In TAFP’s monthly Products & Services e-newsletter, we highlight products and services important to family physicians. See this month’s offerings below, and access previous issues in the Products & Services section of TAFP’s website, www.tafp.org/resources/products. We want to hear from you! Tell us what you think of this member resource by e-mailing tafp@tafp.org.

Get answers to your practice management questions through TAFP partnership
TAFP partners with practice management consultant Bradley Reiner to provide staff and members an expert resource on a variety of practice management issues: billing and coding reviews, compliance and documentation audits, practice evaluations and assessments, managed care contract negotiation, staff recruiting and human resources management, and many others. Bradley also writes a regular column for Texas Family Physician magazine; view archived stories on TAFP’s practice resources webpage, www.tafp.org/resources/practmanagement. To set up a free consultation, contact Bradley Reiner by phone at (512) 858-1570, or by e-mail at breiner@austin.rr.com.
 
Prepare your practice with AAFP disaster assistance resources
Natural disasters can quickly devastate a community’s health care delivery system. As recent Texas wildfires have demonstrated, catastrophic events can destroy whole communities, including family medicine practices. To help you assist your peers in times of disaster, prepare yourself for these events, and help rebuild and recover afterward, AAFP provides free online disaster assistance resources. Go to the Disaster Assistance Resources page of AAFP’s website, www.aafp.org/disaster, to access documents on disaster response and breach notification; links to the American Red Cross, state health departments, and state medical boards; and more.  
TransforMED offers AAFP-member discount on physician social network
Delta-Exchange, the social network for practice transformation offered by AAFP-affiliate TransforMED, connects member physicians with Patient-Centered Medical Home “best practices” and provides a forum for them to collaborate, discuss issues, and ask questions of both TransforMED expert facilitators and practice leaders who’ve gone through practice transformation. Members can access a continually expanding library of online PCMH seminars led by TransforMED’s experienced practice enhancement facilitators; connect with medical practice transformation experts, thought leaders, and practices like theirs who are also working to make PCMH changes; and learn from experts and each other. Plus, AAFP members receive a 56-percent discount off the annual fee for membership. Join Delta Exchange at www.transformed.com/aafp.  
Download free online tobacco cessation toolkit from DSHS
The Texas Department of State Health Services has made available an online, no-cost resource for physicians to use in treating tobacco dependency in their patients. The “Yes You Can Healthcare Provider Toolkit” includes materials for identifying and tracking tobacco use, patient education, and training for clinic staff. This model follows national guidelines from the U.S. Public Health Service and is based on the Ask-Advise-Refer system for treating patients who use tobacco. It offers evidence-based intervention strategies in a single, user-friendly format that allows for quick reference while enabling the physician to keep up the pace of a busy schedule. Download the toolkit components at www.yesquit.org in the “Healthcare Provider Toolkit” section.  
Get help with your EHR with the Texas RECs
Physicians often face significant challenges when transitioning from a paper-based system to an EHR. To help in the process, federal legislation created HIT Regional Extension Centers, four of which are in Texas. The RECs support physician practices at any stage of EHR implementation through on-site consulting. Whether starting with a paper-based system or looking to optimize your current EHR to qualify for the federal incentives, the Texas RECs can help you fully realize the benefits of electronic health records in improving efficiencies and patient care. Plus, primary care physicians qualify for a grant that lowers the annual price of services to $300 per physician. Learn more about the Texas RECs, available incentives, REC and incentive eligibility, and meaningful use at www.texmed.org/rec.