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TOA
President's Update
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By David
Teuscher, MD
TOA President
Many of you may have already registered for the AAOS Annual Meeting in San Diego in February 2007. If you have not already made travel plans, I’d like you to consider adjusting your travel plans to arrive on
the evening of Monday, February the 12th, so you can participate in the 8th Annual AAOS Safe, Accessible Playground Build. This important public
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relations event will take place on Tuesday, February 13th, the day before the official opening of the AAOS Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Orthopaedic surgeons and their families, orthopaedic industry partners, state and specialty society representatives and community members will come together to construct a playground in Chula Vista, providing a place for more than 11,000 children—including 3,000 who are disabled—to play together.
The day begins at 7:00 a.m. and finishes around 3:30 p.m. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided at the site location. No experience is necessary—if you have an hour or two, or the entire day, consider joining us in leaving a legacy, having fun and seeing why this program is so rewarding. Participants the past seven years have really enjoyed the camaraderie and knowing that they made a difference in the lives of so many children.
You can visit the Annual Meeting information section of the Academy’s website to download a registration form, or you can contact Pat Julitz at (847) 384-4036 to be added to the volunteer list. Be sure and tell them that you are a member of the best state orthopaedic society in America, the TOA. All volunteers will receive detailed information (including bus schedules from the meeting hotels) prior to the build day.
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Texas
District by District: Bob
Deuell
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On January 14, 2003, Senator Robert F. "Bob" Deuell was sworn-in to the Texas State Senate to represent the citizens of Senate District Two, which includes Delta, Hopkins, Hunt, Rockwall, Kaufman,
Fannin, Rains, and Van Zandt counties, and parts of Dallas and Smith counties.
After graduating from George Mason University, Senator Deuell earned his Doctorate of Medicine from the Medical College of Virginia. Senator Deuell is a partner in Primary Care Associates of Greenville, and is a member of the American Medical Association and Texas Medical
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Association. He is Board certified by the American Board of Family Practice.
During the 79th Legislative Session, Senator Deuell passed legislation that will ensure firefighters and first responders who contract diseases in the line of duty receive the benefits they deserve (Senate Bill 310), created a statewide stroke emergency plan with the Texas Stroke Act (Senate Bill 330), authorized a medical dispatch program for rural areas (Senate Bill 523) and set up a Medicaid buy-in program for the working disabled (Senate Bill 565). Senator Deuell also worked to ensure passage of bills dealing with issues such as education, transportation, lawsuit reform and family issues.
In 2005, Sen. Deuell was named "Crime Fighter of the Year" by the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas for his work on criminal justice and public safety issues. Also in 2005, Lt. Gov. David
Dewhurst appointed Sen. Deuell to the Sunset Advisory Commission.
During his legislative career, Senator Deuell has been given the "Champion for Free Enterprise Award," by the Texas Association of Business, was named Outstanding Senator by the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters, received the "Patient Advocacy Award" from the Texas Academy of Family Physicians, was named Freshman Senator of the Year by the Texas Young Republican Federation, and received an A++ rating from the Texas Right to Life Committee. In addition, Sen. Deuell was honored with the "Patiente Protectorate Award" and was named one of "Texas Medicine's Best" by the Texas Medical Association.
Currently, Senator Deuell serves on the Senate Finance
Committee and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, and is Vice-Chair of both the Senate Nominations Committee, and the Health & Human Services Committee.
In addition, Senator Deuell was selected by Lt. Governor Dewhurst to serve on the Senate Select Committee on Water Policy, and also serves as a Vice-Chair of the Rural Caucus.
Senator Deuell and his wife Marilyn reside in Greenville and have three children - Paul, Brian and Jennifer.
Email Bob
Deuell to thank him for his work!
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CMS
Artificial Disc Comment Period Open Through Dec. 27.
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a review of its national coverage decision policy on lumbar artificial disc replacements. The initial coverage decision was based on the only disc approved for use in the United States at the time of the decision.
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A new comment period is now open through Dec. 27, 2006, covering the ProDisc lumbar artificial disc and any additional discs that have received FDA approval since May 16, 2006.
Click here
for more information.
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| Good
News In CPT Updates For 2007 |
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Good news in CPT updates for 2007, there are only seven new codes added to the area of musculoskeletal, no deleted codes and no revised codes. With this said it will allow us to refocus on our current procedures and coding to assure ourselves of more accurate coding of CPT and ICD-9-CM. This is a good time for coding and billing staff to review the basics and investigate any concerns, when they would usually be busy focusing on the updating of new codes and trying to figure out what they mean.
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| TOA
E-Connect - Christmas Break |
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This will be the last E-Connect
of 2006 due to the upcoming Holidays.
You can expect to start
receiving the E-Connect again starting
January 8, 2007.
Wishing everyone the Happiest
of Holidays, see you again in 2007!
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