Volunteer's Note
ASSH Annual Meeting Early Registration Deadline June 4
Opportunities In Leadership; Apply to the ASSH Council
Making a Molehill Out of Scott's Parabola
AMA Practice Management Center Releases New Resources for Physicians
AMA Membership Update
Thank You to AFSH Donors
Romney Promises to End PPACA on 'Day One'
Volunteer's Note
The Young Members Steering Committee is designed to engage young members and candidate members of the ASSH and ensure their needs, interests, and concerns are recognized be the ASSH Council.
The committee is composed exclusively of members within the first eight years of active ASSH membership. Its focus has been three-fold: 1. To bolster interest in hand surgery and the ASSH among medical students, residents, and fellows; 2. To help the ASSH identify and meet the needs and goals of its young members; 3. To host an educational Annual Forum during the ASSH Annual Meeting designed specifically for residents, fellows, and young members.
In an effort to increase interest in hand surgery, the Committee has reached out to program directors in General Surgery, Plastic Surgery and Orthopedic Surgery to heighten awareness for the Candidate Membership offered by the ASSH.
In response to goals and interests expressed by young members in recent years, the Committee began a mentorship program for young members to partner with a senior member of the Hand Society for guidance. Also, the Committee is finalizing a web link to the ASSH site specifically for young members with such topics as how to become more involved as a young member, timelines for applications for the CAQ and MOC, social media links, etc.
The culmination of the year's work by the Committee is seen in our Annual Young Members Forum. This forum is a wonderful educational and social event. At the upcoming 2012 Forum, talks will include “Your first contract," “Using social media in your practice," “Boards and MOC: A Timeline for success," and “How to give an effective presentation." The forum will be followed by a cocktail hour.
This Committee meets once per year at the ASSH Annual Meeting and corresponds by email and conference call throughout the year as needed to discuss issues germane to our young members. It has been a pleasure to serve on this Committee over the last four years, and I would encourage any interested young member to participate.
R. Glenn Gaston, MD
Chair, Young Members Steering Committee
ASSH Annual Meeting Early Registration Deadline June 4
Join the ASSH in Chicago on September 6-8, 2012, for the 67th Annual Meeting as we focus on "Inclusion, Engagement and Innovation."
The early registration deadline is June 4, and the final registration deadline is August 17.
Don't miss out on the action in Chicago – from our brand new lab-based precourse on reconstruction, to the back-by-popular-demand Hand Club Smack Down. Check out the rigorous and stimulating programming and register online today.
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 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.
Making a Molehill Out of Scott's Parabola
By Craig C. Newland, MD
Of the many interesting concepts recently advanced at the third annual International Bone Research Association meeting, one that stands out is Scott's Parabola, as discussed by Dr. Andrew Weiland (pictured left).
Scott's Parabola illustrates how new technologies are invented, tested, and then deployed in the health care market to address surgical challenges, only to be withdrawn after widespread use reveals flaws resulting in failure. It is a cautionary tale to which any experienced surgeon can attest. The much-publicized recall of certain metal-on-metal hip prostheses represents a recent glaring example of this phenomenon. Read more.
AMA Practice Management Center Releases New Resources for Physicians
Obtaining, Uploading and Utilizing Your Contracted Fee Schedule was developed to help physicians understand the importance of utilizing their contracted fee schedules. This resource provides step-by-step instructions on how to upload your contracted fee schedule into your practice management system, as well as guidance on reports or spreadsheets that can help you ensure that payments you receive align with what you agreed to in your contract. If you don't have copies of your contracted fee schedules, AMA members can access a free template letter to send to payers to request a copy of contracted fee schedules.
What Do I Need to Know About Payer and Patient Credit Cards? aims to help your practice understand how accepting and processing credit card payments from patients and payers may impact your bottom line. This resource provides your practice with information on payer and patient credit card processing, associated fees and acceptance conditions. Learn more.
Eliminating Unfair Discounts is a webinar that examines how physicians are regularly solicited to participate in preferred provider networks (PPNs) via participating provider agreements. How do you know if the agreement is beneficial for your practice? In today's market of rental networks, it is imperative to understand which organizations you are contracting with and what the agreements should contain. Learn how preferred provider networks work, what the difference is between a primary and secondary provider network and what should be contained in an agreement. This webinar also provides an update on the AMA's related legislative activities. You can learn more with the AMA and the American Association of Preferred
Provider Organizations (AAPPO)'s Physician and Other Health Care Provider Contracting Toolkit.
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. We are 21 members shy of the 25% mark, following a week in which the ASSH Central Office received no notifications of Hand Society members who've recently joined or rejoined the AMA.
Having a seat in the AMA House of Delegates allows the ASSH to have a voice in decisions that directly affect you and your patients.
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. The 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
David A. Bailey, MD
Richard A. Bernstein, MD
Robert B. Blake, MD
Richard A. Brown, MD
Charles Cassidy, MD
Samuel Chun, MD
R. Jeffrey Cole, MD
Philip A. Deffer, Jr., MD
Thomas R. Dennis, MD
Scott F. Duncan, MD, MPH
Vermon S. Esplin, MD
Hugh A. Frederick, MD
Saul J. Kaplan, MD
Sang-Gil P. Lee, MD
Vincent Ruggiero, MD
Martin C. Skie, MD
Troy Richard Stoneberg, PA-C
Craig B. Willis, MD
Robert H. Wilson, 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.
Romney Promises to End PPACA on 'Day One' - from AAOS
Speaking to an assembly in Las Vegas on May 29, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney stated that he plans to roll back the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) on "day one" of his administration.
The candidate indicated that he had spoken to 10 small business owners, who reported that provisions under PPACA were a factor in their decisions not to open more businesses or hire more people. One of the small business owners said that additional costs due to PPACA would put him out of business. Romney expressed his view that President Obama doesn't understand the impact of the legislation on small businesses.
"I do," said Romney, "and that's why I'm going to make sure on Day One we put a stop to it." Learn more.