AAPM&R Connection E-Newsletter

Members & Publications

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Weekly Headlines from June 22, 2016

 

Academy News 


Make Yourself More Marketable

Help PM&R patients find you by keeping your Academy profile up-to-date. The Find a PM&R Physician resource is a searchable database (linked to your member profile information) that allows patients to locate a practicing physician anywhere in the U.S. Log in to your profile and update your contact information, as well as your “Professional Details” and “Practice Profile” to ensure that patients can quickly and easily find you.

P.S. Your member profile information is also part of our Member Directory, which helps connect you to other Academy members. Keep it current, so you’ll be seen!

We're Halfway Through 2016—Are You Taking Advantage of Your Member Benefits?

Can you believe we’re nearing the end of June? Time flies when you’re enjoying Academy member benefits! Need a recap of everything we offer? Check out the Member Resource Guide—your go-to guide to understanding how the Academy is fulfilling its mission and providing value to you. Click through the tabs along the top and on the underlined links throughout the document for additional details. Be sure that you are logged in to www.aapmr.org to view and enjoy complete functionality of the guide’s contents.

Success at the AMA-MSS Specialty Showcase

Thank you to those who stopped by the Academy’s booth on Saturday, June 11 during the AMA National Medical Student Annual Meeting! Academy member Carlo Milani, MD, MBA, was there to help answer questions and discuss the PM&R specialty with medical students. Thank you, Dr. Milani, for representing the Academy!

Annual Assembly 


Integrate Regenerative Medicine Treatments Into Your Practice

Join us on Wednesday, October 19, for our preconference course, Regenerative Medicine: Current Concepts and Brave New Paradigms in the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Conditions. Led by Course Director Gerard Malanga, MD, this full-day course will help physicians select the appropriate regenerative treatment, assess and implement appropriate staffing and equipment to support regenerative treatment, and more. Learn more and register now!

Plus, we’ll be live streaming this course for those who can’t make it to New Orleans. Stay tuned for details.

Enjoy Complimentary, Hands-On Ultrasound Education

NEW in 2016! The Learning Lab: Ultrasound will focus on ultrasound with mini-sessions, demonstrations, and hands-on learning stations that will teach you a variety of ways to use ultrasound and how to incorporate it into your practice. Learn about the various aspects of ultrasound in the physiatric practice in a fun, interactive way. Academy faculty, as well as industry leaders in ultrasound technology, will be on-hand to guide you through the experience. This activity is included in your Annual Assembly registration fee. Learn more.

Education


Earn Complimentary CME While Learning about Safe Opioid Prescribing

The REMS Playbook for Opioid Prescribing, available on the mē® Catalog, offers education to all physicians on extended-release (ER) and long-acting (LA) opioid analgesics. This activity incorporates a fun, sports-themed learning experience with interactive modules and games—plus you’ll earn up to 3 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Learn more and get started.

Prepare for ABPMR’s Part I Exam by Utilizing AAPM&R Resources

AAPM&R has the resources to help residents prepare for the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation’s (ABPMR) Part I Examination on August 9, 2016. Get a head start on studying with these must-have resources, including:

Health Policy/Advocacy


AAPM&R Releases MACRA & MIPS Video Primers

To help educate members on the most extensive changes to physician payment policies in the past 2 decades, the Academy has created 2 short videos—one highlighting MACRA, the other detailing MIPS.

Spend just 10 minutes viewing the videos to gain a better understanding of these important new health care initiatives. Learn more.

P.S. We’re only 5 days away from the MACRA proposed rule comment deadline—learn more and submit a formal comment by June 27.

Public Webinar: Overview of the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain

In response to the troubling opioid epidemic our nation is facing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed and released the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain in March 2016. In an effort to embed Guideline recommendations within education and training for providers, the CDC will be hosting a 7-part webinar series about the Guideline, which will begin on Wednesday, June 22 at 2 pm (ET). Learn more.

Effective Date for Mandatory Use of JW Modifier Changes from July 1, 2016 to January 1, 2017

Effective January 1, 2017, when processing claims for Part B drugs and biologicals (except those provided under CAP), the use of the JW modifier to identify unused drugs or biologicals that are appropriately discarded is required. Also effective January 1, 2017, providers are required to document the discarded drug or biological in the patient's medical record. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is removing the contractors’ discretion to determine whether the JW modifier is required for claims with discarded drugs and biologicals. Learn more.

EHR Incentive Program: Hardship Exception Applications Due July 1

Hardship exception applications for the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program 2017 are due by July 1, 2016, for eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) to avoid payment adjustments. Learn more.

Physiatry News


Young Investigators Urged to Apply for USBJI Grant Mentoring Program

The United States Bone and Joint Initiative (USBJI) and Bone and Joint Canada are dedicated to increasing research of musculoskeletal diseases and has developed a grant mentoring program to provide early-career investigators an opportunity to work with experienced researchers to assist them in securing funding and other survival skills required for pursuing an academic career.

The fall workshop will be held November 4-6, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario. The deadline to apply is July 15, 2016. Learn more and apply for this program.

AAPM&R Members in the News


  • Andrew Haig, MD, vice president of accountable care and medical informatics at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, is featured in an article that discusses his international work, including meeting with government and health care leaders, and working with doctors as a mentor. Read more.
  • Joseph Herrera, DO, has been named system chair for the department of rehabilitation medicine at Mount Sinai Health System. Dr. Herrera, who is currently the chair of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Mount Sinai Beth Israel (MSBI), will replace Kristjan T. Ragnarsson, MD, who is stepping down after 30 years leading the department. Congratulations, Dr. Herrera! Read more.
  • Sarah Hwang, MD, PM&R physician at the University of Missouri (MU) Health Care and an assistant professor of PM&R at the MU School of Medicine, discusses women’s pelvic pain in the article, “Specialized Care for Women.” Dr. Hwang is 1 of approximately 10 physicians in the country specially trained in treating musculoskeletal problems in women, specifically with pelvic pain. Read more.
  • Jeffrey Zeckser, MD, recently joined Novant Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Salisbury. With advanced fellowship training in minimally invasive, diagnostic, and interventional techniques, Dr. Zeckser provides therapy options for those seeking to find improvements in pain and a more functional lifestyle. Congratulations, Dr. Zeckser! Read more.

Do you have a newsworthy story to share with your peers? Send us an email at: pressinquiries@aapmr.org.