PPOA Participates in Live Opioid Crisis Town Hall

,

PPOA leaders represent pain physicians on panel

The scope of the opioid epidemic and new solutions took center stage at a live “Opioid Crisis Town Hall” special, sponsored by cable stations Spectrum Bay News 9 and Spectrum News 13 in Bradenton, Fla. on May 22.

Physician Partners of America (PPOA) founder Rodolfo Gari, M.D., MBA, and Chief Medical Officer Abraham Rivera, M.D., were the only pain management physicians chosen to participate on the panel. It drew more than 700,000 viewers.

Dr. Rivera explained how opioids have been used in one form or another for thousands of years, and people must not forget that they’re used because they work.

“In the acute [pain] setting, they are phenomenal drugs. After that, the patient gets hooked on them. They’re extremely addictive,” he told the audience.

Acute pain is discomfort lasting no more than 3 to 6 months, and it is usually related directly to soft tissue damage such as a sprain or surgery.

Also on hand were an emergency room professor, local law enforcement leaders, an advocacy group representative, and State Rep. Jim Boyd (R-District 71). A live audience was invited to listen in and ask questions.

The one-hour Opioid Crisis Town Hall was moderated by Bay News 9 anchor Veronica Cintron, and covered a wide range of topics related to new Florida opioid legislation. As of July 1, the law puts a three-day limit on most opioid prescriptions for acute pain. This does not apply to all patients, including those who live with certain chronic pain conditions.

The new Florida law funds $65 million for the treatment of addiction and includes providing the overdose-reversal drug Naloxone to first responders. While not providing as much funding as the bill’s champions had hoped, stakeholders applaud the policy direction.

Preventing opioid addiction through intervention

Drs. Gari and Rivera addressed the need to stop opioid addiction from happening. As interventional pain management specialists, Physician Partners of America providers get to the root of pain and treat it through various pain blocking procedures and minimally invasive techniques. Opioids are not the preferred course of treatment, but each patient’s condition is handled on a case-by-case basis.

“One of the things we can do to help this epidemic is to markedly decrease the number of customers that go to these treatment centers,” Dr. Gari said. “We can help patients but it’s going to take physicians that are serious about this and understand there are a lot of options that patients can have other than opioids.”

First-hand stories of addiction played a prominent role in the town hall and a preceding documentary. One Bradenton woman told an emotional story of how a car accident resulted in her addiction to opioids. Now drug-free, she described how she innocently got hooked after a doctor gave her a large supply of an opioid painkiller.

Dr. Rivera, touting the benefits of interventional care, told the audience, “Had that girl seen a pain specialist three days after she had her accident, she would never have fallen victim to opiates.”

Addressing fake pain

Both Drs. Gari and Rivera acknowledged that one of the thornier problems faced by physicians in the opioid crisis is determining who is a legitimate pain patient and who is doctor-shopping or faking discomfort. Pain doctors report seeing more people who claim their meds were stolen to get a new prescription.

“When a patient comes to me and they tell me their medication gets stolen, I treat that with a high degree of skepticism …I ask them for a police report,” Rivera said.  In suspicious cases, he offers a three-day supply of painkillers, requires immediate and frequent follow-up urine tests, and asks such patients to show him their unused portion.

Responding to questions about victim-blaming, the doctors explained PPOA’s drug-tapering protocol for new patients who are opioid-dependent.

As Dr. Gari told the Opioid Crisis Town Hall audience, “We treat our patients like they’re a family and like they’re our kids …you’re going to treat your kids with what you think your kid needs. It may not be always what your kids want… it’s what he needs, but you have to have these conversations.”

Patients should see a pain specialist

Noting that many patients visit their primary care providers for pain conditions, Dr. Gari stressed the benefits of early treatment by a board-certified pain management specialist. “A primary care physician would not be prescribing chemotherapy for a cancer patient,” he said. “So I believe [pain management] needs to be done by specialists that only treat pain.”

State Rep. Boyd, who praised PPOA leadership for supporting funding efforts for the opioid issue, agreed. Turning to Drs. Gari and Rivera, he told the Opioid Crisis Town Hall audience, “These are the professionals that should be prescribing that.”

/by

New ASCs in Orlando and Boynton Beach Now Recruiting Partner Doctors

,

Want to Focus More on Patient Care?

Remember what initially attracted you to the practice of medicine? Maybe it was a fascination with the intricacy of the human body. Maybe it was a strong desire to care for your fellow man. Surely, it wasn’t the reality that you are experiencing now: how business and money drive medicine today. You likely spend more time learning about billing, insurance, and litigation than you do about advances in medicine or even the needs of your patients. This is not why you chose to practice medicine.

Call Now

Call (888) 387-3095 to learn more.

Wouldn’t it be nice to work in an environment that made you feel the way you felt the day you graduated from med school? An environment where you are able to fully utilize the surgical skills you spent years perfecting? An environment where you are surrounded by like-minded physicians and supported by a trained staff using state-of-the-art equipment? This is not a pipe dream; this is the everyday environment for the doctors who partner with Physician Partners of America. We are one of the fastest-growing healthcare companies in the nation, and we have an opportunity for you.

Partner with a Healthcare Leader

Our company is currently constructing state-of-the-art medical pavilions in both Orlando and Merritt Island, Florida. These facilities are operated by physicians and designed for physicians.

With a 9,060-foot ambulatory surgery center, more than 4,600 square feet of medical offices, and a planned future expansion in excess of 11,000 square feet, our medical pavilions will offer you the space and comfort needed to provide unparalleled ambulatory surgical care for your patients.

Each of its surgical suites comes equipped with the latest equipment and tools on the market. Our in-house staff of nurses, surgical assistants, technicians, anesthesiologists and administrators are at your disposal while you are using our ASC.

When you choose to partner with PPOA, you are joining an organization that understands that you just want to practice medicine and let someone else worry about running the day-to-day. Our administrative staff will become your administrative staff. This includes caring for things like patient scheduling, dealing with insurance companies, billing and other administrative tasks.

By joining us, you become a true partner in a world-class, multi-disciplinary organization that puts physicians and patients first. We know that you, like us, did not get into medicine for the money. Still, you deserve to be paid promptly and fairly for the medical services you provide. Our talented business partners have created a level playing field that ensures you thrive financially while experiencing increased efficiency. As a partner, you will benefit from practice-owned ancillary profits in compliance with the Group Practice Stark Law exemption.

You and your patients will have access to most, if not all, ancillary services under one roof using one EMR system. If your patient visits another physician in our network, regardless of the specialty, you will have access to their medical records, making the process of providing comprehensive care seamless.

At Physician Partners of America, we are committed to providing the communities we serve with the best medical care available. To do this, we strongly believe in allowing physicians to focus on their medical training and on treating patients, and less on the daily challenges presented by the business side of medicine.

Our Medical Pavilions, located in Orlando and Merritt Island, are being designed as centers of ambulatory surgical excellence. We are looking for physicians, like yourself, who want to “take back medicine” to partner with us and provide Florida residents the medical care they deserve.

If you love what you do, we believe you should do what you love, and leave the rest to us.

/by

Prescription Opioid Summit Asks Doctors to be Proactive  

,

Peer-approved prescriptions, drug-gene testing and electronic prescribing may be the wave of the future in the war on prescription opioid abuse. Those were some of the key takeaways for more than 60 physicians from around Florida at a recent Opioid Summit. Dr. Abraham Rivera, chief medical officer of Physician Partners of America, served as presenter of the April 28 event in his role as board member of the Florida Academy of Pain Medicine (FAPM).

“The legal landscape is changing, and we need to change the way we prescribe,” said Dr. Rivera, an interventional pain management specialist and anesthesiologist.

The Opioid Summit seeks to define the scope of the growing abuse problem and ways to solve it.  Among the speakers was U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Florida, as well as representatives from law enforcement and the legal field. The presentations focused on responsible prescribing, transparency and alternative treatments.

Avoiding Prescription Opioid Abuse 

In the absence of uniform prescribing laws and indications, opioid painkillers should be used as a means to an end, not as an end by itself. Drug tapering and detox protocols should be used routinely and all prescriptions should follow a specific diagnosis, with no off-label prescribing. Sustained release opiates should be used no more often than twice a day. Short-acting opiates are used no more often than four times daily. Electronic prescriptions are encouraged for a variety of reasons: they provide solid documentation from the beginning of treatment and they do not get lost. There is also less potential for abuse, diversion and tampering.

Finally, the summit proposed that opioid prescription records should be monitored by a physician’s peers for review. “Accountability and transparency are key,” Rivera said.

Changes in Opioid Laws

Like many states, Florida is clamping down on prescription protocols. A new law that goes into effect July 1 limits such prescriptions to three days – seven in cases deemed medically necessary. The laws address people who suffer from acute pain, but more discussion is needed to address the needs of chronic pain patients. Those are defined as people who experience pain for more than 12 weeks.

Dr. Rivera’s take: “Every case is different, but in general, a one-month supply is reasonable for chronic patients.”

Interventional Pain Management

To Physician Partners of America, the answer lies in interventional pain management. This subspecialty of pain medicine seeks to pinpoint and treat the pain at its source without relying on prescription opioid medication.

Interventional treatment includes:

  • Epidural injections
  • Facet blocks
  • Radiofrequency ablation
  • Nerve blocks
  • Corrective surgery
  • Intrathecal pumps
  • Neurostimulation

Dr. Rivera also recommended that physicians explore alternative treatments such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, chiropractic and massage.

Monitoring Pain Patients

Physician Partners of America recommends performing urine drug tests (UDTs) on pain patients, starting before the first prescription is written and then when indicated. The frequency varies according to individual patient risk.

In addition, prescriptions should not be copied or given to the patients at office visits. The system is not foolproof, however. Roadblocks include lack of communication between states and the Veterans Administration, and the fact that some states do not have this system.

Legislating Opioid Prescriptions 

Recommendations include using prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMS) for every prescription. The summit’s presenters also recommended fuller implementation of the National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act (NASPER). Enacted in 2005, this U.S. Department of Health and Human Services program gives grants to states to start or enhance prescription drug monitoring programs.

Rep. Bilirakis discussed the intent of Congress to fund programs to help with the opioid crisis across the nation. He noted that the House has passed legislation to address this issue, but the Senate has yet to bring it up for discussion.

Is Naloxone the Answer?

For those patients who are still opioid users, the summit presented an innovative approach: prescribing a companion prescription of the opioid antidote Naloxone to prevent accidental overdose. The U.S. Surgeon General recently endorsed this idea. Since its inception, PPOA has encouraged its physicians to prescribe an antidote to every patient who is prescribed an opiate in excess of 50 mg. per day of morphine equivalents.

Alternative Pain Therapies

Interventional pain management should be considered as a first course of treatment for select pain patients as an alternative to a prescription opioid. It gets to the root of the problem and provides direct relief. Interventional treatment includes:

  • Epidural injections
  • Facet blocks
  • Radiofrequency ablation
  • Nerve blocks
  • Corrective surgery
  • Intrathecal pumps
  • Neurostimulation

Intraoperative Neuromonitoring (IONM)

Intraoperative neuromonitoring is also being used to reduce pain following surgery and, therefore, the use of narcotic painkillers post-operatively. IONM is designed to minimize neurological damage during surgery. It identifies changes in brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerve function prior to accidental, irreversible damage.

Pharmacogenomics

Medication efficacy is determined in part by genetics. What works for one person is likely to be different form another. Drug-genes testing is routine at PPOA, ensuring that the safest doses of the right medications are administered.

The ideas presented at the summit are likely to spark further discussion at the FAPM’s annual conference in July at the Orlando Grand Hyatt. And while approaches differ, pain management physicians are changing their way of thinking about a prescription opioid as a first course of treatment.

“Opiates should be used as a means to an end,” Dr. Rivera said, “and not as an end by itself.”

 

/by

New Port Richey Clinic is Relocating

,

New Pain Clinic Location in New Port Richey

On June 1, Chad Gorman, M.D., Sharon Blue, ARNP, and the rest of the New Port Richey pain clinic staff will move from 5304 Main Street to 4419 Rowan Road, New Port Richey, Fla., 34653. This new site is just ten minutes from the current office. It offers much more parking, larger square footage, and a location that is more accessible to people throughout Pasco County.

The new clinic is easily accessed on the west side of Rowan Road between State Road 54 and Trouble Creek Road.

Directions:

From the north: Take Trouble Creek Road and head south on Rowan Road. Our new clinic will be located on the west side, one block south of All Children’s Specialty Care and just before Sharpsburg Boulevard.

From the south: Take State Road 54 and head north on Rowan Road. It is located on the west side of the street, just north of Sharpsburg Boulevard and Summer Lakes Villas.

The New Port Richey pain clinic phone number will stay the same, (844) 542-5724, as well as the fax, (727)-816-8430. The New Port Richey clinic will continue to offer same-day appointments between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.

About Dr. Chad Gorman

A Florida native, Dr. Gorman graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Health Science Education. While he was in college he spent most of his free time working at Shands Hospital. He earned his medical degree from American University of the Caribbean in the Netherland Antilles. His main interest during medical school was outpatient care involving orthopedics and pain medicine. He spent his third and fourth year clinical rotations in New York City and London.

After medical school, he completed his residency and fellowship at the University of Oklahoma. His training focused on outpatient sports medicine/orthopedics and interventional pain management. This fellowship helped him master complex orthopedic and lumbar procedures to treat pain.

Dr. Gorman joined PPOA and its original New Port Richey location in September 2017, after spending years in private practice in Brooksville, Fla. He is the only pain management physician to earn a five-star rating on Healthgrades in Pasco County. He specializes in treating complex orthopedic pain, chronic pain of the spine and extremities, and regenerative and sports medicine. Dr. Gorman also works weekly in the Westchase clinic at 10903 Sheldon Road.

Dr. Gorman and his staff look forward to serving their New Port Richey pain clinic patients in a beautiful, more spacious setting.

 

 

/by

Dr. Taufiq Ahmed on Changes in Opioid Laws

, , ,

Opioid laws are changing around the nation – tightening the amount and duration of prescriptions doctors can write. Congress has allocated $6 billion towards the epidemic for 2018 and 2019, but it’s unclear how the money will be spent at this point.

Florida’s bill would limit opioid prescriptions to three days, though seven-day supplies would be permitted if a physician deems them medically necessary. The restrictions wouldn’t apply to patients suffering pain related to cancer, terminal illness, traumatic injuries or palliative care.

The goal of the new law is to help prevent people from getting addicted to prescription opioids. Earlier restrictions on prescriptions, and higher costs, have been shown to lead to some patients to switch to cheaper, more plentiful street drugs like heroin and fentanyl.

The impact of the new law is a hot topic among pain management physicians and their patients. Taufiq Ahmed, M.D., principal pain specialist at Physician Partners of America Pain Relief Group – Orlando, recently talked with Spectrum My News 13 in Orlando about the sweeping changes in Florida’s opioid laws. While he understands the need for more regulation, Dr. Ahmed and his peers are concerned about the unintended consequences that legitimate chronic pain sufferers could face.

“It’s been a little frustrating for us pain providers as well because we realize not every injury is a three-day or a seven-day situation,” he said.

Ahmed, an anesthesiologist as well as a pain management physician, gets to the root cause of the pain in the PPOA tradition, and treats it with a number of modalities. This may include injections, radiofrequency ablation, nerve blocks and spinal cord stimulator implants. He also incorporates alternative methods to help reduce the chance a patient develops a dependence on opioids.

“Everyone has good intentions in mind, and to be frank the issues with the amount of heroin and opioid overdoses we’re seeing in Florida is staggering,” he said.

 

Read the full article: SPECTRUM NEWS 13: Florida’s opioid legislation causes concern amongst pain sufferers

 

 

 

/by

PPOA Joins Opioid Discussion at ASIPP 20th Annual Meeting in Orlando

,

Hot topic: new advances in pain management

The American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians ended its 2018 ASIPP 20th Annual Meeting on March 18. Physician Partners of America (PPOA) had a strong presence at the conference, which focused on the opioid crisis and new medical technology.

ASIPP has been the voice of interventional pain physicians since 1998. Conference co-chairs and guest speakers from around the country gathered at the world’s largest Marriott for three days of workshops at the Orlando World Center.

The conference theme of “Excellence in IPM: Education, Research, Advocacy” attracted more than 1,000 attendees. They were offered a choice of 75 educational lectures. The event was held in partnership with the Florida Society of Interventional Pain Physicians and the Society of Interventional Pain Management Surgery Centers.

PPOA President  and COO Tracie Lawson, MBA, MSN, ARNP-C, and PPOA founder Rodolfo Gari, M.D., MBA answered in-depth questions from physicians. Attendees learned how the fast-growing national healthcare company can strengthen the doctor-patient relationship and manage medical practices. Chief Development Officer David Wood, Vice President of Sales and Operations – Ancillary Division Samantha Dangler, and Vice President of Business Development Chrissy Infinger were also on hand to answer questions at the PPOA booth.

Opioids: give patients what they need, not what they want

The most well-attended session of the ASIPP conference was “Best Practices in Pain Management in the Context of Addressing the Opioid Epidemic,” and it’s easy to see why. Opioid overdoses are now the leading cause of death in people under age 50, killing about 64,000 Americans in 2016. No fewer than six leading authorities addressed the topic. Anita Gupta, D.O., PharmD, reports that “opioids aren’t going away” and stressed the importance of a “holistic approach.”

Gupta continued: “What we do for a living is an art and requires a balanced approach.  Pills kill. Pain doesn’t.” She offered the “SHARE” approach: seek patient’s participation, help patient explore and compare treatment options, access patient’s values and preferences, reach a decision with the patient, evaluating the patient’s decision.

ASIPP moderator Peter Staats, M.D., said pain physicians should always listen to the little voice in their heads that asks “is it worth the risk?” whenever prescribing. He added that “patients should be given what they need, not what they want.”

PPOA medical chief will host Florida opioid conference

Abraham Rivera, M.D., chief medical officer for PPOA, will continue the discussion at the Florida Academy of Pain Medicine Opioid Update Summit. It will take place in Clearwater, Fla on April 28. Dr. Rivera is an FAPM board member and the workshop coordinator. He will give the keynote lecture during the event. “This conference will change the behavior of those in attendance,” Rivera said. “Expert speakers will change the practice of the average physician who attend this event.”

 

/by

Physician Partners of America Honored by Top Tampa Charity

,

Metropolitan Ministries praises collection drive efforts

Physician Partners of America has received the Golden Barrel Award from Metropolitan Ministries, a leading charity for the homeless and at those at risk of homelessness in Tampa Bay.

In presenting the award at PPOA’s Habana Ambulatory Surgery Center on Feb. 15, Metropolitan Ministries President Tim Marks, said, “I want you to know we look at you all as ambassadors of hope by coming alongside us and helping these families. This is something we like to honor.

“We love organizations that give back to others in the community and that’s what we want to celebrate today. For us, to see an organization like Physician Partners give their time, talent and treasures, and the donations that have come to us …it gives people hope.”

Josh Helms, senior vice president of Sales and Marketing for Physician Partners of America, has been an Ambassador with the charity for more than five years, and has been instrumental in involving PPOA for the past year.

“We at Physician Partners of America feel very blessed to have the opportunity to serve our patients while at the same time giving back and having a positive influence in our community,” Helms said.

The company has donated hundreds of pounds of clothing, toys, school backpacks and canned food to Metropolitan Ministries’ in its signature blue barrels placed in its clinics and offices.

“I appreciate Josh’s leadership as a volunteer with the Ambassadors for many, many years and helping families in need,” said Marks. “To see that bubble up here, with all your involvement and engagement, we give the Golden Barrel Award to Physician Partners of America, honoring your dedication and outstanding service to others. Salute you and thank you.”

The agency, which has been around for 45 years, has seen the needs of area families double from 100 to 200 per month. Part of it is attributed to Florida residents and Puerto Rican refugees from Hurricane Irma and, in general, “the storms of life.”

Marks added, “We’re able to help many more people, and you all are part of the solution.”

/by

PPOA Offering Patient Shuttle Service

, ,

Did you know Physician Partners of America offers complimentary transportation to and from procedures at our clinics? Our roomy, comfortable Ford Transit vans can take patients to their appointment and back home again in West Central Florida and in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

“We recognize that not everyone has family or friends available to take them to their appointments, and we firmly believe lack of transportation should never keep people from getting the care they need,” said Tracie Lawson, Physician Partners of America president and COO. “The patient courtesy shuttle program is part of our commitment to providing convenient, compassionate care to all our patients.”

Patients undergoing minimally invasive procedures are given priority for use of the shuttles, however, PPOA is also making them available on a reservation basis for patients getting MRIs, and for appointments at our pain management clinics in many of our markets. The service will be expanded in the coming months.

Patients can request a courtesy shuttle ride when making their appointment.

/by

PPOA acquires Jacksonville and Orange Park pain clinics

,

Physician Partners of America (PPOA) announces it has acquired two new pain management practices in the Jacksonville metro area from Sunshine Spine & Pain, PA.

The national healthcare company has acquired Sunshine’s locations at 11705 San Jose Blvd., Suite 110, Jacksonville; and 2021 Kingsley Ave., Suite 109, Orange Park in the Orange Park Medical Center.

The transition is expected to take place in January. Initially, the clinics will keep the Sunshine Spine & Pain name.

The acquisition aligns with PPOA’s expansion plans in Florida. The company already owns 11 pain management clinics in central and west-central Florida, the Space Coast and Palm Beach County. It recently opened another site in Wellington, a suburb of West Palm Beach. In addition to the Florida locations, PPOA also operates ten pain management locations in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas.

Both Jacksonville area clinics will keep the same hours of operation. Patients can call (904) 513-1562 for appointments at either location. Same-day appointments are available.

/by

PPOA to open Wellington, Fla. pain management clinic

,

Physician Partners of America Pain Relief Group is proud to announce the opening of its Wellington pain management clinic, its eleventh Florida location, at 1397 Medical Park Blvd., Suite 140, Wellington, Fla., 33414.

The Wellington pain clinic, scheduled to open Jan. 15, will be supervised by Alejandro G. Tapia, M.D., an interventional pain management physician. Dr. Tapia will also continue seeing patients at PPOA’s Boynton Beach pain clinic.

In a region of the country known for treating opioid addiction, PPOA aims to provide alternatives to narcotic pain relievers through interventional pain management. This subspecialty of pain management medicine uses minimally invasive techniques to treat and manage acute or chronic pain. These may include post-surgical discomfort, neck and back pain, cancer pain, arthritis pain and traumatic injury.

“Interventional pain management is the least talked-about option for pain relief, but one of the most effective,” said Tracie Lawson, president and COO of Physician Partners of America. “It can prevent addiction to narcotic pain medication in the first place.”

Interventional treatment typically includes various injections, nerve blocks, topical and oral medications, and minimally invasive, outpatient surgical procedures. PPOA distinguishes itself by also offering same-day appointments, drug-gene testing for medication compatibility, and intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) for surgical safety.

The clinic will operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Patients can call (561) 250-7762 for an appointment. Same-day appointments are also available.

/by