AAPM&R Connection E-Newsletter

April is one of our favorite times of the year because we get to recognize our 500+ volunteers who dedicate their time and effort to the Academy each year. We’ve accomplished many important initiatives because of our volunteers. This is the time to acknowledge their hard and valuable work to make the Academy the community for all physiatrists. Learn more.

Yes, you read that right! Simply log in to your member profile and update each field with your information. Each field must be fully completed for a chance to win complimentary registration to our 2017 Annual Assembly, October 12-15 in beautiful Denver, CO.

Log in to your account	Update your information by May 10	Click "Save" at the bottom of the page

In a hurry? Call us at (847) 737-6000 and we’ll enter your information to help you save time.

Your Academy is excited to announce it will be conducting a PM&R-specific compensation study—launching in May. Please watch your email inbox for the invitation and link to the survey. With the help of Academy member volunteers, the study will dive deep into PM&R compensation and benefits across key clinical and practice areas.

All physiatrists are encouraged to complete the study so that statistically-significant data is acquired and data representing the diverse clinical areas of the specialty can be reported. Versions of the study will be available complimentary for participating members, including an in-depth report that will allow for data manipulation based on key data sets. Key findings will also be published on Medscape, increasing awareness of the specialty’s scope and value to health care, and making it visible to medical students, early-career physicians, and practicing physiatrists looking for PM&R compensation data. Stay tuned for more details.

"Good lectures, GREAT plenaries, valuable networking."—2016 Attendee

That's what attendees will also be saying about this year's exciting plenary speakers! We have a fantastic lineup of 3 can’t-miss plenary speakers who have their pulse on PM&R.

Thursday:
Mick Ebeling, founder and CEO of Not Impossible Labs—the world’s first 3D-printing prosthetic lab and training facility—and author of, Not Impossible: The Art and Joy of Doing What Couldn’t Be Done, will provide an inspiring talk focused on this year’s major themes of Technology and Radical Collaboration.

Friday:
Dave Anderson is a second-generation West Point graduate and co-author of Becoming a Leader of Character. Leaders of Character is a “workout plan” designed to develop 6 habits of character by providing small, daily exercises that strengthen your character muscles for the bigger character tests all leaders face. Dave's plenary will shed light on new leadership strategies for thriving through transformation.

Saturday:
David M. Crandell, MD, medical director of the amputee program at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, will present our Forty-Ninth Walter J. Zeiter Lecture. He will discuss some of the unique rehabilitation challenges of taking care of multiple severely-injured patients under a national spotlight, using his personal experience from the Boston Marathon in 2013.

Sunday:
The 2017 Assembly will feature our inaugural Call for PhyzTalks. Held during the new Sunday plenary session, the Call for PhyzTalks seeks impactful stories, similar to TED-style Talks, which reflect new and innovative topics within physical medicine and rehabilitation. Take a look at the details and submit your entry now—all submissions are due by June 15.

We’re seeking applications for the position of Editor-in-Chief of PM&R for a 5-year term that will begin with the January 2019 issue. Interested applicants must be able to demonstrate a record of scholarship in physical medicine and rehabilitation, prior experience in scientific editing (preferably journal editing), and history of leadership. Applications must be received by August 31. Learn more.

NEW! Got coding questions? Your Academy has the answers. Each month we will feature a member’s question with an answer provided by AAPM&R’s Reimbursement and Policy Review Committee (RPRC).

Q: How do we bill if a Medicare patient is transferred off the inpatient rehab unit to inpatient (ICU for example) and then transferred back to the rehab unit? Should there be a discharge and a new admission?

Find the answer here.

Do you have a coding or billing question? Contact AAPM&R at codingquestions@aapmr.org for assistance.

Good news! We've refreshed our quality reporting information, including the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) page. We've updated these pages with easier-to-navigate content featuring improved resources and information on how to complete the new reporting requirements of the Quality Payment Program. Learn more. 

On April 14, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the display copy of the 2018 Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) proposed rule. The rule will be published in the Federal Register next week. Your Academy is working to review the rule for information relevant to physiatry. Based on our review, we may submit comments to the rule in the coming months. We will provide a more detailed analysis to the rule in subsequent news announcements.

• Lauren Elson, MD, FAAPMR, sports medicine physiatrist at Spaulding Rehabilitation Network and former professional dancer, discusses the role rehabilitation plays for ballet dancers. Read more.

• Michael Hatzakis, Jr., MD, FAAPMR, founder of Rehabilitation Options of Issaquah (ROI) and member of AAPM&R's SQOD Steering Committee, has moved his clinic to Overlake Medical Center. Overlake acquired ROI to create Overlake Medical Clinics Musculoskeletal Medicine. The merger means that the clinic’s team-based approach to medical treatment will be able to expand, drawing from a greater pool of medical specialists and resources. Read more.

Do you have a newsworthy story to share with your peers? Send us an email at: pressinquiries@aapmr.org. Please note: AAPM&R reserves the right to deny requests where the purpose or content may not be considered in the best interests of AAPM&R or its members.