March 2023
March Newsletter featuring Dr Valerie Tan, Nephrologist, March for Kidneys and SB1035 testimony.
March for Kidneys
March marks National Kidney month, and with the first quarter of the year at it’s end, let’s take a moment to revisit Chronic Kidney Disease or CKD.
Our kidneys are composed of 1 million nephrons and the kidneys reach adult function at age 2-3 years old, peaking at the third decade at 120 ml/min/1.73 m2 and then declines at 1 ml/min/1.73 m2 every year after age 40.
CKD is a condition of having decreased kidney function for at least 3 months associated with evidence of kidney damage. CKD ranges from mild (CKD stage 1-2) to moderate (CKD stage 3a-3b) to severe (CKD stage 4), to kidney failure or End Stage Renal Disease (CKD stage 5). According to the CDC, 37 million people or more than 1 in 7 adults are estimated to have CKD, and of those with CKD, as many as 9 in 10 don’t know they have it. About 38% of those aged 65 and older have CKD.
CKD increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and early death. It’s the 10th leading cause of death in the US. Diabetes and hypertension remain the most common causes of CKD, with as much as 1 in 3 adults with diabetes and 1 in 5 adults with hypertension having CKD.
CKD is generally a progressive disease. The rate of progression depends on age, the underlying cause, the individual patient’s lifestyle and characteristics, control of diabetes, hypertension and other comorbidities, as well as the implementation and success of secondary preventive measures. A healthy lifestyle, a low salt diet, control of diabetes and hypertension may curb CKD, and when detected in early stages, early implementation of medications such as ACEi/ARBs, SGLT2 inhibitors and MRAs may help preserve renal function and slow down renal decline.
Dr Valerie Tan, Nephrologist
Valerie Tan, MD
Hawaii Nephrologists LLC
Waipahu, HI
Upcoming Events
“Spring into Health” Fair
The Filipino Community Center, Waipahu
May 20th - 10 to 2PM
Interested in participating as an exhibitor or sponsor? Please email RheaPMAH808@gmail.com for assistance.
Memorial Weekend CME - Primary Care Updates
Four Seasons Resort at Ko'Olina
May 27-28, 2023
President's Corner
Aloha PMAH members,
(TIME-SENSITIVE - CALL TO ACTION!)
A very important bill is moving through the legislature right now. SB 1035 is a bill to exempt community private practice clinics from Hawaii state GE tax for Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare medical services. This bill is awaiting scheduling to be heard by the House Finance Committee. Rep Kyle Yamashita, finance committee chair, must put it on the dockett by Tuesday 4/4 or it will not move forward.
PLEASE reach out to your house representatives ASAP to encourage Rep. Yamashita to schedule SB1035 for hearing, or contact him yourself at repyamashita@capitol.hawaii.gov and 808.586.6330.
Spread the word to colleagues, family and friends who care about Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare patients in Hawaii.
PMAH, along with HMA and various other medical professional organizations are working together to support this legislation, but we need your involvement. Dr. Jerald Garcia & I along with groups like HMA and AARP have been working hard to help give this bill legs and give physicians a voice in the legislature. See PMAH's testimony below, and join us in making out voices heard.
Aloha!
-Lyla Cachola Prather, MD, PMAH President
Watch PMAH President Dr. Lyla Prather & PMAH Legislative Chair Dr. Jerald Garcia's interview on SB1035 on HNN Sunrise with Annalisa Burgos Via the link below: https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2023/03/05/can-community-clinic-general-excise-tax-exemption-ease-hawaiis-doctor-shortage/
Dr Lyla Prather and Dr Jerry Garcia
Marc Alexander, HMA Executive Director and Dr Lyla Prather
Dr Lyla Prather
Updates
1. On the MONEY front, local legislative bills SB397/HB1367, to raise Medicaid/QUEST pay, and SB1035/HB662, bills to eliminate the GET on healthcare, are moving through the Hawaii Legislature. Also progressing are the loan repayment (SB164/HB661) and Preceptor Tax Credit (for specialists as well as PCPs SB1215/HB82) bills. If you want to voice your opinion, itʻs easy to do: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/
2. Help us raise Hawaii's Medicare rates! -- We are working with our Federal Legislators to try to get Medicare rates raised. To do this, we need to assess the cost of having a practice in Hawaii. If you own or run a practice, please complete our brief anonymous survey about costs of practicing in Hawaii: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/37RLWDV
Join the PMAH Legislative Committee!
Do you want to know more about what bills are being introduced that potentially affect healthcare in Hawaii?
Are you passionate about advocacy and effecting change in Hawaii's healthcare landscape?
Email PMAHinfo@gmail.com and let us know you're interested, and will pass it along to committee chair, Dr. Jerald Garcia.
Physician Opportunities
Are you a specialist who is willing to provide telehealth to rural areas of Hawaii? Email kelleywithy@gmail.com for more information.
Do you want to advertise an open position? Do you want to find a job in Hawaii? Do you want to meet a resident who may be interested in joining your practice? Email Your Hawaii Physician Recruiter: Thomas Hao hao4@hawaii.edu
For HMSA formularies, save this link (https://hmsa.com/help-center/your-hmsa-drug-formulary-list/). You can just put the three digit drug code from the patient's HMSA card (DRUG: xxx) and it will tell you which formulary to look at: https://hmsa.com/help-center/your-hmsa-drug-formulary-list/
COVID Vaccine Information
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/children-teens.html
https://hawaiicovid19.com/vaccine-faqs/
COVID Vaccine Access
https://www.filcomcares.org/events
https://www.oneoahu.org/find-vaccine
https://www.hawaiipacifichealth.org/hph-covid-19-updates/vaccine-update/
PMAH is a proud partner of the FilCom CARES project to provide COVID-19 resources our Filipino Communities.
To subscribe to the FilCom CARES newsletter, click HERE
Follow FilCom CARES on Facebook and Instagram for updates
Interested in becoming a member?
Benefits of PMAH Membership
As a member of the PMAH you will be able to:
1. Engage Filipino healthcare leaders in advancing the health and well-being of communities in Hawaii and abroad.
2. Be allowed to participate in a number of unparalleled networking opportunities to connect with your peers, mentors, and other medical leaders in Hawaii.
3. Attend conventions, seminars, dinners and other related events with like-minded professionals in the field
4. Keep up with the newest developments through our CME Courses and other educational opportunities
5. Become involved with Ohana Medical Missions, providing healthcare and health education to indigent patients in the Philippines, Hawaii, and other countries
Want to be more involved in PMAH?
We welcome and encourage PMAH membership engagement!!
If you have a special interest, please ask us!
We also are always looking for potential new board members.
New ideas, suggestions, concerns, and comments welcome!
Please reach out to us!
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT
DONATE to PMAH and our Affiliates
Due to the pandemic, our usual conferences and other fundraising events for the year were cancelled/postponed/adjusted. Therefore at this time, we rely on donations to fund our projects and operational costs.
Your donations are greatly appreciated !
https://pmah-hawaii.org/take-action
All affiliates are non-profit charitable organizations 501(c)(3).
*When making a donation, please specify in comments preferred use ie general fund, mentorship, etc.
CONTACT US
We'd love to learn about announcements / education / opportunities / events
Please email pmahinfo@gmail.com