ASSH Weekly Member Upd@te
November 20th, 2009
A Message From the ASSH President
- A column from President Robert M. Szabo, MD
Did You Know
- Stanford Medical Student's Unique Entry in the Pumpkin-Carving Contest
ASSH News
- ASSH to Sponsor Two Members to Attend U.S. Bone and Joint Decade Grant Workshop - Applications are due January 15, 2010
- Doctors, Give the Gift of ASHT Membership this Holiday Season!
- Join the ASSH Members Only LinkedIn Group
- New Product Alert for 2009 Comprehensive Review
Foundation News
- AFSH Continues Support for Research and Educational Projects in Hand Surgery
ASSH Courses and Meetings
- 65th Annual Meeting Call For Abstracts
- Electives in Hand Surgery
- Mark Your Calendars for the 2010 Course Schedule
Healthcare Reform News
- Medicare Fraud on the Rise - From AAOS
- 2010 Annual Participation Enrollment Program Extension – From AMA
- FDA Issues Warning Regarding Use of NPWT – From AAOS
A Message From the ASSH President
The Hand Society is constantly trying to improve its efforts to become more online-accessible to members and patients alike. Over the past few weeks, in order to reach patients more effectively, staff has been working on search engine optimization (referred to as SEO) to get our site listed at the top of search returns. Part of this effort will be to build patient education sights that are friendlier for prospective patients who are using signs and symptoms as search terms (e.g. wrist pain, swollen finger) before they know the name of the condition. The hope is that this will lead them to our Find a Hand Surgeon tool.
We are also working to improve member and patient online experiences through social media. Social media is a fast growing field that is quickly changing the world of marketing from a one-way effort to an interactive community. One group of Future Leaders has taken on the immense task of understanding the current realities and the future possibilities and needs, and will be presenting their findings to Council in a couple weeks. You can help their efforts by taking a moment to complete their survey. We always appreciate your input.
If you have a strong interest in Web 2.0, let us know, and we’ll put you to work on one of the committees that make these efforts possible.
Sincerely,
Bob Szabo, MD
Did You Know?
Each year, the first-year medical students at Stanford have a pumpkin-carving contest. One student, Raymond Tsai, decided to submit a creative carving of Michael Jackson this year. When asked whether or not the student planned to be a surgeon, he responded with, "well, maybe." By the looks of his pumpkin, he may have some potential in this field. ASSH member Amy Ladd, MD sent us a picture of his lit carving below:
ASSH News
ASSH to Sponsor Two Members to Attend U.S. Bone and Joint Decade Grant Workshop - Applications are due January 15, 2010
The Hand Society will sponsor two ASSH members to attend the 2010 USBJD Young Investigators Initiative and Workshop Program. The program will 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 that are doing research and have a faculty appointment in place or confirmed.
Any ASSH active or candidate member may apply. Applications should be sent directly to the USBJD, and applicants should clearly state on their paperwork that they are an ASSH member. If selected, the Hand Society will reimburse for the registration fee and travel. For more information please visit the U.S. Bone and Joint Decade Website.
Doctors, Give the Gift of ASHT Membership this Holiday Season!
Celebrate the Holiday Season by giving the gift of professional development to your colleagues, staff, or facility therapist! ASHT membership is a perfect career development opportunity; members receive a subscription to the award winning Journal of Hand Therapy, a subscription to the online quarterly, ASHT Times, significantly discounted rates for ASHT's Annual Meeting and a plethora of other benefits! So give the gift of membership, and from now through December 18th, your recipient will receive a holiday card notifying them of your gift and a confirmation e-mail outlining their membership benefits! You’ll also receive the gift of an ASHT pin! Click here to find out how you can give the gift of ASHT membership.
Join the ASSH Members-Only LinkedIn Group
The Hand Society is now on LinkedIn! We have established a LinkedIn group for ASSH members to join. When you sign up for the group, you have the option to display the ASSH logo on your LinkedIn profile, which helps build your online resume. This is a great way to connect with colleagues and establish your online presence. Join now.
You can also join the ASSH Facebook group or follow us on Twitter. Visit the Social Media webpage on our website for more information.
New Product Alert:
2009 Comprehensive Review Now Available in a Jump Drive Format!
Couldn’t attend the 2009 Comprehensive Review Course in person? Get the next best thing by purchasing this new digital product which offers each course presentation with PowerPoint and synched audio presentation. The complete course syllabus with speaker handouts is also included in PDF format. Learn more.
Foundation News
Despite the economic recession, the AFSH is able to continue support for research and educational projects in hand surgery. Three basic science and two clinical grants were awarded this year, and the Foundation continues to provide support for the Young Investigators Workshops and Young Surgeons Overseas programs. Several presentations at the Annual Meeting in San Francisco this year also had funding from the AFSH. You can help support the AFSH by making a donation when you pay your ASSH membership dues online, or by mailing a check made out to the AFSH to American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand, Dept. 2026, PO Box 87916, Carol Stream, IL 60188-9981. For more information about AFSH-supported projects and activities, see the AFSH President’s Update.
ASSH Courses and Meetings
65th Annual Meeting Call For Abstracts
October 7-9 * Boston, MA
Embracing Excellence: Making a Difference
The abstract submission site is now open for you to submit your proposals for Scientific Paper, Poster, Residents and Fellows Conference and Video Theater at the 65th ASSH Annual Meeting.
Interested in learning more? Download the Call for Abstracts for important policies and procedures.
Deadlines:
Scientific Paper - March 1, 2010
Residents and Fellows Conference - March 1, 2010
Scientific Posters - March 29, 2010
International Guest Society Posters - March 29, 2010
Video Theater - April 26, 2010
For more information, or to submit your proposal visit our website.
Electives in Hand Surgery
February 5-6, 2010
InterContinental New Orleans Hotel, New Orleans, LA
Jointly Sponsored by: American Society for Surgery of the Hand & American Society of Hand Therapists
Program Chair: Martin I. Boyer, MD, FRCS(C), St. Louis, MO
Online Registration Now Open!
This course will highlight the fundamental anatomical knowledge with which both therapists and surgeons alike should be familiar. Additionally, topics which are infrequently seen in educational forums but are clinically common, including congenital anomalies, non-microvascular soft tissue coverage of the hand, ulnar sided wrist pain and innovations in hand surgery will be covered during this program by experts in their respective fields.
The program will offer concurrent programming on Friday and Saturday morning giving attendees the choice of which topic best meets their needs. Afternoon sessions will bring the entire group together for a general session on a broad topic of interest. As an added bonus this program will offer four product demonstration workshops at no additional cost to registrants. Visit the event site for more information.
Housing for the Electives in Hand Surgery course will be at the InterContinental New Orleans Hotel. A special housing rate of $149/night will be available through December 13, 2009 or until hotel sells out. Reserve a room by calling the central reservations line at (800) 445-6563 (reference “ASSH”) or book online.
The ASSH designates this educational activity for a maximum of 16.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Download the course brochure for more information or register online today!
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
Healthcare Reform News
Medicare Fraud on the Rise - From AAOS
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) calculates that Medicare and Medicaid improperly paid out $54.2 billion in fiscal 2009—more than double the rate of Medicare fee-for-service errors found during 2008. CMS found a 2009 fee-for-service error rate of 7.8 % or $24.1 billion, compared with 3.6% during 2008.
Although improper payment rates are not necessarily an indicator of fraud, they do provide the agencies responsible for the oversight of Medicare and Medicaid funds with a more complete assessment of how many errors need to be fixed. According to Peter Orszag, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, much of the increase is due to methodological changes, as CMS has recently revised and improved its calculations of Medicare fee-for-service error rates. However, he points out that the error rate in Medicare Advantage claims jumped from 10.6% to 15.4% with no changes in methodology, resulting in $12 billion in improper payments in fiscal 2009. Read more here (registration required).
2010 Annual Participation Enrollment Program Extension – From AMA
Due to recent revisions that were made to the 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended the 2010 Annual Participation Enrollment Program end date from December 31, 2009, to January 31, 2010 – therefore, the enrollment period now runs from November 13, 2009, through January 31, 2010.
The effective date for any Participation status change during the extension, however, remains January 1, 2010, and will be in force for the entire year.
Contractors will accept and process any participation, elections or withdrawals made during the extended enrollment period that are received or post-marked on or before January 31, 2010.
Note: This is an extension of the annual participation enrollment period dates in CR 6637 (Transmittal 1832 -- Calendar Year (CY) 2010 Participation Enrollment and Medicare Participating Physicians and Suppliers Directory (MEDPARD) Procedures), dated October 16, 2009.
The Participation Agreement (CMS-Form 460) is available on the CD-ROM that is sent out annually by your Medicare contractor during the Annual Participation Enrollment period. Your contractor will also make the Participation Agreement available to you by placing it on their Websites with Participation enrollment (and termination) instructions.
FDA Issues Warning Regarding Use of NPWT – From AAOS
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is alerting physicians to the risk of death and serious complications—especially bleeding and infection—associated with the use of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) systems. Although rare, the complications can occur wherever NPWT systems are used. Among other recommendations, FDA states that physicians should: obtain appropriate training prior to prescribing and using NPWT, review the most recent device labeling and instructions, screen patients for NPWT carefully and be prepared to take prompt action if potentially life-threatening complications occur. The agency has received reports of six deaths and 77 injuries associated with NPWT systems during the last 2 years. Read more here.