THE FLORIDA PEDIATRICIAN

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COMMITTEE CHAIRMENAccident and Poison PreventionMark A. Nichter, M.D.St. Petersburg, FLAdolescenceMarylyn E. Broman, M.D.Miami, FLBioethicsDonald Eitzman, M.D.Gainesville, FLCareers and OpportunitiesDianne S. Elfenbein, M.D.Tampa, FLChapter ForumDavid A. Cimino, M.D.St. Petersburg, FLChild Abuse and NeglectJay Whitworth, M.D.Jacksonville, FLChild Health FinancingThomas Chiu, M.D.Jacksonville, FLChildhood DisabilitiesHarry Von Tobel, M.D.Jacksonville, FLCollaborative ResearchLorne Katz, M.D.Coral Springs, FLCommunicationsHerbert H. Pomerance, M.D.Tampa, FLCommunity Health ServicesGwen Wurm, M.D.Miami, FLDrugsRobert E. Rayder, M.D.Miami, FLEarly Childhood Adoption and Dependent CareRobert A. Buzzeo, M.D.Tampa, FLEducation and Training ProgramsRamon Rodriguez-Torres, M.D.Miami, FLEmergency MedicineRobert K. Crockett, M.D.Miami, FLEnvironmental HazardsCharles F. Weiss, M.D.Siesta Key, FLFetus and NewbornArthur J. Vaughn, M.D.Jacksonville, FLGeneticsR. Rodney Howell, M.D.Miami, FLHospital CareJohn H. Whitcomb, M.D.Pensacola, FLInfectious DiseasesGwendolyn B. Scott, M.D.Miami, FLLay Child Advocate Groups andLegal Needs of ChildrenAudrey L. SchieblerGainesville, FLLegislationRobert Stempfel, M.D.Miami, FLMedical LiabilityKay K. Hanley, M.D.Clearwater, FLNutrition CommitteeJames Penrod, M.D.Tallahassee, FLParliamentary Procedure and By-LawsAudrey L. SchieblerGainesville, FLPractice and Ambulatory MedicineGerald Kilpatrick, M.D.Palm Beach Gardens, FLSchool HealthPatrick Hanley, M.D.Clearwater, FLScientific MeetingsDouglas J. Short, M.D.Orlando, FLSports MedicineJoseph A. Pesek, M.D.Jacksonville, FLSubstance AbuseMarylou Behnke, M.D.Gainesville, FLThird PartiesPRESIDENT'S MESSAGEI have had the opportunity over the past quarterto visit with two separate local Pediatric Society groups.First, I accepted the kind invitation of the Central FloridaPediatric Society to attend one of their meetings andpresent an overview of the Florida Pediatric Society. TheCFPS has outstanding leadership and organization andcontinues to be a strong resource for ideas, manpower andfinancial support for the Florida Pediatric Society. I alsohad the opportunity to attend, with Dr. Cimino, the firstjoint meeting of the Greater Miami Pediatric Society andThe Cuban Pediatric Societyin Exile. Dr. OvidioBermudez, President of the Greater Miami PediatricSociety and Dr. Juan Perez Rodriguez, President of theCuban Pediatric Society in Exile should be congratulatedfor arranging this historic meeting. It was an excellent social gathering and academicpresentation. Dr. Bermudez' vigorous leadership from District VIII is sure to result inincreased liaison with our members in South Florida. These visits have allowed me to seean interesting combination of diversity of background and unity in purpose from our localpediatric societies. I see these societies as yet another resource for information and ideas ofvarious areas of our state. Reports from the Presidents of any local pediatric society arewelcome at our Executive Committee meetings and informationn from any of these societiessupplied by individual members would also be welcomed. Please let us know what is goingon in your society directly or through your regional representative.It will not be long until our State Legislators begin their 1995 session. Dr. BobStempfel, our previous legislative committee chairman, has announced his retirement andwill be greatly missed. He has been an extremely valuable asset for us over the years andthe loss of his leadership presents a significant challenge. Dr. David Cimino, ChapterPresident, has agreed to act as Interim Legislative Committee Chairman. David carries withhim the perspectives of a physician formerly inn private practice and now in an academicsetting. He is extremely knowledgeable about our Chapter's representation at the nationallevel, and he has the personal skills to allow him to represent the legislative goals of ourExecutive Committee in Tallahassee. With good support from other members of theLegislative Committee, I think we can predict another successful year for the FPS and in thelegislative arena.Finally, we are seeing quite a bit of activityy on the Medicadi scene. Dr. EdZissman has continued to be a voice for the FPS at the Agency for Health CareAdmiistration and Medicaid. I must admit the process is discouraging to me when I seeefforts on the part of the Medicaid Office to actually lower reimbursement for the mostcommonly billed pediatric codes such as 99213. It appears that a lot of work on the part ofyour Child Finance Committee and Executive Vice President have at least resulted in areversal of the decision to lower 99213 reimbursement. The good news is that there will bean increase in reimbursement for EPSDT exams and some other codes such as 22914 and22915 have been increased. I wish I could be happier about the successes, but I just(Continued on page 7)CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER!The American Academy of Pediatrics has announced an Award of SpecialRecognition to Hugh Carithers, M.D., of Jacksonville, for research carried out inthe private practice of Pediatrics. Dr. Carithers was a pioneer in research on CatScratch Disease, and has reported one of the largest series of cases of this diseasein the literature. He continues to be one of the leading authories in the UnitedStates, on this disease. The Executive Committee and the membership extend tohim our congratulations on this accomplishment.Page 2
CHAPTER PRESIDENT'S MESSAGESummer is generally a quietertime of year for many of us. However,the issue of Health Care Reformcontinues to impact all of us.In Florida, we are at a standstill regardingthe financing of healthcarefor all of our citizens. Legislationhas been enacted which impacts allof us in our day to day practice ofPediatrics. What has happened inFlorida only mirrors what is goingon around the rest of the nation, andthat of course is the rapid expansionof "MANAGED HEALTHCARE".Managed competition is a fact regardless of what happenslegislatively in the national healthcare arena. It is the only modelthat has made it out of committee. Managed Healthcare is beingdriven by business and the insurance industry. Consequently, weare being inundated by literature and presentations regardingeconomic integration of hospitals and physicians, IPAs, PPOs,foundations, staff models, etc.We have no way of knowing what the outcome of such a systemwill be. Will it be effective? Will it control costs? One thing,however, is certain: there will be a significant loss of freedom forboth the patient and the physician.Prudential Healthcare recently shifted 80% of its 55,000customers in the Tampa Bay area from their primary care physiciansinto a closed clinic. Prudential marketed its plan to groups ofemployees during April and May without mentioning its impendingchange of physicians. The April renewal went into effect on July1, the same day as the changeover. Covered employees haveexpressed their dismay at being tricked and losing their primarycare physicians and have referred to Prudential as using a "BogusList" to entice them to sign up. This is managed care, and we "ain'tseen nothin' yet".Organized medicine at all levels has failed to adequatelyevaluate and compare a single payor system with managedcompetition. I fear we are on the verge of failing to protect ourpatients and to protect ourselves. A single payor system wouldpreserve the most freedom and would be the most cost-effective.Scare tactics have worked against patients and organized medicine.I fully believe that we, the physicians, and our patients will losemore freedom under managed competition than we would ever loseunder a single payor system. And we will do so without anysignificant savings because any money saved as controls arebrought down on us will go to insurance executives, insurancestockholders, attorneys and accountants. A great hoax is about tobe perpetrated on the American people.It may be too late to stop the present legislatiave packages. Wemust all, however, seriously investigate and evaluate a single payorsystem as an alternative to what is being sold in the name of freeenterprise. There will be another year. We may have lost the battlebut not necessarily the war.David A. Cimino, M.D.President, Florida Chapter AAPOUR APOLOGIES!The Editorial Office offers its apologies to the membership forthe delay in delivery of the Florida Pediatrician for August, 1994.We used a different method to accomplish the mailing this time.Like all that it new, there were "bugs". Result: some of you did notreceive your copy until after October 1. We are sorry, and we aresure this will not happen next time.GENERAL PEDIATRICUPDATE IIIMay 19-21, 1995BUSINESS MEETINGSaturday LuncheonGeneral Pediatricians * Pediatric ResidentsMeet Old/New Friends at Friday night ReceptionOur Speakers will be:James Stockman, M.D.Victor Strasburger, M.D.Patricia Simmons, M.D.Lyle Micheli, M.D.Michael Muszynski, M.D.Lawrence Schachner, M.D.For more info call: 800-648-0450EDITORIAL OFFICEEditor:Herbert H. Pomerance, M.D.Department of PediatricsUniversity of South Florida College of MedicineMDC 15Tampa, FL 33612(Ph)813/272-2710(Fax)813/272-2269(Please address all correspondence, including Letters to the Editor, to thisaddress)Page 3
Page 1: THE FLORIDA PEDIATRICIANThe Newslet
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