NEW! AAPM&R Comprehensive Management of Cervical Spine Disorders Course in Chicago
The latest course in the long-running Spinal Procedures Workshop series debuts this Fall:
AAPM&R Comprehensive Management
of Cervical Spine Disorders
A Spinal Procedures Workshop
August 27-29, 2010
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
New and improved this year, this course now includes a lecture-only day on August 27, covering evidence-based evaluation and management of cervical spine disorders. Note: Physical therapists and chiropractors are invited to attend the lecture-only day on August 27. All physicians who treat cervical spine pain will benefit from attending; this lecture-only day can be attended independent from the hands-on cadaver lab that will take place August 28-29.
The hands-on portion of the course is designed for physicians experienced in general cervical spine procedures who seek to improve proficiency in administering diagnostic and therapeutic injections in the cervical spine region.
Visit the Academy Web site for details; register today by mail, fax, or phone. Online registration opens March 1.
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Abstract Submissions Due in March, New Location
for Posters
Submit your clinical and basic science research findings by March 12, 2010, to be considered for inclusion in the AAPM&R 2010 Annual Assembly, November 4-7 in Seattle. Each abstract will be evaluated based on the components of the structured abstract. All abstracts selected for inclusion in the scientific paper and poster presentations during the Annual Assembly will also be printed within a supplemental issue of PM&R, the Academy’s official scientific journal.
New poster location announced
Your Academy is excited to announce a new location and set-up for poster presentations at the Annual Assembly. The Poster Hall will have its own room adjacent to the educational sessions and will be open for extended hours, including breaks throughout the day. Attendees will now have more time to review current research and presenters will gain heightened exposure.
View submission instructions and important presentation policies on the Academy Web site.
Submit your abstract now at http://aapmr2010.abstractcentral.com.
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Free Podcasts on Interviewing Skills and
Contract Negotiation
Your Academy offers two new podcasts specifically designed to address interviewing skills and ways to negotiate contracts. These podcasts are FREE on acadeME® (www.me.aapmr.org), your Academy’s online educational resource.
Whether you are a resident preparing to enter practice or a practicing physician that would like to brush up on these skills, visit ME today to access these podcasts: Preparing to Enter Practice—Interviewing Skills and Preparing to Enter Practice—Negotiating Contracts. Captured from sessions at the AAPM&R 2009 Annual Assembly in Austin, TX, these activities teach learners to:
- Develop an attractive and effective curriculum vitae that will lead to invitations for job interviews
- Refine interviewing skills so an optimal impression is projected to potential employers
- Improve knowledge and skills related to practice contracts
- Understand practice contracts and be aware of common pitfalls
View these activities in the Podcast section of ME today. Note: CME is not available for these activities.
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Choose How You Learn About Spasticity/Dystonia
Your Academy presents educational content on spasticity/dystonia in a variety of formats, to meet members’ diverse learning preferences.
NEW! Spasticity MOC/2 self assessment: Visit acadeME® to access the newest self-assessment examination for practitioners (SAE-P), based on the AAPM&R 2009 spasticity/dystonia preconference course: Advanced Assessment and Management Skills for Spasticity, Dystonia, and Related Motor Disorders. Complete the SAE-P to test your knowledge and enjoy immediate remediation/comprehensive commentary that focuses on the practical aspects of managing various motor disorders. The SAE-P offers 8 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ and helps fulfill the Part II Self Assessment requirement for Part II of ABPMR Maintenance of Certification® (MOC). Purchase this SAE-P online today.
Online spasticity course: This online course (with the same title as the self assessment) includes audio, slide lectures, and videotaped demonstrations adapted from the AAPM&R 2008 preconference course as well as featured review articles from the September 2009 issue of PM&R. The online course offers 10 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ and helps fulfill the Part II Lifelong Learning requirement of MOC. Purchase this online course on ME today.
Live spasticity course in November: Prefer hands-on learning? Save these dates—November 2-3 in Seattle—for this preconference course, held prior to the AAPM&R 2010 Annual Assembly: Comprehensive and Practical Management of Upper Motor Neuron Disorders.
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Renew Your 2010 Dues While You’re Online
More than 67% of Academy Fellows have already paid their dues. If you have not yet renewed your dues for 2010, take a moment now to visit the Academy Web site to renew.
Online dues renewal is fast and easy. Plus, you’ll be able to select and sign up for a clinical home in a Member Council or Community Network. All transactions are secure and payment receipts will be provided automatically. Visa, MasterCard, and American Express cards are accepted. Questions? Contact AAPM&R Customer Service at the Academy’s toll-free number: (877) AAPMR 99.
Remember: Only AAPM&R represents the entire specialty of PM&R at the national level. Renew your dues to be part of the collective voice of PM&R in 2010.
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Academy-Reviewed Guideline on Prevention of Falls Is Released
A new practice guideline has been released related to the prevention of falls in older persons. Drafted by the American Geriatrics Society, and reviewed and approved by your Academy, the new practice guideline includes a clinical algorithm that outlines recommended evaluations and interventions, and emphasizes the key role of evidence-based strength and balance training in effective multi-factorial interventions. For older adults who have fallen or report gait and balance disorders, the guidelines recommend a fall risk assessment.
View “The Prevention of Falls in Older Persons” now.
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Announcing the New AMA/Specialty Society Relative Value Update Committee (RUC) Advisor
The Academy is pleased to announce that Joseph P. Zuhosky, MD, has recently been appointed to the position of RUC Advisor and will represent the Academy in this capacity at future RUC meetings.
The purpose of RUC is to make recommendations to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for physician work and practice expense values to be assigned to new or revised CPT codes. If RUC recommendations are accepted, they will be taken into consideration for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
Dr. Zuhosky served as course director for seven AAPM&R Coding and Billing Workshops between 2004 and 2008; he also served as reviewer for the initial AAPM&R Coding Manual and has reviewed subsequent versions upon request. Dr. Zuhosky is dedicated to outpatient musculoskeletal, spine, and electrodiagnostic medicine and is experienced and knowledgeable in all areas of PM&R coding and reimbursement.
Thank you to all members who expressed interest in volunteering for this position.
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Senate Working on Jobs Bill, Medicare Fix Attached
In a rare bi-partisan effort, US Senate leaders are working to pass a jobs bill soon that will include tax breaks for employers who hire unemployed workers; the bill would also include a provision that would delay the 21% Medicare payment cut.
With Senate Republican Scott Brown now seated, Senate Democrats do not have a filibuster-proof majority in the chamber and will need some Republican support to pass the legislation.
The Academy will continue to update members on these developments through the Healthcare Reform Updates.
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Pres. Obama Releases FY 2011 Budget
On February 2, President Obama released his FY 2011 $3.8 trillion budget proposal which focuses on creating jobs, reducing the deficit, and controlling federal spending. The proposal contains a “placeholder” for health care reform instead of specific proposals; this placeholder would protect physicians from Medicare pay cuts and provides better federal support for state Medicaid programs.
The proposal includes $371 billion over 10 years to pay the cost of preventing Medicare payment cuts under the sustainable growth rate formula by turning annual reductions into rate freezes. The proposal does not fund pay raises for physicians under Medicare.
The proposal also includes discussion of a plan to create a Fiscal Commission that would be charged with developing recommendations to balance the federal budget by 2015, excluding interest payments on the debt. Medicare, Medicaid, and other entitlement programs would be subject to the authority of the commission.
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DRRC Advocating Around Requests in
Pres. Obama’s Budget
Your Academy will be actively advocating for the specialty—through our affiliation with the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Coalition (DRRC)—throughout the federal budget process over the coming months. The Academy is a founding member of DRRC, a coalition of national non-profit organizations committed to improving the science of rehabilitation and disability. DRRC seeks to maximize the return on the federal investment in federal research programs with the goal of improving the ability of those with disabilities to live and function as independently as possible. The coalition plays a leadership role in increasing and leveraging federal resources devoted to disability and rehabilitation research.
DRRC has analyzed certain budget requests for the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s disability-related programs; these requests represent major concerns in the DRRC agenda.
View DRRC’s overview of FY 2011 budget requests. (PDF Download)
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Mass. Governor Seeks Authority to Address
Health Care Costs
According to the Boston Globe, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has introduced a bill that would grant his administration board new authority to “review and reject” excessive rates charged by hospitals, physician groups, medical imaging centers, and insurers with the goal of reducing health care costs. Under the bill, the rates at which groups bill their insurers would be “presumptively disapproved as excessive” if those rates were significantly higher than the 3.2% medical cost inflation. The rates could be rejected subject to a public hearing.
Read the full Boston Globe article.
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