About FMDAFMDA was formed in 1990, to help medical directors, attending physicians and other providers, practicing in post acute care, navigate their way through the continuum of care spectrum. FMDA is the official state affiliate of the AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute & Long-Term Care Medicine and members include physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists. It is also a specialty society of the Florida Medical Association. FMDA Mission StatementWe promote the highest quality care as patients transition through the long-term care continuum. We are dedicated to providing leadership, education, and advocacy for the inter-professional team. FMDA Vision StatementWe will provide professional leadership to disseminate information and provide access to resources and experts. We will further advance as the professional hub for education on best care practices, evidence-based medicine, regulatory compliance, and practice management. We will continue to be the model organization that collaborates with related organizations to promote the highest quality patient care and outcomes in the post-acute and long-term care continuum. MembershipFMDA has close to 150 members, including medical directors, attending physicians, advanced practice nurses, consultant pharmacists, physician assistants, director of nursing, and nursing home administrators of Florida skilled nursing facilities or nursing homes, hospices, CCRCs, etc. BackgroundFMDA was originally established in 1990, as the Florida Medical Directors Association. In 2015, following the lead of AMDA, its national affiliate, it changed its name to FMDA – The Florida Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. It was founded to help medical directors, attending physicians, physician assistants (PAs), advanced practice nurses, pharmacists, and other health care practitioners in post-acute and long-term care navigate their way through the continuum. FMDA is a 501(c)(3), non-profit medical society. GovernanceThe Board of Directors consists of the Chairman of the Board, Immediate Past-President, President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, and seven other FMDA members. Each is elected for a two-year term and can be re-elected for another two-year term, except for the Immediate Past-President, President-Elect, and Chairman, who are not elected. All candidates for position as an officer must have been a physician board member within the last three years. AffiliationsFMDA is the official state affiliate and the largest chapter of the Columbia, Maryland-based, Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association (PALTmed) formerly known as AMDA. We are also a Specialty Society of the Florida Medical Association (FMA), and liaise with the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association (FOMA). Through the American Board of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (ABPLM), AMDA’s credentialing body, it sponsors a certification program in PA/LTC medical direction and offers a competency curriculum for attending physicians / ARNPs / PAs to enhance knowledge and skills in this ever-changing environment. Leveraging Clinical Staff Engagement – A Certificate of Excellence in PALTC: FMDA offered a unique clinicians’ program to enhance competencies, knowledge, and skills – with a sophisticated on-demand format – was launched in May 2021. It is supported by a grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Region IV and the State of Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. This exceptional training program ended in March 2023, after 2-years. Membership Benefits and Services
Advocacy
Scientific Poster PresentationsFMDA takes an active role in outreach efforts to residents, interns, fellows, and young-career physicians with an interest in post-acute and long-term care. It offers opportunities for medical students, interns, and residents in geriatrics, internal medicine, and family practice. In addition, advanced practice nurses, pharmacists, and physician-assistant students who are interested in practicing in post-acute and long-term care are eligible to participate. Co-Sponsoring SymposiumsJust as we have co-sponsored geriatric symposia with Nova Southeastern University, College of Medicine’s Department of Geriatrics, we have been co-sponsoring Florida State University, College of Medicine’s Department of Geriatrics’ Annual PA/LTC Symposium, and we are exploring collaborative projects with other colleges of medicine and organizations. Advance Care Planning, POLST, Hospice, Palliative Care, Etc.Providers in Florida are familiar with the DNRO (the yellow) form. This order directs EMTs, hospital or nursing home personnel, and others not to attempt resuscitating a patient if he or she experiences a cardiopulmonary arrest. It is appropriately ordered when a patient expresses a desire to forgo CPR, or when it is clear that CPR would not provide benefits to the patient. The Patient Directed Physician Orders (PDPO) formerly known as POLST goes beyond that to include orders for a level of medical interventions and whether and how artificial nutrition will be used. PDPO was created to foster high-quality, patient-directed care across health care sites. Patients in the long-term-care (LTC) system are among the highest risk for experiencing transitions in care, and care being provided by multiple different providers. LTC providers nationally are among the best at providing advance care planning, since it is a fundamental part of our care. However, all too often we have seen how a deep and repeated conversation about the care plan is lost when our patients go to the hospital or another setting. Hence, the need for an effective method to communicate the patient’s wishes for medical interventions across sites of care is particularly important to us. Since December 2017, FMDA has been the official home of Florida PDPO/POLST – as recognized by National POLST. FMDA is now in the perfect position to engage stakeholders and move the process forward. |