Release Date: March 31, 2021
Expiration Date: March 31, 2022

Expected time to complete this activity as designed: 60 minutes
There are no fees for participating in or receiving credit for this online activity.

Program Overview

Some of the highest incidence rates of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) occur in the rural states of Montana, Maine, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Kentucky, where disparities in cancer care are also known to exist. This program provides an opportunity for clinicians practicing in rural states to participate in personalized education designed to both improve disparities in care for these patients and link quality improvement measures to the initiative for reporting to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Payment Program for Small, Underserved, and Rural Practices Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS).

This activity was previously presented as a live webinar with Q&A. Please note: If you participated in the live webinar, you are ineligible to receive an additional 1.0 contact hour of credit and may not re-submit for credit previously awarded.

Target Audience

This activity is designed for multidisciplinary healthcare providers including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other allied healthcare professionals in rural practices who provide medical care to patients with CLL.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this educational activity, participants should be able to:

• Implement state-specific and universal strategies to address barriers to the care of patients with CLL living in rural areas, to improve healthcare quality
• Describe optimal treatment regimens for patients with CLL, considering the risks and benefits of each approach
• Develop approaches to address CLL treatment adherence, adverse event monitoring and management, with unique considerations for rural practice
• Integrate quality improvement measures as outlined by the CMS Quality Payment Programs for Small, Underserved, and Rural Practices

Agenda

Rural Cancer Care Nationally and Locally – Alan Morgan, MPA

Treatment of CLL: Current and Emerging Approaches – Farrukh T. Awan, MD

CMS/MIPS Performance and Quality Improvement in Rural Practice – Opal H. Greenway, JD

Instructions for Participation and Credit

This activity is eligible for credit through March 31, 2022. After this date, this activity will expire and no further credit will be awarded.

1. Read the target audience, learning objectives, and faculty disclosures.
2. You may be asked to complete a short pre-test before accessing the educational content. This must be completed in order to move forward in the activity.
3. Complete the educational content as designed.
4. Complete the post-test. To receive a certificate, you must receive a passing score of 70%.
5. Complete the activity evaluation survey to provide feedback and information useful for future programming.
6. Certificates for CME and CNE may be printed immediately after successfully completing the post-test and activity evaluation. Pharmacist credit will be uploaded to CPE Monitor 4 weeks following receipt of a completed, qualified form.

Faculty Biographies

Farrukh T. Awan, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Director of Lymphoid Malignancies Program
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, Texas

Dr. Farrukh Awan received his medical degree at The Aga Khan University Medical College in Pakistan. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and received advanced training in hematology and oncology through a fellowship at The Ohio State University. Dr. Awan is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine and Director of the Lymphoid Malignancies Program at the University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. In addition, he is a member of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at UTSW’s Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center and William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital.

Dr. Awan is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Medical Oncology, and the American Board of Hematology. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the American Society of Hematology. Dr. Awan has published multiple academic articles and book chapters, delivered presentations, as well as administered grants and clinical trials. He specializes in bone marrow transplantation and treatments for leukemia and lymphoma.

Alan Morgan, MPA
Chief Executive Officer
National Rural Health Association
Washington, DC

Alan Morgan serves as Chief Executive Officer for the National Rural Health Association. He has more than 30 years’ experience in health policy at the state and federal level and is one of the nation’s leading experts on rural health policy.

Mr. Morgan has served as a contributing author for Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health Care, and Rural Populations and Health. In addition, his health policy articles have been published in The American Journal of Clinical Medicine, The Journal of Rural Health, The Journal of Cardiovascular Management, The Journal of Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology, Cardiac Electrophysiology Review, and Laboratory Medicine. Mr. Morgan also served as staff for former US Congressman Dick Nichols and former Kansas Governor Mike Hayden. Additionally, his past experience includes tenures as a health care lobbyist for the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, the Heart Rhythm Society, and for VHA Inc.

He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from University of Kansas, and a master's degree in public administration from George Mason University. He is recognized as among the top 100 most influential people in healthcare by Modern Healthcare Magazine.

Opal H. Greenway, JD
Stroudwater Associates
Strategic Advisor to
Rural Hospitals and Health Systems
Nashville, Tennessee

Opal Greenway earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Alabama and her MBA from the University of Alabama Manderson Graduate School of Business. She holds a BA in English with a concentration in Law & Society from Cornell University. Ms. Greenway is a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) accredited by the National Association of Credentialed Valuators and Analysts (NACVA). She joined Stroudwater Associates, a healthcare consulting firm, in 2015.

Ms. Greenway is an accomplished healthcare and finance professional who focuses primarily on the strategic needs of healthcare service providers. She is an expert in valuations, mergers and acquisitions, strategy, physician compensation, and regulatory compliance. Ms. Greenway has worked extensively on valuations focused on physician and healthcare provider compensation, hospital service lines, and practice acquisitions, and has advised hospitals and healthcare providers regarding market trends, Stark and Anti-Kickback regulations, and professional services agreements. Her background also includes financial analysis and strategic development for healthcare entities.

Accreditation

	CME CREDIT MediCom Worldwide, Inc. is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. MediCom Worldwide, Inc. designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
	CPE CREDIT MediCom Worldwide, Inc. is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. This activity is acceptable for 1.0 contact hour of Continuing Education Credit. Universal Activity Number: 827-0000-21-011-H01-P. Knowledge-based CPE activity. In order for CPE Monitor to authenticate credit, pharmacists/technicians must provide their e-Profile ID number from NABP and date of birth (in MMDD format) when claiming credit for a CPE program. International Pharmacy Preceptors and Canadian Pharmacists: If you are in need of e-Profile ID to participate in an ACPE approved activity, please contact NABP customer service for further assistance as special handling is necessary. NABP customer service can be reached at (847) 391-4406.
	NURSING CREDIT MediCom Worldwide, Inc., 101 Washington Street, Morrisville, PA 19067 is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP11380. MediCom designates this CNE activity for 1.0 contact hour. Program Number: 21-011-138

Disclosures

As an organization accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and California State Board of Registered Nursing, MediCom Worldwide, Inc. requires everyone who is in a position to control the content of an educational activity to disclose all relevant financial relationships with any commercial interest. The ACCME defines “relevant financial relationships” as financial relationships in any amount, occurring within the past 12 months, including financial relationships of a spouse or life partner, that could create a conflict of interest. Accordingly, the following disclosures were made.

Faculty Disclosures

Dr. Farrukh Awan has received honoraria as a consultant from AbbVie Inc., AstraZeneca, Blueprint Medicines, Celgene Corporation - A Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, DAVA Oncology, Genentech, Inc., Gilead, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Karyopharm Therapeutics, Kite Pharma, MEI Pharma Inc., Pharmacyclics, Inc., and Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Alan Morgan has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Opal Greenway has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Planning Committee Disclosures

The individuals listed below from MediCom Worldwide, Inc. reported the following for this activity: Joan Meyer, RN, MHA, Executive Director, Isabelle Vacher, Vice President of Educational Strategy, Wilma Guerra, Program Director, and Andrea Mathis, Project Manager, have no relevant financial relationships.

Peer Reviewer Disclosure

In accordance with MediCom Worldwide, Inc. policy, all content is reviewed by external independent peer reviewers for balance, objectivity and commercial bias. The peer reviewers have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this activity, please contact MediCom Worldwide, Inc. at 1-800-408-4242 or email us at [email protected].

Provided by MediCom Worldwide, Inc.
This activity is supported by educational grants from AbbVie, Genentech, and Pharmacyclics.

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No portion of this material may be copied or duplicated without the expressed permission of MediCom Worldwide, Inc.