Weekly Headlines from
February 17, 2016
Academy News
| “Moving the Specialty and You Forward” Section of www.aapmr.org | | Visit www.aapmr.org and explore the Moving the Specialty and You Forward section of the homepage to learn about the value of your Academy membership and what it supports. You’ll find 4 green tabs that link to additional details about the focus of your Academy, where we’re headed, and the value of your membership.
www.aapmr.org is your number-one resource for all things PM&R. Visit our website to explore all that your Academy offers to move the specialty and you forward.
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Member Volunteerism
| Submit Your Award Nominations | |
You’re invited to nominate colleagues (or yourself) who deserve recognition for distinguished contributions to the Academy and the specialty. Explore the criteria for the various AAPM&R awards, and visit the diverse and distinguished list of Academy members who have been honored in the past.
Submit your nomination today! Nominations are due by 11:59 am (CT) on March 31, 2016. Award recipients will be honored at the AAPM&R 2016 Annual Assembly, October 20-23 in New Orleans.
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| Upcoming Deadline Reminders | These member volunteer opportunities have deadlines approaching soon! Give back to the PM&R specialty by participating in these campaigns:
- Nominate Your Future Leaders—11 Days Left
If you have leadership skills and experience, or if you know a colleague who does, tell the Academy. Nominations are due by February 28. View position descriptions and learn more about submitting.
- Submit Your Research for the 2016 Annual Assembly—2 Weeks Left
Submit your clinical and basic scientific research findings to be considered for inclusion in the AAPM&R 2016 Annual Assembly, October 20-23 in New Orleans, LA. Abstracts are due by March 4. Learn more.
We’re also looking for abstract reviewers! You can help choose which abstracts are included at this year’s Annual Assembly. Learn more. | |
Annual Assembly
| Prestigious President's Reception at the National WWII Museum | |
The 2016 Annual Assembly will be held October 20-23 in New Orleans. Start making your plans now because we have a lot in store for you this year, including an exciting President’s Reception at the National WWII Museum. Holding steady as the No. 1 attraction in New Orleans for the third consecutive year, this venue is consistently recognized as one of the top museums in the country, ranking No. 3 in the nation.
Because the PM&R specialty had its beginnings during World War II, your Academy found it particularly fitting to bring its marquee event to this exceptional venue. Find out more about this exciting reception!
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| AAPM&R Developing 2 Educational Activities to Support Public Health Crisis | Don’t miss 2 unique learning opportunities—one available next month and the other during the 2016 Annual Assembly. An interactive, online activity will be released this spring on mē® and an Interactive Pain Arcade will be available at this year’s Annual Assembly. The online activity and Pain Arcade will provide education on Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for extended-release and long-acting opioids.
PM&R physicians treat a population whose care often involves Schedule 2 and 3 controlled substances. Your Academy encourages physicians to take a leadership role and maximize their knowledge to ensure proper care for patients while addressing this public health crisis by completing 1 or both of these CME activities when they are available. Learn more about these new activities here.
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Education
| Mayo Clinic's 5th Annual Comprehensive Sports Medicine Update and Board Review | | The Comprehensive Sports Medicine Update and Board Review Course is a one-of-a kind course designed to provide a comprehensive review of all subjects contained in the sports medicine board examination. The course faculty includes internationally-recognized experts in the field of sports medicine. Attending the course increases the attendee's sports medicine knowledge and assists in their preparation for the sports medicine board examination.
June 22-25, 2016
Loews Minneapolis Hotel
Minneapolis, MN Course Directors: Jonathan T. Finnoff, DO and Edward R. Laskowski, MD Early bird registration rates are available through May 15, 2016. Register now!
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Health Policy/Advocacy
| 2015 Meaningful Use Reporting Deadline: February 29, 2016 | The attestation period for 2015 Meaningful Use reporting occurs from January 4, 2016 through February 29, 2016. If you have not yet reported Meaningful Use data, you are encouraged to apply for the hardship exemption. Read more about the Meaningful Use Hardship Exemption.
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| PQRSwizard® Deadline Extended to March 18 | The Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) is a quality reporting program that encourages individual eligible professionals (EPs) and group practices to report information on the quality of care to Medicare. Your deadline for quality reporting using the PQRSwizard®, the Academy-Sponsored PQRS Registry Reporting Vendor, has been extended to March 18, 2016. Take advantage of this extra time and use the PQRSwizard® to help you avoid up to a 4% penalty.
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| Member Volunteers Focus on Evidence-Based Initiatives | The Evidence-Based Practice Committee, which is made up of 3 sub-committees (Evidence, Clinical Practice Guidelines, and Performance Metrics) met for an in-person meeting at Academy headquarters on January 29-30. The Committee participated in an educational session from Hart Health Services on the “nuts and bolts” of MACRA and its potential implications for physiatry. Spirited discussions took place in both large and small group settings; with many new ideas being generated, along with the need for each committee to have a unified focus and to tie their activities back to the Academy’s overall mission. Take a look at the complete meeting recap here.
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| S.800 - “Enhancing the Stature and Visibility of Medical Rehabilitation Research at the NIH Act”- Passed Unanimously by Senate HELP Committee | On Tuesday, February 9, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) passed a modified version of S. 800, the “Enhancing the Stature and Visibility of Medical Rehabilitation Research at the NIH Act” to improve, coordinate, and enhance medical rehabilitation research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Your Academy led sustained coordinated advocacy efforts for years along with the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Coalition (DRRC) to push for passage of the bill. AAPM&R is a founding member of the DRRC. Learn more here.
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| CMS Updates Open Payments Data and Improves Website | On January 19, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated the Open Payments data set, consistent with the values we published on June 30, 2015. The total value before this update was $9.9 billion. The updated Open Payments data set reflects changes made to records, changes to delays in publication flags, changes to disputed records, and records that were deleted. Read more here.
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| Providers are Prohibited from “Balance Billing” Patients Enrolled in the QMB Program | The Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) Program is a state Medicaid benefit that covers Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments, subject to state payment limits. Medicare providers may not balance bill QMB individuals for Medicare cost sharing, regardless of whether the State reimburses providers for the full Medicare cost-sharing amounts. Read more here.
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AAPM&R Members in the News
- Brenda Dierschke, MD, was recently hired as a physiatrist at ThedaCare Orthopedic Care in Appleton, WI. Congratulations, Dr. Dierschke! Learn more.
- Javier Soares-Velez, MD, was recently hired as a physiatrist at Riverview Medical Center and Bayshore Community Hospital in Red Bank, NJ. Congratulations, Dr. Soares-Velez! Learn more.
Do you have a newsworthy story to share with your peers? Send us an email at pressinquiries@aapmr.org.
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