AAPM&R Connection E-Newsletter

Do you want to help us develop a vision for the specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation? That's what Visioning PM&R Bold is all about! We want to collaborate with you through interactive, live, and online events. We're on the East Coast this week and want to see you! Join us for a PM&R community gathering—an evening with your fellow physiatrists featuring appetizers, drinks, and networking. Register below for this complimentary event:

• Philadelphia Community Gathering—TONIGHT starting at 5:30 pm

Can't make it to the community gathering? Check out a few of our upcoming virtual town halls where you can share ideas, hear challenges, and discuss actionable solutions with your peers from the comfort of your home or office:

• Women in Physiatry—Tuesday, September 27, 6 pm-7 pm
• Rural Physiatrists—Wednesday, September 28, 6 pm-7 pm

The Academy is initiating a survey on behalf of some of our largest industry supporters as a value of participating in our program called the Industry Relations Council (IRC). The IRC allows AAPM&R to develop stronger, compliant relationships with companies while raising significant funding for your Academy programs and services. We ask that you please take a moment to complete the survey today if you treat patients with any of the following conditions/illnesses: pain, stroke, spasticity, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Participants who complete the survey will be entered to win 1 of 10 $25 mē^® certificates that can be used for education of your choice! 

Begin the survey here. 

Data gathered from this survey will be used by IRC companies to better serve the PM&R community and the patients you serve. Please note that only aggregated data will be released to IRC participants; individual responses will remain confidential. We ask that you take a moment and complete the survey by October 5, which will take about 10 minutes to complete. Thank you for your time!

Member Councils are the pathway to transforming your Academy membership into a more powerful resource in the areas of education, research, and advocacy. The Member Council Gatherings are designed to help YOU connect with your peers. Through your Member Councils, you can interact with other Academy members who share your clinical interests, provide input directly to Academy leadership on everything from educational content to legislation, and receive tailored resources relevant to your practice.

Enroll by updating your member profile—scroll down to the “My Councils and Community Networks” section. While there, make sure everything else in your profile is up-to-date.

Get ready for #AAPMR2016! In just one month we’ll be Moving Physiatry Forward in New Orleans. Don’t forget to:

• Download the new mobile app.
• Register for one of our preconference courses—you’ll get to enjoy New Orleans a day early!
• Purchase your ticket for the President’s Reception.
• Register for any hands-on workshops and intensive workshops you are interested in.
• Reserve your hotel room, if you haven’t already.
  

Don’t miss this exciting evening that kicks off with a dynamic, New Orleans tradition and ends at an incredible venue that celebrates the origin of physiatry, the National World War II Museum. Those attending the President’s Reception are invited to gather outside the Convention Center on Friday evening to participate in our private Second Line Parade. An umbrella-wielding grand marshal will lead our parade of several hundred physiatrists through the streets of New Orleans, complete with a traditional brass band, costumed revelers, police escorts and LOTS of beads!

You’ll want to be a part of this exclusive experience! Purchase your ticket today and celebrate physiatry’s history and future.

The ePlaybook companion site for the Live Interactive Arcade: REMS Playbook for Opioid Prescribing is now live! Visit the ePlaybook companion site to get a jump start on the activity and make the most of your time at the Annual Assembly!

Can't attend this year? You can still participate! Complete the online version of REMS Playbook for Opioid Prescribing.

AAPM&R offers a variety of resources to help you understand and meet the different components of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation’s (ABPMR) Maintenance of Certification^® (MOC^®) requirements. ABPMR’s MOC exam on October 11, 2016 is just 3 weeks away. Visit mē^® to access your Academy’s helpful resources, including:

• MOC|3 Online Mock Examination—enhanced in 2015!
• MOC|3 Online Review Courses
• MOC|2 SAE-Ps—don’t forget, you receive 1 complimentary SAE-P each year with your membership. Take advantage of this member benefit if you haven’t already!
  

Interested in learning more about coding and reimbursement, but not quite sure what resources to utilize? Take advantage of the following tools from your Academy:

• Annual Assembly Preconference Course—Coding & Reimbursement: Avoiding Audits and Denials
• PM&R Coding Companion
• Coding and Reimbursement Workshops
• And more
  

The Comprehensive Sports Medicine Update and Board Review Course is a one-of-a kind course designed to provide a comprehensive review of all subjects contained in the sports medicine board examination. The course faculty includes internationally-recognized experts in the field of sports medicine. Mark your calendar for the 2017 course, held June 21-24 in Minneapolis, MN. Learn more.

On September 12, AAPM&R submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the Development and Maintenance of Post-Acute Care Cross-Setting Standardized Assessment Data. Standardizing patient assessment data among post‐acute care settings is important work that greatly impacts many AAPM&R members. Learn more.

In August, the Academy's Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee reviewed 4 guidelines with the Quality Practice, Policy & Research (QPPR) Committee. Your Academy sent letters to the following organizations: American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), National Institute for Health and Care excellence (NICE), the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), and North American Spine Society (NASS). Read the full letters here.

Getting answers for parents, coaches, leagues, and policymakers about concussion safety in sports is a priority area for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Injury Center. As a result, the CDC is announcing the start of a new study that will entail a rigorous evaluation of the risks of tackling in youth football. Awarded to Mathematica Policy Research for about $650,000, the 27-month project will include measurement of head impacts and concussion rates in 40 youth football league teams. Learn more.

Purdue is requesting proposals to address the following research question: What is a safe and effective strategy to taper patients with chronic pain to lower opioid doses, or to stop opioid therapy altogether, while maintaining adequate pain control? Learn more.

• Alberto Esquenazi, MD, AAPM&R past president and chief medical officer of MossRehab, was featured on CBS Philly to discuss new technology that makes artificial limbs work like the real thing. Read more.
  

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