In This Issue:
 Chapter President Election Underway
CCA Liaison Election Underway
Final Rule Includes Phased-in Cuts for Cardiology
Act Now! Or Forever Hold Your Breath
Physician Tax Rejected
ACC Launches H2H
CV Nursing Symposium
New Landscape for Conference Proves Successful
Women In Cardiology Meeting
Final Rule Includes Phased-in Cuts for Cardiology
All Member Conference Call on November 12
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule which includes policy proposals that will significantly reduce payments for cardiovascular related services. While CMS has attempted to mitigate the impacts of the cuts by spreading them out over a four-year period, the impact of the cuts is still enormous for 2010 and beyond. The College will continue to fight the implementation of this data until a rigorous review is conducted.
All ACC members are invited to participate in a conference call to discuss the cuts and ACC’s strategies on Thursday, November 12 from 4:00 – 5:30 EST. Click here to register for the call.
Members may also email grassroots@acc.org to communicate thoughts or comments on the cuts to ACC leadership and staff.
More information about the final rule:
ACC’s Alert about the final rule
ACC’s Talking Points about the final rule
The display version of the final 2010 Physician Fee Schedule
Act Now! Or Forever Hold Your Breath
Now that Michigan’s legislators have finished the budget, the smokefree air coalition has launched a campaign to urge them to fire up the smokefree workplace legislation that has been smoldering for months.
Act Now! Or Forever Hold Your Breath is a six week campaign to overwhelm legislators, especially the Senate, with calls, letters, visits, tweets, and facebook postings in support of smokefree legislation.
The Michigan Chapter enthusiastically supports this grassroots effort!
If you are a Facebook user:
*Many Michigan legislators have their own Facebook pages. Find your legislator and get “connected.” If you don't know who your legislator is, go to www.house.mi.gov/find_a_rep.asp or www.senate.mi.gov
*Post a positive message on your lawmaker’s wall. Let them know you want a comprehensive smokefree bill.
*Become a "fan" of Tobacco Free Michigan at www.facebook.com/tobaccofreemi
*Encourage all of your Facebook friends to become fans too.
*Share the Tobacco Free Michigan Facebook messages and alerts with your friends and post them in your news feed.
For the more traditional among us:
Call 888-NOW-I-CAN and tell your Senator to pass a comprehensive smokefree bill – please make this call even if you have done so in the past.
There are only twelve other states that do not have a smokefree workplace law. Let’s not allow Michigan to be the last holdout in that not-so-illustrious group.
Michigan Senate Rejects Physician Tax
The Senate rejected a proposed three percent tax on physicians’ gross revenues on October 28. The tax was to have been used to match federal dollars and bolster physician Medicaid provider rates. The ‘provider tax’ had passed the House by one vote, but only four Senators voted in favor of it -- Mickey Switalski (D-Roseville), Deb Cherry (D-Burton), Mike Prusi (D-Ishpeming), and Buzz Thomas (D-Detroit). Senator Valde Garcia (R-Howell) was absent.
One week before the Senate vote, more than 1,000 Michigan physicians, medical group managers, and medical students and more than 50 medical and specialty societies rallied at the state Capitol. The event, organized by the Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS), demonstrated strong opposition to the proposed tax on doctors and their practices.
ACC Launches H2H
Webinar Available on Demand
ACC launched the H2H initiative with a webinar featuring presentations by Harlan Krumholz, MD, SM, Janet Wright, MD, Don Goldmann, MD, and James Fasules, MD. To listen and view the webinar go to www.H2HQuality.org.
The Hospital to Home (H2H) national quality initiative, cosponsored by the American College of Cardiology and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, is an effort to improve the transition from inpatient to outpatient status for individuals hospitalized with cardiovascular disease. H2H is intentionally broad-based and inclusive, incorporating the viewpoints of patients and family caregivers, clinicians across the continuum of care, integrated health systems, communities, policy-makers, and payers.
Benefits to participants include:
• Access to national experts on issues related to care transitions.
• Curriculum-based learning environment which will include educational webinars led by the nation’s leading experts on readmissions and care transitions.
• Customizable implementation tools, strategies and systems to assist in improving patient care transitions.
To enroll or to learn more about H2H, go to www.H2HQuality.org.
New Landscape for Conference Proves Successfull
The historic Amway Grand Plaza Hotel was a novel setting and an expanded conference program verged on the experimental; but the record 252 registrants deemed the Chapter’s 21st annual conference a great success.
“Our goal was to offer a fast-paced, case-based program so there would be real “take home” value. Our faculty lived up to those expectations and our guest speakers, Drs. Ralph Brindis, Magdi Yacoub, and Stuart Russell, enhanced the program immensely,” said conference chair Mike Vredenburg, DO.
Unique to this year’s program were presentations on the effective use of the cardiac care team for evaluation and management of the aorta and aortic valve and in CHF clinics. A follow-up session on coding strategies for mid-level providers yielded a lively discussion. The ‘discussion factor’ was also key to the success of a half day PCI/PVI seminar where presentations of BMC2 summary data were followed by presentations of numerous challenging cases and complications.
The Fellows Society added an Oral Research Competition to the traditional Oral Case and Poster Competitions. Thirty fellows and residents participated in the competitions. More than fifty FACCs, CCAs, FITs and residents from nearby Grand Rapids Medical Education and Research Center/Michigan State University attended. Congratulations to the winners who are posted at www.accmi.org.
Mark Your Calendar for the 22nd Annual Chapter Conference
Oct. 8-10, 2010
Grand Traverse Resort
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All FACC, CCA, FIT, and AA members may cast their vote for the next Chapter president by paper ballot or on line through November 24.
On the ballot are:
*David Cragg, MD
*Claire Duvernoy, MD
*Barry Lewis, DO
The winner of the election will serve as president-elect from March 2010-2011, and then as president from March 2011-2014.
To vote on line go to www.acc.org/vote. You'll need your ACC member ID number and the Ballot Control Number that can be found on the paper ballot you received in the mail.
Questions about voting, ID or ballot number? Contact:
Taryn Gold
tgold@acc.org
800-253-4636 ext. 6248
For the first time Michigan’s Cardiac Care Associates will elect their ACC Liaison. Previously appointed by the Chapter president, the Liaison serves as the link between the College and CCA members and represents CCAs on the Chapter Council.
On the ballot are:
*Sandra Chase, PharmD
*Katherine Najarian, PA-C
*Joy Pollard, PhD, NP
CCAs can also vote online with their ACC member ID and Ballot Control Number at www.acc.org/vote.
Questions about voting, ID or ballot number? Contact:
Taryn Gold
tgold@acc.org
800-253-4636 ext. 6248
11th Annual
Cardiovascular
Nursing Symposium
Monday, March 1, 2010
Washtenaw Community College
Featuring
Barry Franklin, PhD
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Sara Paul, RN, MSN, FNP
Heart Failure Management
Save the date!
Details to be announced after the first of the year.
How can the Michigan Chapter meet the unique needs of women in cardiology at each career level?
How can the Chapter attract women to cardiovascular medicine?
For the first time, the Chapter will gather all of Michigan's women FACCs and FITs to address these issues. A dinner meeting is being planned for early December.
Watch your mail for details!
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