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January 25, 2008
eVoice®
Jan. 25, 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) Nominations sought for Advisory Committee on Group Practice Physicians
2) In AMNews: NIH budget in 2008 grows by only small percentage
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender physician issues
1) Request for nominations: AMA Advisory Committee on GLBT Issues
Group practice physician issues
1) CME and CEU credits now available for practice management
2) In AMNews: Study indicates hospitalist care is attributed to shorter patient stays
International medical graduate issues
1) Attend the AMA National Advocacy Conference
2) AMA-IMG Section Governing Council nominations due March 7
Medical school news
1) AMA-SMS Interim Meeting educational program summaries now available online
2) Update: AMA ITME conference on the learning environment
3) Check this out: AMA Introduction to the Practice of Medicine educational series
4) In AMA GME e-Letter: Pharma influence and its effect on medical professionalism
Medical student issues
1) Apply now for AMA-MSS leadership positions
2) AMA offers health policy opportunities for medical students
3) Mark your calendar for Lobby Day, March 31
4) Save the dates for upcoming AMA-MSS regional meetings
5) Register for the 28th Annual AMA Medical Communications Conference
6) Request for AMA-WPC Joan F. Giambalvo Scholarship Fund applications
Minority health issues and professional concerns of minority physicians
1) In AMNews: AMA leader commentary—extinguishing inequities in health care
2) Become a part of the AMA-MAC leadership
Organized medical staff issues
1) View new webcast on keys to successful implementation of revised Standard MS.1.20
2) Now available: “Physician’s guide to medical staff organization bylaws”
3) Printable version of “Principles for strengthening the physician-hospital relationship” available online 4) New reports on medical liability insurance now available
Resident and fellow issues
1) Take advantage of leadership opportunities for residents and fellows
2) Study: Inadequate error-reporting systems keep physicians from reporting errors
3) In Resident & Staff Physician: Limiting resident duty hours—do we have all the answers?
Senior physicians issues
1) Nominations sought for AMA-SPG Governing Council
2) Medicare covers hepatitis B shots
Women physician and women's health issues
1) New heart disease guide includes vital information for women
2) Request for AMA-WPC Governing Council nominations
Young physician issues
1) Joan F. Giambalvo Scholarship Fund seeks applications
2) Candidates sought for AMA-YPS representatives to AMA-WPC Governing Council
3) In AMA GME e-Letter: Pharma influence and its effect on medical professionalism
4) New online video covers universal HIV screening
General AMA news:
1) Join your colleagues for a “house call” on Congress about Medicare payment
2) AMA speaks out on the state of health care
3) Reserve your spot at one of AMPAC’s upcoming political education programs
4) Does your practice have a nondiscrimination statement posted?
5) Virtual Mentor explores ethical issues in diagnosing and treating addiction
6) On Sermo: How does the medical liability climate affect you?
7) In JAMA: Overweight patients with diabetes appear more likely to achieve remission with weight-loss surgery
Your news interests
Sign up to receive customized AMA eVoice messages.
Faculty practice physician issues
1) Nominations sought for Advisory Committee on Group Practice Physicians
The AMA is seeking nominations for the Advisory Committee on Group Practice Physicians, comprising 11 physicians practicing medicine in a medical group or faculty practice setting. Nominees must be leaders within their group practices, (i.e., a chief executive officer, chief operating officer, board chair, department chair, etc.), and an active member of the AMA and organized medicine. Candidates must also be available to serve a minimum of one three-year term, starting July 1.
The AMA Board of Trustees will review nominations and appoint new committee members at its meeting in April. To ensure consideration of your candidates, nominations must be received by Feb. 25.
Nominate a candidate.
Learn more about the committee.
2) In AMNews: NIH budget in 2008 grows by only small percentage
President Bush signed a $555 billion domestic spending package for fiscal year 2008, but the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget has been allotted an increase of only 0.05 percent, according to an article in the Jan. 21 issue of American Medical News (AMNews). Research advocates warn that the U.S. edge on biomedical research could be eroding. David Moore, senior associate vice president for government relations for the Association of American Medical Colleges said, “What we’re going to see is less research, a slowing down of certain research programs,” he said. “It’s a slowing of medical progress.”
The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology had hoped for a 6.7 percent NIH increase between 2008 and 2010 to make up for previous years’ budgets that had not kept up with inflation.
View the AMNews article.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender physician issues
1) Request for nominations: AMA Advisory Committee on GLBT Issues
The AMA is soliciting nominations for three open positions on the AMA Advisory Committee on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Issues with terms beginning in June. All nominations are due Feb. 22.
The seven-member advisory committee is composed of three at-large members and four members who represent the AMA Medical Student Section (AMA-MSS), AMA Resident and Fellow Section, AMA Young Physician Section, and Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) respectively. Appointments will be made for the at-large, AMA-MSS, and GLMA representatives.
If you are interested in being considered as a nominee, please visit the Web site for additional information and a nomination form. You or your respective organization should then send your completed form to the AMA by Feb. 22. For further information, contact Michael Kutnick by sending an e-mail or calling (312) 464–4335.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Group practice physician issues
1) CME and CEU credits now available for practice management
The AMA will host a 90-minute Web conference, titled “Medicare’s pay-for-reporting bonus (Physician Quality Reporting Initiative)—what’s in it for you?” on Feb. 21. Medical practices that report on a designated set of quality measures can earn a bonus payment of up to 1.5 percent of total allowed charges for covered Medicare physician fee schedule services. This Web conference will detail how to report the required data, with or without an electronic medical record system.
Registration for AMA members is $125 ($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.
Learn more. This program is geared toward doctors and practice managers in small- to medium-sized group practices and features speaker Max Reiboldt, chief executive officer and managing partner of the Coker Group.
2) In AMNews: Study indicates hospitalist care is attributed to shorter patient stays
As reported in the Jan. 28 issue of American Medical News (AMNews), hospitalists cut 12 percent off the average hospital patient’s stay, based on a study conducted by Peter Lindenauer, MD, an associate professor of internal medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston.
The study found that patients treated by hospitalists had slightly lower costs per stay than those treated by a general internist or family physician, although patient outcomes were similar regardless of whether they were treated by a general internist or family physician. The term “hospitalist” emerged almost a decade ago, and now approximately 22,000 physicians consider themselves hospitalists, according to the Society of Hospital Medicine. The AMA holds that patients’ participation in hospitalist care should be voluntary, and that patients and their primary care physicians should not be penalized if they choose to opt out of hospitalist care.
View the AMNews article.
>>Return to your news interest contents
International medical graduate issues
1) Attend the AMA National Advocacy Conference
Make your voice heard at the AMA National Advocacy Conference, April 1–2, at the Grand Hyatt Washington Hotel in Washington, D.C. Attendees will learn from insiders about the political climate surrounding medicine’s priority issues on Capitol Hill. Following these sessions, participants will meet with members of Congress and their staffs.
Other events surrounding the conference include the Dr. Nathan Davis Awards for Outstanding Government Service program, the AMA Foundation Excellence in Medicine Awards Dinner, and the AMA Alliance Capitol Conference—Winter Session.
Learn more and register.
2) AMA-IMG Section Governing Council nominations due March 7
The AMA-IMG Section Governing Council is seeking candidates to fill one IMG resident/fellow position and two physician positions for its 2008 election. Nomination applications are due March 7, and candidates will be elected in mid-April by AMA-IMG Section members. All candidates must submit an application, curriculum vitae and high-resolution electronic photo. Endorsements and letters of support from medical associations are optional.
Those interested in the resident/fellow position must apply to the AMA Resident and Fellow Section first. Apply to the section.
Download (Word, 33KB) a nomination form.
Send an e-mail if you have any questions.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Medical school news
(Brought to you by the AMA Section on Medical Schools)
1) AMA-SMS Interim Meeting educational program summaries now available online
Summaries from the AMA-SMS November educational program on innovative approaches in medical education, the AMA’s initiative to transform medical education and the AMA’s innovative strategies for transforming the education of physicians are now available online.
View each program’s summary.
2) Update: AMA ITME conference on the learning environment
The initiative to transform medical education (ITME) has identified the learning environment for medical students and residents as a key area that affects the ultimate outcomes of medical education. On Dec. 13–14, 2007, ITME sponsored a working conference that brought together individuals from a number of disciplines and areas of expertise related to different aspects of the learning environment.
The 40 participants first identified and prioritized factors that influence learners’ knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and behaviors. Participants then went on to develop recommendations and design implementation strategies to mitigate negative and enhance positive factors in the learning environment. The conference recommendations included proposals for educational and policy changes, as well as suggestions for additional research.
The report of the ITME working conference on the learning environment will be available in April.
3) Check this out: AMA Introduction to the Practice of Medicine educational series
The AMA is piloting a new program called the Introduction to the Practice of Medicine (IPM)—a Web-based educational series developed by a collaboration among the AMA, Ohio State Medical Association and Ohio State University Medical Center. The series is designed to help meet the dual challenges of educating residents on the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education general competency requirements and supplementing their education in a variety of nontraditional curricular topics. The IPM program is easy to navigate and has a comprehensive library of learning modules and an extensive reporting feature that makes it simple to track and document progress.
To learn more about the IPM program, send an e-mail or contact Marie Cruz at (312) 464–4698.
4) In AMA GME e-Letter: Pharma influence and its effect on medical professionalism
The growing commercialization of U.S. health care, including the influence of the pharmaceutical industry, is leading to a decline in medical professionalism, contends Arnold S. Relman, MD, in the Dec. 12, 2007, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). “This industry now uses its enormous financial resources to help shape the postgraduate and continuing medical education of physicians in ways that serve its marketing purposes.”
Subscribe to the free monthly e-mail newsletter.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Medical student issues
1) Apply now for AMA-MSS leadership positions
The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) is the nationally recognized accrediting authority for medical education programs leading to the doctor of medicine degree in U.S. and Canadian medical schools. Each school must demonstrate they meet each of the LCME’s standards to retain their accreditation, but these standards are not limited to the educational program. The LCME also cares about how the admissions process is conducted; promoting diversity among the students and faculty; academic, personal and financial aid counseling; faculty numbers and promotions; and clinical and teaching facilities, among others.
The AMA-MSS is currently accepting applications for student positions on the LCME. Applicants must be fourth-year medical students when the term begins on July 1. Duties include review of accreditation reports, attendance at four LCME meetings (once as an observer, three times as a voting member), and participation on an accreditation survey. The LCME reimburses the student for travel and lodging expenses.
Apply by Jan. 31 to this and other positions on the seven AMA Councils, the AMA Foundation Board, and representatives to the AMA Women Physicians Congress, the AMA Minority Affairs Consortium, the National Resident Matching Program, and the National Board of Medical Examiners.
Download applications for these positions.
Also, current student representatives are listed online. View a current list of representatives and their contact information. Feel free to contact them for more information about their positions.
2) AMA offers health policy opportunities for medical students
The AMA-MSS offers assistance to students seeking to increase their involvement and education in national health policy and in national legislative activities of organized medicine.
The Government Relations Internship Program (GRIP) is an opportunity for medical student members of the AMA to enhance their medical education through work in health care policy. Students must arrange their own six- to eight-week internships—between June and August—in advance. The deadline to apply for the GRIP is Feb. 15.
The Government Relations Advocacy Fellowship (GRAF) is a yearlong, paid fellowship in the AMA’s Washington, D.C., office that offers medical students a unique opportunity to experience firsthand the intersection of organized medicine and the federal government as it relates to advocacy and policymaking. The deadline to apply for this fellowship is Jan. 31.
Learn more about the GRIP.
Learn more about the GRAF.
3) Mark your calendar for Lobby Day, March 31
The AMA’s 2008 Medical Student/Resident and Fellow Lobby Day will be held March 31, at the Madison Hotel in Washington, D.C. Lobby Day is an excellent opportunity to increase your awareness of legislative issues affecting medicine, foster relationships with legislators through political involvement and gain real-life education in the practical aspects of physician advocacy. Lobby Day activities include educational sessions on effective advocacy and lobbying techniques, briefings on legislative issues currently before Congress, and a full afternoon on Capitol Hill meeting with legislators and their staff.
The AMA will provide—on a first-come, first-served basis—a limited number of complimentary hotel rooms for AMA members for the night of March 30; however, anyone may attend the events on March 31 at no charge.
Please visit the Web site for more information and to register. The registration deadline is Feb. 15.
4) Save the dates for upcoming AMA-MSS regional meetings
AMA-MSS Regions 2, 5, 6 and 7 have meetings coming up, and you’re invited.
The AMA-MSS Region 2 Meeting, entitled “Perspectives on genetic discrimination,” will be held Feb. 29–March 1 at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in Iowa City, Iowa.
The AMA-MSS Region 5 Meeting, entitled “What can purple do for you?” will be held Feb. 29–March 1 at the West Virginia University School of Medicine in Morgantown, W.Va.
The AMA-MSS Region 6 Meeting, entitled “Students today, physicians tomorrow: The new face of medicine,” will be held Feb. 1–2 at Temple University in Philadelphia.
The AMA-MSS Region 7 Meeting, entitled “Becoming a better physician advocate,” will be held March 1 at Stony Brook University Health Sciences Center in Long Island, N.Y.
Visit the Web site for more information on all region meetings.
5) Register for the 28th Annual AMA Medical Communications Conference
The 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; pre-conference general sessions; workshops; electives; roundtables; panel discussions; handout materials; videotapes and audiotapes; and equipment and technicians. Special sessions, such as one-on-one coaching, travel and lodging are not included.
6) Request for AMA-WPC Joan F. Giambalvo Scholarship Fund applications
Applications for the 2008 Joan F. Giambalvo Scholarship Fund are due Feb. 1. This scholarship was established by the AMA Women Physicians Congress (WPC) with the goal of advancing the progress of women in the medical profession and strengthening the AMA’s ability to identify and address the needs and interests of women physicians and medical students. The Joan F. Giambalvo Scholarship seeks innovative research proposals focusing on professional work/practice issues that affect women physicians—including part-time working strategies, female physician practice patterns, the frequency/duration/impact of physician dropout from the work force, and profession re-entry issues. Proposals for independent projects as well as projects with concurrent/complementary funding and/or plans to use the grant as seed money for larger studies to follow will be received favorably.
Learn more and download an application.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Minority health issues and professional concerns of minority physicians
(brought to you by the AMA Minority Affairs Consortium)
1) In AMNews: AMA leader commentary—extinguishing inequities in health care
In a Jan. 21 American Medical News (AMNews) article, AMA President Ronald M. Davis, MD, shares his thoughts on eliminating inequities in health care and provides a progress report on the 2007 strategic objectives of the Commission to End Health Care Disparities for which Dr. Davis has served as co-chair with National Medical Association Past President Sandra Gadson, MD.
View the AMNews article, which includes a link to the Sermo discussion on this topic.
2) Become a part of the AMA-MAC leadership
The AMA seeks nominations for key leadership positions on the AMA-MAC Governing Council; members will be elected or appointed this spring. Two elected positions and three appointed positions are open for nomination:
- One elected delegate—This governing council member is the voice of the AMA-MAC in the AMA House of Delegates and will be elected by the AMA-MAC membership to serve a three-year term to begin in June.
- One elected at-large member—This at-large member will be elected by the AMA-MAC membership to serve a two-year term to begin in June.
- Three appointed representatives—Representatives from the National Medical Association (NMA), AMA Resident and Fellow Section (AMA-RFS), and AMA Medical Student Section (AMA-MSS) will be appointed by these respective groups.
The nomination deadline is Feb. 15. (Please note that AMA sections may have earlier deadlines.) Electronic photos and statements of interest are required.
Apply for the AMA-MAC Governing Council at-large and delegate positions.
Visit the AMA-MSS Web site or the AMA-RFS Web site respectively, to submit nominations for the AMA-MSS or AMA-RFS representative positions on the AMA-MAC Governing Council. All nominations must be submitted through the respective section’s Web site.
Visit the Web site to contact the NMA regarding its appointed representative on the AMA-MAC Governing Council.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Organized medical staff issues
1) View new webcast on keys to successful implementation of revised Standard MS.1.20
The AMA-OMSS launched a 90-minute webcast on its Web site 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.
2) Now available: “Physician’s guide to medical staff organization bylaws”
Because medical staff bylaws are considered a contract and 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, 995KB) the guide at no charge. Non-AMA members will be able to purchase the guide in the coming weeks.
3) 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.
4) New reports on medical liability insurance now available
The AMA recently completed three policy research perspectives on the market for medical liability insurance. The first report, “The impact of liability pressure and caps on damages on the healthcare market: An update of recent literature,” summarizes the economic literature on the impacts of caps and concludes that there is a large and growing body of research which shows that caps on non-economic damages lead to improved patient access to care, lower medical liability premiums and lower health care costs.
AMA members can view (PDF, 78KB) the first report.
The second report, “Professional liability insurance rates and distribution of rate changes, 2003–2007,” summarizes trend data from 2000 to 2007 Medical Liability Monitor surveys of professional liability insurance premiums and finds that in many states, rates have leveled off or even decreased. Decreases notwithstanding, professional liability insurance rates remain at historic highs in many areas of the country.
AMA members can view (PDF, 41KB) the second report.
The third report, “Professional medical liability insurance indemnity and expense payments, 1997–2006,” examines Physician Association of America (PIAA) reports on claims and payment levels between 1997 and 2006. The PIAA data show that payments rose faster than inflation over that period, and the period ended with an 8.4 percent increase between 2005 and 2006, when a new maximum average payment of $340,769 was reached.
AMA members can view (PDF, 48KB) the third report.
View each of these reports and other research reports on the medical liability insurance market.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Resident and fellow issues
1) Take advantage of leadership opportunities for residents and fellows
The AMA-RFS is currently accepting applications for the following positions:
- AMA Minority Affairs Consortium Governing Council—applications due Feb. 15.
- AMA Women Physicians Congress Governing Council—applications due Feb. 15.
- AMA Council on Legislation—applications due Feb. 18.
- AMA Council on Long Range Planning—applications due Feb. 18.
- AMA International Medical Graduate Section Governing Council—applications due Feb. 26.
Visit the Web site for more information on each position and applications.
2) Study: Inadequate error-reporting systems keep physicians from reporting errors
According to a study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), there is a false perception that doctors are unwilling to report errors and learn from them. Many doctors share information on medical errors in informal discussions with their colleagues because they think the current systems are inadequate for reporting information about errors. When asked what would increase their willingness to formally report error information, physicians said they want: 1) information to be kept confidential and non-discoverable; 2) evidence that such information would be used for system improvements and not for punitive action; 3) the error-reporting process to take less than two minutes; and 4) the review activities to be confined to their department.
View the AHRQ article.
3) In Resident & Staff Physician: Limiting resident duty hours—do we have all the answers?
In Resident & Staff Physician, clinical professor Charles E. Driscoll, MD, examines the impact of resident work hour limits on patient care and medical education. In a survey of key clinical faculty, it was agreed that residents’ well-being had improved, but they also agreed that their professionalism had significantly worsened. Another study showed that in the first two years after the institution of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education regulations, neither a significant positive nor a significant negative change in patient mortality occurred. Dr. Driscoll believes that “before we see any increase in the duty-hour limits, as has occurred in Europe, or before harsher penalties for noncompliance are enacted, more evidence-based information is needed to optimize the design of such measures and to study all their ramifications on medical education, quality of care, cost, availability of care, and physician work force.”
View the article.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Senior Physicians issues
1) Nominations sought for AMA-SPG Governing Council
The AMA-SPG is seeking nominations for its governing council, composed of seven physicians over the age of 55 either retired or still practicing medicine. The AMA-SPG Governing Council is charged with advising the AMA Board of Trustees and staff on issues that bear directly on senior physicians.
View all nomination materials, including the current governing council roster. Nominations are due Feb. 25. Contact Carrie Waller at (312) 464–4546 with questions.
2) Medicare covers hepatitis B shots
In an effort to help Medicare beneficiaries learn more about preventive services covered under Medicare, the AMA-SPG will feature a specific covered service regularly in AMA eVoice.
Medicare will help cover costs for hepatitis B shots for recipients at medium to high risk. Common factors for the medium to high risk range include hemophilia, end-stage renal disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant), and a condition that lowers your resistance to infection. Three shots are needed for complete protection. “Even though this is a three-shot process, it’s really a good idea for seniors with significant renal disease, those on chemotherapy and those who contemplate multiple blood transfusions,” said AMA-SPG Governing Council Chair William E. Jacott, MD. “And Medicare will pay for it.”
Read more about this service.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Women physician and women's health issues
(brought to you by the AMA Women Physicians Congress)
1) New heart disease guide includes vital information for women
Heart disease is the most deadly disease in the United States, accounting for nearly one-third of deaths. The AMA’s “Guide to preventing and treating heart disease: Essential information you and your family need to know about having a healthy heart” includes tools for the whole family and important information for women.
Order the guide.
2) Request for AMA-WPC Governing Council nominations
The AMA seeks nominations for key leadership positions on the AMA-WPC Governing Council; members will be elected or appointed this spring. Five elected positions, including three section representative positions, are open for nomination on:
- Two elected at-large members—Two governing council members will be elected by the AMA-WPC membership to serve a two-year term to begin in June.
- Three elected AMA section representatives—Representatives from the AMA Medical Student Section (AMA-MSS), AMA Resident and Fellow Section (AMA-RFS) and AMA Young Physician Section (AMA-YPS) will be elected by the AMA-WPC membership at large. Nominations should be submitted through the respective sections only.
Nomination are due Feb. 15. (Please note that AMA sections may have earlier deadlines.) Electronic photos and statements of interest are required.
Apply for the AMA-WPC Governing Council at-large positions.
Visit the AMA-MSS Web site, the AMA-RFS Web site or the AMA-YPS Web site respectively, to submit nominations for the AMA-MSS, AMA-RFS or AMA-YPS representative positions on the AMA-WPC Governing Council. All nominations must be submitted through the respective section’s Web site.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Young physician issues
1) Joan F. Giambalvo Scholarship Fund seeks applications
Applications for the 2008 Joan F. Giambalvo Scholarship Fund are due Feb. 1. This scholarship was established by the AMA Women Physicians Congress with the goal of advancing the progress of women in the medical profession and strengthening the AMA’s ability to identify and address the needs and interests of women physicians and medical students.
Visit the Web site for additional information and to download an application.
2) Candidates sought for AMA-YPS representatives to AMA-WPC Governing Council
The AMA-YPS Governing Council is currently soliciting nominations for the AMA-YPS seat on the AMA Women Physicians Congress (WPC) Governing Council.
Interested young physicians must submit a nomination form to the AMA-YPS by Feb. 15. Download (PDF, 34KB) a nomination form.
The AMA-YPS Governing Council will then select two nominees to compete in the AMA-WPC’s online election this spring. The AMA-YPS representative will serve a two-year term beginning at the close of the AMA Annual Meeting in June.
Learn more about the AMA-WPC Governing Council election and the two at-large positions which will also be elected in the spring.
3) In AMA GME e-Letter: Pharma influence and its effect on medical professionalism
The growing commercialization of U.S. health care, including the influence of the pharmaceutical industry, is leading to a decline in medical professionalism, contends Arnold S. Relman, MD, in the Dec. 12, 2007, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). “This industry now uses its enormous financial resources to help shape the postgraduate and continuing medical education of physicians in ways that serve its marketing purposes.” The medical profession, he adds, “is abdicating its ethical commitment to serve as the independent fiduciary for its patients.”
Other articles highlighted in this issue, include:
- Video teaches residents, students about end-of-life issues
- Prescribing practices, substance abuse education focus of AMA program
- Challenges in training tomorrow’s teachers, researchers
- Can health care engineering revolutionize health care?
- AMA initiative promotes medical education change, improvement.
Read more on these and other issues in graduate medical education (GME) in the January issue of the AMA GME e-Letter.
4) New online video covers universal HIV screening
Approximately 1 million people in the United States are believed to be infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). A quarter of them may be unaware they are infected, thus not getting necessary treatment and risking the unintentional transmission of HIV to others.
The AMA recently released the new online educational video, “Universal HIV screening and reducing HIV disparities” as part of its Educating Physicians on Controversies and Challenges in Health series. The five-minute streaming video aims to educate physicians on the implementation of universal HIV screening in practice as a strategy to reduce the transmission of HIV, which disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minorities.
View this and other free videos in the series, and learn how you can earn continuing medical education credit through this series.
>>Return to your news interest contents
General AMA news
1) Join your colleagues for a “house call” on Congress about Medicare payment
Physicians from around the country will rally April 2 on Capitol Hill to hold lawmakers accountable for their promises regarding payments in the Medicare program. The white coat rally will be part of the AMA National Advocacy Conference, April 1–2, at the Grand Hyatt Washington.
At the conference, hear from insiders about the political climate of Capitol Hill and get the latest developments in the battle to reform the Medicare physician payment system. After the rally, participants will meet with members of Congress and their staffs. Make this the year you look your representative and senators in the eye and press them to finally replace Medicare’s flawed payment formula.
Learn more and register.
>>Return to your general news contents
2) AMA speaks out on the state of health care
As President Bush prepares to address the top domestic and foreign policy issues facing the nation in his Jan. 29 State of the Union Address, American voters consistently cite health care as a top domestic priority. While there is much good in the delivery of health care, there are also areas in need of great improvement, notably providing all Americans with health care coverage and reforming Medicare.
Through its National Health Care Policy Agenda, the AMA has identified the priority health issues facing our nation, and calls on Congress, the administration, and candidates for national office to support proposals that will help improve the health care system.
Read the full Jan. 24 news release.
Read the AMA’s National Health Care Policy Agenda.
3) Reserve your spot at one of AMPAC’s upcoming political education programs
Are you considering a run for office, or would you like to get more involved in the political process? If so, the American Medical Association Political Action Committee (AMPAC) offers two distinctive training programs that can turn you into an expert political strategist.
AMPAC’s Candidate Workshop, Feb. 29–March 2, in Pentagon City, Va., is designed for AMA members and their spouses who are considering a run for public office. The workshop includes training on campaign strategy and advertising, and hands-on sessions on public speaking and fundraising.
Those interested in deepening their political activism or volunteering for medicine-friendly candidates should apply to attend AMPAC’s Campaign School, April 9–13, also in Pentagon City. The school is organized around a simulated congressional campaign in which participants are put on teams and receive instruction in campaign strategy, advertising and political fundraising. Each team participates in nightly exercises that include taping a radio commercial and writing a political fundraising letter.
Costs for AMA members for both programs are covered by AMPAC, except transportation to the Washington, D.C., metro area. Past graduates of these programs include U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, MD, as well as U.S. Reps. Tom Price, MD, and Phil Gingrey, MD.
State and specialty medical society staff members, such as government relations and political directors, are welcome to apply to either program.
Learn more and apply. E-mail Jim Wilson or call (202) 789-7465 if you have questions.
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4) Does your practice have a nondiscrimination statement posted?
The AMA has produced a sample nondiscrimination statement—inclusive of all patients—for physicians to frame and display in their offices. This sample statement was recently updated as a result of policy adopted by the AMA House of Delegates to ensure the inclusion of transgender physicians, medical students and patients in AMA policies.
Transgender individuals face complex medical, psychological and social issues, often beyond their control. As a result, they can view themselves or be perceived by others as the most marginalized sector of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, and are uniquely at risk for adverse health outcomes.
Download the sample statement at no charge.
View the AMA’s “Nondiscriminatory policy for the health care needs of the homosexual population,” policy D-65.996.
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5) Virtual Mentor explores ethical issues in diagnosing and treating addiction
People can be addicted to many things—drugs, alcohol or even a certain behavior. Whatever it may be, compulsive behavior commonly causes “cravings that will not quiet until fed—repeatedly and with greater and greater quantities,” according to the January issue of Virtual Mentor.
The AMA’s online ethics journal takes a look at the successful diagnosis and treatment of addiction and the ethical issues physicians encounter when treating these behaviors. Such dilemmas include compromising patient autonomy, providing appropriate access to medical care and forming subconscious perceptions of patients.
Virtual Mentor explores separate cases involving fibromyalgia, alcohol use and video gaming, and asks ways physicians can improve the recognition, diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.
Read the January issue.
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6) On Sermo: How does the medical liability climate affect you?
“In brief, [medical liability] premiums appear to be stabilizing but are still very high in some parts of the country. Some states have enacted reforms recently, but in other states, physicians are working hard to defend existing (and in some cases, longstanding) reforms in the legislature and in the courts,” writes AMA President Ronald M. Davis, MD, in a posting on Sermo.
Now physicians from across the country are sharing how the medical liability environment has affected their own practice and/or state in which they live. One physician on Sermo remarked, “Due to medical liability, I have left one state and moved to another and I only practice half-time [part-time] to hopefully decrease my risk in half.”
Dr. Davis’ made the posting on Sermo after his Jan. 17 AMA eVoice column on the current state of the medical liability system and efforts by the AMA and its partner medical societies to achieve reform. Read the column.
Join the discussion and share your experience.
If you’re new to Sermo, after a two-minute registration process to verify your credentials, you'll be taken directly to the discussion. Sermo is provided at no charge (ever) and is for licensed physicians only. Nearly 50,000 physicians have already joined.
7) In JAMA: Overweight patients with diabetes appear more likely to achieve remission with weight-loss surgery
Preliminary research indicates that obese patients with type 2 diabetes who had gastric banding surgery lost more weight and had a higher likelihood of diabetes remission compared to patients who used conventional methods for weight loss and diabetes control, according to a study in the Jan. 23 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). In an accompanying editorial, the author comments on the findings of this study.
Preview the study.
Preview an editorial on this topic.
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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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