Meeting Highlights - Sunday, June 14, 2009
Medicine's D-Day
During a speech that drew a standing ovation at Saturday's Opening Session, AMA President Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, compared the monumental moment at hand for America's physicians—the nationwide debate about health system reform—to one of the greatest in the country's history, D-Day.
"We now have the best, and maybe last, chance in a generation to build [a] bridge," Dr. Nielsen said. "This is our profession's D-day."
While the battle for affordable health insurance and quality health care for all Americans is one not yet won, Dr. Nielsen said it's both battles and bridge-building in which physicians have been heavily engaged.
She reminded physicians of their recent victories, including stopping a steep cut in Medicare physician payments last year, exposing health insurers' payment schemes for out-of-network services and recent congressional passage of legislation that gives the Food and Drug Administration oversight of tobacco. And she noted battles still being fought, citing the need for a permanent repeal of Medicare's sustainable growth rate formula, congressional passage of legislation that would allow physicians to balance bill for Medicare and meaningful nationwide medical liability reform.
As physicians continue to fight specific battles and form certain bridges, she called on doctors to do their part in building one vital bridge in particular. "We have a chasm in health care in this country," Dr. Nielsen said. "We have to help build a bridge across it if there is any hope of creating a better future for our patients and our profession."
Dr. Nielsen also honored the late Ronald M. Davis, MD, the AMA's immediate past president who passed away last November after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.
Also at the Opening Session, the House by acclamation elected Cecil B. Wilson, MD, president-elect of the AMA. Dr. Wilson is an internist from Winter Park, Fla., who was elected to the AMA Board of Trustees in June 2002 and re-elected in 2006. Delegates also re-elected Denver psychiatrist Jeremy A. Lazarus, MD, to a third term as speaker and Andrew W. Gurman, MD, a hand surgeon in Altoona, Pa., to a third term as vice speaker.
Obama to appear Monday
President Barack Obama will address the House at 11:15 a.m. Monday in the Grand Ballroom and discuss the nation's need for health system reform. Look for more details on the president's speech in Monday's newsletter.
Learn about the health IT provisions of the federal economic stimulus law
According to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Medicare physicians who implement and report meaningful use of electronic health records will be eligible for an initial incentive payment of up to $18,000 beginning in 2011. Early adopters could receive a five-year bonus of up to $44,000.
To learn more about these health information technology (IT) incentive provisions, stop by the educational session "Overview: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Health Information Technology Provisions," to be held at 8 a.m. June 15 in Regency Ballroom A. David Hunt, MD, chief medical officer for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, will discuss the health IT incentive provisions and what physicians should do to prepare for them. AMA Board of Trustees member Steven Stack, MD, will moderate the session.
The session will be broadcast live as a webinar as well. If you aren't able to make Monday's session, a recording of the webinar should be posted on the AMA Web site soon.
Grab some popcorn and take in the AMA's webinars
Stop by the AMA's "webinar theater" in the exhibit area outside the Grand Ballroom and view excerpts from four of the AMA's recent webinars. Each webinar has been edited down to 5 to 10 minutes and will be shown on a rotating basis during business hours throughout the meeting.
The webinars include:
- "Patient safety organizations: The role of the organized medical staff"—Sharpen your understanding of the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005. Originally presented May 5, 2009
- "PQRI changes took effect Jan. 1: You can benefit"—View key elements of the 2009 Physicians Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) performance measures and new implementation tools developed by the AMA. Originally presented Dec. 17, 2008.
- "Making your investment in EMRs and Practice Management Systems technology worth it"—This webinar presents resources for optimizing electronic medical records (EMR), including how to construct and use a return-on-investment tool in your practice. Originally presented Oct. 2, 2008.
- "Financing EHR/EMR systems"—Get a quick overview of the "ins and outs" of electronic health record (EHR) and EMR systems, donation requirements and legal requirements. Originally presented May 14, 2008.
Leave your legacy
The Ronald M. Davis, MD, Legacy Honor Fund—which honors the late Ronald M. Davis, MD, immediate past president of the AMA—has reached nearly $222,000 on its way to its $250,000 goal.Please join your colleagues in supporting Dr. Davis' vision for a healthier America by visiting the AMA Foundation booth and making a gift or pledge today. Or make a donation online. Contributing to this fund is a unique way to leave your mark on the future of medicine.
The AMA Foundation introduced the Ronald M. Davis, MD, Legacy Honor Fund at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates. Dr. Davis passed away last November after a courageous fight against pancreatic cancer.
Coloring the meeting 'green'
As part of the AMA's effort to make House of Delegates meetings more environmentally friendly, wireless Internet access is available in the Grand Ballroom—where the House will convene—through Wednesday. Wireless Internet access also will be available Sunday in the Regency ballrooms for reference committee hearings.
Electrical power is available at delegates' seats, and there are a limited number of small tables with power in the back of rooms hosting reference committee hearings.
Details on accessing the wireless network are available at the delegate and alternate delegate registration desk and in the not-for-official-business bag.
Delegates are encouraged to visit the Annual Meeting Web page to view the House handbook, reference committee reports and orders of business electronically. To help, a 30-minute educational session that demonstrates how to navigate the handbook using Adobe Acrobat Reader will take place at 7:30 a.m. Monday in the Buckingham Room. Another 15 minutes or so will be set aside for attendees to ask questions. Individual instruction and troubleshooting will not be offered during the session.
Sunday's highlights
- HOD "Second Opening" Session, 8–8:30 a.m., Grand Ballroom
- Health System Reform Information Session, 8:20–9:15 a.m., Grand Ballroom
- Ref. Committee B, 9:15 a.m.–1 p.m., Regency Ballroom B
- Ref. Committee E, 9:15 a.m.–1 p.m., Regency Ballroom A
- Ref. Committee F, 9:15 a.m.–1 p.m., Grand Ballroom
- Ref. Committee G, 9:15 a.m.–1 p.m., Regency Ballroom C
- Constitution and Bylaws, 1:30–6 p.m., Regency Ballroom B
- Ref. Committee A, 1:30–6 p.m., Regency Ballroom A
- Ref. Committee C, 1:30–6 p.m., Regency Ballroom C
- Ref. Committee D, 1:30–6 p.m., Regency Ballroom D
Monday's highlights
- Litigation Center of the AMA and State Medical Societies open meeting, 7:30–9 a.m., Regency Ballroom B
- Overview: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Health Information Technology Provisions, 8–9 a.m., Regency Ballroom A
- President Barack Obama addresses the HOD, 11:15 a.m., Grand Ballroom
- HOD General Session, 3–5:30 p.m., Grand Ballroom
