AAPM&R Connection E-Newsletter

On Friday, October 14, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finalized its policy implementing the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and the Advanced Alternative Payment Model (APM) incentive payment provisions in the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), collectively referred to as the Quality Payment Program.

The new Quality Payment Program will gradually transform Medicare payments for more than 600,000 clinicians across the country, and is a major step in improving care across the entire health care system. Your Academy is currently reviewing the 2,400 page final ruling to determine how it will impact physiatry specifically. Learn more.

AAPM&R and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) are working together to create the Spine Quality Outcomes Database, which will support the collection and submission of quality data specific to spine patients and track these patients’ outcomes over time. The registry will follow individuals with spine related issues longitudinally, and collectively, the data has the ability to advance the understanding of the ever-growing spine patient population while demonstrating the quality and value of treatments. It will also help you meet your 2017 MIPS reporting requirements.

Just approved! The registry can be used as a mechanism to fulfill your American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR) Maintenance of Certification^® Part IV requirements. More specifics will be available soon.

Your Academy is actively seeking pilot sites. A limited number of sites will be selected, and participation as a pilot site will be at no cost. This is a limited time offer! If you and/or your institution are interested in being a pilot site, please email spineregistry@aapmr.org.

The 2016 Annual Assembly in New Orleans is here! Whether you’ll be joining us or can’t make it this year, we invite you to stay up-to-date on everything happening at the Assembly by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter—use #AAPMR2016

Thank you to everyone who submitted an abstract for #AAPMR2016! An interactive flip book of the abstracts is now available. If you are in New Orleans for the Assembly, be sure to stop by the Poster Hall to view the latest research.

There are a lot of unknowns in the future of health care, but AAPM&R wants to make sure that physiatry is BOLD in that future. Be PM&R Bold and complete this survey to share your thoughts on what the physiatric practice models will look like in the future of medicine. All of the intel gathered will be analyzed for themes, BOLD ideas, and new opportunities for the specialty.

Plus, join us for a PM&R community gathering—an evening with your fellow physiatrists featuring appetizers, drinks, and networking. Register below for one of these complimentary events:

• Dallas Community Gathering—November 3 starting at 5:30 pm
  
• Seattle Community Gathering—November 10 starting at 5:30 pm

Get ready—Saturday, October 22 is officially Physiatry Day! Follow the celebration by visiting www.pmrismorethan.org or on social media by searching #pmrismorethan. Stay tuned for more details.

Take a leadership role and advance your knowledge of proper opioid prescribing with the REMS Playbook for Opioid Prescribing. Available on the mē^® Catalog, this free interactive learning experience offers education to all physicians on extended-release (ER) and long-acting (LA) opioid analgesics. A fun, sports-themed learning experience with interactive modules and games is incorporated throughout the activity—plus you’ll earn up to 3 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Learn more and get started.

The United States Bone and Joint Initiative (USBJI), through their Experts in Arthritis program, has released 3 new animated videos to aid in their efforts to educate the public about taking control of arthritis. Watch them here.

• Patricia Bornhorst, DO, physiatrist at Washington Health System’s Physical Medicine and Sports Rehabilitation Program and team physician for the Washington Wild Things and the Pennsylvania Rebellion, discusses her cancer diagnosis and how that sparked her interest in becoming a physician. Read more.

• Scott J. Primack, DO, physical medicine and rehabilitation physician at Colorado Rehabilitation & Occupational Medicine, has been named a 2016 Top Doctor in Greenwood Village, Colorado. Top Doctor Awards is dedicated to selecting and honoring those health care practitioners who have demonstrated clinical excellence while delivering the highest standards of patient care. Congratulations, Dr. Primack! Read more.

• Susan L. Swint, MD, physiatrist at Friendship Health and Rehab, discusses the "Myths about Pain Management" and her role as a physiatrist. Read more.

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