AMA eVoice Weekly Newsletter

Priorities in health care

March 20 was an interesting day. It began when I gave testimony to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee on Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) Priorities. This is an important committee, chaired by Harold Sox, MD, and comprised of a number of luminaries. The charge to the committee is to recommend CER priorities for the nation.

You will recall that the economic stimulus bill passed by Congress included money for CER. You'll also recall the controversy that swirled briefly over whether CER would result in "one size fits all" medicine, which was neither the intent nor the scope of the bill.

On behalf of the AMA, I spoke of some overarching needs but alluded to the medical specialty societies' expertise in given content areas. I asked that crosscutting issues, such as behavioral changes to confront obesity and cardiovascular disease, be addressed, as well as making sure health disparities are studied. As for specific disease entities, the specialty societies would be making recommendations. Many specialty societies were scheduled to also testify before the committee. I heard one such testimonial and read another. There was no conflict in what we presented.

Since money will be spent on infrastructure, I asked that the committee consider two powerful tools now in use by some specialty societies and other physician groups. One is registries, used quite well by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and the American College of Cardiology, among others. Another is data sharing networks, such as those used by the hospitals and surgeons participating in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program and the Northern New England Cardiovascular Disease Study Group. These efforts have clearly improved patient care and patient safety, and have allowed physicians to play a central role in improving quality at the point of care as well as becoming part of a "learning network."

Ted Epperly, MD, of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) discussed the data collection methodology employed by AAFP that has allowed their members to improve care. If we can improve quality while generating a robust evidence base for what works best for patients with certain characteristics, everyone wins. Obviously, patient privacy must be protected—that's a given.

But these infrastructures do not come cheap. Right now a funding stream that's free of commercial conflict of interest would be welcomed. In my home state of New York, there is an immunization registry that all pediatricians use. It's funded by the state, although physicians must have the necessary programmatic capabilities to enter data into the registry. I've been amazed at the sophistication of the registry maintained by STS, allowing very precise predictive modeling to be tailored to patients' individual risk factors before undergoing coronary artery bypass graft or valve surgery.

I will be very interested in the testimony of other medical societies before this committee but am convinced that we can be engaged and enthusiastic partners in CER—if we are allowed to be.

E-mail comments, questions and replies to Dr. Nielsen

1) Health reform dialogue group reaches consensus
For the past six months, the AMA has been participating with other national health system stakeholder organizations in a health reform dialogue process in an effort to identify common ground among health care providers, employers, consumers, insurers, public health professionals and others on key issues that need to be addressed in the context of health system reform.

The groups jointly released a report March 27 entitled "A Dialogue on U.S. Health Reform" (PDF), which represents their consensus on steps that can be taken to reach the broad goals of increasing coverage and access, strengthening wellness and prevention, and ensuring quality and value.

3) AMA hosts specialty "speed dating" for medical students
More than 75 medical students visited AMA headquarters in Chicago this week for a special event aimed at helping students choose a specialty. Attendees of the AMA's inaugural Specialty Speed Dating event, held March 31, drew medical students from Northwestern University, the University of Illinois at Chicago, Rush University, Loyola University, the University of Chicago, Chicago Medical School and Midwestern University.

Students paired off with physicians from various Chicago-area hospitals and residency programs for six 15-minute speed-dating rounds. The doctors offered advice and information about specialties including dermatology, radiology, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology.

Christian Cain, a first-year medical student at the University of Illinois at Chicago, attended the event to gain insight about the various specialties. As a former researcher for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he wants to choose a specialty that combines his love for research and academia.

"I'm filled with a plethora of possibilities," Cain said. "I just want to get all the information I can so I can narrow my scope and make an informed decision.

4) AMA president honored by American Medical Women's Association
AMA President Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, recently received the Elizabeth Blackwell Medal, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the cause of women in the field of medicine. Sponsored by the American Medical Women's Association (AMWA), the award serves as a lasting tribute to the first woman awarded a Doctor of Medicine degree from an American medical school.

Dr. Nielsen received the award March 28 during the AMWA Annual Meeting in Williamsburg, Va.

"I am truly honored to be granted this prestigious award from my peers at AMWA," Dr. Nielsen said. "Being viewed by others as a role model is an honor and a responsibility which I take very seriously. I encourage all of my colleagues in medicine to join in our work to improve the health care system in our country and to mentor the next generation of physicians."

5) Receive a discounted subscription rate for the CPT® Assistant newsletter
How well do you understand the intricacies of coding? AMA members can access the CPT® Assistant newsletter, which provides detailed articles, commentaries, updates and other timely facts about coding, at a discounted price. Read specific clinical vignettes that offer insight into confusing codes or view anatomical illustrations, charts and graphs for quick reference.

Send an e-mail to order a free sample of the CPT® Assistant newsletter.

If you're an AMA member, don't lose valuable resources such as the discounted CPT® Assistant newsletter subscription rate. Visit the Web site to renew your membership. If you're not a member, join the AMA today and begin receiving them.

6) AMA launches Twitter profile
A new AMA profile page on the social-networking site Twitter provides physicians and medical students with timely news and information about the most important professional and public health issues. As the nation continues to work toward health system reform, the AMA is using Twitter to provide updates on what's needed to better serve patients and to empower physicians.

Access the AMA's Twitter page.

7) AMA, Elsevier to copublish coding reference books
Two of the biggest names in health care publishing—the AMA and Elsevier—have announced an exclusive agreement to copublish International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) manuals by Carol J. Buck, beginning with the 2010 editions, this fall.

Visit the Web site to read more about this partnership.

8) Responses needed for survey measuring gastroenterology knowledge
In an effort to improve the gastroenterology curriculum of residents and continuing medical education programs for primary care providers, the University of Kentucky Division of Digestive Disease and Nutrition is offering a survey to determine the general gastroenterology knowledge of primary care providers and post-graduate trainees. Responses will be treated confidentially, and results will not be traced to individual responders.

Visit the Web site to access the survey.

Contact Freddy Caldera with questions or comments related to the survey.

9) In JAMA: Higher hospital safety rating not associated with lower risk of in-hospital death
According to a study published in the April 1 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), hospitals that reported higher scores on measures of safe practices did not have a significantly lower rate of in-hospital deaths compared to hospitals that reported lower scores on these measures.

1) Physicians help long-time patients struggling during recession
A story in the March 16 issue of American Medical News reports that physicians are finding that with the cost of a few visits, they can build up long-term loyalty from patients that will pay off when the nation’s economic downturn ends.

Experts say such a move is a way to engender patient loyalty, because when the economy gets better, those patients will remember how you treated them when times were tough. Also, experts say the money lost in offering free preventive care to the unemployed is likely to be far less than the costs these patients might run up, and be unable to pay, if they wait to see you only if they are very sick.

1) Report finds poverty in LGB community as common as among heterosexual population
A new report (PDF) published by UCLA's Williams Institute has found clear evidence that poverty is at least as common in the lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) population as among heterosexual people and their families. The report analyzed poverty within the LGB population and found it to be a significant factor influencing health and producing health disparities.

The report, "Poverty in the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Community," also showed that families living in poverty are less likely to have a usual source of health care and to regularly visit a health care professional. Lesbian couples and their families are much more likely to be poor than heterosexual couples and their families, and children in gay and lesbian couple households have poverty rates twice those of children in heterosexual married couple households.

The report also found that African-Americans in same-sex couples and same-sex couples who live in rural areas are much more likely to be poor than white or urban same-sex couples.

1) Medical student Match does not bode well for primary care
According to a March 30 article in American Medical News, results of this year's Match show that the declining number of physicians entering primary care will not support the vision of the medical home concept and will reduce access to health care for even more Americans.

Policymakers and private-sector groups have increasingly embraced the medical home model, which relies on primary care physicians as the nucleus of a connected system of care that provides higher quality, improved efficiency, better outcomes, lower cost and decreased geographic and ethnic disparity.

According to American Medical News, the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Family Physicians believe that higher payment rates for primary care physicians and debt relief from loans are two key ways to make primary care more attractive to new physicians.

2) Avoid five mistakes made in managing employee benefits programs
Employee benefits represent a group practice's second or third largest expense behind payroll and/or equipment. With operating budgets squeezed, making a mistake with your employee benefit program can be financially devastating to your practice. Employers unaware of available cost reduction options and programs are likely to pay 10 to 25 percent more. With an average premium paid by employers in 2008 of $9,325, according to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a group practice with 100 employees might be paying well over $233,000 in unnecessary expenses each year.

That's why AMA Insurance Agency Inc., a subsidiary of the AMA, recently approved Thesco Benefits, LLC into its Trusted Source Network™. Thesco is a leading benefits consulting and insurance brokerage firm that offers a full spectrum of medical practice and employee benefit insurance products and consulting services. Through research and experience working with AMA members, Thesco identified the five most common mistakes made in managing benefit programs.

Access an online audio presentation by the AMA Insurance Agency based on Thesco's research.

To help eliminate unnecessary costs and provide compliance guidance, Thesco has agreed to offer a complimentary program evaluation exclusively to group practices with AMA members. But this is a limited opportunity.

Contact AMA Insurance Agency Assistant Vice President Mike Hegwood at (800) 458-5736, ext. 5247, or send an e-mail to schedule an evaluation.

1) Help shape AMA-IMG policies
The AMA-IMG Section will collect online testimony from April 10–17 as part of its virtual congress. Submissions received during that time will be placed online for review. Resolutions for the Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates will be posted online beginning April 10. Testimony submissions should be e-mailed with the resolution number included.

The AMA-IMG Section Governing Council and its resolutions committee will serve as the reference committee by reviewing all submitted testimony and finalizing resolutions by April 27. AMA-IMG Section members may vote between April 30 and May 7 to approve or not approve each resolution in its final form.

If you have any questions, e-mail J.Mori Johnson or call (312) 464-5678.

2) Attend the AMA-IMG Assembly meeting in Chicago
Mark your calendars for the AMA-IMG Section Assembly meeting, which will take place June 12–15 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Scheduled events include the AMA-IMG congress business meeting; a candidates' forum; the AMA-IMG caucus; the Busharat Ahmad, MD, Leadership Program; and the Desserts from Around the World Reception. Two special keynote addresses will be given by James Hallock, MD, president of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, on June 12 and June 15.

Submit your registration form before May 22 via e-mail or fax at (312) 464-5845.

Visit the AMA-IMG Web site for the assembly meeting's full schedule and to register to attend.

3) Get ready to vote
All current AMA-IMG members will receive an e-mail April 13 that includes an encrypted personal ballot for the 2009-2012 AMA IMG Governing Council election. You will asked to identify yourself in order to ensure there is only one ballot submitted per member. Cast your ballot before May 13.

Visit the AMA-IMG Web site to access the public online ballot if you do not receive your ballot via e-mail by April 15.

Contact Carolyn Carter-Ellis by e-mail with any questions or call her at (312) 464-5397.

Brought to you by the AMA Section on Medical Schools

1) Save the date: 2009 AMA-SMS Annual Meeting in Chicago
The next AMA-SMS meeting will be held June 12–14 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. This meeting will provide medical education colleagues an opportunity to network, help develop AMA policy and discuss issues affecting medical education.

On June 12, the AMA-SMS will hold a joint educational session with the AMA Medical Student Section on mentoring medical students. The section will also hold a joint educational program with the Council on Medical Education on resident duty hour limits. On June 13, the AMA-SMS will present a panel on inter-professional collaboration in health care and the implications for medical schools and graduate medical education.

Meeting registration and hotel reservation information were mailed to all section representatives last week. If you have not received these materials by April 3, send an e-mail or call the section office at (312) 464-4655.

2) AMA-SMS seeks resolution and report reviewers
Members attending the AMA-SMS Assembly meeting in June are asked to participate in the review of resolutions and reports. Reviewers develop a consent calendar of recommended actions and present the recommendations to the section for a consensus vote.

These actions guide AMA-SMS delegates, alternate delegates and other representatives who testify in reference committee hearings. A review meeting will be held from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. June 12.

Send an e-mail to Jackie Drake if you are interested in participating.

3) New resource offers assistance during training
In an effort to help young physicians prepare for a successful career, the AMA Resident and Fellow Section recently developed an easy-to-navigate resource—“Succeeding from Medical School to Practice”—that features tips, links and streaming video specifically for medical students, residents, fellows and young physicians.

4) In JAMA: A new career pathway in academic medicine
An article in the Feb. 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) discusses the challenge that exists in academic medicine to acknowledge the contributions of faculty members who excel in quality improvement and patient safety.

Most faculties of medicine do not have mechanisms to encourage the development of faculty engaged in quality improvement activities. The article outlines possible career paths and promotion criteria for faculty members.

1) Mark your calendars: AMA-MSS Assembly meeting deadlines
In preparation for the AMA-MSS Assembly meeting, June 11-13 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, please keep the following deadlines:

• Post draft resolutions to the MSS Health Policy and News listserv by April 10.
• Chapter of the Year Award applications are due by April 30.
• Final resolutions and checklist are due by May 1.
• Meeting registration is due by May 7.
• Governing council position applications are due by May 15.

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 for students entering the residency selection process.

Watch for more information on educational sessions, featured speakers and the national service project, "Covering the Uninsured and Protecting Access to Care."

2) Submit AMA-MSS resolutions
Put your health policy, public health and other ideas into action by submitting a resolution for consideration at the AMA-MSS Assembly meeting. If you wish to submit a resolution for consideration, post a draft of your resolution to the AMA-MSS health policy and news listserv by April 10 and submit the final version of your resolution, along with the resolution checklist, by May 1.

Read more about resolutions and how to write them.

Join the listserv to post your draft to AMA-MSS health policy and news listserv.

3) Participate in the AMA Alliance Community Match program
In an effort to help physicians-in-training and their spouses ease the transition to their new community after Match Day, the AMA Alliance invites them to participate in the Community Match program. With the help of an Alliance member, newly matched physician families can become acquainted with their new community.

4) AMA Foundation awards research grants
Twenty-eight medical students and resident and fellow physicians recently received research grants as part of the AMA Foundation's Seed Grant Research Program. With the $2,500 grant, winners will be able to conduct small basic science, applied and clinical research projects in the areas of cardiovascular/pulmonary diseases, HIV/AIDS, leukemia and neoplastic diseases. The AMA Foundation established the Seed Grant Research Program to encourage more physicians to enter the field of research.

"We are excited to be able to help young physician investigators with their research endeavors," AMA Foundation President Jean Howard said. "The AMA Foundation is committed to supporting the discoveries and professional development of scientists at the start of their careers."

View a list of this year's recipients (PDF).

5) Register for the American Physician Scientists Association Annual Meeting
The American Physician Scientists Association will hold its annual meeting in conjunction with the Association of American Physicians and the American Society for Clinical Investigation. Scheduled to be held April 24–26 at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago, the meeting will enable interaction between students at all levels of training, including clinical and research faculty, public health advocates and leaders in industry. The deadline to register is April 10.

The meeting will include forums about funding and career development, panel discussions and a poster session during which students and residents can present their work.

6) FREIDA Online: Just one benefit of being an AMA member
So residency is just around the corner. Where are you going to go? Which institution has the right program for you?

As an AMA member, you have an outstanding resource at your fingertips—FREIDA Online. FREIDA is a database with more than 8,200 graduate medical education programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, as well as more than 200 combined specialty programs. AMA members-only functions for FRIEDA include being able to save the contents of your folder to view at a later date, and the ability to print program mailing address labels directly to your computer's printer at no cost.

If you're an AMA member, don't lose valuable resources such as access to AMA member functions of FREIDA Online. Visit the Web site to renew your membership. If you're not a member, join the AMA today and begin receiving them.

Brought to you by the AMA Minority Affairs Consortium

1) AMA-MAC wants to hear from you
The AMA-MAC Governing Council is soliciting ideas from AMA-MAC members for ideas they would like to see addressed through resolutions to the AMA House of Delegates. E-mail your topics of interest by April 15. The governing council will contact you directly if it chooses to submit your item to the House.

Send an e-mail to submit your resolution.

2) Apply for the Minority Scholars Award
The AMA Foundation is accepting nominations for the Minority Scholars Award, which recognizes scholastic achievement, financial need and personal commitment to improving minority health. Scholarships in the amount of $10,000 are granted to first- or second-year medical students from historically underrepresented groups in the medical profession. The deadline for submissions is April 15.

This program is presented in association with the AMA-MAC, with support from Pfizer, Inc. A medical school dean or the dean's designate can submit up to two nominations from their institution to the AMA Foundation.

Contact Dina Lindenberg at (312) 464-4193 or by e-mail with additional questions or if your school did not receive the nomination procedures.

3) Obama selects American Indian woman for Indian Health Service position
Yvette Roubideaux, MD, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, will be nominated by President Barack Obama as director of the Indian Health Service, making her the first American Indian woman to be nominated for the position. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Dr. Roubideaux will have a chance to work on passing the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. Obama co-sponsored the bill when he was in the Senate and included it in his campaign platform.

Dr. Roubideaux earned her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and a master's degree in public health from Harvard School of Public Health. She is an assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and has done extensive research on Indian health issues.

Visit the Indian Health Service Web site for more information about the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.

1) AMA Interim Meeting webcasts added to archives
The AMA-OMSS is offering two 90-minute educational webcasts, "Physicians as Targets and How to Avoid Being One" and "Organized Medical Staffs and Disruptive Behavior," on its Web pages. Both programs provide AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

Visit the Web site to access these and all other OMSS webcasts.

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.

2) AMA offers guidance in developing code of conduct
The new Joint Commission leadership standard covering code of conduct, LD.03.01.01, took effect Jan. 1, 2009. The standard's Elements of Performance requires, among other things, that hospitals have a code of conduct that defines acceptable, inappropriate and disruptive behavior, and that leaders create and implement a process for managing disruptive and inappropriate behaviors.

In response to these actions, the AMA adopted policy that calls for medical staffs to develop and implement their own code of conduct in the medical staff bylaws. Under the policy, hospitals should also have a code of conduct applicable to members of the board, management and all employees.

To assist medical staffs with implementation of a code of conduct in accordance with AMA policy and consistent with the Joint Commission leadership standard, the AMA Office of the General Counsel, in conjunction with the AMA-OMSS, drafted a model code of conduct for insertion in medical staff bylaws.

In addition, AMA members can access the "Physicians' Guide to Medical Staff Organization Bylaws" (PDF), an excellent resource for medical staffs and their bylaws committees.

3) Save the date: 2009 AMA-OMSS Annual Meeting in Chicago
The AMA-OMSS Assembly meeting will be held June 11–13 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Look for more information to come shortly in regard to this meeting.

Visit the Web site to view the full 2008 AMA-OMSS Interim Assembly Meeting summary and PowerPoint presentation for the AMA 2008 Interim meeting, as well as its disposition of actions.

4) Download free copy of AMA-OMSS presentation for medical staffs, hospital boards
The AMA-OMSS developed two PowerPoint presentations—one for medical staffs and another for hospital boards—to provide information on the section and its mission, duties and past actions.

AMA members can visit the AMA-OMSS Web site to view and download these presentations free of charge.

5) Align your bylaws with Joint Commission standards
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 Joint Commission standards. AMA members can download the guide (PDF) at no charge.

6) Resource helps strengthen physician-hospital relationship
A printable version of the "Principles for strengthening the physician-hospital relationship" (PDF), developed by the AMA-OMSS and adopted by the AMA House of Delegates, is available online. These principles are designed to improve the working relationship between physicians and hospitals and ultimately foster better patient care and improve patient safety.

Send an e-mail to order a poster of the principles for your medical staff lounge.

1) Register for AMA-RFS Assembly meeting
Online registration is now open for the AMA-RFS Annual Meeting, which will take place June 11–13 at the Chicago Hyatt Regency. This is an excellent opportunity to network with resident and fellow physicians from around the country, participate in policy-making sessions and attend informative educational sessions.

Following is a list of important Annual Meeting deadlines:

• Register online for the meeting by May 7.
• Submit AMA-RFS resolutions by April 30.
• Reserve your hotel by May 18.
• Submit an application for the convention committee by May 7.
• Apply for the AMA-RFS Governing Council by May 14.

2) Apply for internal medicine residency review committee
The AMA-RFS is accepting applications for the resident member seat on the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's (ACGME) Residency Review Committee (RRC) for Internal Medicine. The resident member participates as a full voting member in all internal medicine RRC activities, including program review and policy discussion. The position is a two-year term that begins July 1, 2010.

Resident members must be able to devote 30 to 35 hours to program review before each meeting. All related travel and meeting expenses are covered by the ACGME.

Visit the Web site for more information and to apply.

3) Participate in exciting media rotation with Discovery Health
Residents and fellows are encouraged to apply for the AMA/Discovery Health internship (PDF), a four-week program during which one AMA medical student member will help develop a medical education program that will air on the Discovery Health Channel.

Available only to AMA medical student and resident and fellow members, this exciting opportunity provides hands-on experience in translating scientific data into an entertaining and informational program. The selected student will work primarily at Discovery Communications headquarters in Silver Spring, Md., and travel to relevant on-site and studio shoots for the program. A stipend of $3,000 will be provided to cover living expenses. Dates and length of the rotation are flexible. Applications are due April 17.

4) Public health resources available
For physicians interested in public health, the AMA-RFS has a resource Web page with public health resource information, including research grants, public health service positions, public health organizations and much more.

5) AMA physician profiles: Just one benefit of being an AMA member
Whether your medical career is beginning tomorrow or it's a few years away, you will need to get licensed. As an AMA member, this is a service that you won't have to pay for, regardless of how many state licenses you need.

AMA physician profiles are used extensively by licensing boards, hospitals, group practices, and managed care organizations to verify physician credentials. Required by most states, the profiles cost $33 for each state and are free to AMA members.

If you're an AMA member, don't lose valuable resources such as this. Visit the Web site to renew your membership. If you're not a member, join the AMA today and begin receiving them.

1) Meeting of state representatives set for Annual Meeting
During the AMA-SPG Assembly meeting, state representatives will serve as liaisons to their respective state delegations on issues pertinent to senior members. The state representatives in attendance will have the opportunity to assist the AMA-SPG in areas of advocacy, communication of issues and recruitment. Any state medical society staff interested in senior physician issues is welcome to attend. The meeting is scheduled for Friday, June 12, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

Contact Alice Reed at (312) 464-5523 or by e-mail for more information or to verify a contact member for your state.

2) AMA-SPG developing national network of senior physician groups
The AMA-SPG Governing Council is working to engage senior physicians in the policy-making process to give them a more significant voice in the AMA. As part of that effort, the governing council is developing a national network of senior physician groups. The network's Web site includes more than 50 groups representing about 3,000 senior physicians.

Contact Alice Reed by e-mail with your contact information or call (312) 464-5523 if your senior physicians group is not listed.

Brought to you by the AMA Women Physicians Congress

1) In the Archives of Internal Medicine: Americans have insufficient vitamin D levels
According to a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers found that the number of Americans with low vitamin D levels has increased. With vitamin D levels having steadily decreased among adults from 1994 to 2004, the study suggests that current recommendations for vitamin D supplementation may be inadequate to address the increasing health problems associated with the low levels.

The authors report that decreased outdoor activity and obesity have been associated with vitamin D insufficiency.

1) Save the date: AMA-YPS Annual Assembly Meeting in Chicago
Young physicians, mark your calendars. The 2009 AMA-YPS Annual Assembly Meeting will be held June 11–13 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Contact the AMA-YPS by May 1 to submit resolutions and volunteer for reference, AMA House of Delegates handbook review and credentials committees.

E-mail Jane Ascroft for more information.

2) Apply for AMA-YPS community service awards
The AMA-YPS invites nomination forms for its annual community service awards. Through these awards, the section strives to not only recognize excellence in community service activities carried out by young physicians, but to also encourage similar efforts by other doctors. Nominations are due May 1.

Nominees must be AMA members. Recipients will be selected by the AMA-YPS Governing Council and honored for their work during the annual AMA-YPS Assembly meeting on June 12.

Visit the Web site for more information, to download a nomination form or submit a nomination electronically.

3) Pre-register for child care at the Annual Meeting
Physicians with children attending the Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates are encouraged to register for Camp AMA. Child care is available for children ages 6 months to 12 years old and will include arts and crafts, games and activities from June 12–16 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

Camp AMA is provided by Accent on Children's Arrangements Inc. and will be made available if a minimum number of children are registered by May 5.

4) Apply for AMA-YPS Governing Council positions
Candidates interested in a position on the AMA-YPS Section Governing Council are encouraged to submit nominations by June 1. Open positions include: chair-elect, who serves a three-year term as chair-elect and immediate past chair; speaker, who serves a two-year term; alternate delegate, who serves a two-year term; and member at-large, who serves a two-year term.

All terms begin at the close of the Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates. After June 1, nominations will only be accepted from the floor at the June 12 AMA-YPS Assembly Meeting. Candidates whose nomination forms are received prior to June 1 will be posted on the AMA-YPS Web site.

Access a nomination form (Word).