AMA eVoice Weekly Newsletter

Health care disparities are real

When you read this column, I will be co-chairing the fall meeting of the Commission to End Health Care Disparities at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). The Commission was founded five years ago by the AMA, the National Medical Association and the National Hispanic Medical Association to identify reasons for health care disparities in the United States and implement solutions to solve this issue. The meeting in El Paso is unique in that it places additional emphasis on the United States-Mexico border, an area where health care disparities are a real challenge.

We know that individuals without health insurance live sicker and die younger. The overall uninsured rate in America is 16 percent, but for African-Americans and Hispanics, these rates round out to 20 percent and 33 percent, respectively. And along the border, uninsured rates are even higher. With the increased percentage of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, it's not unusual for a physician's practice to have less than 10 percent commercial insurance to offset the underpayment from government programs and the uninsured. Texas, for example, leads the nation in the number of uninsured at a 25 percent rate. Twenty percent of African-Americans and 40 percent of Hispanics in Texas are uninsured. 

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has produced annual reports over the last six years on the state of quality and health disparity in the United States. While we have not seen dramatic improvements throughout this time frame, we have seen the start of a plan to help address this issue.

The AMA has played a role as well in helping to eliminate health care disparities. The AMA Foundation, in collaboration with the AMA Minority Affairs Consortium (MAC) and with support from Pfizer Inc., provides tuition assistance scholarships to minority medical students through its Minority Scholars Award program.

In addition, the AMA-MAC and the commission sponsor the AMA's Doctors Back to School program, which aims to increase the number of minority physicians and ultimately work toward eliminating racial and ethnic health care disparities by encouraging middle and high school students to consider a career in the medical profession. While Hispanics, African-Americans and American Indians make up nearly a quarter of the U.S. population, they constitute only 7 percent of our nation's physicians.

And the AMA is represented as one of more than 20 national health and advocacy organizations on the American Hospital Association's Special Advisory Group on Improving Hospital Care for Minorities, a group created in 2007 to study ways to improve hospital care and eliminate disparities among minority populations. In May, the group sent a letter to President Barack Obama and congressional leaders (PDF) highlighting a set of legislative priorities designed to eliminate the health disparities gap that exists for racial and ethnic minorities, and urged them to address this issue as part of reform.

Yesterday, I was excited to accompany Willarda Edwards, MD, president of the National Medical Association and a fellow UTEP Distinguished Alumnus, as we visited Bel Air High School, from where Dr. Edwards graduated. Ninety-six percent of the student population at Bel Air is Hispanic; among them, 99.1 percent take the ACT or SAT, and 8.7 percent drop out of school-not far from the state average drop-out rate of 11.4 percent.

As a profession, we need opportunities such as these to work to inspire the best and the brightest minority students to become a new generation of physicians. That and shedding light on the lack of diversity in the nation's physician work force are important steps toward eliminating health care disparities and providing quality health care to all Americans.

If you are interested in getting involved in your community, I encourage you to contact the commission through the AMA or visit the AMA Web site to learn more. And I also encourage you to contribute to the AMA Foundation for its Minority Scholars Award program.

You can make a difference.

—J. James Rohack

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

1) AMA outreach efforts on health system reform continue
Questions about the affordability of reforming the nation's health system, increasing access to care for college students and recent graduates, and enhancing emergency room services are answered in the third of the AMA's virtual town hall videos.

The video is the latest in a series in which AMA members answer questions from patients and debunk myths about health system reform. Other videos, unveiled in late August, cover health insurance and access to care.

"With health system reform at the top of mind for most Americans, the AMA is proud to provide timely, accurate information for patients," AMA President J. James Rohack, MD, said.

View the Aug. 28 virtual town hall video on affordability of health system reform.

In addition, the AMA wrapped up its series of regional tele-town hall Physicians' Forums this week, in which AMA leaders responded to members' questions about health system reform legislation and the AMA's advocacy efforts. Listen to audio of a past forum with New York and Pennsylvania physicians.

Also, follow the AMA on Facebook or on Twitter to keep up with the latest in the health care reform debate.

2) Stay up-to-date about 2009 H1N1 flu with the AMA
The 2009 H1N1 influenza has caused more than 8,800 hospitalizations and 556 deaths nationwide as of Aug. 27. It's more important than ever to be informed about the latest developments regarding the 2009 H1N1 flu, and the AMA is your source for timely, concise and up-to-date clinical guidance, treatment information, resources and news. The AMA Web site is updated as news breaks, so bookmark it and check back often.

Also, sign up for e-mail updates, news and educational opportunities from the AMA about the 2009 H1N1 flu and other national health topics.

3) Study finds three-fold heart attack increase in Hurricane Katrina survivors
A new first-of-its-kind study, released on the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, found a three-fold increase in the number of heart attacks among survivors. This study was published ahead of print this week in the AMA's Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness journal online.

Study authors looked at patients admitted to Tulane University Hospital two years before Hurricane Katrina and two years after the hospital reopened. The post-Katrina group revealed 264 heart attack admissions as compared to 150 admissions in the pre-Katrina group. The post-Katrina group also had significantly higher prevalence of unemployment, lack of insurance, medication noncompliance and substance abuse.

4) CMS issues new ICD-10 fact sheet
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a new fact sheet on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition, Clinical Modification/Procedure (ICD-10-CM/PCS) coding system that health care organizations will be required to use by Oct. 1, 2010.

The CMS fact sheet says ICD-10-CM/PCS will improve the ability to measure health care services; increase sensitivity when refining grouping and reimbursement methodologies; enhance the ability to conduct public health surveillance; and decrease the need to include supporting documentation with claims.

Learn more and view and download the fact sheet.

5) AMA discusses FDA opioids initiative with DEA officials
Recently the AMA's advocacy staff met with officials at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to share the AMA's views on the recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initiative to develop a risk mitigation strategy for certain opioid drugs.

In a joint comment letter to the FDA on June 30, the AMA and 15 other medical societies advocated that positive incentives be used to encourage more physicians to take continuing medical education courses in pain management and related topics. One of the positive incentives recommended was that the DEA registration fee be reduced or waived for physicians completing such courses.

It became clear during the meeting that, although FDA and DEA officials are speaking with one another about these issues, it is virtually impossible for the FDA's risk mitigation strategy on opioids and the DEA's registration process for physicians who prescribe controlled substances to be linked in any way because of the statutory authorities governing each agency. The AMA will continue its advocacy efforts with both agencies to try and improve the regulatory environment for physicians who prescribe and patients who are treated with opioids and other controlled substances.

6) Virtual Mentor explores ethical questions in genetic testing
September's Virtual Mentor suggests that genetic information could have the potential to limit a child's future autonomy. In one such case, the author explores whether or not testing a toddler for Huntington's disease—with a 50 percent chance of having it—is the right thing to do.

While access to such information could bear potential harm, it also presents obvious benefits. This month's issue takes a closer look at the many ethical questions that surround access to genetic information.

7) Ethics in Brief: A physician's role following a breach of electronic health information
While electronic medical records (EMRs) have the potential to greatly improve clinical care and health-related research, they place sensitive personal information—such as a patient's health history or social security number—at risk of being breached. Patients may face physical, emotional and dignitary harms as a result of a breach of this information.

Federal law now requires that patients be notified in the event of a breach of their electronic health information. This Health Breach Notification Rule, 16 CFR Part 318, was published in the Aug. 25 Federal Register.

The rule, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and its Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, mandates that a health care provider notify data subjects when the provider knows or has reason to believe an individual's information has been inappropriately disclosed. The law provides guidance on what is considered a "breach," outlines appropriate methods of notification and specifies the content that must be included in the notice.

The AMA recognizes that physicians have an ethical obligation to ensure that patients are promptly notified about a breach of their EMRs, though this obligation may vary based on the physician's role within an organization. In June during the 2009 Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates, the AMA adopted Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs Report 3, which provides guidance on a physician's ethical obligations in such an event. This guidance will become part of the AMA's Code of Medical Ethics in November.

8) Guidance on improving your practice's efficiency: just one benefit of being an AMA member
Does the thought of filing claims conjure feelings of frustration or uncertainty? If so, then you haven't been taking advantage of the AMA's "Heal the Claims Process"™ toolkit.

AMA members have full access to this set of interactive online resources. Members-only content ranges from a document that outlines the benefits of electronic claims submissions to digestible explanations of Health Information Portability and Accountability Act electronic standard transactions. The AMA developed this resource to help physicians ensure accurate and timely payment of their claims.

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

9) In JAMA: Research compares outcomes of immediate versus delayed intervention for patients with acute coronary syndromes
For some patients with acute coronary syndromes, the strategy of immediate intervention at a medical center does not appear to result in differences in outcomes in comparison with an intervention performed the next working day, according to a study in the Sept. 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

View the study "Immediate vs Delayed Intervention for Acute Coronary Syndromes: A Randomized Clinical Trial."

1) Lesbian Health Fund accepting research proposals
The Lesbian Health Fund (LHF), a program of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA), is accepting proposals for research on lesbian health.

LHF is especially interested in applications that address the diversity of sexual minority women's communities and studies of health promotion and health improvement in lesbian and bisexual women, as well as studies that are potentially publishable and that are conducted as first steps toward a larger grant. Grants range from $500 to $10,000. Proposals for the fall grant cycle are due by Oct. 15.

Visit the GLMA Web site for information about how to apply.

2) New study examines health of gay parents
The National Institutes of Heath has awarded Colleen Hoff—professor of human sexuality studies and director of the Center for Research on Gender and Sexuality at San Francisco State University—a $275,000 grant to study how parenting impacts the health of gay men.

The two-year study will examine changes in gay fathers' stress levels, lifestyle and health habits, relationship dynamics, peer networks and exposure to antigay discrimination. The study will be the first to examine whether becoming a parent causes gay men to regulate their lifestyle in ways that protect them from risky behavior, or if the stress of parenting leads to increased health risks.

1) Register online for the AMA-IMG Section meeting
The AMA-IMG Section has an exciting meeting on tap from Nov. 6–9 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. Highlights will include Gerry Dillon, vice president of the United States Medical Licensing Examination, speaking at the IMG Section Congress, and a lively caucus featuring a town-hall format co-sponsored by the Texas Medical Association IMG Section and the AMA-IMG Section. In addition, AMA President J. James Rohack, MD, has been invited to deliver the keynote address at the Busharat Ahmad, MD Leadership Program.

Register online for the meeting. Call J. Mori Johnson, director of the AMA-IMG Section, at (312) 464-5678 if you have questions or wish to give an organizational report at the meeting.

2) Virtual Congress conference call set for Sept. 9
The AMA-IMG Section will hold a conference call at 7 p.m. CST Sept 9 to discuss submitted resolutions for its upcoming meeting in Houston. Resolutions will be posted on the AMA-IMG Web site by Sept. 4.

Final versions of the resolutions, based on all submitted testimony, will be posted on the AMA-IMG Section Web page by Sept. 15 for final ratification before being submitted for inclusion in the AMA House of Delegates handbook.

To reserve a spot for the conference call, send an e-mail to img@ama-assn.org by 4 p.m. CST Sept. 9. You will be sent dialing instructions and a copy of the agenda and resolutions. Call Carolyn Carter-Ellis of the AMA-IMG Section at (312) 464-5397 if you have questions.

3) Resource details the lives of children of immigrants
The Urban Institute recently released an interactive resource that explores the lives of the nation's 16.4 million children with foreign-born parents.

The Children of Immigrants Data Tool enables users to generate detailed charts of the characteristics of children up to age 17 nationwide and for individual states and the District of Columbia. Statistics include citizenship and the immigrant status (foreign vs. native-born) of children and their parents; children's race, ethnicity and school enrollment; parents' education and English proficiency; and family composition, income and work effort.

4) AAPI fall meeting scheduled for October
The fall governing meeting of the American Association of Physicians of Indian (AAPI) Origin will take place Oct. 9–11 in San Antonio.

The Texas Indo-American Physicians Society's Southwest Chapter will host the meeting, which will feature an acculturation symposium Oct. 10. The symposium will explain the differences between the American social and cultural norms that are extremely important to impart a sense of confidence in their patients and strengthen the doctor-patient relationship. It also will explain why being sensitive to patients' cultural differences is important in the healing process and will help attendees become knowledgeable and confident in imparting health information to patients from diverse backgrounds.

Visit the AAPI Web site for more information and to register for the meeting.

Brought to you by the AMA Section on Medical Schools

1) Submit resolutions for Interim Meeting
The AMA-SMS Governing Council is seeking ideas and actual language for resolutions for the Interim Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates that address areas of importance to academic physicians. Resolutions are due by Sept. 21.

As a reminder, the focus of this year's Interim Meeting, to be held Nov. 7–10, is on advocacy and legislation. Resolutions for the AMA-SMS June 2010 meeting also will be accepted for discussion at the Interim Meeting in November.

Send an e-mail to jackie.drake@ama-assn.org with questions or proposed resolutions.

2) In American Medical News: More HHS money available for physician training
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has allocated additional funding to the training of health professionals, with $80.2 million to be used for scholarships, loans and loan repayment awards to students.

View a story about this published Aug. 21 by American Medical News.

3) AMA webinar to cover work force trends
An AMA webinar focused on trends in the health care work force will take place at 2 p.m. EST Sept. 9. This 90-minute live event will address the following questions:

• What will be the top health care career opportunities in the next 10 years?
• What impact has the recent economic downturn had on current and projected shortages?
• How can local groups better promote health care careers in secondary and post-secondary institutions?

Learn more and register for the webinar.

1) Register and reserve your hotel room for the AMA-MSS meeting
The AMA-MSS Interim Assembly Meeting will be held Nov. 5–7 in Houston. Online registration for the meeting is ongoing, and the deadline to register is Oct. 1.

The AMA has reserved a block of rooms at a discounted rate for meeting attendees at the Hyatt Regency Houston. The deadline to reserve a room is Oct. 9.

2) Save the date: AMA-MSS Research Poster Symposium set for Nov. 6–7
The AMA-MSS is accepting abstract submissions for the seventh annual AMA-MSS Research Poster Symposium, which will take place Nov. 6–7 during this year's AMA-MSS Interim Assembly Meeting in Houston. Abstracts are due by 5 p.m. CST Sept. 18.

The AMA-MSS and the AMA Resident and Fellow Section host the poster symposium. Abstracts may be submitted in one of the following eight categories: biochemistry/cell biology, cancer biology, cardiology/vascular biology, clinical/epidemiological/health care, immunology/microbiology, neurobiology/neuroscience, radiology/imaging and surgery.

Abstracts will be reviewed by the AMA-MSS Committee on Scientific Issues and selected for presentation during the symposium. Prizes will be awarded to one winner in each category, with an overall winner receiving a trip to the 2010 AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting in Chicago.

3) Apply to serve on an AMA-MSS convention committee
Are you interested in becoming more involved in the AMA-MSS? If so, AMA student members are encouraged to apply for one of the various convention committees that expedite the conduct of business at each AMA-MSS Assembly meeting. Positions are available on the community service project committee, logistics and resources committee, reference committee, hospitality committee and many others. Applications are due Sept. 7.

4) Wanted: Resolutions for AMA-MSS meeting
Put your health policy, public health and other ideas into action by submitting a resolution for consideration at this year's AMA-MSS Interim Assembly Meeting. If you wish to submit a resolution for consideration, post a draft to the AMA-MSS health policy and news listserv by Sept. 11 and submit the final version, along with the resolution checklist, by Sept. 25.

Visit the AMA-MSS resolution writing Web page for details, and be sure to check out the new AMA-MSS resolution writing webinar to learn about the AMA-MSS policy-making process, and to learn how to write and submit a high-quality resolution.

Visit the AMA-MSS Web site for more details about the resolution process.

Learn about the AMA-MSS policy-making process and to learn how to write and submit a resolution.

5) Take a FIRST step in learning about debt
Members of the academic medicine community looking for help in navigating the complexities of student debt can use the Financial Information, Resources, Services, and Tools (FIRST) resource, developed by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) in collaboration with the medical school financial aid community and the Organization of Student Representatives.

FIRST offers a full range of information for applicants, medical school students, residents, advisors and financial aid officers. The goal of the resource is to help medical school borrowers expand their financial literacy, make smart decisions about student loans and manage their student debt wisely.

6) Learn more about USMLE, COMLEX with comprehensive AMA resource
The AMA members-only guide "Succeeding from Medical School to Practice" is jam-packed with helpful information on a variety of topics. Developed by AMA member physicians, this guide offers medical students and doctors the tools needed to succeed at every stage of their career.

Part 1 of the guide, which covers medical school and residency, offers a clear overview of both the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) and the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX) and what to expect from those tests. And it includes steps to take toward entering a residency program. Parts 2 and 3 of the guide cover residency and practice.

AMA members can access the guide. Nonmembers can view the guide's table of contents and view sample pages.

If you're an AMA member, don't lose valuable resources such as this. 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) September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
The National Prostate Cancer Coalition celebrates Prostate Cancer Awareness Month each September to raise awareness and educate the public about prostate cancer and the importance of early screening to detect the disease.

2) National alliance aims to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities
The National Health Policy Training Alliance for Communities of Color links efforts to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities and the role of health policymaking and ensures that community leaders have the tools, information and resources to address these issues.

This initiative, funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, is a unique partnership between Families USA, the Joint Center Health Policy Institute, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund, and the National Medical Association.

3) Raise awareness of infant mortality this month
Infant mortality rates among African-American babies are twice as high as those of the general population. But it's important to note that infant mortality is preventable.

The Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health (OMH) launched the national "A healthy baby begins with you" campaign to raise awareness about infant mortality with an emphasis on the African-American community. This campaign is one of the OMH's efforts to end health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities.

4) Grants available for Hispanic Physicians' Leadership Development Initiative
The Department of Health and Human Services' Offices of Minority Health and Public Health and Science have announced the availability of about $250,000 in grant money to support the Hispanic Physicians' Leadership Development Initiative through a cooperative agreement. The purpose is to enhance the health status and promote healthy lifestyles of Hispanics and other underserved minority communities in the United States.

Grant applications are due Sept. 10.

The next AMA-OMSS Assembly meeting will take place Nov. 5–7 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, preceding the Interim Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates. Resolutions for this meeting are due Sept. 25, and the AMA-OMSS handbook will be posted on the section's Web site Oct. 2.

 

2) Feedback requested on working draft of Joint Commission medical staff standard
The AMA is soliciting feedback from its members concerning their level of support for proposed language of Joint Commission hospital accreditation standard MS.01.01.01. Feedback is due by Oct. 15.

A Joint Commission task force convened to implement medical staff standard MS.01.01.01, previously known as MS.1.20, reached consensus and unanimous agreement in March on a completely new "draft" standard that would replace the current standard. Consensus means that each member of the task force agreed to actively support adoption of the recommended new standard. The AMA supports the proposed language for standard MS.01.01.01.

AMA-OMSS representatives can review and provide comments on the working draft standard MS.01.01.01.

If you are not an AMA-OMSS representative and would like to become one, download a certification form and fax it to (312) 464-5845, e-mail it to omss@ama-assn.org or mail it to 515 N. State St., Chicago, IL 60654.

3) Carilion targeted in FTC complaint
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently filed a complaint against Carilion Clinic concerning its acquisition of two outpatient centers in the Roanoke, Va., area. The complaint alleges that Carilion's acquisitions violate federal antitrust laws.

View a story published by Modern Physician about the complaint.

View a story published by the Roanoke Times about the complaint.

4) White House health IT chief says national health information system "critical"
A nationwide electronic health information exchange is a critical component to achieving health system reform, wrote David Blumenthal, MD, national coordinator for health information technology (IT), in a message posted last week on the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Web site.

View Dr. Blumenthal's message.

1) Report charts outcomes in this year's match process
An updated report explores the relationship between applicant characteristics and success in matching to a preferred specialty in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) for U.S. medical school graduates and all others.

Developed by the NRMP and the Association of American Medical Colleges, the report looks at several measures—including United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 and Step 2 scores, number of programs on the rank order list, membership in Alpha Omega Alpha, number of publications and number of research experiences—both for successful and unsuccessful applicants.

2) In the Boston Globe: Tufts Health Care Institute pilots business of medicine seminar for residents
A four-day program for residents hosted by the Tufts Health Care Institute provided participants with some clarity on emerging business-related issues that are important to physicians, according to recent story by the Boston Globe.

Speakers at "Practicing Medicine in a Changing Health Care Environment" gave the residents perspective on the present and future of expanded health coverage, innovation in drugs and medical devices, and new quality and efficiency initiatives. Many of the participants said they came away with a clearer understanding of insurers' and employers' perspectives, and of the larger economic and political context of their business, things they hadn't learned in medical school, the Globe reports.

1) Medicare offers glaucoma screening tests
Did you know that testing for glaucoma is one of the preventive services covered under Medicare? Risk of glaucoma increases if you have diabetes, a history of glaucoma in your family, or are African-American and over the age of 50. Medicare covers a preventive screening test once every 12 months, and a patient is responsible for the first 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount after the yearly Part B deductible.

Visit the Medicare Web site to learn more about this and other preventive services covered under Medicare.

2) Senior physician liaison meeting planned
The AMA-SPG Governing Council will hold its next liaison meeting Nov. 6 at the Hilton Hotel in Houston preceding the Interim Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates, which will take place Nov. 7–10 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.

The AMA-SPG group has progressed in the past two years and is seeking representation from each state on senior-oriented programs that can be presented for discussion at the AMA's Annual and Interim Meetings. These meetings are attended by an increasing number of senior physicians from the AMA House of Delegates, a third of who are members of the AMA-SPG. Representation can enhance the effectiveness of the AMA-SPG and promote sharing of concerns with other delegates.

Visit the AMA-SPG Web site to confirm your state liaison to the meeting or to see a list of current liaisons.

Send an e-mail to Alice Reed of the AMA-SPG at alice.reed@ama-assn.org if you have questions.

Brought to you by the AMA Women Physicians Congress

1) Massachusetts celebrates Women in Medicine month
The Massachusetts Medical Society's (MMS) Committee on Women in Medicine is making sure women physicians are honored during September in honor of Women in Medicine month.

On Sept. 25, the committee is hosting a play entitled "A lady alone: Elizabeth Blackwell, the first American woman doctor" in honor of the occasion—and to celebrate another historic milestone in MMS history. On Sept. 25, 1884, the MMS admitted Emma Call, MD, as its first woman physician member. A plaque dedication honoring Dr. Call will take place prior to the play.

In addition, a portion of the MMS's monthly newsletter, Vital Signs, is dedicated to women physicians to educate women about leadership and membership opportunities within the MMS.

2) $1.2 billion available to help hospitals and doctors use electronic health records
Vice President Joe Biden announced Aug. 20 the availability of grants worth nearly $1.2 billion to help hospitals and health care providers implement and use electronic health records. The grants will be funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will help health care providers qualify for new incentives that will be made available next year to doctors and hospitals that meaningfully use electronic health records.

View a news release about the announcement of these grants.

1) AMA-YPS meeting set for this fall
Young physicians, mark your calendars. The next AMA-YPS Assembly meeting will take place Nov. 5–7 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, preceding the Interim Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates (HOD). The deadline to submit resolutions to the AMA-YPS and to volunteer for the section's reference, AMA-HOD handbook review or credentials committees is Oct. 2.

Learn more about AMA-YPS committees and how to get involved.

Learn more about writing a resolution.

Send an e-mail to Jane Ascroft at jane.ascroft@ama-assn.org if you have questions.

2) AMA webinar to cover work force trends
An AMA webinar focused on trends in the health care work force will take place at 2 p.m. EST Sept. 9. This 90-minute live event will address the following questions:

• What will be the top health care career opportunities in the next 10 years?
• What impact has the recent economic downturn had on current and projected shortages?
• How can local groups better promote health care careers in secondary and post-secondary institutions?

Learn more and register for the webinar.

3) New blog features AMA president
Follow AMA President J. James Rohack, MD, on his blog, "On the road with Dr. Rohack," as he highlights the AMA's efforts to make an impact on the issues that matter most to America's physicians and patients. The blog, which will chronicle Dr. Rohack's frequent travels and the important issues medicine faces, can be viewed on the AMA Web site as well as the AMA's new health system reform Web site.