Weekly Member Update - September 11, 2009

ASSH Weekly Member Upd@te

September 11th, 2009

A Message From the ASSH President

  • A column from President Robert M. Szabo, MD

One Question

  • We are interested to know if you will be attending the 2010 AAOS Annual Meeting in New Orleans

Foundation News

  • New members of the AFSH Board of Trustees

ASSH Courses and Meetings

  • 2009 Master Skills Series: Tendon Repair and Reconstruction
  • Mark your Calendars for the 2010 Course Schedule

Medical News

  • AMA Reaction to President Obama's Address On Health System Reform - From AMA
  • Prepare For H1N1 Flu with AMA Webinar - From AMA
  • Medicare HAC Policy May Not Save Much Money - From AAOS

 

A Message From the ASSH President

This week, ASSH President Robert M. Szabo, MD, invited the program chairs of the 2009 Annual Meeting to give their thoughts on how last week's meeting went.  The event was chaired by Dr. John Lubahn and Dr. David Ruch.  On behalf of both, here is what Dr. Lubahn shared:

For Dave and I, serving as program chairs for the 2009 meeting of the ASSH was a labor of love.  It’s a great opportunity to mold an educational program which serves as a template for members to sustain their own program of life-long learning and to stay current in the day-to-day knowledge we need as hand surgeons to serve our patients.  While it is impossible to cover all interesting subjects related to hand surgery, the 10 symposia combined with 43 instructional courses exposed the attendees to more than 60 separate topics presented through a mixture of didactic and interactive sessions.  The scientific sessions, combined with a total of 170 poster exhibits (120 ASSH, 25 ASHT, and 25 Chinese Hand Society), presented far more material than any one hand surgeon can assimilate or attend.  The broad range of subjects, however, hopefully allows the attendees to pick and choose from a wide variety of topics.  The decision about what to attend may be based on the surgeon’s interest to improve his or her knowledge base in order to improve patient management, or to pass the maintenance of competence exam being offered by their respective certifying boards.  

The presidential address which kicks off the meeting is always stimulating, and Andy Koman’s lecture featured the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge as a metaphor for what we can do as a country and a society to achieve remarkable goals in the face of economic adversity.  Kathy Reich’s lecture on Forensic Anthropology, as well as lectures by Panayotis Soucacos on the Molecular Orchestration of Morphogenesis on Classification, and Principles of Management of Congenital Hand Anomalies, and Gary Poehling on the Integration of Arthroscopy in Hand Surgery, proved an outstanding combination of topics with interest to all hand surgeons in attendance, as well as their families. 

The privilege of meeting with the hand therapists, as well as other hand care professionals and other hand surgeons from around the world, was indeed a privilege unique to our society, and I was honored to be part of the meeting.

One Question

Will you be attending the 2010 AAOS Annual Meeting in New Orleans?  Share your input here.

Foundation News

Congratulations to the new members of the AFSH Board of Trustees:

  • Vice Chair - Andrew J. Weiland, MD
  • President - Frederick F. Fakharzadeh, MD
  • Secretary - John M. Bednar, MD
  • Trustee-at-Large - J. Mark Evans, MD

 Please visit the AFSH website to see the full AFSH Board of Trustees.

ASSH Courses and Meetings

2009 Master Skills Series: Tendon Repair and Reconstruction
October 16-17, 2009   SM Institute   Burr Ridge, IL
Registration Deadline: October 1, 2009
Online Registration Open!

Program Co-Chairs:
Jeffrey A. Greenberg, MD
Martin I. Boyer, MD, FRCS(C)

Tendon Repair and Reconstruction is a 2 day course designed to present current techniques and practice related to traumatic tendon repair and reconstruction. The course has been designed to allow the participant to split time equally between the lectures and lab. The course is structured to present this information in a didactic format with lectures given by recognized expert educators. Hands on practice in the state of the art cadaver lab will emphasize and reinforce the didactic information.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the course participants will be aware of current concepts of tendon healing and current research regarding tendon healing, repair and rehabilitation. The participant will have options for repair of acutely injured flexor and extensor tendons and understand the indications for appropriate post-operative rehabilitation protocols. Participants will be expected to understand general principles and indications for a variety of tendon transfers and be able to design an appropriate reconstructive plan.

CME CREDIT HOURS:
The ASSH designates this educational activity for a maximum of 14.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

ACCREDITATION
The American Society for Surgery of the Hand is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education to physicians.

Learn more by downloading the course brochure or visit www.assh.org to register online.

2010 Courses - Mark Your Calendars!

February 5-6, 2010
Electives in Hand Surgery (Jointly Sponsored with the ASHT)
Intercontinental New Orleans - New Orleans, LA

March 13, 2010
AAOS Specialty Day: Wrist and Elbow Update: The Devil is in the Details
New Orleans, LA

May 21-22, 2010
Master Skills Course in Hand and Wrist Trauma
Orthopaedic Learning Center - Rosemont, IL

July 15, 2010
General Orthopaedic Review (Co-Sponsored with the AAOS)
Renaissance Chicago - Chicago, IL

July 16-18, 2010
Comprehensive Review in Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery
Renaissance Chicago - Chicago, IL

August 6-7, 2010
Wrist and Elbow Arthroscopy
Orthopaedic Learning Center - Rosemont, IL

October 6, 2010
28th Annual Adrian E. Flatt Residents and Fellows Conference in Hand Surgery
John B. Hynes Convention Center - Boston, MA

October 7-9, 2010
65th ASSH Annual Meeting: Embracing Excellence-Making a Difference
John B. Hynes Convention Center - Boston, MA

Medical News

AMA Reaction to President Obama's Address On Health System Reform - From AMA

From AMA President J. James Rohack, MD:

"It is clear that the status quo is unacceptable. The AMA will continue to work for reform that makes the system work better for patients and physicians. We must seize this opportunity this year to achieve meaningful health reform for America’s patients and physicians.

"The President outlined three essential goals that are vital to reform efforts in this country, including: ensuring the current system remains secure and stable for those who already have insurance coverage and are happy with it; making insurance coverage affordable and accessible to those who need it; and reducing unnecessary costs and waste in the current system.

"The AMA believes these core goals are ones that the majority of the American people can and do support, and we urge Congress to find common ground in achieving them." Read more on the AMA website.

Prepare For H1N1 Flu with AMA Webinar- From AMA

Hear the most accurate, current clinical guidelines for management of the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, including information on vaccine ordering and delivery, as part of “Physicians: Prepare for the 2009 H1N1 flu,” an AMA webinar scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. CST Sept. 22.

Hosted by the AMA in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the webinar also will cover recommendations for physicians from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice and basic epidemiology of the 2009 H1N1 flu virus. The AMA advises vaccination for seasonal influenza and, where recommended, vaccination for 2009 H1N1 flu.

Anthony Fiore, MD, a medical epidemiologist with the CDC, will discuss guidance on CDC recommendations for screening and management of cases of the 2009 H1N1 flu. Raymond A. Strikas, MD, of the HHS’s National Vaccine Program Office, will discuss logistics of vaccine supply and delivery for providers. Litjen Tan, director of the AMA’s medicine and public health department, will moderate the session.

The webinar is open free of charge to 1,000 individuals. Register early to reserve your spot.

Medicare HAC Policy May Not Save Much Money - From AAOS

According to a study published in the September/October issue of the journal Health Affairs, the Medicare system will not save much money by refusing to pay the extra costs associated with hospital-acquired conditions (HACs). The researchers used data from medical records in California during 2006 to model the financial impact of the year-old policy on six conditions. They found that HACs were present in 0.11 percent of acute inpatient Medicare discharges, and only 3 percent of those cases were affected by the policy. Payment reductions extrapolated nationally would have been equivalent to $1.1 million—an amount the authors say would be unlikely to encourage providers to improve quality. The authors suggest that further payment modifications or expanding the policy to exclude payment for consequences, additional procedures, and readmissions may be needed to achieve the desired improvements. - Read more on the Wall Street Journal website.

 

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