Weekly Headlines from February 3, 2016
Academy News
| New Interactive Member Resource Guide Now Available | The 2016 Member Resource Guide is your “go-to guide” to understanding how the Academy is fulfilling its mission and providing value to you. Access the guide here, and click through the tabs along the top and on the underlined links throughout the document for additional details. Be sure that you are logged in to www.aapmr.org to view and enjoy complete functionality of the guide’s contents.
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| Look for Your February Issue of The Physiatrist | Keep an eye on your mailbox for the latest issue of The Physiatrist. The February issue features:
- Meet the New www.aapmr.org—Your Home for Everything PM&R!
- Academy Volunteer Opportunities and Resources
- Health Care Reform, Part III—Possible Alternative Payment and Practice Models
- Last-Minute Maintenance of Certification Exam Study Resources
- Foundation for PM&R Offering $100,000 in Research Grants
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Member Volunteerism
Visit www.aapmr.org and scroll down to the Highlights section of the homepage to find hot topics. Utilize the search bar at the top of the page to quickly find specific information.
www.aapmr.org – Click to PM&R.
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| Have You Seen the 2015 Report to Membership? | The 2015 Report to Membership provides an overview of the accomplishments your Academy has made on your behalf last year. It also outlines the priorities of the Academy in 2016 as well as what your membership supports to advance PM&R. Learn more.
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| AAPM&R Seeks Liaison to American Medical Association’s (AMA) Young Physicians Section (YPS) | Your Academy is currently searching for a representative who is enthusiastic about policy issues, especially those of concern to young practicing physicians. The AAPM&R Liaison to the AMA-YPS will be a leader on the PM&R Section Council, as well as serve as an Alternate Delegate at the AMA House of Delegates Annual and Interim Meetings. Members must express interest by February 10, 2016. Learn more about this opportunity.
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| Submit Your Research for the 2016 Annual Assembly | |
Submit your clinical and basic scientific research findings to be considered for inclusion in the 2016 Annual Assembly, October 20-23, 2016 in New Orleans, LA. Abstracts are due March 4, 2016. 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.
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Education
| Last-Minute Maintenance of Certification Exam Study Resources | | You still have time to prepare for the American Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (ABPMR) Maintenance of Certification® (MOC®) exam on February 11. Visit mē® for a list of educational resources you can utilize, including:
*The MOC|3 Online Review Courses and the MOC|3 Online Mock Examination are not endorsed by ABPMR nor was ABPMR involved in the creation of these study tools.
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| Sports Medicine Supplement and SAE-P Coming Soon! | |
Health Policy/Advocacy
| Three Weeks Left to Report Your 2015 Data to PQRSwizard® | Hurry! February 26, 2016 is the deadline for reporting your 2015 data using the PQRSwizard®, the Academy-Sponsored PQRS Registry Reporting Vendor. Use this reporting tool to help you avoid up to a 4% penalty. Learn more about the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS).
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| CMS Blog: EHR Incentive Programs—Where We Go Next | The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) explored the past, present, and future of Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs in their recent blog post. Learn what these transitions mean for doctors and hospitals.
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| Meaningful Use Hardship Exemption: Physicians Encouraged to Apply | Prior to adjourning for the holidays, Congress passed the Patient Access and Medicare Protection Act (PAMPA), which directed the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to make AMA-supported changes to the Medicare EHR Incentive Program hardship exception process that allows physicians to avoid a Meaningful Use (MU) penalty in 2017. The AMA is encouraging ALL physicians subject to the 2015 Medicare MU program to apply for the hardship. Learn more and get instructions for completing the hardship exception.
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| Senate HELP Committee Will Take a Step-by-Step Approach to Bipartisan Medical Innovations Bill | Enhancing the Stature and Visibility of Medical Rehabilitation Research at the NIH Act (S. 800), sponsored by Senators Kirk (R-Il), Bennet (D-CO), Hatch (R-UT), Murkowski (R-AL), Isakson (R-GA), and Collins (R-ME), is on its way to a committee mark-up. Your Academy is actively supporting S. 800 and is working closely with the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Coalition (DRRC) on coordinated advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill. AAPM&R is a steering committee member of the DRRC. Learn more on your Academy’s website.
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| CMS Hosts IMPACT Act: Connecting Post-Acute Care Across the Care Continuum Call—Register Now | | On Thursday, February 4 from 1:30 pm-3 pm (ET), CMS subject matter experts and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT will discuss the implications of the IMPACT Act for health information exchange across the care continuum.
To register, visit the MLN Connects Event Registration web page. Space may be limited—register early. | |
| CMS Revised the PECOS FAQs Fact Sheet | CMS revised the fact sheet on what information you need before you begin the Medicare enrollment via Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS), enrollment application issues, and revalidations. The revised PECOS FAQs fact sheet is now available.
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Physiatry News
| Early Bird Registration for ISPRM Ends February 9 | The 10th World Congress of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM) will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 29-June 2, 2016. Register by February 9 to receive the early bird discounted rate. Learn More.
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AAPM&R Members in the News
- Kathleen Bell, MD, AAPM&R past president and chair of the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at UT Southwestern Medical Center, was interviewed by iHEART radio this week about concussion. The segment will air on Sunday, February 7 at 11 am CT on 1190 Talk Radio Dallas. You can also listen to the segment online as well as their app. Be sure to tune in!
- Andy Donlan, MD, MS, discusses Deputy Dave Dempsey's rehabilitation after he was shot in the head 6 weeks ago while responding to an armed robbery. Learn more.
- Andrew Haig, MD, president of Haig et al., Consulting and professor emeritus, active at the University of Michigan, published his article, “Improved Spine Care Means Giving Physiatrists Playing Time,” in Managed Care magazine. Learn more.
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