AAPM&R Connection E-Newsletter

Members & Publications

(Advertisement)
enewsletterfinal

Weekly Headlines from July 27, 2016

 

Academy News 


Be PM&R Bold
PMR-Bold_Visioning

AAPM&R is championing a new initiative—Visioning PM&R Bold—to help define the future of PM&R. We know the health care landscape is changing quickly and challenging the way medicine has always been practiced. As the primary medical society for the specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation, AAPM&R wants physiatrists to be bold in the future health care landscape.

We will be hosting a series of events where physiatrists will come together—in exciting, interactive live and online environments—to collaborate on a shared vision for the future of the specialty. Additional information will be coming soon from your Academy, including invitations to participate in surveys and Virtual Town Halls.

Be PM&R Bold! Together, we can start to define the vision…for our patients, for our specialty, and for YOUR future.

4 Days Left to Submit Your Entries for Our Video Contest!

Calling all amateur videographers! This is your last chance to show us your skills and participate in our “What is PM&R?” video contest! Tell us—how would you describe physiatry to your friends and family? Take your answer and turn it into a short video (which doesn’t need to be fancy!) and submit it to pressinquiries@aapmr.org. Creator(s) of the winning video will be featured at #AAPMR2016 and will receive complimentary tickets to the President’s Reception. Hurry; learn more and submit your videos by July 31, 2016.

NEW PhyzForum 2.0—Coming Soon!

PhyzForum is being rehabilitated! We heard your feedback and are currently redesigning our online member community to be more user-friendly, modern, and intuitive—populated with content important for you, our members. You’ll easily be able to participate in discussions to network, collaborate, and exchange best practices with your peers. Stay tuned to www.aapmr.org for the new PhyzForum community!

How Can We Support You?

Beyond advocating and being the voice of the specialty during these times of change, AAPM&R wants to evolve the way it supports physiatrists in all practice settings. Whether you are in private practice, employed with a hospital or an academic setting, AAPM&R wants to fine-tune its support to meet your specific needs.

Take a moment to complete this survey. The insights gained will support the prioritization and creation of offerings to better serve you. Please complete this survey by Sunday, July 31. Thank you in advance for your time and valuable insights!

Annual Assembly 


Plan Ahead! 3 Reasons Why You Should Come Early to #AAPMR2016

The early bird gets the worm. As the adage implies, the one who arrives first has the best chance for success. And nowhere is that more evident than at the 2016 Annual Assembly. Come a day early—on October 19—and take advantage of these great pre-event opportunities:

  • Preconference Courses—get a head-start on your Assembly experience by joining us on Wednesday for preconference education! With 4 precourses available, you have the option of receiving concentrated learning on medicolegal work, ultrasound, coding and reimbursement or regenerative medicine.
  • Job Fair—network and find your ideal position at the Job Fair, held on Wednesday evening! The Job Fair is the largest PM&R-specific recruitment event in the country, with more than 100 institutions and practices scheduled to participate.
  • NOLA!—New Orleans is a unique blend of French, Spanish, Caribbean, and African cultural influences in its architecture, food, people, and music. Come early to experience everything this vibrant city has to offer!

P.S. We’ll be live streaming our medicolegal and regenerative medicine preconference courses. Learn more and register now!

Member Volunteerism


5 Days Left for RPC Nominations (Executive Committee)

Want to get involved with the Academy on a national level? Share your thoughts and ideas to help influence the future of physiatry—nominate yourself for a position on the Resident Physician Council (RPC) Board! Any current resident members (PGY1-3) may apply. Nominations for the Executive Committee are due by August 1 and nominations for a committee/liaison position are due by August 15View the position descriptions and submit your nomination.

 

Education


Studying Doesn’t Have to be a Pain

The American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR) Pain Medicine Subspecialty Exam is September 17, 2016. If you are planning to participate, check out the Academy’s array of pain medicine resources to help you prepare, including:

Visit ® to access these useful study resources. And don’t forget—as a member, you receive a significant discount on these resources!

Need Last-Minute Studying Resources for ABPMR’s Part I Exam?

The American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR) Part I Examination is August 9, 2016. Residents, get some last-minute studying done with the Certification Exam Prep Qbank. The Qbank is an online exam study tool that covers the 12 PM&R core topics through 800+ questions. You’ll receive immediate feedback with explanations after each question.

Don’t forget about our other online study tools, like SAE-Rs, SAE-Ps, and PM&R Knowledge NOW®.

Health Policy/Advocacy


HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Report “Adverse Events in Rehabilitation Hospitals: National Incidence Among Medicare Beneficiaries”

Late last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report, Adverse Events in Rehabilitation Hospitals: National Incidence Among Medicare Beneficiaries. The OIG report reflects the need to continually look at ways to improve patient care and safety. AAPM&R and its members—as leaders of the medical rehabilitation team—remain committed to collaborating with providers across all acute, post-acute, and outpatient care settings and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on improving patient care and outcomes. AAPM&R is committed to looking at opportunities that improve care, lead quality improvement, and patient safety initiatives. The Academy was a leader in passage of the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation (IMPACT) Act of 2014, which promotes data standardization and for the past 4 years has actively participated in collaborative efforts to develop and review quality measures.

AAPM&R members and staff participated in a roundtable with OIG staff and physicians involved in the review on Tuesday, July 26, to discuss the report, its findings, and answer questions. 

CMS Call on August 10—PQRS Feedback Reports and Informal Review Process for Program Year 2015 Results

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be hosting a call on August 10 at 1:30 pm (ET) to cover the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) negative payment adjustments, PQRS feedback reports, and the PQRS informal review process for program year 2015 results and 2017 payment adjustment determination.

CMS Reminds Physicians of PHI Confidentiality

CMS issued an MLN Matters Special Edition Article to remind physicians of the HIPAA requirement to protect the confidentiality of the protected health information (PHI) of their patients. This was precipitated by CMS learning of a potential breach in which someone was trying to sell over 650,000 records of orthopedic patients. A covered entity who becomes aware of such a breach must notify the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

The article also reminds physicians and other covered entities that they should require “business associates, especially those entities that provide you with hardware and/or software support for your patient electronic health records…to report any actual or potential security breaches to you, especially threats that compromise patient PHI.” Access the full article here.

CMS Issues Article on Medicare Home Health Benefits

CMS issued an MLN Matters Special Edition Article on “Certifying Patients for the Medicare Home Health Benefit.” The previous article, SE1219, was rescinded on July 19, 2016 because it contained outdated information. Physicians should no longer rely on SE1219 as a basis for guidelines to certify home health cases. The correct articles to reflect current requirements are located at: MLN Matters Articles SE1436 and MM9119.

AAPM&R Members in the News


  • Paul Abend, DO, founder, medical director, and president of Consultants in Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine, is receiving the honor of being published in "The Leading Physicians of the World," a subsidiary of the International Association of Healthcare Professionals. Congratulations, Dr. Abend! Read more.
  • Jonathan Myers, MD, medical director of rehabilitation at St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center, and his rehabilitation team are climbing Mount Borah in Idaho to raise awareness regarding balance rehabilitation and the funding necessary to bring a Neurocom Balance Master System to the Magic Valley. Dr. Myers is a spinal cord injury survivor and uses his personal experience to better relate to his patients. Read more.
  • Edward Nash, MD, physiatrist at the KSF Orthopaedic Center, discusses spondylolisthesis and tips for lowering your chances of getting this debilitating back issue. Read more.
  • Jeff Pavell, DO, physiatrist and president of Haworth Road Runners Association, played a central role in reviving a healthy tradition, the Haworth 5K. This new tradition is a great opportunity to promote health in the nearby communities and give kids the motivation to stay active. Read more.

Do you have a newsworthy story to share with your peers? Send us an email at: pressinquiries@aapmr.org.