ASSH Weekly Member Upd@te
November 27th, 2009
A Message From the ASSH President
- A column from President Robert M. Szabo, MD
ASSH News
- ASSH will 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!
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
- Senate Votes to Begin Debate On Health System Reform Bill - From AMA
A Message From the ASSH President
The ASSH Council is meeting December 2-5 in Rosemont, Illinois. There are many exciting issues scheduled to be discussed. In a program led by Past President Andy Koman, one of the issues that our future leaders will tackle will be “Enhancing and Expanding Education of Hand Surgeons.”
We have invited James Stanley as a special guest to visit Council to share the vascular surgeons’ journey to becoming their own component board so that we may learn from their experience as another highly specialized group of physicians. Dr. Stanley, a key player in the transformation of Vascular Surgery training, is the Handleman Professor of Surgery at the University of Michigan Medical School, where he was the Head of the Vascular Surgery Service from 1976-2004. In the past, he has served as both the Director of Medical Student Education and Director of Resident Education in General Surgery. He was the Vascular Surgery Fellowship Director from 1982 to 2006. In 2003 he was appointed Director of the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center.
The Vascular Surgeons' story is an interesting one. As a group not dissimilar to hand surgeons, they felt that having more control of their specialty would lead to better education of their constituents, better patient care, and more meaningful certification, and maintenance of certification programs. After an introspective and revamping process, they have achieved many of their goals. A primary certificate in vascular surgery took effect July 1, 2006, giving vascular surgery a certification pathway independent of general surgery certification. Its significance as a standard of skill and knowledge in vascular surgery and with regard to credentialing for vascular surgery procedures remains the same.
With the primary certificate, an individual may pursue one of four pathways toward certification in vascular surgery.
5+2 Pathway: Traditional pathway of a five-year ACGME accredited general surgery residency program followed by two years in an accredited vascular surgery training program, leading to certification in both disciplines.
4+2 (ESP) Pathway: An early specialization program (ESP) accredited by the ACGME of four years of general surgery followed by two years of vascular surgery training in the same institution, leading to certification in both disciplines.
3+3 Pathway: A new program accredited by the ACGME of three years of general surgery residency followed by three years of vascular surgery training in the same institution, leading to certification only in vascular surgery.
Integrated 0+5 Pathway: A new, integrated program accredited by the ACGME of five years of training in vascular surgery combined with core surgical training in the same institution, leading to certification only in vascular surgery.
Please let me remind you that our Council is in the exploratory phase and looking at all options for our future. We will keep you informed as we learn more.
Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving.
Bob Szabo
ASSH News
ASSH will be Sponsoring 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.
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!
Healthcare Reform News
Senate Votes to Begin Debate On Health System Reform Bill - From AMA
The U.S. Senate voted on Nov. 21 to begin debate on health system reform and formally consider H.R. 3590, the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” by a party-line vote of 60-39. All Democrats (including independents) voted for cloture, which allows senators to begin the debate, while 39 Republicans voted against it.
Some senators who supported the vote to begin debate expressed the need to modify provisions in the bill. The AMA echoed that point and detailed areas of concern with the legislation in a letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). Read the AMA's letter online.
The Senate will return to begin consideration of H.R. 3590 following the Thanksgiving holiday. The AMA will use all resources available to make needed improvements in the bill. We encourage all physicians, as advocates for their patients, to make their views known to their elected representatives so that health system reform will ultimately improve our health care system in the best interest of patients and preserve the central role of the patient-physician relationship. Please contact your elected representatives to make your views known.
After Thanksgiving, the AMA will circulate a detailed review of provisions in the bill that it supports and opposes.