News from the Northern Lower Regional AHEC

The Northern Lower AHEC (NLRC) continues to be a resource for continuing education opportunities for its host site's staff at MidMichigan Community Health Services, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The NLRC Administrative Assistant, Tanya LeMire, coordinated two mandated reporter training sessions for 17 clinical staff at MidMichigan Community Health Services. The virtual training was facilitated by the Crawford Roscommon Child Protection Council and provides an overview of the Child Protection Law, gives signs of child abuse and neglect, and provides an understanding of the MDHHS reporting process.

Another training will also be coordinated for providers at MidMichigan Community Health Services regarding the recent changes to evaluation and management office visit documentation and coding. This training will review the Evaluation and Management coding changes which became effective January 1, 2021. These changes are designed specifically to reduce the burden on physicians for the necessary documentation required for medical decision making. Providers may now take time spent with patient/coordination of care into account when coding a visit.

MidMichigan Community Health Services has many new providers who must complete Human Trafficking training for their license renewal. The NLRC provided information on Human Trafficking training (SOAR) to providers. This is a free, one-hour online training facilitated by HHS National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center which is eligible for CME credit. This user-friendly training is especially helpful to our providers during the pandemic and can completed on their own time.