ASSH Weekly Member Upd@te
November 6th, 2009
One Question
- View the results of last week's poll and answer this week's question
Did You Know?
ASSH News
- JHS(E) Offering for ASSH Members
- 3D Upper Limb Anatomy Computer Program
- New Product Alert for 2009 Comprehensive Review
Foundation News
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
- AMA Supports House Bills to Make Health Reform A Reality - From AMA
- Enforcement Date for “Red Flags” Rule Extended Again - From AMA
- 2010 Medicare Physician Payment Final Rule Summary - From AMA
- AAOS Joins Other Organizations in Calling for Changes To Expected Senate Healthcare Bill - From AAOS
One Question
Last week, we asked if you regularly distribute hand condition education material to your patients. To view the results of the survey, use this link. This week, we want to know what factors into your decisions to contribute to medically-related foundations or charities. Give us your input here.
Did You Know?
Health Volunteer Overseas - Surgeons and Therapists Needed
Hand Surgery - Honduras: Hand surgeons are needed for a team traveling to Hospital Escuela in Tegucigalpa from March 15-19, 2010. For more information, please contact the Health Volunteer Overseas program department.
Hand Therapy - Nicaragua: Hand Therapists are needed for HVO's Hand Surgery/Hand Therapy Program in Nicaragua. The program is being run by ASSH member William LaSalle, MD. Assignments last 2 weeks and are available for March and June in 2010. Contact the Health Volunteer Overseas program department for more information.
ASSH News
JHS(E) Offering for ASSH Members
ASSH members are being offered a 3-month trial of internet-only access to The Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume). To sign up for the 3-month free trial (ends 31st Jan 2009), please email anna.norman@sagepub.co.uk to receive username and password (please include "ASSH-JHS Trial" in the subject heading).
ASSH members are also being offered subscription (hard copy and internet access) to The Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume) at a discounted rate of $246/annum (normal annual subscription rate = $492). To sign up for the annual subscription rate of $246, please email membership@sagepub.co.uk (please include "ASSH-JHS Subscription" in the subject heading).
3D Upper Limb Anatomy Computer Program
ASSH member Robert Chase, MD and Sakti Shrivastava, MD recently produced a new computer program for Upper Limb Anatomy in 3D. Included with the purchase of this product is:
- A display processor consisting of hardware for computer use
- Two pairs of liquid crystal shutter glasses for 3D viewing
- Two CD discs containing stereo images of anatomy of the upper limb, with teaching programs
- A general 3D disc with samples of other programs and start up
- A 3D disc of the entire skeleton including joints
To learn more about this product or to purchase it, please email Dr. Chase at rchase6880@aol.com.
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
Although the economy has been in a recession, the AFSH has been enjoying success. Visit www.afsh.org to find out about the many things the Foundation has accomplished this year and read the Message from the AFSH President.
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 Instructional Course Lectures and Symposia at the 65th ASSH Annual Meeting.
Interested in learning more? Download the Call for Instructional Course Lecture Abstracts or the Call for Symposia Abstracts for important policies and procedures.
For more information, or to submit your proposal visit our website.
The deadline to submit is November 16, 2009.
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
AMA Supports House Bills to Make Health Reform A Reality - From AMA
Nov. 5, 2009
HOUSTON – The American Medical Association (AMA) today announced support for concurrent passage of H.R. 3962 and H.R. 3961, U.S. House of Representatives health system reform bills.
“The time to make health system reform a reality is now,” said J. James Rohack, AMA president. "These two bills were introduced together, and they need to be passed together. Both are essential to achieving meaningful health system reform this year." Read the full press release here.
Enforcement Date for “Red Flags” Rule Extended Again – From AMA
As a result of continued advocacy by the AMA and other associations, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has delayed the enforcement date of the “red flags” rule until June 1, 2010. Enforcement of this rule, which requires certain businesses to develop identity theft prevention and detection programs, was originally scheduled for Nov. 1, 2008, and was later extended to May 1, Aug. 1 and Nov. 1. The AMA will continue to make the case to the FTC and Congress that physicians are not “creditors” and should not be subject to the rule. View AMA guidance materials that can help physicians prepare for the new deadline.
2010 Medicare Physician Payment Final Rule Summary - From AMA
The 2010 Medicare physician payment final rule was released October 30 and will be published in the Federal Register on November 25. Read more about this in the AMA prepared summary of the key provision and view the impact table.
AAOS Joins Other Organizations in Calling for Changes To Expected Senate Healthcare Bill – From AAOS
The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) has joined 19 other surgical organizations in sending a letter to the U.S. Senate reiterating their opposition to any healthcare reform bill that threatens patient access to specialty care and has the potential to harm quality care. The groups are concerned that the impending legislation—a merger of several bills that have passed Senate committees—may fail to address some of the fundamental problems that plague the healthcare system. In addition to an apparent failure to permanently fix Medicare’s broken physician payment system and a failure to include any meaningful proven medical liability reforms, the surgical community opposes a number of the bill’s expected provisions including:
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Creation of a Medicare Commission that would shift the responsibility for making payment and coverage decisions to an unelected executive branch agency without appropriate checks and balances
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Mandatory participation in the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative
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Reimbursement changes that exacerbate workforce shortages through payment cuts to certain physicians
"After examining specific aspects of the Senate’s health care proposals, we believe that the bill will not address these concerns," said AAOS President Joseph D. Zuckerman, MD. "We remain ready, willing, and able to be a helpful participant in improving this legislation. Should the deficiencies of the bill not be addressed, we, along with surgical community, must announce our opposition."