AAPM&R Connection E-Newsletter

We’re urging all physiatrists to participate! The depth of reporting will be dependent on the statistical significance of the data, so your response is essential to the value of this study! All participants who are current, active members of the Academy will receive the reports released in 2017 for FREE.

Look for the email you received from AAPM&R on Friday, May 19, which included a source ID. For the security of all physiatrists' compensation data, your unique source ID and email address are required to participate in the survey. If you experience any issues, please contact Angie Collins at ECG at acollins@ecgmc.com. Learn more.

AAPM&R has an awards program to recognize members who deserve the applause of their peers. Each year, Academy members are asked to submit awards nominations to recognize lifetime achievement, distinguished membership, public service, and pioneering physiatrists, clinicians, and researchers who have made significant contributions to both the specialty and to people with disabilities.

Please join AAPM&R and the Awards Committee in congratulating this year’s awards recipients, who will be honored at the AAPM&R 2017 Annual Assembly.

Our Skills Labs are 3-hour educational experiences, offering a blend of didactic and hands-on immersive learning. A variety of topics are offered, including regenerative medicine, ultrasound, cancer rehabilitation medicine, imaging, and more. You’ll want to get your “hands on” these before they fill up! Learn more and register early to reserve your seat. Plus, Skills Labs are MOC^® approved—visit the website for details.

Come to #AAPMR2017 early for our new imaging preconference course on October 11. This entirely case-based course focuses on controversies in imaging that impact diagnostic acumen and outcomes for patients in rehabilitation medicine. The focus will be on refining the diagnostic and outcome opportunities for physiatrists in regenerative medicine, musculoskeletal medicine, neurorehabilitation, and cancer. Learn more and register by August 30 for discounts. All preconference courses are MOC^® approved—visit the website for details.

NEW! To help incorporate new, original research into the 2017 Annual Assembly, we’re opening a Call for Late-Breaking Research, available tomorrow. All submissions must be brand-new research abstracts only, no case studies. Submissions will be accepted until June 30. Stay tuned for details.

It’s your turn to take center stage at the Annual Assembly. Submit a PhyzTalks presentation for consideration as one of Sunday’s plenaries. Looking for PhyzTalk inspiration? Check out these videos for ideas:

• The new bionics that let us run, climb, and dance
• Is the obesity crisis hiding a bigger problem?
• The brain may be able to repair itself—with help
• A second opinion on developmental disorders
  

Email education@aapmr.org if you have questions, and send us your submissions by June 15.

The Spine Quality Outcomes Database (SQOD), the Academy's registry, has been designated as a Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). QCDR designation is important because it enables physiatric practices to identify and improve gaps in the quality of physiatric care, demonstrate their value to payers, and compare their performance to physiatrists nationwide. Sign up now to meet your quality requirements while helping physiatry showcase its value through data. Learn more.

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

Q: When performing injections, is it appropriate to bill separately for ultrasound guidance when performed?

Find the answer here.

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

On Tuesday, May 23, AAPM&R board member Peter Esselman, MD, was part of a group of representatives of several Disability and Rehabilitation Research Coalition (DRRC) member organizations who met with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) officials to discuss federal medical rehabilitation and disability research and the implementation of recently-passed legislation, S. 800, which was incorporated into the 21st Century Cures Act. The Academy is a steering committee member of the DRRC and actively advocated for the passage of the rehabilitation research bill S. 800. Read the full recap and takeaways.

Eligible professionals who demonstrated Meaningful Use successfully in a prior year for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program can determine their participation status in the Quality Payment Program for 2017 through a look-up tool on the Quality Payment Program website. Information will then be provided on whether you should participate in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) this year and where to find resources. Learn more.

• Ross Zafonte, DO, FAAPMR, chair of the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at HMS and senior vice president of medical affairs research and education at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, is featured in the article, “Shedding light on how humans walk…with robots.” 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.