayune recently and explained why this funding is so critical to ensuring access to medical care. He also explained that this funding was critical to helping physicians recommit to caring for all New Orleanians and be financially stable. We will keep you updated on continuing efforts to finding funding sources for payment of UCC provided in the inpatient and outpatient settings.

OPMS Works with DHH in Getting Orleans Parish Designated as Health Care Professional Shortage Area

OPMS staff has been working with DHH to determine, to the best of our ability, the number of primary care physicians and psychiatrists that are again practicing in the area. All of Orleans Parish has already been designated as a mental health professional shortage area. Expected to be a primary care shortage based on the returning population, the approved designation will provide physicians with an additional 10% Medicare reimbursement.

OPMS Active in New Orleans Area Health System Redesign Efforts

In the Fall, Mayor Nagin appointed 2005 President, Patrick C. Breaux, M.D., as co-chair of the Bring New Orleans Back Commission’s Health & Social Services Committee, Subcommittee on Primary Care. The goal of that subcommittee was to create a primary care model which would be an incentive for people to want to live in New Orleans. There were several other subcommittees as well, including Hospital & Specialty Care, Core Environmental Issues Subcommittee, Core Public Health Issues, and Human Services Subcommittee. The entire report is available on the OPMS website: www.opms.org.

OPMS Strongly Urges AMA to Visit New Orleans and other Affected Areas

OPMS has contacted the AMA and LSMS asking for the AMA’s leadership to visit the affected areas to see first-hand the devastation to the medical community, and the opportunity that has been presented by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The AMA’s support for funding requests and their influence with Congressional leaders could be key in pushing those requests through Congress and/or CMS. The AMA has indicated an positive response to the request, and we are awaiting details of the visit.

OPMS Participates Actively in DHH Workforce Recruitment and Retention Workgroup to Develop Incentives for Physicians Practicing in Orleans Parish

Dr. Roberto Quintal and Susan D’Antoni are a part of a workgroup convened as a result of a parish stakeholders meeting. The workgroup is focused on workforce recruitment and retention. Some of the recommended strategies coming from that workgroup’s efforts include: enhanced hospital-physician relationships for development and staffing of hospital operated community-based outpatient clinics, addressing the financial burden area physicians are facing with treating the rising numbers of uninsured patients in the public and private inpatient and outpatient settings, extending the STARK exceptions, providing financial incentives such as sign-on bonuses, housing and living expense stipends, loan repayment, income guarantees and compensation for malpractice premiums, addressing housing alternatives and maximizing utilization of financing options that enable local physicians to reinvest in their practices and cover losses sustained in their medical practices. These recommendations will be submitted to the LRA’s Health Care Committee next week.

For more information about any of these news topics, please email Susan D’Antoni at dantoni@opms.org, or call OPMS at 523-2474. We thank you for your continued support and membership in this challenging time.