Dear Colleagues,

As we move through another busy season in healthcare, I want to thank each of you for your dedication to the patients and the communities we serve. From workforce shortages and administrative burdens to advances in technology and patient care, our medical profession is constantly adapting.  In the face of these ever-evolving challenges, our community continues to demonstrate extraordinary commitment, compassion, and resilience.  These changes highlight the importance of organizations, such as the York County Medical Society, in advancing our shared mission: providing high-quality, patient-centered care while advocating for the health and well-being of our communities.

The York County Medical Society remains committed to supporting physicians at all stages of their careers. We will continue to support professional development through education events, strengthen our community through networking opportunities, and advocate for high quality healthcare by actively engaging our local legislators.   Our advocacy priorities for physicians align with those of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, aiming to strengthen the physician-patient relationship.

Medicine is changing rapidly, and we have an opportunity and a need to strengthen our profession, reclaim our voice, and demonstrate why physician leadership matters.  Our county and state medical society is important, and we must continue to advocate for physician leadership in medicine. I encourage you to stay engaged with our society’s initiatives including our upcoming CME event. Your involvement helps strengthen the voice of organized medicine and supports our ongoing efforts to advance our shared mission. Thank you for your membership, your service, and your continued commitment to excellence in medicine.

Respectfully,
Daniel Kreider MD

York County Medical Society and Quality Insights have partnered to provide an in-person continuing medical education (CME) presentation of the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Comprehensive Approaches to Pain Management, Opioid Prescribing, and Substance Use Care curriculum.

Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Location: Outdoor Country Club at 1157 Detwiler Dr, York, PA.

Registration: 5:00 PM Buffet Dinner: 5:30 PM
First CME module to start promptly at 6 PM with second module to follow. 1 hour each

This CME is open to all physicians in York County. Further details on the registration link on our website.

Since 2025, Quality Insights has delivered more than 120 sessions of the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Comprehensive Approaches to Pain Management, Opioid Prescribing, and Substance Use Care curriculum, reaching over 2,300 clinicians statewide.

This session will feature expert-led instruction from Dr. Denise Vanacore-Chase, PhD, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, alongside Jason Sutt of Quality Insights.

Featured Modules (1 hour each):

Module 2: Pain Management Assessment and Informed Clinical Decision-Making
Learn to apply a collaborative, stepped-care approach using the biopsychosocial model. This session reviews patient assessment strategies, safe opioid prescribing considerations, nonopioid therapies, and use of the Pennsylvania Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) to support clinical decision-making.

Module 5: Strategies to Enhance Patient-Clinician Communication
Explore how empathetic, patient-centered communication improves outcomes for individuals with chronic pain and substance use disorder. Topics include motivational interviewing, shared decision-making, and practical strategies to build trust, strengthen engagement, and support long-term care success.

Continuing Education Information

• 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ per module
• Meets PA Act 124 requirements
• Eligible for Patient Safety/Risk Management credit
• Pre- and post-evaluations required for CME/CE credit

About the Speaker

Dr. Denise Vanacore is a board-certified Adult, Family and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She is the Clinical Director of Hope Springs Health and a Professor of Nursing.

She specializes in integrated care, psychopharmacology, and medication-assisted treatment, including Suboxone.

In addition to her clinical work, she collaborates with Quality Insights and other educational partners to deliver education that supports evidence-based care for healthcare providers.

As overdose trends evolve and licensure deadlines approach, continued education and collaboration remain vital. We invite you to join us for this important session and be part of the ongoing effort to improve patient care and outcomes across Pennsylvania.

Freshly released provisional mortality data for 2025 from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) offers a welcome sign of progress in addressing the overdose crisis. In the 12-month period ending December 2025, the United States recorded 69,973 predicted overdose deaths—a notable 14% decrease compared to the same timeframe in 2024.

While this sustained national decline is encouraging, the pace of improvement appears to be slowing. After sharp reductions from late 2023 through 2024, overdose rates began to stabilize between September 2024 and July 2025, followed by a brief dip and another leveling by October 2025. This emerging plateau is a critical reminder: although progress has been made, the crisis is far from over.

Pennsylvania reflects this national trend. According to NCHS provisional data, the Commonwealth experienced a 15.3% decrease in predicted overdose deaths, totaling 2,878 cases through December 2025. These findings closely align with data from the Pennsylvania Office of Drug Surveillance and Misuse Prevention (ODSMP), which reports 2,733 confirmed overdose deaths in 2025.

It is important to note that 2025 mortality data remain preliminary and are expected to increase as death certificate processing is finalized.

Similar to national patterns, Pennsylvania saw significant declines throughout 2023 and early 2024, followed by a plateau into late 2024 and early 2025. This leveling suggests that while harm-reduction efforts and safer prescribing practices are making an impact, the unpredictable nature of the illicit drug supply continues to pose serious risks. Ongoing clinical vigilance and adaptive, patient-centered strategies remain essential.

PENNSYLVANIA PHYSICIAN LICENCE RENEWAL: KEY DATE & REQUIREMENTS

With 2026 being a license renewal year, Pennsylvania physicians should plan ahead to meet continuing education requirements:

• DO License Renewal Deadline: October 31, 2026
• MD License Renewal Deadline: December 31, 2026

Pennsylvania requires physicians to complete opioid-related continuing education under Act 124. These requirements can also be applied toward the 8 hours of opioid education required for DEA-registered practitioners.

For full details on licensing requirements, visit:
Pennsylvania Medical Society License Renewal Checklist: https://www.pamedsoc.org/education-cme/pennsylvania-medical-license-renewal-checklist

Pennsylvania Professional Licensing Website: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/professional-licensing

On May 13, our officers were installed for the upcoming year beginning June 1, 2026.

Dr Daniel Kreider was installed as the new incoming President and his first act was to award Dr Matthew Howie with a plaque for his service during his term of office.

25 year service Awards were presented to Brent E. Yoder, MD by Dr Matthew Howie and to Angela H. Heiland, MD by Dr Stacey Robert.
A lifetime service award was presented by Dr Stacey Robert to Jonathan E. Rhoads, Jr, MD

Additionally a number of members were not able to attend this event but their awards will be conveyed to them.

For 50 years of service:

Claudia N Deitrich, MD
James W Srour, MD

For 25 years of service:

Melissa Denham Gage, MD
Shani Najuma Gunning-Carter, MD
Joyce Huang, MD
Melissa P Lavallee, MD
Tammy Jean Miller, MD
Preeti Meghnath Murudkar, MD
Kiran Samindla, MD
Andrew R Shorb, MD