September/October - West Virginia State Medical Association

General | NEWSNew Secretary of WV DHHR, Director of GO HELP AppointedSince the end of the legislativesession rumors have been flyingabout who would be appointedto serve as the Director of thenewly created Governor’s Office ofHealth Enhancement and LifestylePlanning (GO HELP). In a surprisingpress release issued by GovernorManchin he announced that WestVirginia Department of Healthand Human Resources (DHHR)Secretary Martha Yeager Walkerwill become the acting director ofGO HELP effective September 1.The GO HELP office was establishedwith the passage of Senate Bill 414,this past session to oversee thestate’s health care reform initiativesand collaborate with all stateagencies to coordinate the deliveryof healthcare in West Virginia.Governor Manchin then appointedPatsy Hardy to replace Walkeras Secretary of DHHR. Hardyis a resident of Parkersburg andhas more than 24 years of healthcare management and operationsexperience, including serving asCEO of St. Joseph’s Hospital inParkersburg and CEO of PutnamGeneral Hospital in Hurricane. Shealso was the chief operating officerfor St. Francis Hospital in Charleston.The WVSMA congratulates bothwomen for their appointmentsand looks forward to workingwith them in their new roles.Medicare Scam Alert!The Centers for Medicare &Medicaid Services (CMS) has becomeaware of a scam where perpetratorsare sending faxes to physician officesposing as the Medicare carrier orMedicare Administrative Contractor(MAC). The fax instructs physicianstaff to respond to a questionnaireto provide an account informationupdate within 48 hours in order toprevent a gap in Medicare payments.The fax may have the CMS logo and/or the contractor logo to enhancethe appearance of authenticity.Medicare FFS providers,including physicians, non-physicianpractitioners, should be wary ofthis type of request. If you receive arequest for information in the mannerdescribed above, please check withyour contractor before submittingany information. Medicare providersshould only send information toa Medicare contractor using theaddress found in the downloadsection of the CMS.gov websitefound at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNGenInfo/ or http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MedicareProviderSupEnroll.New Members |We would like to welcome the following physicians and medical students to the WVSMA:Cabell County Medical SocietyRobert Childers, MDEastern Panhandle Medical SocietyWilliam McLaughlin, MDKanawha County Medical SocietyRichard Francis Jr., MDCynthia Wesley, MDMonongalia County Medical SocietyKevin Blankenship, MDParkersburg Academy of MedicineMichael Mendoza, DOPlease direct all membershipinquiries to:Mona Thevenin,WVSMA Membership Director38 West Virginia Medical Journal