Colorado Medical Society 
ASAP NEWS
News for Colorado Physicians                                                                                July 30, 2012
  

1. A Letter To Physicians 


Dear Colleague,
 

Jan Kief CMS President Elect
Jan Kief, MD,
CMS President-Elect
 

 

As your President-elect of the Colorado Medical Society, and as a witness of the vigil in Aurora, I feel it appropriate to reach out to you, the great physician colleagues and health care providers of this state.    

 

As physicians, we are always called upon to have the right answers and to be strong. As Coloradans, we have seen challenges this summer and especially in recent weeks in which we cannot find answers or reason. We are called upon to serve tirelessly when the unexpected happens in our communities. I personally want to acknowledge all of you for what you do every day, especially those who have served during the fires in our state, have sustained personal losses like our President Brent Keeler, and those physicians who serve to care for those injured in the tragic shootings in Aurora. I am so proud of you. I know the CMS staff and your communities are behind you. We recognize your sacrifice of service to your fellow man everyday and especially in these tough times. You are part of health teams that have been amazing and have served admirably and have saved lives in adverse circumstances.   


I think the recent events have served to illustrate how we have to be mindful of what is truly important in life, to not become consumed with trivial things, to love one another and never take life or the opportunities we have been given for granted. Reach out to your colleagues and co-workers with love and respect and understanding. We are all in this together and together we can grow out of adversity and have an increased sense of unity of purpose.


Again, I thank you all for your service and for being partners with me in the health of a great and resilient state. Please call the CMS staff, or me, if we can be of assistance in any way as you help others.  

With my sincere admiration for all of you,
jan

Jan M. Kief, MD
President-elect Colorado Medical Society  Back to top  

2. Redistricting Is An Opportunity For Physicians

 

Once every 10 years the political boundaries are turned upside down by redistricting. For candidates, this means scrambling to find supporters, professional advocates, and informed constituents who can provide expertise and insight on the hundreds of issues they will have to consider. For physicians, however, it is an opportunity to create relationships with the candidates and incumbents who will be making decisions that impact the practice of medicine. Make sure your voice is heard. redistrictingTake advantage of this critical election cycle by getting involved. Contact Chris Lines, CMS Director of Political Affairs and Education at  [email protected] or COMPAC chair Dave Ross, DO, at [email protected]

election

 

3. Disappointing Court Ruling On Medicare Opt-Out For Physician Supervision Of Nurse Anesthetists


Colorado Medical Society is disappointed by the recent Court of Appeals ruling that upholds former Governor Ritter's decision that allows hospitals to opt out of the Medicare requirement for physician supervision of certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA). The court's ruling dismisses the lawsuit filed in September 2010 by the Colorado Medical Society (CMS) and the Colorado Society of Anesthesiologists (CSA).

    

The Court concluded that the delivery of anesthesia by a CRNA without physician supervision is consistent with Colorado law. In coming to its conclusion, the Court did "not minimize the able arguments made by the doctors....that anesthesiologists receive considerably more education and training than nurse anesthetists, and therefore are much better equipped to respond to emergencies and unexpected difficulties during surgery. However, our role is limited to determining whether Colorado law permits CRNAs to administer anesthesia without physician supervision. We may not pass on the wisdom of the decision to allow CRNAs to do so."

 

Colorado Medical Society will continue to consider the implications of the court's ruling on patient safety and physicians.
crna
 

4. Annual Meeting Is September 6-9 In Keystone   

   

Leveraging Relationships:
The Collaborative Imperative  
September 6-9, 2012
 

Keystone Resort and Conference Center

 

Join your colleagues at the 142nd Annual Meeting, where there will be plenty to discuss and debate from a blend of policy, strategy, and CME-accredited programming.  

  

Annual Meeting hot topics:meeting 

  • Covering the uninsured/Affordable Care Act - Help decide CMS' course of action as the state nears a decision on the Medicaid expansion made optional by the Supreme Court's ruling on the Affordable Care Act. Resolutions directing CMS to support a single payer system and another to oppose any efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, or ObamaCare, will further spike the debate.
  • Choosing Wisely Campaign - Discuss whether CMS will be the first state medical association in the country to endorse the Choosing Wisely campaign that addresses the overuse of tests and procedures.  
  • Payment reform - Delegates will be debating and voting on whether CMS and the Colorado Hospital Association should collaborate on payment reform, and if so, what the goal of such collaboration should be. The dominant health plans in Colorado through their medical directors will engage with delegates in a CME-accredited interactive plenary session on aligning payment and quality.
  • No free lunch myth debunked - All attendees are invited to attend Friday and Saturday luncheons, compliments of the CMS Delegation to AMA and COMPAC respectively, to break bread with friends and hear the latest AMA and COMPAC news. 
  • Scope of practice - Principles on APN Scope of Practice developed over the last 12 months will be debated and voted upon.
  • Saturday night gala - Join your colleagues for an evening of fun, friends and fantastic food - and, of course, entertainment, music and dancing.   

MEETING & REGISTRATION PACKET  

5. Show Me the $$: A Payer-Led Workshop On Controlling Your Practice's Future With Performance Measures 

 

Scheduled for August 29th is an opportunity to learn directly from public and private payers on how future payment models will be tied to performance. Offered in a one-day workshop, experts will discuss how you can capitalize on performance measures to improve quality, patient safety and efficiency. Watch your email and the Colorado Medical Society website for registration information.   
SAVE THE DATE!
What:   Performance Measures Workshop
When:  August 29th

Time:    9:00AM to 3:00PM   

Where: Colorado Medical Society, 7351 E. Lowry Blvd, Denver CO 80230    

perfmeasures  

6. Participate in Colorado Immunization Information System's
(CIIS) Survey
 


The Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS) is conducting a survey with the goal of increasing participation and usefulness of their web application. They are seeking current CIIS users, stakeholders, and organizations that are not currently participating in CIIS to take the survey.
ciisThe survey only takes a few minutes and will provide valuable feedback. Take the survey now.
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