Ronald M. Davis, MD
Bolstering our physician work force
Numerous reports during the past several years have forecast a looming shortage of physicians in the United States. A 2005 report by the Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME) predicted that this work force shortage will reach 85,000 by 2020, and some experts have projected a shortfall as high as 200,000 by then.
Factors contributing to the shortage are the nation’s growing population, the increasing number of elderly Americans, an aging physician work force, and a rising demand for health care services. Physicians are facing Medicare payment cuts that threaten their ability to maintain their practices. And medical liability insurance premiums in some states cause some doctors to move their practices—or leave medicine altogether.
If this shortage materializes as predicted, the existing lack of access for the 20 percent of Americans who live in government-designated health professional shortage areas likely will worsen substantially. And access in other areas could decrease as well.
Read more>>
Please send comments, questions, and replies to amaprez@ama-assn.org.
eVoice®
March 20, 2008
AMA eVoice is your regular update on the most important health care issues and recent AMA activities.
The AMA is committed to communication. We encourage you to help us spread the word by forwarding AMA eVoice to your colleagues.
Your news interests
Sign up to receive customized AMA eVoice messages.
Faculty practice physician issues
1) Report: Planning for UI hospital expansion gets approved
2) Web conference offers CME and CEU credits
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender physician issues
1) New data reveal syphilis increase in U.S., need for increased testing
2) Save the date: AMA-GLBT caucus and reception on June 13
Group practice physician issues
1) Carle Clinic to install electronic patient kiosks
2) AMA practice tip: Preparing for health insurer retrospective audits
International medical graduate issues
1) Registration open for AMA-IMG Section annual congress, candidates forum and reception meetings
2) AMA-IMG Section resolutions due May 8
3) In AMNews: How to handle a prejudiced patient
Medical school news
1) Promote the AMA-SMS to your colleagues
2) In AMA GME e-Letter: Proposed Medicare, Medicaid cuts a double whammy for GME
3) In Medical Education Online: Effects of simulation on various levels of cognition
4) Anonymous donation to Minnesota’s Future Doctors program sustains educational vision
Medical student issues
1) Apply for AMA-MSS Chapter of the Year
2) Mark your calendar: Cover the Uninsured Week, April 27–May 3
3) Apply now for AMA-MSS convention committees
4) AMA announces exciting media rotation with Discovery Health
5) AMA-MSS Chapter of the Week: Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
6) Register for the 28th Annual AMA Medical Communications Conference
Minority health issues and professional concerns of minority physicians
1) Minority Scholars Award applications due April 15
2) Report: Glaucoma associated with increased risk of cardiovascular death in African-American patients
Organized medical staff issues
1) 2008 AMA-OMSS Annual Assembly Meeting registration now live
2) Just launched: New webcast on investigating health information transformation
3) View webcast on revised Joint Commission Standard MS.1.20
4) Check out most recent webcast on economic credentialing
5) Webcast explores future of health care
6) AMA-OMSS gearing up for its 2008–2010 governing council election
7) Now available: “Physician’s guide to medical staff organization bylaws”
8) Printable version of “Principles for strengthening the physician-hospital relationship” available online
Resident and fellow issues
1) Registration now open for AMA-RFS Annual Assembly Meeting
2) In the Resident & Staff Physician: Remodeling the house of medicine—update on the medical continuum
3) Study looks at resident experience with work hour reductions
Senior physicians issues
1) AMA-SPG online message board receives excellent response
2) AMA Foundation honors two senior physicians with its Excellence in Medicine Awards
Women physician and women's health issues
1) Are you interested in medical communications?
2) New Web site for women’s health research information
Young physician issues
1) AMA-YPS accepting nominations for its governing council
2) In AMA GME e-Letter: Proposed Medicare, Medicaid cuts a double whammy for GME
3) AMA seeks candidates for two medical education positions
4) When it comes to prescribing data access, it’s your choice
General AMA news:
1) Physicians and patients to Congress: Stop Medicare physician payment cuts, preserve seniors’ access to care
2) Latest issue of AMA Therapeutic Insights covers osteoporosis
3) Watch your mail for Physician Practice Information survey
4) On Sermo: Rural health care challenged by waning of J-1 physicians
5) In JAMA: Integrating genomic medicine into clinical practice for common chronic diseases still in the early stages
6) Register for the 2008 Linda E. Saltzman Symposium
Your news interests
Sign up to receive customized AMA eVoice messages.
Faculty practice physician issues
1) Report: Planning for UI hospital expansion gets approved
The Iowa Board of Regents approved planning for a proposed expansion at the University of Iowa Hospitals, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune. The 10-year, $700-million project calls for construction of an 800,000 square foot critical care tower and a 600,000 square foot children’s hospital tower. Construction on the towers would begin in 2010 with occupancy expected in 2013. The project would also include the renovation of 400,000 square feet of existing space to make all patient rooms private. The hospital is within walking distance of the Carver College of Medicine and other health science colleges and operations.
2) Web conference offers CME and CEU credits
On April 24, the AMA will host a 90-minute Web conference, entitled “Getting paid what you deserve: Strategies for reimbursement and payer contracting.” This Web conference will emphasize how to negotiate and manage payer relationships, as well as how to distinguish the practice’s value to payers in a way that results in higher reimbursements. Registration is $125 for AMA members ($200 for nonmembers) and includes continuing medical education (CME) credit of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ or 1.5 continuing education units (CEU) toward renewal of Professional Association of Health Care Office Management Medical Manager certification.
This program is geared toward doctors and practice managers in small- to medium-sized group practices and features speaker Rick Langosch, chief financial officer of the health care consulting firm the Coker Group.
Visit the Web site for complete details and to register.
Accreditation statement
The American Medical Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Designation statement
The American Medical Association designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
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Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender physician issues
1) New data reveal syphilis increase in U.S., need for increased testing
The U.S. syphilis rate increased for the seventh consecutive year in 2007, largely reflecting continued increases among men who have sex with men, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention presented March 12 at the 2008 National Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Prevention Conference.
Learn more about these findings.
2) Save the date: AMA-GLBT caucus and reception on June 13
The AMA Advisory Committee on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (AMA-GLBT) Issues caucus and reception will be held June 13, in conjunction with the 2008 Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates. The event will feature speaker Kathy Oriel, MD, a family medicine physician in Madison, Wis., and past president of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association. Her talk will focus on the unique health issues of lesbian women. All AMA members are invited to attend.
Send an e-mail to learn more about the event.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Group practice physician issues
1) Carle Clinic to install electronic patient kiosks
The Carle Clinic Association, a large private physician group in Illinois, plans to implement an electronic kiosk-based patient check-in program, according to a report in Healthcare Information Technology (IT) News. The kiosk allows patients to check in, update records, make payments and map locations at the clinic. The product has been in development for two years and was recently unveiled in February. Also notable, Carle Clinic physicians, clinical staff and departments are all using a new electronic medical records program. The clinic is among the top 15 percent in the nation to move to electronic recordkeeping.
2) AMA practice tip: Preparing for health insurer retrospective audits
The AMA, with cooperation from the American Academy of Neurology, created the educational resource, “How to prepare for a health insurer retrospective audit,” to educate physicians and their office staff about the recoupment efforts of health insurers through the retrospective audit process. Physician practices can use this resource to guide them from the initial notification from the health insurer to contesting the audit’s findings.
AMA members can visit the Web site to access this informative resource at no charge.
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International medical graduate issues
1) Registration open for AMA-IMG Section annual congress, candidates forum and reception meetings
Reserve your spot to attend the AMA-IMG Section annual congress, caucus/candidates forum, desserts reception and leadership development session that will be held June 13–16 at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates in Chicago.
Download (Word, 94KB) a registration form.
2) AMA-IMG Section resolutions due May 8
AMA-IMG Section resolutions for the 2008 Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates are due May 8.
Visit the Web site for guidelines on writing resolutions.
3) In AMNews: How to handle a prejudiced patient
An article in the March 3 issue of American Medical News (AMNews) examines how to answer the question, “Can’t I get an American doctor?”
Visit the Web site to find out possible ways to deal with prejudiced patients while keeping your emotions intact.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Medical school news
(Brought to you by the AMA Section on Medical Schools)
1) Promote the AMA-SMS to your colleagues
The AMA-SMS Governing Council is extending an invitation to all academic physicians to join the AMA-SMS to help develop strategies that will strengthen the section and policies of the AMA. The AMA-SMS provides a voice in deliberations of the AMA House of Delegates and offers a forum for discussing policies on medical education and national research and health care issues. A major goal of the AMA-SMS is to enhance communication between the medical education community and the AMA. Encourage your colleagues to join the AMA-SMS—their creative energy is needed to keep academic medicine strong and thriving.
Send your colleagues to learn more about the section.
Send an e-mail to Jackie Drake for application details.
2) In AMA GME e-Letter: Proposed Medicare, Medicaid cuts a double whammy for GME
The Bush administration’s proposed 2009 budget seeks to cut billions in Medicare payments to teaching hospitals. Meanwhile, new federal Medicaid regulations would end the use of Medicaid funds for graduate medical education (GME). This budgetary double whammy comes at a time when many regions and specialties face shortages of physicians and surgeons.
Subscribe to the free monthly e-mail newsletter.
3) In Medical Education Online: Effects of simulation on various levels of cognition
A recent study on the effects of using the Human Patient Simulator (HPS&trade) versus a CD-ROM on cognition and critical thinking found that there is no statistically significant difference in teaching choice for lower-level cognition. However, the HPS&trade is superior to using CD-ROM for higher-level cognition and critical thinking, and should be considered as the preferred choice in teaching, according to an article in Medical Education Online.
View (PDF, 332kB) the study.
4) Anonymous donation to Minnesota’s Future Doctors program sustains educational vision
Minnesota’s Future Doctors program received an anonymous donation of $1 million. The program is a collaboration between the University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic medical schools and was developed in response to a concern that practicing physicians and medical students do not reflect the diversity of Minnesota communities. The goal of the program is to equip high-potential minority, rural and economically under-resourced students with the skills necessary to become successful undergraduate students, in turn, making them strong applicants for medical school.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Medical student issues
1) Apply for AMA-MSS Chapter of the Year
To better recognize the true strength of the AMA and local school chapters, the AMA-MSS will present the fourth annual AMA-MSS Chapter of the Year award at the upcoming AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting, June 12–14, in Chicago. Chapters will be selected based on their efforts in several areas, including advocacy, community service and membership. The winning chapter will receive a $500 grant for its activities. Applications are due April 30.
Previous Chapter of the Year award winners, include University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine, 2007; Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 2006; and Baylor College of Medicine, 2005.
Read more about past winners of the award and apply.
2) Mark your calendar: Cover the Uninsured Week, April 27–May 3
The AMA, along with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and a wide array of national organizations, will kick off Cover the Uninsured Week (CTUW), April 27–May 3, to increase awareness of and promote discussion on the nation’s 47 million uninsured Americans. This weeklong series of national and local activities will take place in an effort to sensitize the public and opinion leaders to the plight of the uninsured.
CTUW will launch with a national event in Washington, D.C., followed by a week of events—including town hall meetings, on-campus educational events and numerous health fairs with free health screenings and services—in communities across the country.
The AMA-MSS is a national supporter of CTUW.
Learn more about how to get involved and plan an event in your area.
Send an e-mail to the AMA-MSS At-large Officer Meltem Zeytinoglu or the AMA-MSS Community Service Chair, Xin She, for more information.
Chapter involvement grants (CIGs) are available to AMA-MSS chapters to help put student projects and recruitment events into action. Chapters are eligible for up to $1,000 per academic year, with a maximum of $500 per event. Apply for a CIG at least 30 days before your event if your chapter has a project that it would like to get started.
3) Apply now for AMA-MSS convention committees
Are you interested in becoming more involved in the AMA-MSS? If so, we encourage you to apply for one of the various AMA-MSS convention committees which serve to expedite the conduct of business at each meeting of the AMA-MSS Assembly. Positions are available on the AMA-MSS Community Service Project Committee, the AMA-MSS Logistics and Resources Committee, the AMA-MSS Reference Committee, the AMA-MSS Hospitality Committee and many more.
Apply for these convention committees that will serve at the 2008 AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting in Chicago. Applications are due April 2. The Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates will be held June 12–14 in Chicago.
4) AMA announces exciting media rotation with Discovery Health
The AMA, in conjunction with Discovery Health, is offering an exciting four-week opportunity to AMA medical student and resident/fellow members. As part of the AMA/Discovery Health internship, one AMA medical student and one AMA resident/fellow will work to develop a medical education program that will air on the Discovery Health Channel. This exciting opportunity gives the student and resident/fellow hands-on experience in the translation of rigorous scientific data into an entertaining and informational program. The student and resident/fellow will work primarily at Discovery Communications headquarters in Silver Spring, Md., but will also travel to relevant on-site and studio shoots for the program. A stipend of $3,000 will be provided to cover living expenses. While summer dates are strongly preferred, dates and length of the rotation are flexible. Applications are due April 17.
Learn more and apply.
Learn about other AMA-MSS opportunities.
5) AMA-MSS Chapter of the Week: Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
Medical students at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine organized a health fair at a local free clinic. More than 40 medical students and other volunteers provided information to fairgoers on various health topics, such as diabetes, nutrition and physical activity. Volunteers also provided blood glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure and body mass index screenings, and a physician was on hand to speak with fairgoers about their screening results.
Send an e-mail to Nader Kasim for more information.
This project was funded by an AMA-MSS chapter involvement grant (CIG). Learn more about CIGs and apply.
6) Register for the 28th Annual AMA Medical Communications Conference
The 28th Annual AMA Medical Communications Conference will be held April 16–18 at the Paradise Point Resort and Spa in San Diego. Physicians and medical students interested in improving their message delivery have found this conference particularly helpful. Get hands-on communications training and hear from top-level medical communicators, government leaders and national journalists.
Significant discounts on registration are available to AMA-MSS members upon request. Don’t miss this opportunity to benefit from this unique conference and save money on registration.
Registration includes two networking receptions, continental breakfasts and keynote luncheons, and pre-conference general sessions, workshops, electives, roundtables, panel discussions, handout materials, videotapes and audiotapes, equipment and technicians. Special sessions, such as one-on-one coaching, travel and lodging, are not included.
Visit the Web site for more information or register.
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Minority health issues and professional concerns of minority physicians
(brought to you by the AMA Minority Affairs Consortium)
1) Minority Scholars Award applications due April 15
The AMA Foundation, in collaboration with the AMA-MAC and with support from the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative, is currently accepting applications for its Minority Scholars Awards. Interested students should contact their medical school dean—either the office of the dean or the dean’s designate—to submit nominations to the AMA Foundation for these scholarships.
Learn more about the awards.
2) Report: Glaucoma associated with increased risk of cardiovascular death in African-American patients
A report in the in the March issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology found that African-American patients with diagnosed and treated glaucoma, and those with high pressure in their eyes, appear to have an increased risk of death from cardiovascular causes.
Read the report.
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Organized medical staff issues
1) 2008 AMA-OMSS Annual Assembly Meeting registration now live
The 2008 AMA-OMSS Annual Assembly Meeting will be held June 12–14 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.
Register online today.
2) Just launched: New webcast on investigating health information transformation
Facing current national enthusiasm for electronic health records (EHR), the AMA-OMSS created a webcast that will help physicians identify their individual electronic record requirements. This webcast analyzes the strengths and possible pitfalls of current electronic history and physical designs and functionality, as well as offering potential remedies for identified problems. It also provides measures and benchmarks for evaluating a system’s ability to meet medical practice needs for quality care, compliance, usability, efficiency, data integrity and productivity. Finally, it provides a protocol and assesses the realistic manpower needs for the EHR transformation.
AMA members can view the webcast at no charge.
3) View webcast on revised Joint Commission Standard MS.1.20
The AMA-OMSS launched a new webcast on revised Standard MS.1.20 that addresses how medical staffs can successfully implement the revised Joint Commission Medical Staff Bylaws Standard MS.1.20 and provides an overview of the recently adopted revisions. Compliance with this standard by July 2009 is critical to preserving medical staff self-governance.
AMA members can view the webcast at no charge.
4) Check out most recent webcast on economic credentialing
Learn how to implement strategies to address the potential implementation of economic credentialing with the newest webcast from the AMA-OMSS. In addition, this webcast assists medical staffs in understanding legal issues involving economic credentialing policies and accessing physician/hospital rights and remedies and developing other methods for addressing physician/hospital disputes.
AMA members can view the webcast at no charge.
5) Webcast explores future of health care
What is the fundamental driving force affecting value in health care? A new webcast launched by the AMA-OMSS discusses and defines this question by exploring trends in their component parts (cost, access, quality and security of benefits) and describes future scenarios for health care, examining the implications for all health care stakeholders, including hospitals, physicians and local communities.
AMA members can view the webcast at no charge.
6) AMA-OMSS gearing up for its 2008–2010 governing council election
Interested in holding a leadership position within the AMA-OMSS? The AMA-OMSS Governing Council election for the 2008–2010 term will be held at the 2008 AMA-OMSS Annual Assembly Meeting in June.
Download an application. Applications are due May 14 to the attention of Kathleen Cole. Send an e-mail to Kathleen Cole or a fax to (312) 464-5845 with your application in order to be included in the online version of the 2008 AMA-OMSS Annual Assembly Meeting handbook. The online handbook will be available May 22; hard copies will be passed out at the meeting.
Visit the Web site for more information on AMA-OMSS Governing Council leadership opportunities and responsibilities.
7) Now available: “Physician’s guide to medical staff organization bylaws”
Because medical staff bylaws are considered a contract and are legally binding in most states, it is extremely important that they are well-designed and well-written. The fourth edition of the “Physician’s guide to medical staff organization bylaws” contains practical guidance on bylaws development, model bylaw language, information on emerging issues, and recent trends in medical staff re-engineering. The guide will be especially helpful to medical staffs as they update their bylaws to align with the revised Joint Commission Standard MS.1.20.
AMA members can view (PDF, 996KB) the guide at no charge. Non-AMA members will be able to purchase the guide in the coming weeks.
8) Printable version of “Principles for strengthening the physician-hospital relationship” available online
A printable version of the “Principles for strengthening the physician-hospital relationship,” developed by the AMA-OMSS and adopted by the AMA House of Delegates, is now available online.
View (PDF, 90KB) and download this resource. These principles are designed to improve the working relationship between physicians and hospitals, and ultimately foster better patient care and increase patient safety.
Send an e-mail to order a poster of the principles to post in your medical staff lounge.
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Resident and fellow issues
1) Registration now open for AMA-RFS Annual Assembly Meeting
The AMA-RFS will be holding its Annual Assembly Meeting June 12–14 at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago. This meeting is an opportunity for you to participate in policymaking sessions, educational sessions and networking opportunities with your colleagues. Stay tuned for upcoming information on hotel reservations, credentialing, a schedule of events and resolution submission deadlines.
2) In the Resident & Staff Physician: Remodeling the house of medicine—update on the medical continuum
“A substantive remodeling of the ‘house of medicine’ is under way,” says AMA-RFS Governing Council member Janet West, MD, in her February “Code blue” article in the Resident & Staff Physician. Dr. West highlights the progress of the AMA’s Initiative to Transform Medical Education (ITME) and the Association of American Medical College’s Institute to Improve Medical Education in influencing the future of medical education. ITME’s goal to reform medical education includes plans to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement in physician preparation, develop strategies for change in medical education across the continuum and form partnerships with appropriate stakeholders within and outside the medical education community. Dr. West encourages physicians to work with these groups, as well as other organizations and councils, to help chart the path of this historic remodeling of medical education.
Read the Resident & Staff Physician article.
3) Study looks at resident experience with work hour reductions
An Archives of Internal Medicine study surveyed all trainees in 76 accredited programs at two teaching hospitals before and after implementation of work hour limits. The survey examined changes in resident experiences and perceptions regarding patient safety that might be a result of work hour requirements. A before-and-after comparison was made between 2003 and 2004 with programs that implemented a substantial policy-related reduction in residents’ hours, while programs that did not reduce hours were used as control groups. The study concluded that it is “possible to reduce residents’ hours without increasing patient load. Doing so may reduce the extent to which fatigue affects patient safety as perceived by these frontline providers.”
Read more about the study.
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Senior Physicians issues
1) AMA-SPG online message board receives excellent response
Albert Miller, MD, AMA-SPG immediate past chair, recently published an article in Chicago Medicine, entitled “On retirement and time.” Dr. Miller writes, “Most physicians faced with retirement are concerned about what they will do with their time, and perhaps also their finances.” In this brief article, he emphasizes “that retirement has the particular advantage of removing doctors from the harrowing time constraints faced by the average physician, but keeping busy is a different kind of need.” The AMA-SPG’s online discussion board allows you to share your opinions and experiences on this article as well as other topics affecting seniors across the country.
All AMA-SPG members are invited to participate in this newly launched online message board. Send an e-mail to Alice Reed if you would like to participate. As a participant, you will receive a link to the discussion group, a username and password and access to log on at any time. The online message board can be used as a “read-only” information source but also as an interactive workspace for communication among your senior physician peers.
2) AMA Foundation honors two senior physicians with its Excellence in Medicine Awards
Two senior physicians are recipients of the AMA Foundation’s Jack B. McConnell, MD, Award for Excellence in Volunteerism and will be recognized on March 31 during the sixth annual Excellence in Medicine Awards dinner, prior to the 2008 AMA National Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C. One recipient, Frank E. Staggers, MD, president of the California Medical Association Foundation, instituted Prostate Cancer Awareness Week—the largest program for prostate screening in the country. Viola Startzman, MD, the second recipient, established a free health care clinic to provide quality medical and dental care to low-income, uninsured residents of Wayne County, Ohio. The clinic provided nearly 10,000 patient visits last year.
Learn more about this year’s honorees. Each year, the AMA Foundation, in association with the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative, honors a select group of physicians, residents, fellows and medical students who represent the highest standards of volunteerism, public service and leadership in the medical profession.
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Women physician and women's health issues
(brought to you by the AMA Women Physicians Congress)
1) Are you interested in medical communications?
All AMA-WPC members who are interested in medical communications are encouraged to attend the 28th Annual AMA Medical Communications Conference, April 16–18, in San Diego. Attendees will receive hands-on communications training and hear from top-level medical communicators, government leaders and national journalists.
2) New Web site for women’s health research information
A new online resource providing consumers with the latest information on significant topics in women’s health research from scientific journals and other peer-reviewed sources is now available through the National Library of Medicine. The 2008 National Institutes of Health Research Priorities for Women’s Health were used to identify overarching themes, specific health topics, and research initiatives in women’s health to put together this one-stop resource on the latest information available on scientific developments for important issues related to women.
View the Web site.
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Young physician issues
1) AMA-YPS accepting nominations for its governing council
On March 17, the AMA-YPS will begin accepting nominations for leadership positions on the AMA-YPS Governing Council. Download (PDF, 19KB) a nomination form. Nomination forms received by April 14 will be available for viewing on the AMA-YPS Web site beginning April 15. After this date, nominations will be posted to the Web site as they are received by AMA-YPS staff.
Nominations will be accepted by fax or e-mail to the AMA-YPS until June 2, but after this date, nominations will only be accepted from the floor at the AMA-YPS Annual Assembly Meeting on June 13.
Elections for the following AMA-YPS Governing Council positions will be held during the June 13 AMA-YPS Annual Assembly Meeting:
- Chair-elect, who will serve a three-year term: one year as chair-elect, one year as chair, and one year as immediate past chair
- Speaker, who will be elected to a one-year term in 2008 (beginning in June 2009, the speaker will be elected to a two-year term)
- Delegate, who will represent the AMA-YPS in the AMA House of Delegates for a two-year term
All terms of office will begin at the close of the 2008 Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates.
Learn more about AMA-YPS Governing Council positions and duties.
2) In AMA GME e-Letter: Proposed Medicare, Medicaid cuts a double whammy for GME
The Bush administration’s proposed 2009 budget seeks to cut billions in Medicare payments to teaching hospitals. Meanwhile, new federal Medicaid regulations would end the use of Medicaid funds for graduate medical education (GME). Read more on these and other issues in GME in the March issue of the AMA GME e-Letter.
Other articles highlighted in this issue, include:
- Health care work force update: Priming the rural medicine pump
- Medical schools continue to open, expand
- Helping international medical graduates (IMGs) adapt to a new country, culture
- Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) approves new/revised program requirements
- New medical specialty under development: Applied clinical informatics
View this month’s issue of the AMA GME e-Letter.
3) AMA seeks candidates for two medical education positions
The AMA is seeking qualified candidates for the position of secretary to the AMA Council on Medical Education/assistant secretary to the AMA Liaison Committee on Medical Education. A minimum of a doctoral degree is required, with a doctor of medicine degree preferred.
Send an e-mail or call (847) 869-2562 if you are interested in this position and would like a detailed position description.
Also being sought is an editorial/research assistant intern to assist with various medical education projects. Visit the Web site for more information on this position.
4) When it comes to prescribing data access, it’s your choice
All physicians deserve to be able to choose who has access to their prescribing data. The AMA Physician Data Restriction Program (PDRP) makes that decision yours alone by empowering you to determine whether or not the prescribing data you generate is made available to pharmaceutical sales representatives. Yet it still keeps the data available to advance important public health benefits, such as timely and appropriate communication about drug recalls and evidence-based medical research. The AMA does not collect, sell or have access to prescribing data, but rather provides a way for physicians to determine how their data will be used.
Learn more about PDRP.
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General AMA news
1) Physicians and patients to Congress: Stop Medicare physician payment cuts, preserve seniors’ access to care
The AMA strongly supports a new bill that would replace 18 months of cuts in Medicare payments to physicians with payment updates that better reflect medical practice cost increases.
The Save Medicare Act of 2008 (S. 2785), introduced last week by U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., would prevent a 10.6 percent cut in Medicare physician payments planned for July 1, retain current levels for the remainder of 2008 and enact a 1.8 percent increase for 2009. It would also continue rural extender provisions that are set to expire, such as the floor for Work Geographic Practice Cost Indices and the bonus for physician scarcity areas.
A new public poll released this week by the AMA showed that eight out of 10 Americans polled are concerned about access to care for seniors and baby boomers and nearly three-quarters of Americans believe Congress should stop the cuts so that physicians can continue to care for Medicare patients. Fully 88 percent of current Medicare patients are worried about how the cuts will impact their access to health care, while 30 percent of Medicare patients looking for a new primary care physician are already having trouble finding one.
“Congress has only a short window of time to act as the first Medicare cut begins in three months,” said AMA Trustee William A. Hazel, MD. “Physicians, and now patients, have spoken: Congress should stop the cuts to preserve seniors’ access to care.”
You have a chance to speak with Congress as well. In less than two weeks, members of the AMA and AMA Alliance will rally April 2 at Capitol Hill’s Upper Senate Park in support of the bill, as part of the AMA National Advocacy Conference, April 1–2.
Learn more about the National Advocacy Conference and register.
View the AMA’s news release about the poll.
Physicians are urged to visit the Web site or call (800) 833-6354 to get in touch with their members of Congress in support of S. 2785.
>>Return to your general news contents
2) Latest issue of AMA Therapeutic Insights covers osteoporosis
More than 2 million osteoporosis-related fractures occur each year in the United States. Direct health care costs attributed to new fractures cost nearly $17 billion in 2005—a figure that is expected to rise.
The latest issue of AMA Therapeutic Insights applies current evidence-based guidelines to detect and manage osteoporosis and provides primary care physicians with unique, unprecedented views of prescribing data for this condition. Using a case-study format, this issue provides state and national prescribing information for osteoporosis, including diagnostic and screening criteria, use of performance-improvement measures for osteoporosis, and an overview of commonly used medications with Food and Drug Administration–approved labeling for prevention and treatment.
AMA Therapeutic Insights, a free online quarterly newsletter offering continuing medical education credit, highlights one disease condition per issue and features state and national prescribing data, along with evidence-based guidelines for treatment. The newsletter aims to enhance physician knowledge and practice, and improve the quality of patient care.
Prescribing data for AMA Therapeutic Insights are provided by IMS Health and are compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The AMA does not collect, compile, license, sell or have access to physician prescribing data.
Access this issue, as well as previous issues covering type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia and depression.
Accreditation statement
The American Medical Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Designation statement
The American Medical Association designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
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3) Watch your mail for Physician Practice Information survey
The AMA and more than 70 other organizations are conducting a comprehensive multi-specialty survey of America’s physician practices. The results will be used to positively influence national decision makers to ensure accurate and fair representation for all physicians and patients, and to articulate the challenges of running a practice that provides expert patient care, while operating a business that is sustainable. Of particular importance is the section of the study pertaining to practice expenses and the amounts that are attributable to you.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has indicated it will use the results of this study to help determine physician payment. The survey firm, Dmrkynetec, will contact randomly selected physicians and practice managers to collect responses.
Please encourage your staff to make this information available, as the survey’s success depends on accurate and complete data. All responses will remain confidential.
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4) On Sermo: Rural health care challenged by waning of J-1 physicians
“Recruiting physicians for rural and urban underserved areas is always difficult. It’s worse now, as the number of IMGs [international medical graduates] on J-1 visa waivers declines and more enter the country on less-restrictive temporary specialized worker H1-B visas,” according to a March 10 American Medical News (AMNews) article. The article goes on to say, “Rural clinics were the first to feel the pinch because they rely the most on the J-1 physician pool.”
One physician on Sermo cites this article as a source for discussion, and poses the questions: “Who would want a J-1 when the less restrictive H1-B is available?” and “What should be done to improve access to physicians in rural areas?”
Visit the Web site to respond to these questions, view the AMNews article on this topic, and join 50,000 other physicians who are a part of this online community.
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5) In JAMA: Integrating genomic medicine into clinical practice for common chronic diseases still in the early stages
A large gap exists between what knowledge is available about genomic medicine and incorporating it into clinical practice for assessing the risk of and treating common chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and cancer, according to a systematic review in the March 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), a theme issue on genetics and genomics. The author presented the findings of the study at a March 18 JAMA media briefing at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Preview the study.
View the JAMA report on this study.
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6) Register for the 2008 Linda E. Saltzman Symposium
Registration for the 2008 Linda E. Saltzman Symposium, entitled “The health and social consequences of armed conflict on soldiers, returning veterans and their families,” is now open.
This free forum, from 1 to 5:30 p.m. on April 4 at the Massachusetts Medical Society headquarters in Waltham, Mass., provides physicians and other health care providers with knowledge of how military combat affects the health and well-being of soldiers, veterans, military families and military physicians. Attendees are also invited to attend a reception immediately following the symposium.
Learn more and register for this event. There is no cost for the symposium but registration is required.
Accreditation statement
The American Medical Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Designation statement
The American Medical Association designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
>>Return to your general news contents
Feedback
If you have specific comments on this edition of AMA eVoice, simply reply to this message. For more general feedback on AMA eVoice, send an e-mail to evoice@ama-assn.org and alert the editor of your comments and concerns. Do you have general questions about the AMA? Call the AMA Unified Service Center at (800) 262-3211.
Thank you for your AMA membership! The AMA's strength comes from its numbers. That strength grows when our membership increases — please urge your fellow physicians and medical students to join our cause by calling (800) 262–3211 or visiting the AMA Web site.
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