AMA eVoice Weekly Newsletter

Be mindful of mental and physical health

May is Mental Health Month. With our focus on educating the public about the realities of mental health and mental illness, I'm reminded of a hard-earned victory achieved last fall.

For years, employer-based health plans have set stricter treatment limits and imposed higher out-of-pocket costs on mental health care than treatment for any other illness. Patients with mental illnesses, such as depression, anxiety or substance-use disorders, often are charged higher co-payments and deductibles than those with other illnesses, and many are allowed fewer doctor visits or days in the hospital.

According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), mental illnesses—when left untreated—can cost society more than $200 billion each year in lost productivity and an increased burden on public safety-net programs and family caregivers.

After more than a decade of strong support and advocacy from the AMA, the APA, the American Society of Addiction Medicine and others, we are able to reduce these burdens, starting with the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996. While congressional efforts to end these discriminatory practices had been thwarted year after year, efforts to achieve parity have continued.

With the signing of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act last October—as part of the economic recovery bill—patients will be able to obtain treatment for a wide range of conditions, including depression, autism, schizophrenia and eating disorders.

Sen. Pete V. Domenici, R-N.M., who has a daughter with schizophrenia, and Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., who was killed in a plane crash in 2002 and who had a brother with severe mental illness, were the principal crusaders of mental health parity. During May, let's honor these individuals and recognize their courage.

We finally have a law that addresses a serious public health issue—substance use disorders—that, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, affected an estimated 22.3 million people in the United States in 2007. They misused or were addicted to either alcohol or illicit drugs—or both.

A New York Times article from last fall reports on this new provision. Friends and relatives of people with mental illness and substance use disorders called the addition "a milestone in the quest for civil rights, an effort to end insurance discrimination and to reduce the stigma of mental illness."

It truly is. Coverage for a projected 113 million patients across the country who suffer from mental illness and substance use disorders will improve, including the nearly 82 million covered under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act who are unable to benefit from state parity laws. According to California's Drug and Alcohol Treatment Assessment, every dollar invested in substance abuse treatment yields a return of $7 from reduced health care costs, crime, lost productivity and other prevented adverse consequences.

Although some medical consequences of drug abuse and addiction are temporary and can be essentially reversed with brief interventions or treatment, others may be more persistent, diminishing the quality of individuals' health long after they've stopped using drugs. Whether short-lived or chronic, the many potential health effects from drug abuse and addiction underscore the fact that drug abuse does not exist in medical isolation. It can have a broad array of medical consequences, including cardiovascular and neurological disorders, HIV, hepatitis and other infectious diseases.

But substance use disorders seldom occur in isolation. Approximately 18 to 20 percent of the U.S. population with a substance use disorder have a co-occurring independent anxiety or mood disorder. Among those seeking treatment for a drug-use disorder, 60 percent had at least one independent mood disorder, 43 percent at least one independent anxiety disorder, and 55 percent a co-morbid alcohol use disorder. The risk relationship is reciprocal, with psychiatric disorders predicting increased risk of substance use and vice versa.

The AMA has extensive longstanding policy supporting expanded mental health care benefits and parity, and recognizes the importance of improving mental health coverage. We also have policy supporting parity of coverage for alcoholism and substance abuse. And the AMA's Council on Medical Service has been a longtime supporter of removing the barriers that keep people from seeking and obtaining mental health treatment. We've worked on reducing the stigma of mental illness, improving public awareness of effective mental health treatment, ensuring the supply of well-trained professionals, facilitating entry into treatment and reducing financial barriers to treatment.

While the parity act aims to remove many of these barriers as well, there are still some questionable issues surrounding it. If you have health insurance, and your plan includes mental health or substance use disorder coverage, then you're entitled to parity. However, group health plans are not required to provide coverage if they don't already do so. Congress is in the process of writing regulations to map out the intent of the law, which, for most health plans, will take effect Jan. 1.

So what does this mean for our future? I recently came across an article in a special thematic issue on mental health of the journal Health Affairs entitled "After parity—what's next?" I think that's a question we all should be asking. While I don't have all the answers, I can tell you what we as physicians can do to help with the process of effective implementation and educational efforts. We're in a unique position to discuss drug-taking behaviors with our patients before they lead to serious medical problems.

Research shows that screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment by clinicians in general medical settings can promote significant reductions in alcohol and tobacco use. We can teach ourselves, our patients and the public about the chronic nature of behavioral health care and how to appropriately manage these benefits.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is doing outstanding work in an effort to lead the nation in bringing the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction. In fact, it unveiled its Physicians' Outreach Initiative, NIDAMED—a set of tools and resources for medical professionals to screen their patients for substance use—last month at a National Press Club event in Washington, D.C. Michael Maves, MD, the AMA's executive vice presicent and chief executive officer, was among several speakers who participated in the event.

NIDAMED includes an online screening tool, a quick reference guide and a comprehensive resource guide for clinicians. These tools enable physicians to be the first line of defense against substance abuse and addiction and to increase awareness of the likely impact of substance abuse on patients' overall health.

NIDA also collaborated with the AMA in 2007 to develop four Centers of Excellence (COEs) for Physician Information, which serve as national models to support the advancement of addiction awareness, prevention and treatment in primary care practices. NIDA COEs target physicians-in-training, including medical students and resident physicians in primary care specialties, and have been established at academic medical institutions across the country.

As physicians, we can also provide feedback. The three federal government agencies principally responsible for implementing this law—the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue Service—have issued a request in the Federal Register seeking information and advice from the public on the best ways to implement the law and fulfill its objectives. Comments are due May 28. I encourage you to share your thoughts on the most efficient and cost-effective ways of implementing this law and on what regulations are needed.

Physicians have always cared as much about their patients' emotional needs and problematic behaviors as they have about more traditional "medical" problems. It's good that now our patients may be able to get the services they need.

And let's not forget our role as educators for patients who may be beginning down the road of risky behaviors. Stopping that pattern is preferable to treating its consequences.

1) AMA pledge focuses on lower rate of growth in total health spending
AMA President-elect J. James Rohack, MD, elaborated on last week's meeting between the AMA and several other health care stakeholders with President Barack Obama in multiple media formats, commenting twice on Fox Business Network and discussing the issue in a guest column on KevinMD.com. In addition, the AMA has created a list of questions and answers to clarify the intent of the meeting, which focused on eliminating unnecessary costs, such as administrative burdens from health insurers, and for physicians to apply best practices to avoid unnecessary utilization of services, such as hospital readmissions.

View Dr. Rohack on Fox Business News.

Read Dr. Rohack's column on KevinMD.com.

View the AMA's question-and-answer document.

2) Operating plan for health information technology provisions of stimulus law now available
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology released its operating plan for the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act provisions of the economic stimulus law earlier this week.

Download the operation plan.

3) Know your rights: health insurer settlement coding provisions
The WellPoint/Anthem, Health Net, Humana and Blue Cross Blue Shield settlement provisions are in effect. Under the respective settlements, these health insurers are required to follow most CPT^® rules unless otherwise posted on their Web sites, such as:

• Paying add-on codes without reducing for Multiple Procedure Logic
• Separately recognizing and paying evaluation and management, or E/M, codes appended with a 25 modifier when billed with a service procedure or surgical code
• Separately recognizing and paying for supervision, interpretation and radiologic guidance codes
• Separately recognizing and paying CPT^® codes appended with a 59 modifier to the extent they follow CPT^® rules regarding designation of separate procedures

If a settling health insurer fails to adhere to the terms of its settlement, consider filing a compliance dispute. Visit the Web site for more information about filing a compliance dispute and to access resources to help you make the most of the settlements' benefits in your practice. And file a complaint about a health insurer not currently under a settlement agreement.

4) 2008 AMA Annual Report available
The 2008 AMA Annual Report is now available on the AMA Web site. Included in the report is a summary of the organization's solid financial performance. But just as important, we take the opportunity to spotlight a few of the countless examples of the AMA's response to the needs of America's physicians that supports their ability to do what they do best: help patients.

Access the annual report.

5) AMA partners with AAPPO on new contracting toolkit
To help physicians, preferred provider networks and payers develop a common understanding during contracting discussions, the American Association of Preferred Provider Organizations (AAPPO) and the AMA have partnered to develop a contracting toolkit for physicians. This educational guide is designed to create a common ground for discussions between physicians, preferred provider networks and payers by fostering a better understanding of contractual agreements and diminish the potential for problems or misunderstandings that arise after a contract is executed.

Visit the Web site to learn more about this resource and to access it.

6) AMA Foundation names Minority Scholars Award recipients
In an effort to promote diversity and help with the rapidly rising cost of medical education, the AMA Foundation recently presented 12 outstanding medical students from across the country with $10,000 Minority Scholars Awards.

The Minority Scholars Awards are given in collaboration with the AMA Minority Affairs Consortium, with support from Pfizer Inc. The National Business Group on Health added support to this scholarship program by starting an endowment honoring the late Ronald M. Davis, MD, immediate past president of the AMA.  This specific Minority Scholars Award is granted to a minority medical student who has an interest in becoming a primary care physician. 

"We are pleased to recognize the accomplishments of these promising medical students and to provide them with substantial financial assistance," AMA Foundation President Jean Howard said. "Their outstanding academic achievements as well as a variety of activities in their communities speak to their commitment to positively impact the health of minority populations and the health care system in the United States."

View a list of this year's recipients.

Visit the Web site to support the AMA Foundation.

7) Learn how health insurers profile physicians: just one benefit of being an AMA member
Are health insurers trying to keep patients out of your office because you might not be the cheapest doctor in town? Do you wonder how that could even happen?

Take some time to read the AMA members-only article, "Tiered and narrow physician networks." Developed by the AMA Practice Management Center, this resource explains how an increasing number of health insurers use cost-of-care data from claims databases to profile physicians for network selection. Health insurers post report cards, containing these profile results, on their Web sites in an effort to provide incentive for patients to seek care from the lowest-cost physicians.

AMA members can download this resource.

Renew your AMA membership, or join the AMA, and have access to valuable resources such as this.

8) In JAMA: Medication used to treat urination difficulties for men associated with higher risk of ophthalmic complications following cataract surgery
Use of the medication tamsulosin to treat male urination difficulties within two weeks of cataract surgery is associated with an increased risk of serious postoperative ophthalmic adverse events such as retinal detachment or lost lens, according to a study in the May 20 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

View an editorial about it.

1) Human Rights Campaign issues index on hospital treatment of same-sex couples
The Human Rights Campaign recently released this year's Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), which rates 166 of the nation's health care facilities on their policies and practices related to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

The HEI focuses on five main policy criteria: patient non-discrimination, visitation, decision making, cultural competency training, and employment policies and benefits. In this year's HEI, 10 facilities reported LGBT-inclusive policies and practices for every one of the 10 HEI-rated criteria.

2) United Nations planning to increase HIV services for gay men and transgender people
Two United Nations agencies are launching a plan to provide increased HIV-related information and health services to transgender populations and men who have sex with men while stressing the need to make universal access to treatment, care and support a reality for all. The initiative, spearheaded by the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS and the UN Development Programme, comes ahead of the International Day Against Homophobia which was observed May 17.

Learn more about the initiative.

3) California legislation would protect gay and transgender inmates
The California Assembly recently passed legislation that would protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) inmates from rape. Known as the LGBT Prisoner Safety Act, the bill was introduced in February but did not pass the assembly with bipartisan support until May 11.

The bill, which would introduce "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" as criteria that the California Department of Corrections would consider when classifying inmates and allocating their housing, now moves on to the state Senate.

1) Register to attend the AMA-IMG Section meeting
Visit the AMA-IMG Section's fourth annual Desserts From Around the World and IMG Honor Fund Reception, which will take place at 9:30 p.m. June 13 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago as part of the section's annual assembly meeting. Cultural attire is encouraged, and guests will have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the uninsured by supporting the IMG Honor Fund in partnership with the AMA Foundation.

Download a flier about the event.

Send an e-mail to make a donation to the IMG Honor Fund.

To register for other AMA-IMG Section annual assembly meeting events, download a registration form and fax it to (312) 464-5845, attention IMGS.

Brought to you by the AMA Section on Medical Schools

1) Annual Meeting agenda book to be available online
The agenda book for the upcoming AMA-SMS meeting will be available next week to download from the section's Web page. Meeting registrants who requested paper copies of the agenda book or CDs will receive them the first week of June.

Send an e-mail or call (312) 464-4655 if you have questions.

2) AMA GME e-Letter: Medical work force on congressional agenda
The Obama administration and Congress have started to recognize that to achieve major health care reform and cover the uninsured, the medical work force—particularly in primary care—must be bolstered, according to the May issue of the AMA GME e-Letter.

One recent proposal in this regard is the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare-supported residency/fellowship positions by 15 percent. The bill also targets expansion of residency positions in primary care, general surgery and nonhospital settings.

3) Giambalvo scholarship winner focusing on women in academic medicine
Nicole Borges is the winner of this year's Joan F. Giambalvo Memorial Scholarship. Borges, of Dayton, Ohio, plans to survey women physicians in academic medicine to gain perspective on why they chose their academic path.

The goal of the Joan F. Giambalvo Memorial Scholarship is to advance the progress of women in the medical profession and strengthen the ability of the AMA to identify and address the needs of women physicians and medical students.

4) New video offers best practices when taking a sexual history
A patient's sexual history oftentimes can reveal important details about the patient, such as his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. A free video developed by the AMA can help educate physicians on best practices when taking a patient's sexual history. The video, "Patient Sexual Health History: What You Need to Know to Help," offers recommendations and considerations when treating gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender patients.

5) Time limit in place for completing ECFMG certification exam requirements
Applicants for the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates certification are required to pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination Steps and Step components required for certification within a seven-year period. This means that once an applicant passes a Step or Step component, the applicant will have seven years to pass the other Steps or Step Components required for ECFMG certification.

Learn more about the ECFMG certification requirements.

1) Help the AMA-MSS select a new national service project
As part of the AMA's commitment to help medical students impact the communities in which they live and learn, every two years the AMA-MSS selects a national service project around which to focus its community service activities. The current service project, "Covering the uninsured and protecting access to care," expires this year, so all AMA medical student members are being asked via an e-mail survey to help select a new project for 2009–2011.

If you are an AMA student member, check your e-mail for the survey. If you have not received the e-mail, contact the AMA-MSS by e-mail with your name and school. The deadline to complete the survey is tomorrow, May 22.

2) Seven Summits climber to speak during AMA-MSS Assembly meeting
Geoff Tabin, MD, the fourth person to climb the Seven Summits—the highest points of each of the world's seven continents—will be the keynote speaker at the AMA-MSS annual assembly meeting, to be held June 11–13 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Dr. Tabin is professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Utah and the John A. Moran Eye Center in Salt Lake City and co-director of the Himalayan Cataract Project, an organization that strives to eradicate preventable and curable blindness in the Himalayas.

Stay tuned for more information on assembly meeting educational sessions, featured speakers and the section's national service project, "Covering the uninsured and protecting access to care."

If you missed the registration deadline to attend the meeting, you can still register on-site.

3) AMA Morning Rounds: just one benefit of being an AMA member
Have you been getting your daily dose of government and medicine, public health and pharmaceutical news? If this doesn't ring a bell, then you haven't been reading AMA Morning Rounds.

The authoritative news briefing written exclusively for AMA members, AMA Morning Rounds provides concise summaries of the day's most important developments in health care. Have the latest stories in government and medicine, the medical-legal landscape, health care coverage and access, public health, and pharmaceutical and medical device news waiting for you in your e-mail inbox every weekday morning.

Subscribe to AMA Morning Rounds.

Visit the AMA Web site to renew your AMA membership or to join the AMA and have access to valuable resources such as this.

 

4) Make hotel reservations for the AMA-MSS meeting
The AMA has reserved blocks of rooms at a discounted rate at the Hyatt Regency Chicago and at the nearby Courtyard Marriott for attendees of the AMA-MSS assembly meeting. Rooms are limited and sure to go fast, so make your reservation today.

If you're looking for a roommate to share the cost of a hotel room, access the AMA-MSS A-09 Housing Exchange Forum and communicate with other meeting attendees.

5) Chapters of the Week: Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis University School of Medicine hold run/walk to fight diabetes
Medical students from St. Louis University and Washington University in St. Louis recently joined forces to host the inaugural St. Louis Dash for Diabetes 5K Run/Walk benefiting the St. Louis chapter of the American Diabetes Association.

Held under the Gateway Arch, the event drew more than 130 participants and generated more than $3,900 in donations to support the fight against diabetes. Information on prevention, signs and symptoms, and available treatments were available at the event, which helped raise community awareness of the prevalence of diabetes and the importance of early treatment.

What is your chapter doing for your community? The AMA-MSS has a number of resources to help you plan a great event, including chapter involvement grants (CIG). Chapters are eligible for $1,000 per academic year with a maximum of $250 to $500 per event.

Visit the Web site to learn how to get involved and plan an event at your chapter.

Apply for a CIG at least 30 days before your event.

6) Interested in politics and health care?
Medical students are encouraged to apply for a position on the student advisory board (SAB) of the American Medical Association Political Action Committee (AMPAC). Applications are due tomorrow, May 22.

The SAB was created to include the AMA-MSS as an integral part of AMPAC. Starting this year, the SAB will return to its previous structure in that it will be composed of 14 medical students—two from each AMA-MSS region—in addition to the AMA-MSS representative to AMPAC.

Because of the change in infrastructure and the current political climate, the SAB is offering a unique one-time appointment beginning this month and running through December 2010. This longer appointment will allow the SAB to solidify its new structure and concentrate on many new objectives as the health care system is in reform.

Download the application to learn more about the AMPAC SAB and to apply for a position on it.

Send an e-mail if you have questions.

7) Physicians of Tomorrow scholarship nominations due May 29
Twelve $10,000 Physicians of Tomorrow scholarships from the AMA Foundation are available for third-year medical students who are entering their fourth year of study. Nominations are due by May 29. Medical schools must nominate students for this award, and recipients will be selected based on academic achievement and financial need.

In addition, the Audio-Digest Foundation and the Johnson F. Hammond, MD Fund are both funding separate Physicians of Tomorrow scholarships. Medical schools may submit one nomination for each of the three scholarship opportunities.

Visit the AMA Foundation Web site to learn more about the Physicians of Tomorrow scholarships and to download an application form and nomination instructions.

Brought to you by the AMA Minority Affairs Consortium

1) AMA-MAC caucus set for June 12
Plan to attend the AMA-MAC caucus, which will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. June 12 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago preceding the Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates. Hector Castro, MD, medical director of the Latino Health Institute of New York, will speak about the institute's mission to improve the health status of New York City's Hispanic community by overcoming cultural, language and economic barriers to quality health care.

Send an e-mail to reserve a seat at the caucus.

1) AMA-OMSS meeting fast approaching
Registration is ongoing for the 53rd annual AMA-OMSS Assembly meeting, which will be held June 11–13 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The deadline to register for the meeting is June 5.

Send late resolutions to James DeNuccio by 4 p.m. CST June 11.

Register and make travel arrangements for the meeting. The AMA-OMSS Assembly Meeting Handbook will be available online by tomorrow, May 22, and a hard copy and/or CD of the handbook will be available at the meeting.

2) Interim Meeting webcasts added to archives
The AMA-OMSS has posted a pair of 90-minute educational webcasts to its Web pages: "Physicians as Targets and How to Avoid Being One" and "Organized Medical Staffs and Disruptive Behavior." Both of these programs provide AMA PRA Category 1 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 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.

3) 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 this resource.

4) Resource helps strengthen physician-hospital relationship
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 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) Resolutions and reports for AMA-RFS meeting available online
Resolutions and reports that will be considered at the AMA-RFS annual assembly meeting, which will take place June 11–13 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, are now online. Plan to attend the meeting's policy-making sessions, educational sessions and networking events. If you have not registered for the meeting, you still can do so online until May 29.

Visit the AMA-RFS Web site to access the reports and resolutions and to register for the meeting.

2) Study shows impact of work-hour regulations on neurosurgical resident education and productivity
A recent study in the Journal of Neurosurgery finds that neurosurgery continues to attract top-quality residents, although test scores and levels of participation in national conferences indicate that the 80-hour work week may be affecting resident training.

The study found that neurosurgical program directors and chief residents believe that the 80-hour work week makes neurosurgical training and the care of patients more difficult. Based on experience with the 80-hour work week, however, educators think a 56-hour work week would further compromise neurosurgical training and patient care.

3) New video offers best practices when taking a sexual history
A patient's sexual history oftentimes can reveal important details about the patient, such as his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. A free video developed by the AMA can help educate physicians on best practices when taking a patient's sexual history. The video, "Patient Sexual Health History: What You Need to Know to Help," offers recommendations and considerations when treating gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender patients.

View the video.

4) JAMA: just one benefit of being an AMA member
Are you up to date on issues and trends affecting medicine, health care and public health? Look in your mailbox for the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the most comprehensive resource for original research, reviews, commentaries, editorials, essays, medical news and correspondence.

JAMA is an international, peer-reviewed general medical journal published 48 times a year and the most widely circulated medical journal in the world. Since 1883, physicians and health care professionals have turned to JAMA for groundbreaking research and insightful commentary from leaders across the broad spectrum of health care.

Renew your AMA membership or join the AMA and have access to valuable resources such as this.

1) Annual Meeting program to discuss competency, recertification and the value of experience
The AMA-SPG is jointly sponsoring a continuing medical education program titled "Keeping Senior Physicians in Practice: Issues of Competency, Recertification and the Value of Experience," to be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. June 13 during the Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates.

John A. Fromson, MD, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, will help attendees understand the value that senior physicians bring to a practice, the most common age-related issues to be aware of, and practical solutions and environmental adjustments to address those issues.

The program also is sponsored by the AMA Organized Medical Staff Section and the AMA Advisory Committee on Group Practice Physicians.

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) By the Associated Press: Social Security and Medicare funding worsens
A story recently published by the Associated Press notes that Social Security and Medicare are heading for insolvency sooner than expected because of the recession. Beginning in 2016, Social Security will pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes. Medicare is faring much worse, and trustees of the program for hospital expenses are expected to pay out more in benefits than the program collects this year, according to the story.

Brought to you by the AMA Women Physicians Congress

1) Annual AMA-WPC caucus set for June 13
Plan to attend the AMA-WPC caucus, to be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 13 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago as part of the Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates.

As part of the caucus, the 2008 recipients of the Joan F. Giambalvo Memorial Scholarship will present results of their research. Sue Yom, MD, will report on the results of her study, "Why do they leave? Female faculty retention and the costs of academic attrition," and Maurice Clifton, MD, will present preliminary findings from his study, "Defining obstacles to the practice of medicine in rural areas by women physicians."

The caucus also will include a special celebration in recognition of the 30th anniversary of the AMA's Women in Medicine Program.

2) WPC liaisons: Annual breakfast meeting to be held June 15
The AMA-WPC Liaison Breakfast will be held from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. June 15 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago as part of the Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates. Liaisons are asked to reserve a seat at the breakfast by sending an e-mail or calling (312) 464-4743.

WPC liaisons are appointed by executive directors of state and specialty medical societies. If you are unaware if one of your organizations has a liaison or would like more information on how to become a liaison, contact the AMA-WPC by e-mail or call (312) 464-4743.

1) AMA-YPS meeting fast approaching
Young physicians, mark your calendars: This year's AMA-YPS Assembly meeting will be held June 11–13 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

Register for the meeting.

View the draft agenda.

Send an e-mail to Jane Ascroft to submit resolutions and to volunteer for reference, AMA House of Delegates handbook review and credentials committees.

2) Submit testimony on AMA-YPS items of business
Members of the AMA-YPS are encouraged to comment on reports and resolutions using the section's online, interactive work space. Testimony will be accepted until noon CST June 2 and be reviewed by the AMA-YPS Reference Committee. Delegates also will be able to testify in person during the June 12 AMA-YPS Assembly meeting.

Comment on AMA-YPS reports and resolutions.

Send an e-mail to Jane Ascroft if you are unable to access the online work space.

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

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 before June 1 will be posted on the AMA-YPS Web site.

Download a nomination form.

Learn more about AMA-YPS Governing Council positions and duties.

View candidate profiles online.

4) New video offers best practices when taking a sexual history
A patient's sexual history oftentimes can reveal important details about the patient, such as his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. A free video developed by the AMA can help educate physicians on best practices when taking a patient's sexual history. The video, "Patient Sexual Health History: What You Need to Know to Help," offers recommendations and considerations when treating gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender patients.

View the video.

5) AMA GME e-Letter: Medical work force on congressional agenda
The Obama administration and Congress have started to recognize that to achieve major health care reform and cover the uninsured, the medical work force—particularly in primary care—must be bolstered, according to the May issue of the AMA GME e-Letter.

One recent proposal in this regard is the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare-supported residency/fellowship positions by 15 percent. The bill also targets expansion of residency positions in primary care, general surgery and nonhospital settings.