Volunteers sought for appointments
Various organizations throughout the state seek nominations from MASA’s Board of Censors for appointments to health care related boards and committees.
Regular nominations are sought from the Alabama Medicaid Agency for their Drug Utilization and Review (DUR) Board and Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee.
For more information or if you are interested in serving on a board or committee, please contact MASA at (800) 239-6272 or (334) 954-2500.
Medicaid's Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committee
A call for volunteers
The Medicaid Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee shall review and recommend classes of drugs to the Medicaid Commissioner for inclusion in the Medicaid Preferred Drug Plan. Class means a therapeutic group of pharmaceutical agents approved by the FDA as defined by the American Hospital Formulary Service.
The P&T Committee shall develop its preferred drug list recommendations by considering the clinical efficacy, safety and cost effectiveness of a product. Within each covered class, the Committee shall review and recommend drugs to the Medicaid Commissioner for inclusion on a preferred drug list. Medicaid should strive to insure any restriction on pharmaceutical use does not increase overall health care costs to Medicaid. Click here for more information.
Physicians volunteer network
In the event of a disaster, whether it be a hurricane, influenza pandemic or other source, the Alabama Department of Public Health will serve as a hub for physician volunteers. Physicians may volunteer for medical needs shelters, transitional shelters, hospitals, clinics, delivery of pharmaceuticals as well as for other agencies.
Alabama Department of Public Health
Disaster relief army seeks volunteers
The Madison County Medical Society is assembling a volunteer army of 500 health care workers to help treat victims of tornadoes, deadly flu outbreaks and other disasters.
Laura Moss, the society's executive director, said the new Medical Reserve Corps of North Alabama is open to any current or former health care provider. Physicians and nurses are needed, but so are pharmacists, dentists, paramedics, clinical social workers, mental health counselors and veterinarians.
People who have never worked in medicine can also join the corps in a support role, Moss said.
The medical reserve corps was approved for a 13-county North Alabama region including metro Huntsville, Sand Mountain, Cullman and the Shoals. The unpaid volunteers will have state Department of Public Health clearance to work at any medical disaster site in the region.
"It will be lifesaving if you can get the right people to the right situations," Moss said Wednesday. "I think it's really going to help our response to any kind of critical incident."
Eight other Alabama cities have medical reserve corps including Mobile, Birmingham, Dothan, Prattville and Selma.
Crestwood and Huntsville Hospital have agreed to let activated medical reservists work alongside their regular staffers during disasters, Moss said.
Before being cleared to work at disaster sites, local medical reservists are required to go through training that Moss said is likely to include mandatory participation in disaster drills and events.