NEWSLETTER A PATIENT S MEDICAL RECORDS W HAT IS THE PHYSICIAN S RESPONSIBILITY?

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1 Arkansas State Medical Board 2100 Riverfront Drive Issue Number Twenty Four Winter, 2004 Peggy Pryor Cryer Executive Secretary 2100 Riverfront Drive NEWSLETTER A PATIENT S MEDICAL RECORDS W HAT IS THE PHYSICIAN S RESPONSIBILITY? BOARD MEMBERS W. Ray Jouett, M.D. Chairman Orman W. Simmons, M.D. Vice Chairman David C. Jacks, M.D. Secretary Pine Bluff, AR Mrs. Bobbye H. Dennis Treasurer John E. Bell, M.D. Searcy, AR Mrs. Anne Britton Fayetteville, AR Sue Chambers, M.D. Harrison, AR Joseph M. Beck, M.D. Trent P. Pierce, M.D. West Memphis, AR Douglas F. Smart, M.D. C. E. Tommey, M.D. El Dorado, AR Alonzo D. Williams, Sr., M.D. James E. Zini, D.O. Mountain View, AR LEGAL COUNSEL William H. Trice, III 211 Spring Street (501) ow many times has H this happened to you as an Arkansas physician: I write to complain of Dr. XXXXX. I have requested a copy of my medical records. Dr. XXXXX will not give me a copy until I clear my balance owed to his clinic. Would you help me get my medical records released to me? signed, Patient John Doe. One of the more common patient complaints the Arkansas State Medical Board receives is failure of a physician s office to copy a patient s medical records within a reasonable period of time, or worse yet, the doctor will not release records if the patient has a delinquent account. To avoid this complaint, physicians should ensure their staff understands the importance of a patient s request for a copy of their medical record. If your office charges for copying a medical record, keep in mind, Arkansas code (a)(2) states: Cost of each photocopy, excluding xrays, shall not exceed one dollar ($1.00) per page for the first five (5) pages and twenty-five cents ($.25) for each additional page, except that the minimum charge shall be five dollars ($5.00). Also, inform the patient up front when sending the release of information form to them that there is a fee for their records to be copied. Medical record keeping is central to high quality medical care. It is an essential element that the physician creates to document and follow a patient s diagnosis and treatment. These records, therefore, are the property of the physician who generates them. The patient owns the information contained in these records; and the patient, therefore, has rights to access that information within a reasonable timeframe. A physician s ethical duty is to preserve medical records during the time that there is a reasonable likelihood of the records being useful to the patient. At times, a patient s medical records become an issue and the Medical Board is asked to intercede. The issue of medical records usually comes to the attention of the (Continued on page 2) INSIDE THIS ISSUE Resignations and Appointments...2 Board Meetings...2 Allied Healthcare Update Board Actions Board Actions Board Annual Report..3,4, 5 CCVS News Briefs... 6, 7 Technology Update..7 Web Address...8

2 Page 2 (Continued from page 1) Board in the form of a patient s complaint regarding the copying of the patient s medical information from a treating physician. Of course, the patient must sign for the release of their records and a reasonable period of time must be allowed for copying of the records. In Arkansas, however, a set number of days permitted for the copying is not prescribed by law. The most common complaint made to the Medical Board regarding the release of medical records is usually pertaining to an outstanding balance that the patient still owes and for which the physician requires payment in full before the medical records will be released. This is not grounds upon which a copy of a patient s medical records should be withheld. However, this is the reason that frequently causes a patient to complain...and complain to the Arkansas State Medical Board. It is unethical for a physician to refuse or delay a valid request for the transfer of a patient s medical records because of an unpaid bill. The primary concern of the physician and the office staff should be for the medical care and treatment of the patient. If the patient has a delinquent account, then defer pursuit for payment to your collection service or attorney. A physician s delay of releasing records in a timely manner can cause liability in that it can lead to potential problems for the patient. For example, the patient care may be delayed resulting in an unfavorable outcome because pertinent medical information necessary for appropriate care was withheld. Therefore, causing possible ultimate harm to the patient. There is no excuse for not complying with a valid medical records release request! A court in Texas has upheld the award of punitive damages assessed against a physician because he allegedly caused a patient severe emotional distress by refusing to provide copies of her medical records. It is recognized that medical records are important to the patient not only for medical care, but also for many other reasons such as employment, insurance or litigation. The Arkansas State Medical Board could consider your willful withholding of medical records as cause to invite you to the next Board meeting to visit with us. It would be better for the patient, your practice and the following physician to be prompt in responding to valid requests for patient medical records. It is the hope of the Medical Board that this information will clarify the releasing of a patient s medical records when requested. James E. Zini, D.O., F.A.C.O.F.P., ASMB Board Member Anne Britton, Registered Medical Assistant, Consumer Representative Board Member BOARD RESIGNATIONS AND APPOINTMENTS Governor Huckabee has appointed Joseph M. Beck. II, M.D. to replace J.R. Baker, M.D. who was appointed the new Medical Director of the Physicians Health Committee. Dr. Beck is a Little Rock native and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology. The Board would like to thank Dr. Baker for his many years of service as a Board member and welcome Dr. Beck, whose term will expire December 31, Issue Number Twenty Four 2004 BOARD MEETING DATES April 1 2, 2004 June 3 4, 2004 August 26 27, 2004 October 7 8, 2004 December 2 3, 2004 *The Board will hold called meetings when necessary. Meetings will be held in the Conference Room at the Board s office at 2100 Riverfront Drive, Little Rock, Arkansas. ALLIED HEALTHCARE UPDATE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY 2004 MEETING DATES April 19, 2004 July 19, 2004 October 18, 2004 PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT 2004 MEETING DATES Committee meets on the 2nd day of the regular scheduled Medical Board meetings. RESPIRATORY THERAPY 2004 MEETING DATES April 16, 2004 July 23, 2004 November 19, 2004 FEE INCREASE NOTICE! Effective January 1, 2004, Active members of the NBRC will note a fee increase for NBRC credentials verifications from $3 to $5 and from $15 to $20 for Inactive members. The Respiratory Therapy Advisory Committee voted to allow the maximum allowable on Continuing Education Units (CEU s) as AARC for the following: ACLS-15.5 NRP-4.5 PALS-4.5 REAPPOINTMENT! Governor Huckabee has reappointed David Jordan, Cave City (Benton County) to the RT Committee. His term expires August 7, 2006.

3 Page 3 BOARD ACTIONS & LICENSE ADJUSTMENTS January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2003 Each Provider s actions are listed in chronological order, the bottom action listed is the most current. LICENSE # NAME STATUS ACTION/DATE C-7058 BLANKENSHIP, James B., M.D. Returned to Active Fayetteville, AR #0705 BURMASTER, Paul T., LRCP Emergency Order of Suspension Hot Springs, AR Surrendered PA-166 CARDONA, Charles Edward, P.A. Emergency Order of Suspension Cabot, AR C-6595 DILDAY, James Curtis, M.D. Emergency Order of Suspension Returned to Active C-6562 EASTER, Thomas Glenn, M.D. Returned to Active El Paso, TX E-0546 FEDOSKY, Scott, M.D. Emergency Order of Suspension C-4379 GLADNEY, Samuel, M.D. Revoked Grapevine, TX #0653 HALEY, Mary Ann, LRCP Revoked (Stayed 5 Years) Sherwood, AR Emergency Order of Suspension Revoked (Stayed 5 Years) N-6012 HARBIN, Bradley, M.D. Emergency Order of Suspension Stamps, AR Surrendered C-7481 HARRISON, Lonnie E., M.D. Revoked E-1408 HARTMAN, Arthur R., Jr., M.D. Emergency Order of Suspension Revoked #2271 HATLEY, James M., LRCP Emergency Order of Suspension Cusseta, AL Revoked R-2910 HEJNA, Thomas, M.D. Returned to Active Dardanelle, AR E-0385 MANN, Randeep Singh, M.D. Emergency Order of Suspension Russellville, AR Returned to Active/DEA Permit Suspended Revoked (Stayed 5 years) R-3373 McCRAW, Gordon Wayne, M.D. Revoked #1054 RETTINGER, Dennis J., LRCP Emergency Order of Suspension Camden, AR Revoked (Stayed 5 Years) E-1993 RICHTER, David Alan, M.D. Revoked (Stayed 5 Years) Ozark, AR Returned to Active E-0066 TOLOSA, Elizabeth C., M.D. Returned to Active El Dorado, AR R-2537 WHITE, Edwin Wood, M.D. Returned to Active Eureka Springs, AR ARKANSAS STATE MEDICAL BOARD 2003 ANNUAL REPORT The 2003 members and officers of the Arkansas State Medical Board were: W. Ray Jouett, M.D., Chairman; Orman W. Simmons, M.D., Vice-Chairman; David C. Jacks, M.D., Secretary; Mrs. Bobbye H. Dennis, Treasurer; J.R. Baker, M.D.; John E. Bell, M.D.; Mrs. Anne Britton; Sue R. Chambers, M.D.; Trent P. Pierce, M.D., ; Douglas F. Smart, M.D.; C. E. Tommey, M.d.; Alonzo D. Williams, Sr., M.D. and James E. Zini, D.O. The Board met bimonthly and addressed complaints, hearings, and other pertinent business affecting health care in the State of Arkansas STATISTICS 2003 Licensing Statistics: Medical Doctors and Doctors of Osteopathy Licensed Medical Doctors and Doctors of Osteopathy (TOTAL)...8,123 Medical Doctors and Doctors of Osteopathy (In State)...5,330 Occupational Therapists Licensed...94 Occupational Therapists (TOTAL) Occupational Therapist Assistants Licensed...27 Occupational Therapist Assistants (TOTAL) Physician Assistants Licensed...10 Physician Assistants (TOTAL)...65 Respiratory Care Therapists Licensed Respiratory Care Therapists (TOTAL)...1,638 BOARD NOTICES! A current list of board notices can be found on the Board s web site at Click on INFORMATION and then BOARD NOTICES. If you scroll to the bottom of the page you will see the date of last update and the icon to print. RECORDING OF PHYSICIAN LICENSES WITH THE COUNTY CLERK S OFFICE Arkansas Code Annotated states that: Prior to practicing medicine, every person receiving a certificate from the Board shall have the certificate recorded in the office of the County Clerk where he proposes to practice. When the person moves to another county for the purpose of continuing the practice of medicine, he shall file for record with the County Clerk of the county to which he moves, a certified copy of the certificate.

4 Page 4 (Continued from Page 3) BOARD ACTIONS & LICENSE ADJUSTMENTS January 1, 2004 through February 28, 2004 Each Provider s actions are listed in chronological order, the bottom action listed is the most current. LICENSE # NAME STATUS ACTION/DATE E-0546 FEDOSKY, Scott, M.D. Revoked (Stayed 5 Years) C-6627 JONES, Charles W., Jr., M.D. Revoked (Stayed 5 Years) Russellville, AR #0935 KLEK, Robert, LRCP Revoked (Stayed 5 Years) #1018 MAZYCK, Robert, LRCP Revoked (Stayed 5 Years) ANNUAL REPORT - (Continued from Page 3) Summary of Board Proceedings for 2003: Individual Discussions and Issues (TOTAL) Complaints (Including Investigations) Issues Board Actions: Probation... 0 Suspension Suspension (Stayed)... 0 Revocation... 6 Revocation (Stayed)... 5 Surrendered... 2 Continued on Page 5 Please be aware that there may be more than one licensee with the same name and location. LICENSING QUESTIONS Listed below are some common questions that the Board receives. If your organization is planning to add another physician to your staff, please make note of these responses and plan adequately for the licensing process. Question How long does the license process take? Answer Six to eight weeks on average, longer if there are issues or concerns. International graduates take longer, depending on the country and political situation at the time of verification request. Question Does the Board accept the Federation of State Medical Boards credentialing profile from their CVO, in lieu of the physician obtaining primary source verifications? Answer No, Arkansas has its own CVO (credentials verification organization) mandated by state law. There is no substitute for requesting primary source verifications for licensure in this state. The two organizations (FCVS and CCVS) are separate and do not share information. Question When applying for an Arkansas license, should the physician wait to send his/her verification requests until after the physician has been notified that the application has been received in the Board s office? Answer Verifications received in the Board office prior to the receipt of the completed application are filed in an alphabet file and maintained for a minimum of six months. Once the application is received, the license coordinators check these files before sending the physician an application acknowledgement letter. This makes it possible for the applicant to request verifications several months before the application is submitted to the Board. It is important to note on a separate sheet any other names the physician may have used and which might appear on verifications, so the alphabet file can be checked for those as well. Question Can I have my recruiter, wife, secretary/office manager or anyone else call to check the status of my application? Answer You are asked to designate one person to call, if not yourself, and to limit those calls, as it will only delay the licensing staff from working the application. Your designated person should be responsible for updating anyone else that may be interested in your application status. The licensing staff will periodically send the physician an update letter informing them of any verifications that are still missing. Question How do I know if I have to appear personally before the Board? Answer You will be informed in writing, so be sure to always keep your licensing coordinator informed of your current contact information. CHANGE IN USMLE STEP 3 MINIMUM PASSING SCORE As reported in the Federation of State Medical Boards, BoardNet News on March 12, 2004 At a meeting earlier this week, the United States Medical Licensing examination Step 3 Committee conducted a review of the level of proficiency required to meet the recommended minimum passing mark for Step 3. In its review, the committee considered information from several sources, including: 1) survey results from groups concerning the appropriateness of current pass/fail standards for Step examinations; 2) examinee performance trends; 3) score precision and its effect on the pass/fail decision; and 4) recommendations from physicians who participated in content-based, standard-setting activities. The Step 3 Committee decided to raise the three-digit score recommended to pass Step 3 from 182 to 184. The new minimum passing score will go into effect for Step 3 examinations for which the first testing day is on or after April 1, PLANNING TO RETIRE SOON? Physicians planning to retire or semi-retire from practice, but wishing to maintain their Arkansas state license in an Active status, should be aware that their file will be maintained in the CCVS system and they will be required to provide updated information. If the physician is working in any capacity, including periodic locum tenens work, the physician s file must be maintained in CCVS. The physician is required to comply with requests for information or updates. If the physician decides to totally retire or can no longer practice for health reasons, he/she should send a letter to the Board, Attn: CCVS and your CCVS file will be closed until further notice. The physician will no longer be required to update the CCVS as long as he/she is not practicing. Please note: If you request privileges at any facility while your file is closed, your privileges will be delayed while the CCVS re-opens and updates your file.

5 Page ANNUAL REPORT - (Continued from Page 4) Regulations Passed by the Board and/or Amended During 2003: Regulation #16 Physicians, HIV, HBV and HCV 7. Exposure-prone Procedure means an invasive procedure in which there is a risk of percutaneous injury to the practitioner by virtue of digital palpation of a needle tip or other sharp instrument in a body cavity or the simultaneous presence of the practitioner s fingers and a needle or other sharp instrument or object in a poorly visualized or highly confined anatomic site, or any other invasive procedure in which there is a significant risk of contact between the blood or body fluids of the practitioner and the blood or body fluids of the patient. History: Adopted May 6, 1993; Amended October 4, 2001, October 2, Regulation #27 Informed Consent for Gastric Bypass Surgery Pursuant to Act 1356 of the 84th General Assembly of 2003, all physicians in this state, prior to performing gastric surgery, also known as open or laparoscopic Roux En Y, will have the patient sign an informed consent form acknowledging that they have been told information about various complications that can result from the surgery. The complications and information the patient must be informed of are as follows: A. The potential risks, complications and benefits of the weight loss surgery. B. The alternatives to surgery including non-surgical options. C. The need for dietary changes, a development of an exercise plan and the possible need for counseling. D. The importance of proper nutrition, eating a balanced diet and taking vitamin and mineral supplements for the remainder of their life. E. There is no guarantee of weight loss and the need for long-term weight management as a result of getting the surgery. F. A lifetime of follow up medical care is required. G. Lab work will be required annually or more often than that as directed by the physician. H. Potentially serious complications from the surgery could result in death, further surgery or prolonged hospital stays for the patient. I. The following surgical complications may arise: 1. Bleeding, this may require a transfusion of blood or blood products. 2. Surgical site infections, either superficial or deep to include port sites for laparoscopic access. These could lead to wound breakdowns and hernia formation. 3. Perforations (leaks) of the stomach or intestine causing peritonitis, subphrenic abscess or enteroenteric or enterocutaneous fistulas. 4. Sepsis 5. Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) 6. Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) 7. Myocardial infarction (heart attack) 8. Cardiac rhythm disturbances 9. Congestive heart failure 10. Atelectasis 11. Pneumonia 12. Pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs) 13. Pleural effusions (fluid around the lungs) 14. Injury to adjacent structures, including the spleen, liver, diaphragm, pancreas and colon. 15. Possible removal of the spleen 16. Stroke 17. Kidney failure 18. Pressure sores 19. Deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in the legs or arms) 20. Pulmonary embolism (blood clots migrating to the heart and lungs) 21. Staple line disruption 22. Ulcer formation (marginal ulcer or in the distal stomach) 23. Small bowel obstructions 24. Internal hernias 25. Incisional hernias, this includes port sites for laparoscopic access 26. Dehiscence or evisceration 27. Inadequate or excessive weight loss 28. Kidney stones 29. Gout 30. Encephalopathy 31. Stoma stenosis 32. Urinary tract infections 33. Esophageal, pouch or small bowel motility disorders J. Nutritional complications to include: 1 Protein malnutrition 2. Vitamin deficiencies, including B12, B1, B6, Folate and fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K 3. Mineral deficiencies, including calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper and other trace minerals. 4. Uncorrected deficiencies can lead to anemia, neuro-psychiatric disorders and nerve damage, that is neuropathy. K. Psychiatric complications include: 1. Depression 2. Bulimia 3. Anorexia 4. Dysfunctional social problem L. Other complications to include: 1. Smoking may contribute to adverse outcomes 2. Constipation 3. Diarrhea 4. Bloating 5. Cramping 6. Development of gallstones 7. Intolerance of refined or simple sugars, dumping with nausea, sweating and weakness 8. Low blood sugar, especially with improper eating habits 9. Vomiting, inability to eat certain foods, especially with improper eating habits or poor dentition 10. Loose skin 11. Intertriginous dermatitis due to loose skin 12. Maladorous gas, especially with improper food habits 13. Hair loss (alopecia) 14. Anemia 15. Bone disease 16. Stretching of the pouch or the stoma 17. Low blood pressure 18. Cold intolerance 19. Fatty liver disease or non-alcoholic liver disease (NALF) 20. Progression of preexisting NALF or cirrhosis 21. Vitamin deficiencies may already exist before surgery 22. Diminished alcohol tolerance M. Pregnancy complications should be explained as follows: 1. Pregnancy should be deferred for months after surgery or until after the weight loss is stabilized 2. Vitamin supplementation during the pregnancy shuld be continued 3. Extra folic acid should be taken if the pregnancy is planned 4. Obese mothers have children with higher incidence of neural tube defects and congenital heart defects 5. Pregnancy should be discussed with the obstetrician 6. Special nutritional needs may be indicated or necessary 7. Secure forms of birth control should be used in the first year after surgery 8. Fertility may improve with weight loss Some or all of the complications listed in this regulation may exist in a patient whether the surgical procedure of gastric bypass is performed on the patient or not. This regulation is not meant to imply that in all cases gastric bypass surgery is the only cause of these complications. The failure of a physician to inform a patient, prior to gastric bypass surgery, of the above complications and obtaining the patient s signature on a form acknowledging the same will be a violation of the Arkansas Medical Practices Act and may result in disciplinary proceedings before the Board pursuant to law. Adopted: December 4, 2003; Amended February 5, 2004 UPDATING CREDENTIALING INFORMATION Please be sure to provide the CCVS with any changes to your curriculum vitae (CV), including address, phone, fax or , education completion (residencies and fellowships), staff and network appointments, board certifications and other state licenses. The Board cannot keep you informed and the CCVS cannot update your credentialing profile if accurate contact information is not on file.

6 Page 6 STATE OF ARKANSAS CENTRALIZED CREDENTIALS VERIFICATION SERVICE NEWS BRIEFS The CCVS Monitor continues to field questions regarding organization name changes and parent organization buy outs or name changes. If your parent organization has recently been bought out by another company but there is no change in your organization s dba name, you only need to notify the CCVS of this event. The information will be maintained in your organization s file. If your organization has recently changed its name, it will be necessary to follow the process listed below at your earliest convenience. The Authorization and Releases signed by your physicians must exactly list the name on the customer account or your order will be held until this is resolved. ORGANIZATION NAME CHANGES The following guidelines should be followed for organizations wishing to change their names in the CCVS system: 1. Copy of certificate of incorporation, letter from the Department of Health showing the doing-business-as (DBA) and legal name of the organization. 2. Notification on the organization s new letterhead of their wish to change the name, and showing both the old and new name. 3. Documentation should be sent to the attention of the QI/Customer Service Manager. 4. Organizations should not plan the account change-over during their peak volume ordering periods, as this process will take a few days to complete. 5. The organization s account administrator will need to set up a new account via the online system. The organization s old account will be deactivated and no further charges or profile purchases can be added to that account. However, an archive of the previous and current customer account information will still be available for the customer s account administrator via their password. A new account will have to be set up by the customer under the organization s new name. All future orders will be made to this account. Signed Authorization and Releases must list the new name exactly as it is listed on the new account. CREDIT CARD EXPIRATIONS/ CHANGES TO NEW EFT ACCOUNTS CCVS Account Administrators: If an organization changes credit card or electronic funds transfer (EFT) accounts, the account administrator must notify the CCVS immediately via the appropriate web site area. New account information must be set up for the process to continue without lengthy interruption. When an account is charged for a profile, and there are no funds in the account or the charge is not approved, all work on that organizations physician profile requests are halted until the account is updated. If this work stoppage is lengthy, verifications may expire in the interim, your orders may be cancelled, and you will be required to reorder, (re-setting the date the release is due to your organization) before the files are worked again. This may cause unnecessary delays in your credentialing process. Please remember to check your accounts if you know there is a possibility that your credit card may not have enough credit for your orders or there may not be funds in your EFT account. CCVS ADVISORY COMMITTEE NEWS Met January 29, 2004 Agenda items for discussion/review included: JCAHO s new standard on Identity Theft; the All Facility Authorization and Release; 2003 Year-End Quality Improvement Report; Information Technology Report on outages, virus and worm attacks; Proposed attestation question changes; Development of One-Application Sub- Committee. Next meeting will be April 29, ATTENTION! CREDENTIALING ORGANIZATIONS There have been several complaints from physicians that certain organizations have been requiring them to complete and sign an attestation page for the organization, in addition to the one they sign for the CCVS. Please review this process for necessity, as the attestation which your organization collected for the CCVS should suffice for the organization as well. If there is a question that you feel is required by JCAHO or NCQA, please notify the CCVS via (ccvs@armedicalboard.org).

7 Page 7 FIRST IN THE NATION!!! The Centralized Credentials Verification Service is the first medical board based CVO in the nation. This new service was designed to reduce the credentialing paperwork duplication for healthcare providers and to provide a single repository of information for credentialing organizations. TECHNOLOGY UPDATE The Medical Board s Information Technology department continues to be very busy during the outbreaks of new viruses and worms once again running rampant through the Internet. Please make sure that your organization has updated anti-virus software on your computer. This will protect your computer and make sure that you cannot be used to spread viruses to other computers attached to the Internet and on your address list. You are advised not to open any attachments that are not Adobe PDF or those from an unknown or unrecognizable source. Due to the current influx of Internet viruses, the Medical Board can no longer accept file attachments unless they are sent in ZIP or Adobe PDF format. File attachments must be sent directly to the SUPPORT department at support@armedicalboard.org for scanning. To avoid any disruption in service, the Medical Board will be forced to strip from the e- mail message any file attachment not arriving in these predefined file formats, and the message will not be delivered. Please provide the subject of your attachment and its intended recipient in the subject line of your so it can be forwarded to the appropriate recipient upon scan completion. PLEASE BE AWARE OF THIS POLICY WHEN SENDING ROSTERS. REPORTING MALPRACTICE CLAIMS Malpractice Claims Information IS NOT provided by the CCVS or the Board to credentialing organizations in any format. All physicians licensed in Arkansas are required (Arkansas Code Annotated and Regulation 23 of the Medical Practices Act) to notify the Board of any claims or filing of lawsuits. This would include pending, dropped, settled or dismissed claims or lawsuits. Notification must be on the Board s required form, which can be downloaded from the Board s web site at www. armedicalboard.org and should be faxed or mailed to the Board with copies of the court document and followed up with final determination. If the physician is notified of dismissal, a copy of that document should be forwarded to the Board. One of the questions on the attestations (questionnaire) the physicians are required to sign every 120 days inquires about malpractice suits. The physician should provide a brief explanation of the suit, whether pending, dropped, settled or dismissed. This explanation will be scanned with the attestation questionnaire for the CCVS customer to retrieve. This is the only malpractice claims information provided by the CCVS to the customer. Malpractice claims information is not listed on the CCVS profile in any format. The CCVS is not certified by NCQA to provide this information to the customer. The information in the physician s license file in this regard is confidential. The customer may request this information directly from the physician. CCVS INFORMATION HIGHWAY To Medical or Credentialing Staff: The CCVS has initiated tracking of noncompliance with the mandate. Several organizations have already received notification. The result of this notification is that many of these organizations are now refusing to complete verification requests or supply rosters to other organizations, as this information should be obtained through the CCVS. If your organization is not compliant, this may delay your credentialing process. If your organization has completed the signup process but is currently not utilizing the CCVS, or only utilizing the CCVS for initial credentialing, you are also considered noncompliant with the state law. You may find that more and more organizations and physicians are refusing to supply you with information you may have previously received. If you have a question regarding compliancy, please direct those in the form of s to ccvs@armedicalboard.org and someone will assist you. NOTICE TO PHYSICIANS!! STATE-WIDE APPLICATION The CCVS is currently developing a state-wide application for submission to the hospitals and networks which are currently sending applications for you or your staff to complete. THIS ELEMENT IS NOT OFFERED OR IN EFFECT AT THIS TIME and expectation is that the CCVS and the Board will not have the research, approval and draft of this application completed until However, the CCVS is in the process of collecting examples of applications that physicians must complete. Physicians will receive advance notification, which will be highly publicized. Please do not forward your applications to the CCVS for completion at this time. If networks or hospitals require you to complete an application, and those items are not provided by the CCVS, it is your responsibility to complete them if you want to maintain your privileges with that facility or network. Please remember to ALL questions to the CCVS Monitor at ccvs@armedicalboard.org and do not questions directly to any one person or the person who helped you last time you had a problem. The Monitor s go to all management staff at the same time so all are aware of the situation and any one of them can assist you in the event one is out of the office. The data from these s helps the CCVS and ASMB collect necessary statistics for quality improvement activities that assist in improvement efforts.

8 Page 8 We re on the WEB!!! Arkansas State Medical Board 2100 Riverfront Drive Phone: (501) (Main Number) Fax: (501) (Regulatory) Fax: (501) (CCVS) Or Fax: (501) (Licensing, Renewals, QI/CS, Accounting and Personnel) Protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the people of the State of Arkansas with the goal that all citizens be provided with the highest quality health care. WEB INFORMATION CENTER The ASMB is developing an information center for our web site! By accessing the site daily, you will receive the most current Board Actions, Newsletters, Alerts, Regulations and other notifications. For more information on this and other upgrades, check our web site frequently! MEDICAL PRACTICES ACT BOOKLETS $15 PER COPY or free from the web site at armedicalboard.org P LEASE FAX (501) OR MAIL TO: NAME: CHANGE OF ADDRESS FORM E MAIL (LICENSING@ ARMEDICALBOARD. ORG) ARKANSAS STATE MEDICAL BOARD 2100 RIVERFRONT DRIVE LITTLE ROCK, AR LICENSE NUMBER: COPIES OF ALL BOARD REGULATIONS ARE INCLUDED IN THE MEDICAL PRACTICES ACT BOOKLET. It is the physician s responsibility to read and comply with these rules. DIRECTORIES AVAILABLE ON CD ROM Printed directories are no longer available. M.D. & D.O.s may obtain a free 2003 CD directory by calling the Board and requesting one CDs are still available and can be ordered via the web site at $25 per CD payment is with credit card only Directories are not yet available. BUSINESS ADDRESS: HOME ADDRESS: CITY: STATE: ZIP: BUSINESS PHONE:( ) FAX:( ) HOME:( ) CURRENT E- MAIL ADDRESS: EFFECTIVE DATE OF ADDRESS CHANGE: SIGNATURE: