Join Erin O’Brien and David Porter as they provide an update from this year’s session of the Illinois General Assembly. Learn about the bills affecting medical practice and the health of the citizens of the state, including two new CME mandates, and hear what’s on the horizon for the 2022 General Assembly.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this activity, learners will be able to:

1. Describe legislative changes affecting medical practice in Illinois; and
2. Discuss the new educational requirements for physicians.

About the presenters:

Erin O’Brien has been employed with the Illinois State Medical Society since 2004. In her capacity as Senior Vice President for State Legislative Affairs, it is her responsibility to convey the organizations’ positions and policies to lawmakers on issues impacting the practice of medicine, physicians and their patients. She is also responsible for connecting legislators and other state officials to Illinois physicians to discuss important matters facing Illinois’ public health system and how to safely improve access to health care for all Illinois patients.

Prior to her employment with the Illinois State Medical Society and ISMIE Mutual, Erin worked for the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives where she assisted legislators with developing their public policy agendas, and public promotion of their legislative accomplishments.

Erin O’Brien graduated from Marquette University in 1993 where she majored in political science.

David Porter is the Senior Vice President of Health Policy Research and Advocacy at the Illinois State Medical Society. In that role, he is dedicated to advancing physicians’ interests and protecting their ability to provide high-quality care to their patients. He and his team track all legislative and regulatory changes that may impact physicians’ professional lives – including issues like the licensure of healthcare professionals, the integration of health information technology into medical practice, and the constantly changing interface between physicians and public and private payers.

His department also produces relevant educational content for medical society members, and develops and implements advocacy strategies to advance the interests of Illinois physicians and the patients they serve.

David Porter’s career includes successful stints in: government service at the US Department of Health and Human Services, non-profit association management at the American Medical Association and other medical societies, and pharmaceutical policy and alliance development at the GD Searle Company and the Pharmacia Corporation.

David holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Denison University in Granville, Ohio.

Who can attend:

Registration is limited to ISMS members and their employed staff. All others must pay $150 to attend. To pay, please email hpresearch@isms.org for instructions.

Join infectious disease specialist Dr. Alfredo J. Mena Lora, MD, from the University of Illinois at Chicago as he provides an update on the increasing prevalence of Lyme disease in Illinois, and reviews the latest updates to evidence-based clinical practices guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Lyme disease.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this activity, learners will be able to:

1. Describe why the growing prevalence of Lyme disease and tick-borne pathogens are a threat to public health.
2. Identify risk factors and recognize the importance of ongoing awareness of Lyme disease, and the need to be vigilant in screening patients on a regular basis; and
3. Identify the importance of evidence-based clinical practices guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Lyme disease, promulgated by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), American Academy of Neurology (AAN), and American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

About the presenter:

Dr. Mena Lora is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and Medical Director of Infection Prevention at Saint Anthony Hospital. He currently serves as Program Director for the infectious diseases training program at UIC.

Who can attend:

Registration is limited to ISMS members and their employed staff. All others must pay $150 to attend. To pay, please email hpresearch@isms.org for instructions.

Accreditation:

The Illinois State Medical Society is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit designation:

The Illinois State Medical Society designates this live activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Disclosure:

There are no relevant financial relationships with ACCME-defined commercial interests for anyone who was in control of the content of this activity.

Join Dr. Steven Phillips as he provides a presentation on the history, clinical presentation, differential diagnosis and medical management of long-haul COVID-19. Dr. Phillips’ presentation will include a discussion on the similarities of long COVID-19 to earlier chronic post-infection syndromes, and will also offer strategies for navigating the challenges of comprehensive care in the specialty-oriented and disjointed U.S. healthcare system.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this activity, learners will be able to:

1. Identify patterns of clinical presentation and diagnostic challenges of long COVID-19
2. Describe similarities to historical post-infection syndromes and the polarization within the medical community on how best to address debilitating illnesses that may have a somatic or organic origin
3. Summarize approaches to overcome barriers to effective care posted by the fragmented U.S. healthcare system

About the presenter

Dr. Phillips is an internist, medical epidemiologist, and public health professional who has held leadership positions in global health, pandemic preparedness, and international development spanning private, government, academic and think-tank sectors over a three-decade career. He currently serves as Vice President of Science and Strategy at the COVID Collaborative. He also serves on global and national public health and community-service organization boards, holds two think-tank appointments, and is also an independent consultant in COVID-19 pandemic response, global health strategy, policy and finance.

The COVID Collaborative is a national platform that has brought top experts and institutions in health, education and the economy together with the National Governors Association and other associations representing state and local leaders to take unified action to stop the spread, and safely and sustainably reopen schools, workplaces and other places where Americans gather and to renew our robust economy. Dr. Phillips manages the vaccination education, COVID-19 testing and private sector outreach portfolios of the Collaborative, and is liaison with the scientific advisory board of its National Advisory Council.

Who can attend:

Registration is limited to ISMS members and their employed staff. All others must pay $150 to attend. To pay, please email hpresearch@isms.org for instructions.

Accreditation:

The Illinois State Medical Society is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit designation:

The Illinois State Medical Society designates this live activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Disclosure:

There are no relevant financial relationships with ACCME-defined commercial interests for anyone who was in control of the content of this activity.