Ronald M. Davis, MD
Mental health parity and physician-owned hospitals
Last week the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would greatly benefit patients who suffer from mental illnesses, but it's a bit of a mixed bag.
This bill, known as the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007, would require most health insurers to provide the same level of coverage for treatment of patients with mental illnesses that they do for those with physical ailments. However, the AMA strongly objects to one of the funding mechanisms attached to it: the elimination of physician-owned hospitals.
The U.S. Senate passed a separate mental health parity bill last September, so I'm curious as to what the final legislation will look like after both chambers of Congress negotiate a compromise bill. The Senate version does not include a funding mechanism.
The negotiations could be an interesting process. The House bill is being championed by U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., and his father, U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., is an advocate for the Senate version.
Read more>>
Please send comments, questions, and replies to amaprez@ama-assn.org.
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Your news interests
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Faculty practice physician issues
1) In AMNews: Fewer international medical graduates seeking residencies on J-1 visas
2) In the Boston Globe: Re-branding of Tufts Medical Center strengthens university ties
Group practice physician issues
1) Web conference offers CME and CEU credits
2) Still time to return your 2007 Economic Census forms
International medical graduate issues
1) Advisor network available to IMGs starting programs in 2008
2) In AMNews: Jinx of the J-1 visa—IMGs finding other paths to residency
3) New program covers language barriers with Hispanic/Latino patients
Medical school news
1) AMA-SMS Governing Council seeks nominees
2) Examples of innovative faculty development programs requested
3) In AMNews: House passes partial forgiveness for medical student loans
4) In USA Today: Physician shortage growing in the U.S.
Medical student issues
1) Mark your calendar: Cover the Uninsured Week, April 27–May 3
2) Call for AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting resolutions
3) Apply now for AMA-MSS convention committees
4) AMA Alliance offers resources for partners of physicians in training
5) Learn more about AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs
Minority health issues and professional concerns of minority physicians
1) New resource focuses on diabetes prevention among African-Americans
2) Agreement aims to accelerate translation of cardiovascular research to African-Americans
3) Minority Scholars Award applications due April 15
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) In AMA GME e-Letter: Proposed Medicare, Medicaid cuts a double whammy for GME
2) Recent survey shows what patients want in doctors
3) Apply for media rotation with Discovery Health
4) Deadline extended to March 21 for AMA-RFS awards
Senior physicians issues
1) Survey: Older adults proving a tough target for shingles shot
Women physician and women's health issues
1) Take part in groundbreaking study on work/life balance for women in health care
2) Report: Hormone therapy and abnormal mammograms
Young physician issues
1) Election information now available for AMA-YPS Governing Council positions
2) JAMA sponsors “Author in the room” series
3) March issue of Virtual Mentor now available
4) AMA-YPS accepting nominations for 2008 Community Service Award
General AMA news:
1) AMA applauds new Senate bill to stop Medicare physician cuts
2) First-ever guidelines for ventilator allocation highlighted in AMA disaster journal
3) AMA among plaintiffs in ongoing economic credentialing trial
4) Latest online video focuses on treating elderly and minority patients with chronic illnesses
5) In JAMA: Screening for MRSA at hospital admission not associated with reduced rates of infection in surgical patients
Your news interests
Sign up to receive customized AMA eVoice messages.
Faculty practice physician issues
1) In AMNews: Fewer international medical graduates seeking residencies on J-1 visas
Since many rural areas have difficulties recruiting physicians, international medical graduate (IMG) doctors often fill the gap in their recruitments. The J-1 visa requires physicians to return to their home country for two years after residency, although physicians are eligible to stay if they agree to work in an underserved area for three years.
According to 2004 data, 22 percent of physicians working in small rural clinics were fulfilling J-1 waiver obligations. Per an article in the March 10 issue of American Medical News (AMNews), data from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates shows that the number of IMGs entering the U.S. has dropped steadily, from 11,471 in 1996–1997 to 6,033 in 2006–2007. This is due in part to the H1-B Visa, which does not require physicians to return home for two years, or require a doctor to work in an underserved area.
View the AMNews article.
2) In the Boston Globe: Re-branding of Tufts Medical Center strengthens university ties
Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston plans to emphasize its ties to Tufts University by dropping “New England” from its name, according to an article in the Boston Globe. The hospital will begin a new advertising campaign referencing its connections with the university, highlighting some of its unique characteristics. The medical center and the university are also creating signs to boost visibility on Tufts University’s campus. By collaborating, Tufts Medical Center will back up the new name through an advertising campaign, re-branding it and making the medical school and the hospital appear more cohesive.
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Group practice physician issues
1) 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.
2) Still time to return your 2007 Economic Census forms
If you missed the Feb. 12 deadline for the 2007 Economic Census, please complete and return them as soon as possible. Medical practices are among the businesses that are required by law to return a completed form if they received one. Forms were mailed in December 2007.
Starting this month, the U.S. Census Bureau will send reminder letters to business from which it has not received a response. In most cases, enclosed with the letter is a fresh copy of the form, to be returned within 30 days.
The Economic Census is taken every five years to identify business trends and measure economic growth. Information collected in the 2007 Economic Census includes the number of employees, payroll and the types and values of goods and services provided during 2007. Most businesses can complete their forms in about an hour.
Obtain help with your form online, or call (800) 233-6136, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday.
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International medical graduate issues
1) Advisor network available to IMGs starting programs in 2008
The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) has more than 200 advisors standing by for the new class of IMGs on J-1 exchange visitor visas. The number of J-1 applicants can be expected to rise sharply following the National Resident Match Program’s Match Day on March 20. Through this program, newly arriving IMGs can be put in direct e-mail communication with IMGs already in or having recently completed graduate medical education programs here in the U.S. Advisors can be selected based on country of origin, medical school, specialty, program, location, family status and other criteria to find the best matched advisor. Advisors can then provide specific information about the program, the location where the advisee will be training and practical advice on housing, credit cards, transportation, schools and other issues that will help newly arriving IMGs get settled. Unless the advisor and advisee choose to copy ECFMG on their e-mails, correspondence will be confidential between them.
Learn more about the program. Any IMG who is interested in serving as an advisor is invited to read more about the program.
2) In AMNews: Jinx of the J-1 visa—IMGs finding other paths to residency
A March 10 American Medical News (AMNews) article examines how, as the pool of IMGs willing to practice in undeserved areas shrinks, some rural clinics are struggling and may be forced to close.
View the AMNews article.
3) New program covers language barriers with Hispanic/Latino patients
The AMA’s new online continuing medical education (CME) program addresses strategies to improve communication with Hispanic/Latino patients. Developed in conjunction with the AMA Foundation and supported by an educational grant from Pfizer Inc., this free program covers the skills—readily transferable to all patient interactions—needed to effectively communicate with a low-literate, Spanish-speaking population. These skills focus on clarity, cultural humility and message confirmation, all of which are important to patient care.
Learn more, complete the program and obtain CME credit.
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 education 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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Medical school news
(Brought to you by the AMA Section on Medical Schools)
1) AMA-SMS Governing Council seeks nominees
Applications are due May 5 for several positions on the 2008–2009 AMA-SMS Governing Council, including chair-elect, three members-at-large, delegate and alternate delegate. Elections will be held at the June AMA-SMS meeting.
Learn more about these leadership positions and download an application form.
2) 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.
3) In AMNews: House passes partial forgiveness for medical student loans
A provision inserted into legislation reauthorizing the federal government’s student loan programs would allow medical specialists with five or more years of graduate medical education to qualify for up to $2,000 in loan forgiveness annually for serving in areas of need. The maximum amount would be $10,000 for five years of service, according to an article in the March 10 issue of American Medical News (AMNews).
The AMA fought for the provision but is concerned that it may exclude primary care specialties, such as general internal medicine and family medicine, which require three years of graduate medical education. It is working with the American College of Physicians to expand the bill.
View the AMNews article.
4) In USA Today: Physician shortage growing in the U.S.
Two decades ago, a decision was made to cap enrollment in U.S. medical schools, which is now creating a shortage of physicians throughout the country. Particularly hard hit are the rural areas where the number of general surgeons and family practice physicians have drastically decreased, according to an article in the Feb. 26 issue of USA Today. Only five percent of all physicians in rural areas are general surgeons, according to AMA data. As many new doctors enter the work force with massive debt, they are opting for specialties other than general surgery and family medicine.
View the USA Today article.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Medical student issues
1) 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.
2) Call for AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting resolutions
If you are interested in writing a resolution for the AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting in Chicago, it 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 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.
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 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.
5) Learn more about AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs
Medical student members of the AMA are appointed to serve as liaisons to the seven AMA councils. Kavita Shah, a student at Jefferson Medical College, is the current AMA student representative to the AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA), which develops ethics policy for the AMA. Composed of seven practicing physicians, a resident or fellow and a medical student, CEJA prepares reports that analyze and address timely ethical issues that confront physicians and the medical profession.
Contact Kavita Shah by e-mail for more information about CEJA.
Learn more about CEJA’s current activities.
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Minority health issues and professional concerns of minority physicians
(brought to you by the AMA Minority Affairs Consortium)
1) New resource focuses on diabetes prevention among African-Americans
The National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP), a joint venture of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, recently released a new diabetes prevention resource designed to encourage and help faith-based and community organizations get actively involved in deterring preventable diabetes among African-Americans. The new interactive educational kit, “Power to prevent: A family lifestyle approach to diabetes prevention,” provides instruction and guidance in making behavior changes that can help prevent diabetes.
Download a copy of the educational kit.
2) Agreement aims to accelerate translation of cardiovascular research to African-Americans
The Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC) recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health to accelerate the translation of cardiovascular research to the African-American community, improve the quality of cardiovascular research and care delivery and develop effective, replicable community-based models for reduction of cardiovascular risk factors.
Learn more about this landmark agreement and ABC’s upcoming conference on March 29 in Chicago.
3) 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.
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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, 995KB) 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) 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 setback comes at a time when many regions and specialties face shortages of physicians and surgeons. All responsible citizens recognize the financial challenges facing these two programs, but cutting funding for training doctors is not a solution and may only compound the problem. To ensure safer, more efficient, high-quality patient care, we need more investment in training our next generation of physicians, not less.
Read more on this and other issues in GME in the March issue of the AMA GME e-Letter.
2) Recent survey shows what patients want in doctors
A survey of more than 1,000 patients in the U.K. found that patients place a higher value on doctors’ thoroughness, as opposed to timeliness and friendliness. The reasons for seeking medical care affected what the patient valued, but thoroughness was still the most valued. Although the U.K. has a socialized health care system, researchers say the findings are universal and should be used as a guide in providing patient care.
Read more about this on WebMD.
3) 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.
Visit the Web site for more information and an application. The deadline for applications is April 17.
4) Deadline extended to March 21 for AMA-RFS awards
The AMA-RFS is extending the application deadline for the following awards:
- Jordan Fieldman, MD, Award for residents who are interested and active in advocacy issues
- Paul Ambrose Award for Leadership Among Resident Physicians Award recipients will receive money to fund their travel to the June Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates in Chicago, where the award will be presented.
Learn more about these awards and apply. Applications are due March 21.
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Senior Physicians issues
1) Survey: Older adults proving a tough target for shingles shot
Attempts to reach adults with a new vaccine is the topic of a case study on the difficulties of immunization beyond the childhood schedule. Disappointing data emerged from a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey, indicating low immunization rates for some adult vaccines, particularly herpes zoster or shingles.
Only 1.9 percent of people older than 60—the group targeted for the shingles vaccine—have received protection from the painful condition, according to results from the CDC’s National Immunization Survey. The AMA encourages the use of adult vaccines, advising physicians to get immunized and patients to do the same.
View the Feb. 11 American Medical News (AMNews) article on this topic.
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Women physician and women's health issues
(brought to you by the AMA Women Physicians Congress)
1) Take part in groundbreaking study on work/life balance for women in health care
The Studer Group launched a groundbreaking study regarding work/life balance among women employed within the health care industry. The study aims to better understand the unique and delicate issues of professional/personal balance facing the 10.7 million women who work in health care and, in turn, to recommend solutions to their employers that are relevant to this complex industry. The women’s work/life balance study is being rolled out in conjunction with Women’s History Month this month; public results are anticipated by late 2008.
Visit the Web site to find out more and take part in the survey. Please note that this is not an AMA study nor is this study endorsed by the AMA.
2) Report: Hormone therapy and abnormal mammograms
A recent report in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that combined hormone therapy appears to increase the risk that women will have abnormal mammograms and breast biopsies and may decrease the effectiveness of both methods for detecting breast cancer.
Read the full report in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Young physician issues
1) Election information now available for AMA-YPS Governing Council positions
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) JAMA sponsors “Author in the room” series
In partnership with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), is sponsoring an “Author in the room” series, designed to bring clinical evidence into practice by connecting clinicians to authors of articles published in the journal. The next teleconference features Stephen M. Shortell, author of “Improving patient safety by taking systems seriously,” and is scheduled from 1 to 2 p.m. CST March 19. You can also subscribe to the “Author in the room” podcast and listen to past teleconferences.
3) March issue of Virtual Mentor now available
The theme of this month’s Virtual Mentor—medicine and personhood—sounds theoretical in the extreme, the purview of philosophers and theologians. But the questions posed by the concept—“Are all humans persons?”, “When does personhood begin and when does it end?”, “Is one view of personhood enshrined by scientific medicine?” and “Is there clinical significance to the concept of personhood?”—are central to medical practice and become more relevant with every advance in scientific understanding of the brain, the mind and the connection between the two.
Read Virtual Mentor online.
4) AMA-YPS accepting nominations for 2008 Community Service Award
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 also to encourage similar efforts by other doctors. Nomination forms must be received by May 1. Award recipients will be selected by the AMA-YPS Governing Council and be honored for their work during the June AMA-YPS Annual Assembly Meeting.
Learn more and download an award nomination form.
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General AMA news
1) AMA applauds new Senate bill to stop Medicare physician cuts
The AMA welcomed a new bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., this week that would replace 18 months of Medicare payment cuts to physicians with payment updates that better reflect medical practice cost increases.
In three short months, Medicare will cut physician payments by 10.6 percent. Right now, 60 percent of physicians say the cut will force them to limit the number of new Medicare patients they can treat. The 18-month timeframe in the Save Medicare Act of 2008 (S. 2785) will inject some stability into the system for seniors as well as physicians forced to make difficult practice decisions because of planned payment cuts. It will also give Congress time to begin working on a long-term solution to the broken payment system without having to take action to stop the cuts twice in one year.
Earlier this week, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission made a recommendation to lawmakers to replace physician payment cuts with updates that reflect medical practice cost increases.
“Senator Stabenow’s bill is an important step toward implementing this recommendation, and we urge Congress to act before the cut begins this July and seniors’ access to care is negatively affected,” said AMA President-elect Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, Ph.D.
Next month, you can address this issue face to face with members of Congress at the AMA National Advocacy Conference, April 1–2. As part of the conference, members of the AMA and AMA Alliance will rally April 2 at Capitol Hill’s Upper Senate Park in support of the bill. Prior to the rally, attendees will hear from insiders about the political climate on Capitol Hill and get the latest on medicine’s legislative priorities.
Learn more about the National Advocacy Conference and register.
Call (800) 833-6354 or visit the Web site to get in touch with your members of Congress in support of S. 2785.
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2) First-ever guidelines for ventilator allocation highlighted in AMA disaster journal
When the number of patients exceeds available medical resources during a public health emergency, how do health care facilities determine who receives treatment? This question, as well as other ethical and clinical dilemmas, can surface in a time of crisis.
That is why, for the first time ever, the state of New York developed a new set of model guidelines that can be used to ensure just allocation and access to ventilators, as well as other scarce resources, during the aftermath of a public health disaster. These guidelines are included in an article in the March issue of the journal Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, the first peer-reviewed journal of its kind. The article outlines eight steps established by experts in medicine, policymaking, law and ethics to prepare for decision-making when patients in need of a ventilator outnumber the available ventilators.
Other topics in the March issue include emergency treatment facilities after Hurricane Katrina, effects of inhaled steroids on firefighters at the World Trade Center site, and implementation of the Cities Readiness Initiative based on Boston. The journal is published in association with Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
Read the March issue.
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3) AMA among plaintiffs in ongoing economic credentialing trial
An important case is underway in Little Rock, Ark., that challenges the economic credentialing policy of Baptist Health, the largest hospital system in Arkansas.
The policy prevents physicians who have an interest in a specialty hospital which Baptist claims is a competitor from having privileges at Baptist. In Little Rock Cardiology Clinic v. Baptist Health, a group of cardiologists argue that Baptist’s policy is overbroad and unnecessarily interferes with the physician-patient relationship.
The AMA and the Arkansas Medical Society, representing the Litigation Center of the AMA and state medical societies, have intervened as additional plaintiffs in the lawsuit. In addition to its direct participation in this case, the Litigation Center has provided financial assistance to the cardiologists.
AMA policy states that credentialing decisions should be made based on a physician’s qualifications and competencies, not on economic considerations unrelated to patient care.
The trial is expected to last through next week. Watch future issues of AMA eVoice for news about the outcome.
>>Return to your general news contents
4) Latest online video focuses on treating elderly and minority patients with chronic illnesses
In the United States, 33 million Americans are living with one or more chronic conditions, and that number is expected to grow to more than 171 million by 2030. Of those affected, some populations—including elderly and minority patients—often face greater challenges when managing these conditions, such as language barriers, cultural differences and lower health literacy levels, which places them at a higher risk for infection.
To help doctors help patients gain self-management skills and take an active role in improving their health care, the AMA has released a new online program, “Self management strategies for vulnerable populations,” as part of the Educating Physicians on Controversies and Challenges in Health series. This program presents self-management—the patient’s ability to monitor and respond to his or her chronic condition—as a key strategy for improving the health of patients with chronic conditions, and demonstrates how physicians can promote and support self-management among patients.
View this free video and others in the series. You can also learn more about how to earn continuing medical education credit through previously released episodes of this series.
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5) In JAMA: Screening for MRSA at hospital admission not associated with reduced rates of infection in surgical patients
New findings do not support the recommendation for universal screening on hospital admission for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to reduce the rate of hospital-acquired infections in surgical patients, according to a study in the March 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). In an accompanying editorial, the authors write that more research is required regarding controlling MRSA infections.
Preview the study.
Preview an editorial on this topic.
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