PRESS

Providers warn controversial most-favored-nation rule could imperil their financial stability

The controversial interim final rule published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sets up a mandatory payment model surrounding the prices for 50 drugs administered under Medicare Part B, which reimburses providers for drugs administered in a clinic or hospital such as chemotherapy or vaccines. The drug prices are based upon the costs paid by foreign countries. The administration is pushing the rule to lower Medicare drug spending.

“This difference could become greater as the program moves forward. Normally, a drug price doesn’t change too much from quarter to quarter,” said Deepak A. Kapoor, MD. “The quarter-to-quarter variation is going to make it impossible for anyone to … significantly stock this type of drug, which results in a lot of inconveniences to patients because it makes it hard to time their visit,” Kapoor continued. “100% of the burden on this rule is on the providers, which makes colossally no sense.”

Learn more about this controversial interim final rule, by clicking link here.

Addicted to Indebtedness: Steppingstone to Success or Millstone Around the Doctor’s Neck?

An article which was published in the Journal of American College of Surgeons addressed the issue of how the mounting school loan debt is impacting the choices medical students make in selecting their residency and career specialty. As an invited guest speaker at Urology Rounds, Deepak A. Kapoor, MD discussed how the economics are affecting medical residents. Read Dr. Kapoor’s comments in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons by clicking this link here.

Failing to Prepare Is Preparing to Fail

Drs. Latino and Kapoor discussed the importance of organizational preparedness so practices can be ready when the unexpected occurs. Forming a work group team to establish and implement safety and emergency protocols set the foundation for our company to safely continue patient care while protecting doctors and staff. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Read the editorial link here.

The Impact of Systematic Safety Precautions on COVID-19 Risk Exposure and Transmission Rates in Outpatient Healthcare Workers

Drs. Kapoor, Latino, Anderson, and colleagues evaluated the impact of safety protocols, including rapid testing and contact tracing, on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) risk exposure and transmission rates amongst healthcare workers in the outpatient care setting. This study demonstrated the efficacy of initial safety protocols established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and identified other factors that may impact disease transmission in healthcare workers in the outpatient setting. Click on this link to read the study.

Prostate Cancer Care Rebounding After COVID-19 Disruption

Routine and nonessential healthcare services came to a nearly complete halt in many places throughout the United States as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Hospitals and medical practices discontinued or substantially curtailed provision of all but the most necessary procedures. Fearing infection with the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, many patients avoided contact with the healthcare system. Caseloads dropped precipitously across physician specialties.

Prior to the pandemic, urologists in the group performed around 1000 prostate biopsies a quarter, said urologist Deepak A. Kapoor, MD, the group’s chairman and chief executive officer. For a few months after the pandemic struck, the number of these biopsies plunged to only a few per week, he said. Dr. Kapoor provides additional insights about how the pandemic impacted urology practices. Read the story by using this article to learn more.

Today I Learned A Testicle Squeeze Can Kill A Man And Now I’m Afraid To Sit Down

I was scrolling through my Instagram feed yesterday afternoon, as I often do while trying to summon enough energy to get off the couch and crank out three or four pushups.

That’s when I spotted something that shook me to the core. No, it wasn’t another photo of Trump posing with a can of beans or anything like that. This was far worse.

It was a post suggesting that it was actually possible to die from squashed testicles. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’ve never been under any sort of illusion about this equipment we’re packing around being indestructible.

Dr. Deepak A. Kapoor, president of Advanced Urology Centers of New York, told Vice News much of the same a few years ago. “Heart attacks are the second-most common cause of death in the United States,” he said. “Heart attacks are often induced by stress, and there are probably not many things more stressful than having your testicles squeezed.”

Read the story by using this link.

Integrated Medical Professionals Granted Three Year Accreditation from AIUM Ultrasound Practice Accreditation Council

Integrated Medical Professionals has been granted a three-year renewal accreditation from the AIUM Ultrasound Practice Accreditation Council in Urology. The Ultrasound Practice Accreditation Council commended Integrated Medical Professionals on its achievement and recognized the efforts taken to provide quality ultrasound.

Lee Equity, Integrated Medical Professionals And The Urology Group Form Solaris Health

Transaction creates one of the nation’s largest independent urological services providers NEW YORK (June 16, 2020) Private equity firm Lee Equity Partners announced today that New York-based Integrated Medical Professionals (IMP) and Cincinnati-based The Urology Group (TUG) have partnered to form Solaris Health, a management services organization. This unprecedented combination creates one of the nation’s largest independent providers of urological and other specialty services. Terms have not been disclosed. Solaris Health has been established to support growth in IMP and TUG, two industry-leading practices with strong patient satisfaction scores, and to pursue additional partnerships. The partnership aligns the skills and talents of over 150 providers who have upwards of 525,000 patient encounters a year at more than 60 sites in New York, Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. The vision for Solaris Health is to build a national platform that attracts leading independent urological partners who are committed to providing quality and value in healthcare. Together, the physicians at Solaris Health can serve as an innovative disruptor in the field of urology at a scale which can transform urology care in America. Read the press release by using this link.

Virtual Medicine Soars as Pandemic Rages On

Healthcare systems and governments in the United States and much of world have had to take unprecedented emergency measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare providers have replaced office visits with telemedicine encounters and social distancing has become a key component to prevent person-to-person transmission. While discussing telemedicine visits with Renal & Urology News, Deepak A. Kapoor, MD said “Certainly, we can anticipate that for some patients there will be a great appetite to continue the [telemedicine] services,” Dr. Kapoor said. “Whether we can and will do so depends largely on behavioral changes in the patient population and guidance from regulatory bodies.” To read the entire interview, click on this link.

Urologists Join COVID-19 Pandemic Fight

Epidemiologists and disaster preparedness officials who have contemplated what could spark a public health crisis that overwhelms the nation’s healthcare system and causes widespread social disruption and economic upheaval now have at least one answer: a coronavirus that spreads easily and quickly and can cause severe respiratory distress and death. Urologists usually are not called upon to contain infectious disease epidemics, but the unprecedented events unfolding since January have prompted them to do their part to contain the spread of the virus. “For us, it is really about making sure that we’re able to safely keep our doors open and develop strategies to manage the surge [in COVID-19 patients] because the hospitals here are just simply overwhelmed,” Deepak A. Kapoor, MD, chairman and CEO of Integrated Medical Professionals, told Renal & Urology News. Dr. Kapoor said he has had conversations with administrators at different health systems regarding what his urology group can do to ease the burden on hospitals, such as sharing equipment, staff, and facility space. The mindset is to do “pretty much anything to help. It’s really all hands on deck here.” To read more about the ways that IMP and other urology practices are managing practices and assisting the hospitals, read the story by using this link.