Utah Legislative Action Alert
We need your help to fight two very concerning physician assistant independence bills. SB27 and SB28 seek to give physicians assistants, immediately following school, independent practice ability and direct billing from insurance. To learn more and take action, click here.
UAFP Members in the News
Utah lawmaker seeks stronger state database to help patients find vaccination data
KSL/Deseret News - A proposed bill in Utah could strengthen the state's vaccine database to help patients and their doctors learn which vaccines they've gotten and when.
Currently, data often gets lost in the Utah Statewide Immunization Information System — or it doesn't get entered at all, said bill sponsor Rep. Ray Ward, R-Bountiful, who is a doctor by trade. Read more...
David N. Sundwall: Restoring confidence in public health. It’s a crisis of trust.
Salt Lake Tribune - "...Over the past several months, public health efforts and officials have been maligned and considered by some as having caused the worldwide economic downturn and dire consequences for employment, education and mental health. In my opinion, this is somewhat akin to “shooting the messenger,” to blaming the bearer of bad news for the consequences of the pandemic. Read more...
Last Chance to Run as AAFP Delegate - Deadline to Nominate Monday, Feb 1
Represent the interests of your fellow Utah family medicine physicians at the annual AAFP Congress of Delegates this year! If you are interested in helping to shape AAFP policy, determine AAFP advocacy efforts, and vote for AAFP leaders, this is a great opportunity! Contact Maryann if you have questions about COD such as time commitment and responsibilities.
State Legislative Updates
UAFP's executive director, Maryann Martindale, has been busy reading, tracking, and testifying on several bills already - and we still have five weeks to go!
If you want to stay up to date with what action UAFP is taking to protect your practice and your patients, join our Legislative & Advocacy committee which meets Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm. Contact Maryann if you'd like to join.
Read our bill tracker which is updated at least weekly.
Sign up for Action Alerts - We will email you when we need you to email or call your representatives or possibly even ask you to testify in a committee hearing (can be done virtually this year).
Children’s Hearing Aid Program (CHAP)
The Utah Department of Health Children’s Hearing Aid Program was created to help families in need receive early access to hearing aids for their children.
CHAP covers one hearing aid per ear, either traditional behind-the-ear or soft band bone-conduction, as well as three years of earmolds and hearing aid follow-up visits.
For more information, visit health.utah.gov/chap, call (801) 273-6600, or email chap@utah.gov.
It's Not Too Late to Join Us!
Join UAFP virtually tomorrow, January 30th from 8:00am – 12:00pm MST for a Health Behaviors KSA
Faculty from Rocky Vista University – Southern Utah, Dr. Ben Wilde and Dr. Mark Wardle, will be leading the discussion regarding the impact of exercise, nutrition, obesity, sexual health, and tobacco and substance abuse on human health. Registration ends tonight at midnight!
COVID-19 Updates
Utah vaccine doses may triple; Gov. Cox ‘more optimistic’ than ever
Deseret News - Gov. Spencer Cox said Thursday Utah could soon triple its vaccine supply and declared he’s “more optimistic now” about getting COVID-19 under control than at any time since the pandemic began nearly a year ago.
During his weekly update, the governor said the state’s allotment of vaccine doses from the federal government — now about 33,000 a week — could “triple or more” in the coming months with the Biden administration’s purchase of additional doses and the anticipated approval of new vaccines. Read more...
COVID-19 Vaccine CME Activities
Help your patients, family, friends, and even colleagues better understand COVID-19 vaccines. The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) has developed a database of accredited CME activities for physicians about the COVID-19 vaccines. Learn more at learntovaccinate.org
Johnson & Johnson’s Vaccine Offers Strong Protection but Fuels Concern About Variants
New York Times - Johnson & Johnson, the only major drug maker developing a single-dose vaccine for Covid, announced on Friday that its shot provided strong protection against Covid-19...
But the results came with a significant cautionary note: The vaccine’s efficacy rate dropped from 72 percent in the United States to 57 percent in South Africa, where a highly contagious variant is driving most cases. Read more...
Get All the Latest Local Health Dept. Vaccine Distribution Updates
Stay up-to-date with vaccine news and how each of the local health departments are disturbing the COVID-19 vaccines on our website at utahafp.org/covid-19-vaccine-news/
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P.O. Box 521113
Salt Lake City, UT
801-736-0722