Last chance to register for your ACC's 2010 Legislative Conference, Sept. 12-14 in Washington, D.C.! With the passage of health care reform legislation earlier this year, this year's Legislative Conference couldn't come at a better time. It's especially important that members of Congress understand the current "state of cardiology" as they move forward with implementing the health reform law. It's also important they know the many ways the cardiovascular community is working to reduce costs and ensure the most appropriate, evidence-based care.
Registration closes Friday, Aug. 5.
Hospital to Home (H2H) on Capitol Hill. Your ACC last week hosted a congressional briefing on the College's Hospital to Home (H2H) initiative, which is focused on reducing cardiovascular-related hospital readmissions. The briefing was held in cooperation with Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) and Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA), co-chairs of the Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition, and featured an appearance by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND). Mary Norine Walsh, M.D., F.A.C.C., member of the H2H Steering Committee and director of the Heart Failure and Transplantation Program at the St. Vincent Heart Center of Indiana, provided an overview of the national quality improvement initiative, as well as early lessons learned in terms of reducing hospital readmissions.
Read more on the H2H program.
Take advantage of group discounts on the ACC's PQRIwizard! As part of ACC's PINNACLE Network, practices of 10 or more providers can receive group discounts on the PQRIwizard. Similar to online tax preparation software, the PQRIwizard is an online tool that allows users to collect and report quality measure data under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). The PQRIwizard is powered by the CECity Registry.
Learn more about the PQRIwizard and the group discount program.
Looking at practice options? Health care reform, managed care, declining revenues, increased overhead expenses, and additional administrative and regulatory burdens, have caused physicians in solo or smaller private practices to consider alternatives. While remaining committed to the preservation of individual autonomy wherever possible, physicians are increasingly looking for opportunities to develop strategic alliances with one another and with their hospitals. However, there are significant regulatory constraints, which must be considered prior to affiliation. Check out the following PINNACLE Network fact sheets, which provide an
overview of the regulatory constraints, as well as a
comparison chart of the different practice options.
Nominate your next ACC leaders. The deadline to submit your recommendations to the Nominating Committee for the slate of officers and trustees for the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) is July 31. These officers and trustees will be elected at the Annual Business Meeting in March 2011 in New Orleans.
Review the procedure and guidelines for submitting recommendations. You can also contact
Carissa Maguire (202-375-6246) with any questions.
Questions/Comments contact ACC Advocate Editor Steve Erickson at advocate@acc.org.