Fall 2009
Alabama Chapter ACEP
Annalise Sorrentino, MD, FACEP
President
Jeremy Rogers, MD
Editor
Denise Louthain,
Executive Director
Contact us:
al.chapter@acep.org
Phone: 877-2-ALACEP
Fax: 334-671-1685 |
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From the President
Annalise Sorrentino, MD, FACEP
Make Plans Now!
Hello Alabama ACEP members and welcome to the newest installment
of our chapter newsletter.We know this is a very busy time for
everyone, both at work and at home, but there are a lot of
exciting things going on in Alabama, so sit back with your cup
of coffee and give us 15 minutes…it will be worth it.
Last year’s educational conference was a huge success, as there
were dynamic lectures on timely topics from all over the
southeast. The plans are in motion for the 2010 conference, and
we hope to expand the states involved. Make plans now! Mark your
calendars: June 14th-17th, 2010 at
Sandestin. It promises to be a valuable experience.
The institution of the statewide trauma system is almost
complete, with just a few regions left to go. In an effort to
assist those physicians involved in these centers with the
required trauma continuing education, there will be special
emphasis on trauma and burns at the 2010 Educational Conference.
A huge debt of gratitude is due to those whose persistence and
visions were instrumental in developing this truly life-saving
system. People all over the state of Alabama will benefit from
their hard work and dedication.
We hope everyone is surviving the
H1N1 season, as it has been upon us, and I’m not sure is
going anywhere anytime soon. Alabama ACEP is working on a press
release to help educate the public on the safest practices for
when they are ill. If anyone has a specific media contact they
would like for this to be sent to, please let us know at
www.alacep.org. As always, if anyone has any questions,
comments, or suggestions for the chapter, please don’t hesitate
to contact me at
asorrentino@peds.uab.edu. Thanks! |
Alabama EM Practice
News
New Payment Methodology Hits Specialties
Many of you are probably aware of the recent action by Blue
Cross / Blue Shield of Alabama with their intention to modify
the reimbursement schedule for the PMD program. As an
organization, we have become involved in the discussions on your
behalf. The Medical Association of the State of Alabama has been
leading these efforts, and we are giving them our support. In
your individual communities, it is important to remember that
while it is acceptable to discuss the process that is occurring,
refrain from specific discussion of the fee schedule or
contracts, as it may violate antitrust policies. Please be
cognizant of these guidelines, and apply them to your practice.
You can read more on the
BC/BS website.
MASA has been engaged with BC/BS through the Third Party
Task Force and we are following the impact this will have to
reimbursement for emergency physicians.
CMS Releases Proposed Rule for 2010 Medicare Physician Fee
Schedule
On July 1st, 2009, CMS released the proposed rule for the 2010
Medicare physician fee schedule. Of prime importance to
emergency medicine are an overall reduction of 2010 physician
fees of 21.5%, and a small increase in payments for emergency
service CPT Codes 99281 through 99285.
Click here to read more…
ACEP Boarding and Crowding Solutions Online
As emergency departments throughout the country deal with the
problems of crowding, boarding, and ambulance diversion,
solutions have been sought. ACEP has compiled a listing of
resources and examples of a variety of approaches to assist
emergency physicians in addressing the crowding problems by
working with hospital administrators, local stakeholders, policy
makers and the public.
Click here to read more… |
National ACEP Update
By Dean Wilkerson, Executive Director
Scientific Assembly
Wrap-Up
Thanks to everyone who helped make this year’s Scientific
Assembly in Boston a tremendous success. For the second
consecutive year, we set a new attendance record with 4,663
four-day paid registrants. And combined with all the
complimentary guests, exhibits-only, single-day registrations,
etc., there were 5,696 attendees on site.
This year’s conference was one of the most well-received in
recent years, prompting comments from members about the humor
and insight provided by our Keynote Speaker Paul Begala, the
beautiful facilities, and of course, the high level of emergency
medicine education provided.
The only real complaint that we heard was about the distance
from several hotels to the convention center. However, for the
next four years, Scientific Assembly will have both locations
within walking distance and busses should not be needed. In Las
Vegas next year, for example, the hotel and convention center
are connected.
We look forward to seeing an even larger number of attendees
next year for what is truly the premier emergency medicine
educational conference in the world.
Council Adopts Resolutions
The 2009 ACEP Council considered 27 resolutions. Of those, 22
were adopted (including 9 memorials and commendations), 3 were
not adopted, and 2 were referred to the ACEP Board of Directors.
The Board voted to accept the resolutions adopted by the
Council, except for one that will be postponed until a future
date. A memo recapping the accepted resolutions will be sent to
all Council members soon.
NEMPAC Sets Record Total
NEMPAC, ACEP’s Political Action Committee, reported record
fundraising efforts. During the Council meeting, NEMPAC
collected more than $180,500 and an additional $5,000 from the
general membership during Scientific Assembly. Coupled with the
$880,000 already contributed throughout the year, NEMPAC has
surpassed its record total of $1,045,000 raised in 2008.
Special thanks to physician groups CEP America and EMA for their
contributions. And also to those who donate at the Give-A –Shift
level ($1,000).
NEMPAC is currently the fourth largest medical specialty PAC
behind the anesthesiologists, orthopedic surgeons and the
radiologists. In addition to increasing our total contributions,
we would also like to see an increase in the number of people
giving to NEMPAC.
Of course not everyone will be able to contribute at the ideal
Give-A-Shift level, but if everyone could give at least $50 or
$100 annually, we think you will feel more connection to the
important advocacy work we are doing on Capitol Hill and
understand how these contributions ultimately impact your
practice and your patients.
We would like to have 100 percent participation from all ACEP
leaders, whatever the level.
EMF Gets Planned Giving Boost
During Scientific Assembly, EMF raised more than $103,000 to
support research and education in the specialty. I’m also
particularly excited that the recently formed Wiegenstein Legacy
Society also gained 9 new members, bringing the current total to
16. This planned giving program allows you to provide a
charitable bequest to EMF to support continued research in
emergency medicine.
I personally want to thank these 16 emergency medicine leaders
who are thinking about the future of the specialty by dedicating
at least a portion of their estate to EMF. If you have an
interest in becoming part of the Wiegenstein Legacy Society, I
encourage you to visit the EMF Web site.
Leadership Elections and Appointments
Congratulations to all the new leaders elected and appointed
during Scientific Assembly.
Board of Directors
-
Angela F. Gardner, MD, FACEP -- President
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Sandra M. Schneider, MD, FACEP -- President-Elect
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David P. Sklar, MD, FACEP -- Chair of the Board
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Kathleen M. Cowling, DO, MS, FACEP -- Vice President
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Andrew E. Sama, MD, FACEP -- Secretary-Treasurer
Elected Board Members
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Jay A. Kaplan, MD, FACEP
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Rebecca B. Parker, MD, FACEP
-
Alexander M. Rosenau, DO, FACEP (incumbent)
-
Robert C. Solomon, MD, FACEP (incumbent)
Council Officers
-
Arlo F. Weltge, MD, MPH, FACEP -- Speaker
-
Marco Coppola, DO, FACEP -- Vice Speaker
EMRA Leaders
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Edwin Lopez, MD – President (Loma Linda University)
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Nathan Deal, MD – President-Elect (University of Chicago,
IL)
-
Kaedrea Jackson, MD -- Representative Council Speaker (SUNY
Downstate/Kings County Medical Center)
-
Angela Fusaro, MD – Vice Speaker of the Council (Carolinas
Medical Center, NC)
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Carson Penkava, MD – Secretary/EM Resident Editor
(University of Alabama-Birmingham, AL)
-
Todd Guth, MD – Academic Affairs Representative (Denver
Health Medical Center, CO)
-
Steven Horng, MD – Technology Coordinator (Maimonides
Medical Center, NY)
ACEP to Provide Management Services to SEMPA
The Board of Directors authorized ACEP staff to enter into a
shared services agreement with the Society of Emergency Medicine
Physician Assistants (SEMPA). ACEP currently also provides
management services to EMRA.
ACEP and SEMPA share many common areas of interest and concern
in improving the practice of emergency medicine – from advocacy
issues to clinical practice management techniques. Working in
tandem to achieve these goals, the two organizations can stand
strong in a partnership to further emergency medicine.
The agreement begins in January 2010.
On a related note, ACEP is participating in an advisory group
with the National Commission on Certification of Physician
Assistants (NCCPA) in helping them develop a specialty
certification for emergency medicine physician assistants.
ACCME Exec Meets with ACEP
As part of our ongoing efforts to bring ACEP’s CME program into
compliance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical
Education (ACCME) criteria, Murray Kopelow, MD, MS (Comm), FRCPC,
Chief Executive of the ACCME, was invited to give a two-hour
presentation in conjunction with the Chapter Execs Forum during
Scientific Assembly. The session was open to chapter execs and
board members, chapter and national ACEP staff involved in CME
activities, as well as physician members serving on education or
planning committees at the chapter or national level.
Dr. Kopelow presented a brief overview of the current ACCME
criteria and Standards for Commercial Support, including
background information on the driving forces behind the new “CME
Paradigm.” The formal presentation was followed by a question
and answer session that allowed attendees to obtain
clarification on areas of concern or problems they are
encountering with meeting the new criteria.
H1N1 Update
We are continually updating our H1N1 resources to provide you
with the most up-to-date information for you to use, including
preparedness planning, assessment tools for patients, and even
CPT coding updates. However, we are always in need of
spokespersons to meet with media members in your local markets.
If you would like to participate, please contact our
public relations staff in Washington, DC.
California Crowding Bill Vetoed
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill that would
have required hospitals in the state to monitor emergency
department crowding and to develop and implement a full capacity
protocol whenever crowded conditions reach certain thresholds.
CAL/ACEP has actively pursued this measure for the past two
years and the final version of the bill won overwhelming support
in the legislature. However, in his veto statement, the governor
stated that he believed legislation was not the proper way to
address the issue. This is a huge disappointment for all those
who seek common-sense solutions to reduce boarding and crowding
in order to improve quality and patient safety. |
