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April 10, 2008

eVoice^®

April 10, 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) University of Connecticut Health Center seeks bailout from state legislature
2) Physicians polled offer insight into practicing in rural America

Group practice physician issues
1) New resource details ways physician practices can integrate to stay competitive
2) In the Wall Street Journal: Nonprofit hospitals might be better off financially
3) Practice management Web conferences offer CME and CEU credits

International medical graduate issues
1) AMA-IMG Section Governing Council online election poll opens April 14
2) Take part in AMA-IMG Section Annual Meeting activities
3) AMA-IMG Section resolutions due in less than a month

Medical school news
1) Examples of innovative faculty development programs requested
2) AMA receives accreditation with commendation from the ACCME
3) Latest online CME newsletter focuses on managing osteoporosis in primary care
4) Yale University School of Medicine receives AHRQ funding for innovative project

Medical student issues
1) Reserve your hotel room now for 2008 AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting
2) Mark your calendars: 2008 AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting deadlines
3) Call for AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting resolutions
4) Chapter of the Week: Loma Linda University’s silent auction and gala fundraiser
5) AMA Alliance offers resources for partners of physicians in training

Minority health issues and professional concerns of minority physicians
1) Cast your ballot: AMA-MAC Governing Council election starts April 14
2) Last chance: Minority Scholars Award applications due April 15

Organized medical staff issues
1) Standard MS.1.20 Task Force to continue its work
2) 2008 AMA-OMSS Annual Assembly Meeting registration now live
3) Webcast investigates health information transformation
4) View webcast on revised Joint Commission Standard MS.1.20
5) Check out most recent webcast on economic credentialing
6) Webcast explores future of health care
7) AMA-OMSS gearing up for its 2008–2010 governing council election
8) Now available: “Physician’s guide to medical staff organization bylaws”
9) Printable version of “Principles for strengthening the physician-hospital relationship” available online

Resident and fellow issues
1) AMA-RFS accepting applications for its 2008–2009 governing council
2) Apply for media rotation with Discovery Health
3) In AMA GME e-Letter: Pediatrics faces “triple whammy” of funding cuts, elimination
4) Webcast explores economic credentialing
5) Video educates physicians on latest methodology that rates their efficiency

Senior physicians issues
1) Educating physicians to meet the demographic imperative
2) Use seniors’ online message board to read, post articles on volunteer experiences

Women physician and women's health issues
1) AMA-WPC online election opens April 14
2) Newly designed Web site features physician re-entry resources

Young physician issues
1) New York young physicians: Tell us what’s on your mind
2) AMA-YPS accepting nominations for its governing council
3) 2008 Community Service Award nominations due May 1
4) Interested in submitting a resolution to the AMA-YPS?
5) Web conference offers CME and CEU credits

General AMA news:
1) Physicians: What’s on your mind?
2) New AMA toolkit can help physicians formulate fee schedules
3) AMA Foundation supports aspiring students in medicine; scholarship deadlines approaching
4) Virtual Mentor explores care for U.S. immigrants
5) On Sermo: How much did you make in 2007?
6) In JAMA: Achieving lower target levels for blood pressure, LDL-cholesterol may provide cardiovascular benefits

Your news interests
Sign up to receive customized AMA eVoice messages.

Faculty practice physician issues

1) University of Connecticut Health Center seeks bailout from state legislature
The University of Connecticut is seeking funds for their financially troubled health center from the Connecticut State Legislature. University officials said the small 224-bed hospital on the center’s Farmington campus is too small to make a profit. The request for $22 million—the third request in eight years—will allow the hospital’s operating budget to close its deficit, per an article in the Hartford Courant. The university cites that 96 percent of the hospital’s deficit was related to the maternity, psychiatric and neonatatal wards last year, and that only 108 of the 224 beds were available for general medical care. The University Medical Center holds an agreement with the Connecticut Department of Corrections that sets aside care for prison inmates at the hospital.

2) Physicians polled offer insight into practicing in rural America
Per a survey in HealthLeaders Media, almost half of physicians who had practiced in rural medicine said that they either preferred rural life more (30 percent) or that life was about the same regardless of where they lived (16 percent). Respondents to a survey were forthcoming in their responses, saying physicians need more exposure to rural practice options and opportunities. Medical schools had not developed a “rural practice track” to provide exposure to students in rural America. Among a survey of 600 physicians who said they had no rural health care experience, 29 percent indicated they never had been offered a position in a rural area, 25 percent said they just never considered it, and 33 percent said they’d never found the right opportunity.

View the article.

>>Return to your news interest contents

Group practice physician issues

1) New resource details ways physician practices can integrate to stay competitive
In a shifting environment in which physicians are under pressure to collect, track and report data about the quality of the care they provide, how can small practices develop the infrastructure needed to compete in today’s marketplace?

An increasing number of physicians are opting to collaborate with other independent—even competing—colleagues to respond to these pressures. In some cases, physician collaboration may allow physicians to jointly contract with health insurance companies and other third-party payers.

Since some physicians may not be fully aware of these integration opportunities, the AMA has published the booklet “Competing in the marketplace: How physicians can improve quality and increase their value in the health care market through medical practice integration.” Outlining various strategies for practice integration—including practice mergers, financial integration and clinical integration—this resource can help practices stay competitive while complying with antitrust laws. The booklet is a must-read for the 35 percent of office-based physicians who are in solo practice or the 53 percent who practice in groups of two to 10.

Download (PDF, 1.19 MB) the booklet. Readers who are unable to print a copy can obtain a courtesy copy by calling (800) 621-8335.

AMA members can view and download other resources about antitrust issues physicians face at no charge.

2) In the Wall Street Journal: Nonprofit hospitals might be better off financially
Nonprofit hospitals and health systems are coming under fire as their profits have increased in recent years from large tax breaks, per an article in the Wall Street Journal. The combined net income of the 50 largest nonprofit hospitals jumped nearly eight-fold to $4.27 billion between 2001 and 2006, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of data from the American Hospital Directory (AHD). Further research from this data indicates that 77 percent of the 2,033 U.S. nonprofit hospitals are in the black, while just 61 percent of for-profit hospitals are profitable. Nonprofit hospitals are expected to provide a “community benefit,” but critics argue that many spend less on charity care than they receive in tax breaks. New Internal Revenue Service standards are due out in 2009 that will require nonprofit hospitals to list specifics for the community benefits provided, although they won’t require hospitals to provide a minimum amount of charity care.

3) Practice management Web conferences offer 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 emphasizes 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.

>>Return to your news interest contents

International medical graduate issues

1) AMA-IMG Section Governing Council online election poll opens April 14
Online voting polls for the AMA-IMG Section Governing Council election will open April 14 and close May 14.

View candidate profiles starting the first week of the election. Send an e-mail with questions. Please note that you must be an AMA member to vote in this election.

2) Take part in AMA-IMG Section Annual Meeting activities
The AMA-IMG Section Governing Council has planned a number of activities for its members to make sure your voice is heard on important IMG issues during the 2008 Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates in June.

Reserve your spot by sending in your registration form to attend the AMA-IMG Section annual congress, caucus/candidates’ forum, dessert reception and leadership development sessions that will be held June 13–16 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

Download (Word, 94KB) a registration form.

3) AMA-IMG Section resolutions due in less than a month
May 8 is the deadline to send in your AMA-IMG Section resolutions for the June meeting.

View and download guidelines on writing resolutions.

>>Return to your news interest contents

Medical school news
(Brought to you by the AMA Section on Medical Schools)

1) Examples of innovative faculty development programs requested
The AMA-SMS will hold its 32nd Annual Meeting June 13–14 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The focus of the joint educational session with the AMA Councils on Medical Education and Science and Public Health will be the challenges facing the faculty. To continue the dialogue from the educational session, mini-presentations on innovative faculty development programs will be offered.

Send an e-mail to Jackie Drake if you plan to attend the June AMA-SMS meeting and would like to share highlights of your school’s novel faculty development programs.

Learn more.

2) AMA receives accreditation with commendation from the ACCME
The AMA was recently awarded accreditation with commendation from the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), with a six-year accreditation term to provide continuing medical education (CME) activities that are certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^™. The AMA received exemplary commendations related to its CME mission, consistent use of needs assessment data from multiple sources, use of an innovative/creative mechanism to measure effectiveness of CME programs with improvements made on a regular basis, and organizational framework for the CME unit. The ACCME awards accreditation status to assure physicians, the public and the CME community that CME activities meet the high standards of the essential areas, elements and policies for accreditation as specified by the ACCME.

3) Latest online CME newsletter focuses on managing osteoporosis in primary care
The latest issue of AMA Therapeutic Insights offers case-based applications of the current screening and treatment guidelines for osteoporosis. Included in this issue is an overview of commonly used medications with Food and Drug Administration-approved labeling for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, diagnostic criteria and treatment approaches that may be appropriate for application in clinical practice.

AMA Therapeutic Insights, a free online quarterly newsletter offering continuing medical education (CME) credit, highlights one disease state per issue and features state and national prescribing data, along with evidence-based treatment guidelines.

View the current issue of the newsletter.

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 Credit^™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

4) Yale University School of Medicine receives AHRQ funding for innovative project
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) recently awarded $5 million for two new health information technology projects. Yale University School of Medicine received one of the contracts for its project that will focus on the development, implementation and evaluation of best practices using clinical decision support services.

View the AHRQ press release.

>>Return to your news interest contents

Medical student issues

1) Reserve your hotel room now for 2008 AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting
The AMA reserved a block of rooms at a discounted rate of $189 per night for AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting attendees at the Courtyard by Marriott Chicago Downtown. Rooms are sure to go fast, so make your hotel reservation by May 16. In addition, the AMA has teamed up with United Airlines to offer annual meeting attendees a special discount of 5 percent on airfare.

2) Mark your calendars: 2008 AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting deadlines
The 2008 AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting will be held June 12–14 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The AMA-MSS will also hold its annual medical specialty showcase, where physicians from specialty societies represented in the AMA House of Delegates will provide comprehensive information on medical specialties before entering the residency selection process.

Stay tuned for more information on educational sessions, featured speakers and the AMA-MSS National Service Project, “Covering the uninsured and protecting access to care.”

Please keep the following AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting dates and deadlines in mind:

Resolutions posted to the AMA-MSS health policy and news listserv by April 11
Resolutions due April 25
Chapter of the Year Award applications due April 30
Meeting registration due May 8
Governing council position applications due May 18

Visit the Web site for more information and meeting applications.

3) Call for AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting resolutions
Resolutions for the AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting in Chicago must be posted to the AMA-MSS health policy and news listserv by April 11. Join the listserv.

Feedback will be provided to all who submit resolutions. Final versions of resolutions and the resolution checklist are due April 25. View the checklist, which lists all necessary tasks to submit a resolution.

Review (PDF, 43KB) the AMA-MSS resolution writing guide and learn everything you need to know about resolutions—from developing an idea and submitting a resolution, to writing and delivering testimony at the AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting.

Contact any member of the AMA-MSS Governing Council, or send an e-mail to Eleonora Teplinsky with questions.

4) Chapter of the Week: Loma Linda University’s silent auction and gala fundraiser
As part of Cover the Uninsured Week (CTUW), April 27–May 3, medical students at Loma Linda University School of Medicine in California organized a fundraising event, including a silent auction, dinner and concert. The issue of the uninsured was presented to attendees through the inclusion of stories about uninsured individuals at each table. Proceeds from the event were donated to Loma Linda University’s student-run free clinic.

Send an e-mail to Karen Studer for more information about this event.

What is your chapter doing for CTUW? The AMA-MSS has many resources to help you plan a great event. Learn how to get involved and plan an event for your chapter.

5) AMA Alliance offers resources for partners of physicians in training
Everyone knows that medical school and residency are stressful for young physicians. The AMA Alliance knows that training years can be just as challenging for spouses, and has organized some resources to provide specific support for partners of physicians in training, as well as assistance in finding an alliance in your area.

Visit the Web site for more information.

>>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) Cast your ballot: AMA-MAC Governing Council election starts April 14
The 2008 AMA-MAC Governing Council election opens for voting on April 14. Be on the lookout for a postcard with instructions and passcode information in your mailbox. Please note that AMA membership is required to vote in this election. The online election will open April 14 and close May 14.

View a list of candidates. Candidate profiles will be available for viewing starting the first week of the election. Send an e-mail to Wilda Knox with questions.

2) Last chance: 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.

>>Return to your news interest contents

Organized medical staff issues

1) Standard MS.1.20 Task Force to continue its work
At its Feb. 29–March 1 meeting, the Joint Commission Board of Commissioners approved the continuation of the work of the Standard MS.1.20 Task Force, with a deadline of preparing its recommendations for the board’s consideration at its May 31 meeting. At this time, the implementation of Standard MS.1.20 will not be affected. In addition, the board approved the following:

Appointing a neutral, non-commissioner member of the public as the task force chair
Amending the charge to the task force so that mitigating remedies can include revisions to the language of the standard
Including equal representation of both the medical staff and hospital leadership points of view on the task force membership

The chair of the task force will be well-versed on issues of health care quality and safety, have no bias toward a particular point of view regarding Standard MS.1.20, and be a skilled facilitator. The task force is tentatively scheduled to meet in April.

The task force was established in December 2007 to examine and address implementation issues related to revised hospital Medical Staff Standard MS.1.20. The revised Standard MS.1.20 was approved by the Joint Commission’s Board of Commissioners in June 2007 and will become effective in July 2009.

2) 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.

3) webcast investigates health information transformation
In light of the 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.

4) 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.

5) 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.

6) 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.

7) 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.

8) 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.

9) 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.

>>Return to your news interest contents

Resident and fellow issues

1) AMA-RFS accepting applications for its 2008–2009 governing council
The AMA-RFS will be electing the following governing council positions at its annual assembly meeting June 12–14 in Chicago:

Vice chair
Speaker
Vice speaker
Delegate
Alternate delegate
Membership and outreach officer

The AMA-RFS Governing Council directs the programs and activities of the section and holds meetings four times a year—in March, June, August and November. Applications must be received by the deadline to be included in the AMA-RFS Assembly handbook.

Visit the Web site for more information and an application. The deadline for applications is May 15.

2) Apply for media rotation with Discovery Health
The AMA, in conjunction with Discovery Health, is offering an exclusive four- to six-week elective rotation for AMA medical student and resident/fellow members. During the rotation, one AMA medical student and one AMA resident/fellow will each 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.

Learn more and apply. Applications are due April 17.

3) In AMA GME e-Letter: Pediatrics faces “triple whammy” of funding cuts, elimination
Threatened cuts to both Medicare and Medicaid funding of graduate medical education (GME) are an ill-timed “double whammy” for medical education. Pediatrics, however, is facing a “triple whammy,” with the added threat to the Children’s Hospital Graduate Medical Education program. The proposed 2009 federal budget eliminates this program, through which hospitals train 35 percent of all pediatricians, half of all pediatric subspecialists and the large majority of the nation’s pediatric research scientists.

Read more on this and other issues in GME in the April issue of the AMA GME e-Letter.

4) Webcast explores economic credentialing
Learn how to implement strategies to address the potential implementation of economic credentialing with the newest webcast from the AMA Organized Medical Staff Section. 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) Video educates physicians on latest methodology that rates their efficiency
“Understanding episodes of care,” a video provided by the Physicians Advocacy Institute, Inc., educates physicians on how health insurers use Episode of Treatment Groupers (ETG) to rate physicians’ “efficiency,” most commonly known as “cost of care.” National experts highlight the methodology underlying how ETGs are derived and what physicians need to know in order to combat unfair and inaccurate ratings of physicians by health plans using ETGs.

View the video at no charge.

>>Return to your news interest contents

Senior Physicians issues

1) Educating physicians to meet the demographic imperative
As the population over 65 increases from 37 million to more than an estimated 70 million by 2020, the workload of all physicians caring for the elderly will increase dramatically.

In 2007, the AMA began an initiative on the impact of aging on health care with the goal of ensuring that all physicians caring for the elderly will be proficient in geriatric care principles and practices. In the first year of the initiative, the AMA collaborated with the Association of American Medical Colleges which spearheaded a consensus process to identify specific Medical Student Competencies in Geriatric Medicine. This consensus statement presents a minimum set of graduating medical student competencies, or learning outcomes, to assure competent care is provided to older patients by new residents.

Visit the Portal of Geriatric Online Education to view the 26 competencies that were adopted.

Moving forward, the AMA will expand the collaboration to explore the development of geriatric competencies at the residency level, building upon the work that has already been done by the Association of American Medical Colleges, the American Geriatrics Society and others.

The AMA is eager to work with all interested parties. Please contact Joanne Schwartzberg, MD, via e-mail for more information.

2) Use seniors’ online message board to read, post articles on volunteer experiences
Since 1995, the Cuba AIDS Project has been a U.S.-based humanitarian organization operating in support of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS patients and their families in Cuba. The project provides follow-up support to patients in obtaining personal hygiene items, adequate nutrition and medication to combat opportunistic diseases associated with HIV/AIDS. “For U.S. doctors who are interested in legal travel to Cuba, the Cuba AIDS Project covers humanitarian travel under its U.S. Treasury OFAC [Office of Foreign Assets Control] license,” says Costa Mavraganis, coordinator of the Cuba AIDS Project.

Learn more about the organization.

The AMA-SPG online discussion board allows seniors to view an article by Richard S. Heilman, MD, who recently traveled to Cuba with the Cuba AIDS Project. You can share your opinion and your own volunteer experiences, too.

Send an e-mail to Alice Reed if you would like to participate in the online discussion board. You will receive a link to the discussion group, along with a username and password which enables you to log on at any time.

>>Return to your news interest contents

Women physician and women's health issues
(brought to you by the AMA Women Physicians Congress)

1) AMA-WPC online election opens April 14
The 2008 AMA-WPC Governing Council election opens for voting on April 14. Be on the lookout for a postcard with instructions and passcode information in your mailbox. Please note that AMA membership is required to vote in this election. The online election opens April 14 and closes May 14.

View a list of candidates. Candidate profiles will be available for viewing starting the week of the election. Send an e-mail to Wilda Knox with questions.

2) Newly designed Web site features physician re-entry resources
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently redesigned its physician re-entry Web site. This Web site serves as a forum for organizations and individuals who are participating in “The Physician Reentry into the Workforce Project,” and provides resources for individual physicians seeking re-entry information.

Learn more.

>>Return to your news interest contents

Young physician issues

1) New York young physicians: Tell us what’s on your mind
The AMA invites all young physicians to a Member Connect Roundtable event in New York City. Always engaging, these lively forums allow you to:

Exchange ideas directly with AMA leadership and your peers in a small, interactive setting
Learn what the AMA is doing to reform managed care and other issues affecting physicians in New York
Be heard, get involved, ask questions and share opinions about the AMA’s agenda, activities and opportunities

The roundtable is at 6:30 p.m. April 25 at the Harvard Club in New York. Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails will be served. AMA members are encouraged to bring nonmember colleagues to this event.

Learn more.

R.S.V.P. by sending an e-mail (enter “NYC Roundtable” as the subject line) or by calling (800) 262–3211.

2) AMA-YPS accepting nominations for its governing council
The AMA-YPS is currently accepting nominations for the following leadership positions on its governing council:

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

Download (PDF, 73KB) 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.

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.

3) 2008 Community Service Award nominations due May 1
Through its annual Community Service Award, the AMA-YPS strives to not only recognize excellence in community service activities carried out by young physicians but to also encourage similar efforts by other doctors. Nomination forms for the 2008 Community Service Award are due May 1. Award recipients will be selected by the AMA-YPS Governing Council and honored for their work during the AMA-YPS Annual Assembly Meeting June 13.

Learn more and download an award nomination form.

4) Interested in submitting a resolution to the AMA-YPS?
Now is the time to begin drafting resolutions that you would like to be considered by the AMA-YPS at its annual assembly meeting June 13. Resolutions must be faxed to (312) 464-5845 or e-mailed by May 2. Delegates can submit resolutions either as individuals or on behalf of a state or specialty society.

Learn more about how to submit a resolution to AMA-YPS. Send an e-mail to Jane Ascroft if you have questions or need assistance with a resolution.

5) 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 emphasizes 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.

>>Return to your news interest contents

General AMA news

1) Physicians: What’s on your mind?
In an effort to better understand issues facing physicians and how we can work together to address them, the AMA will be holding a series of Member Connect Roundtable events this spring. Each event allows AMA members and nonmembers an opportunity to interact directly with AMA leadership and their peers and to exchange ideas and views on the AMA’s agenda, priorities and plans.

Always engaging, these upcoming forums include:

New York City—This event, held especially for young physicians, will take place from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. April 25 and features scheduled presenter Catherine Hanson, vice president of private sector advocacy at the AMA.
Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) Annual Meeting—This event will be held from 11 a.m. to noon May 3 in Dearborn, Mich., during the MSMS Annual Meeting and will feature Andrew Gurman, MD, vice speaker of the AMA Board of Trustees. All physicians are invited to attend.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Annual Meeting—This event will be held from noon to 2 p.m. May 6 in New Orleans during the ACOG Annual Meeting and will feature Joseph Heyman, MD, chair-elect of the AMA Board of Trustees, and Rob Otten, vice president of health policy at the AMA. All physicians are invited to attend.

R.S.V.P. for any of these events by sending an e-mail and inserting the name of the roundtable event in the subject line, or by calling (800) 262-3211.

Learn more about these and other upcoming events.

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2) New AMA toolkit can help physicians formulate fee schedules
To help physicians establish cost-based practice fee schedules, the AMA has developed the “Defensible fee schedule” toolkit. This toolkit features a 12-step guide, a hypothetical model and an interactive spreadsheet to help physicians recognize the need to establish their practice fee schedule based on what it actually costs to provide a service, rather than what a third-party payer or other entity decides is fair payment.

AMA members can view and download the toolkit and its components—“Fee schedule analysis: Using your complete practice cost as a guide,” “Hypothetical physician practice fee schedule” and “Interactive fee schedule.”

Access a fee schedule analysis worksheet calculator to see how a health plan’s fee schedule can affect your practice’s bottom line so that you can make an informed decision before you sign a health plan contract.

Send an e-mail with questions.

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3) AMA Foundation supports aspiring students in medicine; scholarship deadlines approaching
The average medical student graduates with nearly $140,000 in debt. Recognizing that now financial assistance for medical students is more important than ever, the AMA Foundation offers several scholarship opportunities for young men and women in all levels of medical education.

2008 AMA Foundation scholarship opportunities include:

Minority Scholars Award—Ten $10,000 scholarships will be awarded to first- or second-year medical students. Nominations are due April 15.
Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship—Thirteen $10,000 scholarships will be awarded to third-year medical students who are entering their fourth year of study. Nominations are due May 30.
Arthur N. Wilson, MD, Scholarship—One $5,000 scholarship will be awarded to a medical student who grew up in Southeast Alaska. Submissions are due June 16.
Scholars Fund—Funds will be collected for each medical school to distribute to deserving students. Submissions are due July 1.

Visit the Web site for details and nomination forms. Send an e-mail or call (312) 464-4200 with questions.

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4) Virtual Mentor explores care for U.S. immigrants
With 37.9 million immigrants in the United States, every physician will likely treat a member of this population segment at one time or another. Immigration trends pose a number of ethical challenges with regards to health care.

Should physicians be aware of their patients’ citizenship status? Is it ethical to offer scarce medical resources and services to so-called “medical tourists” who come to our country for “miracle” procedures? Is it fair to accept labor (and donated organs) from immigrants and not provide them the medical care they need?

The April issue of Virtual Mentor, the AMA’s online ethics journal, explores these questions and others, as well as a number of cases and scenarios in which ethical dilemmas arise.

In his op-ed piece, Ron J. Anderson, MD, writes that “our health system should in no way allow the care of someone who is seriously ill or injured to be compromised because of citizenship status. We have a clear mandate to provide medical care to all who enter our health system.”

Learn more and view this month’s issue.

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5) On Sermo: How much did you make in 2007?
It’s a taboo subject for many, but a physician on Sermo has thrown it out there, “just to see if it matches up with what the nation thinks about us.”

Visit Sermo to take part in the poll on and extensive discussion of 2007 net pay.

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6) In JAMA: Achieving lower target levels for blood pressure, LDL-cholesterol may provide cardiovascular benefits
Patients with diabetes who reduced their blood pressure and LDL-cholesterol to below-standard target levels had a greater decrease in carotid artery wall thickness, but did not experience a significant difference in cardiovascular disease events from patients who had recommended blood pressure and LDL-cholesterol levels, according to a study in the April 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Preview this study.

Preview an editorial related to this study.

View the JAMA Report video about this study.

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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.

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Last updated: Apr 10, 2008
Content provided by: Member Publications