Volunteers' Note
Opportunities In Leadership; Apply to the ASSH Council
Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) Opportunities
Listserv Hot Topic: Trigger Finger Injection Limit
Attend the US Bone and Joint Initiative Young Investigators Initiative and Workshop Program
AMA Membership Update
Thank You to AFSH Donors
Physician Payment Sunshine Act: Deloitt/Forbes Survey of Physicians and Life Science Executives
Congress Adopts Bill Addressing Drug Shortages, Antibiotic Development
Volunteers' Note
The purpose of the Evidence Based Practice Committee is to promote the use of evidence in all aspects of upper extremity practice.
We are involved in reviewing and making recommendations to Council regarding practice guidelines – including the clinical practice guidelines – set forth by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and other organizations and will be involved with the appropriate use criteria.
We have assisted the Public Education Committee in updating the ASSH patient education brochures to ensure they are based on the best available data for each of the topics. We have also updated the Wikipedia web pages of commonly searched hand conditions, including carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger, trapeziometacarpal arthritis, lateral epicondylitis and distal radius fractures.
We recently finished reviewing all accepted papers and abstracts for the upcoming Annual Meeting to make sure the levels of evidence, as reported by the authors, are supported by the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine Levels of Evidence.
We will be presenting a symposium at the Annual Meeting titled "The Use of Evidence in Daily Practice," which will provide suggestions on how physicians can use current evidence to make treatment suggestions for scenarios where the best treatment may be ambiguous.
Volunteering for the Evidence Based Practice Committee is a great way to become involved. If you have an interest in contributing to a committee and the use of evidence in clinical practice, considering joining us.
David C. Ring, MD (pictured above, left)
Chair, Evidence Based Practice Committee
Warren C. Hammert, MD (pictured above, right)
Co-Chair, Evidence Based Practice Committee
Opportunities In Leadership; Apply to the ASSH Council
The ASSH's mission is to advance the science and practice of hand surgery through education, research and advocacy on behalf of patients and practitioners. To achieve this, the Hand Society needs talented and committed volunteer leaders to strategically manage our initiatives by serving on Council.
Each Council member dedicates him or herself to advancing the field by bringing a unique set of experiences and perspectives to Council, thus fostering an exchange of knowledge and ideas.
On behalf of the ASSH and the Nominating Committee Chair, Daniel J. Nagle, MD, we invite all Active Members to apply for one of three open positions on Council: Vice President*; Member-At-Large Under Eight Years of Membership; and Member-At-Large Over Eight Years of Membership.
Candidates should have an extensive history of service to the Society, including, but not limited to, the following: service to committees and task forces; service to educational courses as chair, speaker or instructor; and service to special projects or initiatives endorsed by the Hand Society.
If you are interested in joining ASSH leadership or want to learn more, please visit the ASSH website for details. The application deadline is Monday, July 16. Please contact Alexzandra Wallace-Szewka at awallace@assh.org with questions.
* To apply for Council Vice President, the candidate must have been an Active Member for five years prior to the time of election and must have previously served on Council.
Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) Opportunities
Orthopaedics
Peru: Orthopaedic surgeons are needed for a one-week assignments this fall. Volunteers are needed to provide sub-specialty training to the health professionals in Peru's EsSalud Hospital System. For more information, please contact the program department.
Orthopaedics Fellowship: Applications for the 2012-'13 Dr. Edward Blair Memorial Fellowship for Young Professionals in Orthopaedics are now being accepted. The fellowship is open to orthopaedic surgeons who have recently completed their residency training. The chosen applicant will work at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, for a period of three months. Applications are due close of business August 31, 2012. Learn more.
Listserv Hot Topic: Trigger Finger Injection Limit
What is the maximum number of injections you should give a patient for trigger finger?
After being pressed for an injection by a patient who previously had four or five injections from another doctor, a member turned to the listserv and sparked an informative discussion.
If you have already signed up for the ASSH Physician Listserv, you can view or contribute to the discussion by visiting the archives and scrolling down to the thread titled "Trigger Finger Injection Limit." If you don't know or remember your Listserv password, you can reset your password here.
To sign up for the Listserv, visit the Listserv page.
Attend the US Bone and Joint Initiative Young Investigators Initiative and Workshop Program
The AFSH will sponsor two ASSH members to attend the 2012 US Bone and Joint Initiative (USBJI) Young Investigators Initiative and Workshop Program.
This program is designed to provide early-career clinical investigators an opportunity to work with experienced researchers in our field and to assist them in securing funding and other survival skills required for pursuing an academic career.
This workshop series is open to promising junior faculty, senior fellows, or post-doctoral researchers who wish to secure funding for hypothesis-driven research. It is also open to senior fellows who are doing research and have a faculty appointment in place or confirmed.
The deadline to apply is July 15, 2012. Visit the ASSH website for more information.
AMA Membership Update
AMA rules stipulate that in order to qualify for a seat in the AMA House of Delegates, 25% of our members must be AMA members. Currently, we are 11 members shy of the 25% mark.
Thank you to the ASSH member who notified us this week that he joined or rejoined the AMA since January 1, 2012:
Fraser J. Leversedge, MD
Have you joined or rejoined the AMA since January 1, 2012? Please let us know by contacting
amitchell@assh.org so we can track the progress of your AMA membership. ASSH will reconcile our membership list with the AMA to get credit for our members.
Have your voice heard: Join the AMA.
Thank You to AFSH Donors
William E. Billings, Jr., MD
Robert E. Blackwell, MD
Rajshri M. Bolson, MD
Andrew Chen, MD
Joel D. Thompson, MD
Did you know you can now support the Foundation (AFSH) through automated monthly payments? Visit www.afsh.org/donate to complete an auto-pay form, or contact afsh@assh.org.
Physician Payment Sunshine Act: Deloitt/Forbes Survey of Physicians and Life Science Executives - from Policy and Medicine
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (DTTL) recently conducted a survey for Forbes Insights of 110 US-based physicians and 223 global executives from life sciences companies worldwide. The survey, Physician Payment Sunshine Act: Physicians and Life Sciences Companies Coming to Terms with Transparency, was conducted in January and February 2012. Read more.
Congress Adopts Bill Addressing Drug Shortages, Antibiotic Development - from AMA
Bipartisan legislation sent to President Obama last week for his signature. It would pave the way for important improvements that would help address the nation's drug shortage problems. Obama is expected to sign the bill. Read more.