More than two million women of childbearing age live in maternity care deserts, areas without access to birthing facilities or maternity care providers. Hospital closures and a shortage of providers are driving changes in maternity care access, especially within rural areas. According to the March of Dimes, 34.3 percent of Illinois counties are defined as maternity care deserts compared to 32.6 percent of counties in the U.S. overall. The loss of hospital-based obstetrical services in these areas puts additional pressure on emergency medicine physicians, allied health professionals, and other staff to provide emergency care for pregnant and perinatal patients. Emergency medicine professionals must be adequately prepared to care for this population and be aware of medicolegal implications.

Join the Illinois State Medical Society for this webinar presented by Ann Borders, MD, from NorthShore University HealthSystem, and Stacie Geller, Ph.D., from the University of Illinois Chicago to learn more about the maternal health crisis in Illinois including basic EMTALA-specific requirements for emergency departments without dedicated obstetrics services, common obstetrical emergencies and strategies for care or stabilization, and resources and curricula for additional training.

Who can attend:

Registration is limited to ISMS members and their employed staff.

About the Presenters:

Ann Borders, M.D., M.Sc., M.P.H., is a Maternal Fetal Medicine physician and Ian Bernard Horowitz Chair of Obstetrics at Endeavor Health at Evanston Hospital and Clinical Professor, University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine. She is the Executive Director and Obstetric Lead for the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative. She serves on the Illinois Department of Public Health Maternal Mortality Review Committee and the State Quality Council as well as an OB Co-Chair for the National Network of Perinatal Quality Collaboratives Executive Committee.

Stacie Geller, Ph.D., is the G. William Arends Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of Center for Research on Women and Gender at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine. She conducts clinical, health services and epidemiological research both nationally and internationally. She is also a founding and continuing member of the Illinois Maternal Mortality Review Committee.

Learning Objectives:

• Recite EMTALA-specific requirements for Emergency Departments at hospitals without dedicated OB services.
• Implement policies for evaluation of active labor and protocols for transfer when indicated.
• Recognize common OB emergencies and outline management strategies for each.
• Identify and locate online resources and curricula available for additional training for OB emergencies.

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

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

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

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the population of Americans age 65 and older is projected to grow from 58 million in 2022 to 82 million by 2050. In fact, by 2030, all members of the of the baby-boom generation (Americans born between 1946 and 1964) will be age 65 or older, the age range at greatest risk for developing Alzheimer’s and other dementias. While not everyone experiencing cognitive decline has or will develop Alzheimer's disease or related dementias, early detection and diagnosis can help patients, families, and physicians navigate next steps. Research advancements in clinical assessments, psychometric testing, and emerging blood-based and biomarkers tests continue to show promise in detecting disease at earlier stages. This course will review the essential information healthcare professionals in Illinois need in order to stay up-to-date with the latest screening tools, diagnostic criteria, and management recommendations for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Physicians are required to complete a one-hour course in training on the diagnosis, treatment, and care of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias per renewal period to be licensed in Illinois.

Join the Illinois State Medical Society for this webinar presented by Daniel A. Llano, M.D., Ph.D., from Carle Illinois College of Medicine & Carle Foundation Hospital, to learn the most current and essential information Illinois medical professionals need to know about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Who can attend:

Registration is limited to ISMS members, ISMIE policyholders and their employed staff.

About the Presenter:

Dr. Llano, received his M.D. from the University of Illinois College of Medicine, neurology training at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women’s Hospital and training in behavioral neuroscience at the University of Chicago. He currently works at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine and Carle Foundation Hospital where he sees patients with cognitive and behavioral disorders and conducts research on aging and aging-related disorders.

Learning Objectives:

• Outline the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with memory loss
• Communicate current and emerging best practices for timely screening and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias
• Identify the stages and risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias
• Recognize FDA-approved treatment options that may address some symptoms of Alzheimer’s and other dementias
• Describe current scientific efforts to advance Alzheimer’s research

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

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

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

Direct Primary Care: Improved Satisfaction for Patients and Physicians
12 p.m.
Register Online

Many physicians find their professional satisfaction and sense of autonomy irreparably compromised by the influence of third-party payers on the practice of medicine. Shrinking reimbursement rates, increasing administrative burdens such as prior authorization requirements and utilization review audits, and coverage policies that can result in patients forgoing or delaying care have a huge negative impact on a physician’s willingness and ability to sustain a robust primary care practice. Many physicians are interested in exploring practice options that could allow them to reduce their reliance on third-party payers while continuing to serve patients in their communities.

Interest in the Direct Primary Care (DPC) practice model is growing in Illinois. DPC-patients pay their physician directly for services such as office visits, clinical and laboratory services, care coordination, and comprehensive care management, without insurance companies operating as intermediaries. DPC can be both financially sustainable and professionally fulfilling, allowing physicians to return their full attention to caring for patients.

Join the Illinois State Medical Society for this webinar presented by family medicine physicians Clodagh Ryan, M.D., of Cara Direct Care, and Aleea Gupta, M.D., of Family First Direct Primary Care to learn more about whether the direct primary care practice model might be right for you and your patients.

Who can attend:

Registration is open to ISMS members and their staff

About the Presenter:

Dr. Aleea Gupta is a board-certified family physician who completed her undergraduate education at Duke University, medical degree at University of Florida and residency at Overlook Hospital/ Columbia University. She has worked in multiple settings in the past 25 years, including as an assistant professor at the University of Southern California, as a partner physician at Southern Permanent California Medical Group, and as a staff physician at Doctors Immediate Care, Illinois. In 2018, she learned about the direct primary care (DPC) model from a colleague and decided to open the first DPC practice in her county. She did not have a patient or referral base in her town, and thus had to build her DPC practice from the ground up. Dr. Gupta used in-person and social media marketing to successfully fill her DPC practice in three years. Through trial and error, she discovered the key steps that DPC physicians need to take to in order to use social medial to get patients to join their practices. Dr. Gupta is also passionate about spreading awareness about the DPC model to medical students and residents. She has used social media to showcase the strengths and values of DPC, and has lectured about DPC to several future physician groups, both virtually and in-person. Her goal is to help further the Direct Primary Care movement in Chicagoland, the state of Illinois and beyond.

Dr. Clodagh Ryan is a board-certified family medicine physician based in La Grange, IL. Originally from Ireland, she earned her medical degree from Trinity College Medical School in Dublin before moving to the United States to continue her medical career. After working in private practice, Dr. Ryan founded Cara Direct Care in 2017, the first Direct Primary Care (DPC) practice in Chicago’s western suburbs. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Ryan is dedicated to teaching. She serves as adjunct faculty and course director at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM), where she leads the “Introduction to Clinical Practice with Telemedicine” course. This course covers topics such as the U.S. healthcare system, health insurance, the corporatization of medicine, telemedicine, and medical business ownership. From 2021 to 2023, Dr. Ryan served on the advisory board of the Direct Primary Care Alliance, advocating for the DPC model and its role in managing chronic illness and improving patient outcomes. She has also presented at national medical conferences, including the AAFP DPC Summit, AAFP FMX, and DPCA Grand Rounds. In 2021 and 2022, Dr. Ryan hosted back-to-back Direct Primary Care Alliance Mastermind conferences, guiding other physicians in establishing their own DPC practices. Dr. Ryan is also a founding member and current Executive Board Member of the Association of Professional Trichologists, where she serves as a Member-At-Large. Dr. Ryan enjoys playing Irish music with her husband and four children, working out, reading, and traveling.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the common features of a direct primary care (DPC) model
• List the advantages of a DPC model for physicians and patients
• Describe potential challenges and risks associated with DPC practice

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

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

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

Implicit bias is a form of bias that occurs automatically and unintentionally, and nevertheless affects judgments, decisions, and behaviors. Studies show that implicit bias among physicians and other healthcare professionals contributes to health care disparities and poorer health outcomes, especially among individuals from marginalized communities or those who are generally under-represented in the medical professions. It can be challenging to identify and mitigate implicit bias because, by definition, most people fail to recognize these types of biases unless they make deliberate and consistent efforts to identify and challenge their perceptions.

Given the unconscious nature of these biases, physicians need focused education and concrete strategies that will enable them to consistently identify and challenge implicit bias in their practice.

The state of Illinois requires physicians and other licensed healthcare professionals to complete one hour of continuing education on implicit bias awareness each licensure cycle. Physicians are up for license renewal in 2026. Get ahead of the requirements by taking this course.

Join the Illinois State Medical Society and ISMIE Mutual Insurance Company for this webinar presented by Carl Lambert Jr. M.D., FAAFP, from Rush University, to learn more about how implicit biases develop and influence decision-making and patient care, the negative effects of implicit bias, and how to effectively recognize and mitigate those effects.

Who can attend:

Registration is limited to ISMS members and their employed staff.

About the Presenter:

Dr. Carl E. Lambert Jr., completed his residency in Family Medicine at West Suburban Medical Center after receiving his medical degree from Rush University Medical College in 2011. Dr. Lambert is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family & Preventative Medicine at Rush University Medical College in Chicago where he also serves as Director of the Family Medicine Leadership Program and Director of Service Learning.

Learning Objectives:

• Distinguish between explicit and implicit biases
• Define implicit bias and describe the societal and personal factors that contribute to the development of implicit biases
• Describe the potential negative effects of a physician’s implicit bias on interacting with and caring for patients
• Identify strategies to recognize, interrupt and mitigate implicit bias

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

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

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