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TOA
President's
Update
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By Timothy L. Beck, MD
President, Texas Orthopaedic Association
If you
attended the 2008 TOA Annual Meeting you would have heard
Richard Peterson, AAOS Legal Counsel and Dr. Charles
Rockwood present this year’s CME ethics hour which covered
“Industry Support of Professional Education in Medicine.”
We thank Dr. Rockwood for discussing current changes in the
industry today in regards to health |
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care consulting.
Rick Peterson gave us up-to-the-minute information on the Department of
Justice case against orthopaedic implant manufacturers, Congressional
investigations of medical companies and physicians; and, recent
activities of the AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs.
All of this
information was an eye-opener. I will briefly cover some of the items
mentioned in reports and resolutions being discussed at the AMA Council
on Ethical and Judicial Affairs level:
A report concluded:
“Existing mechanisms to manage potential conflicts and influences are
not sufficient to address these concerns. Recognizing the
profession-defining importance for medicine of achieving its educational
goals, the Council recommends that:
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Individual
physicians and institutions of medicine, such as medical schools,
teaching hospitals, and professional organizations (including state
and medical specialty societies) must not accept industry funding to
support professional education activities. Exception should be made
for technical training when new diagnostic or therapeutic devices and
techniques are introduced. Once expertise in the use of previously new
devices has developed within the professional community, continuing
industry involvement in educating practitioners is no longer
warranted.
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Medical schools
and teaching hospitals are learning environments for future physicians
at a critical, formative phase in their careers and have special
responsibilities to create and foster learning and work environments
that instill professional values, norms, and expectations. They must
limit, to the greatest extent possible, industry marketing and
promotional activities on their campuses. They have a further
responsibility to educate trainees about how to interact with industry
and their representatives, especially if and when trainees choose to
engage industry in varying capacities after residency and fellowship
training.
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The medical
profession must work together to identify the most effective modes of
instruction and evaluation for physician learners. It must then more
efficiently develop and disseminate educational programming that
serves the educational needs of all physicians. The profession must
obtain more noncommercial funding of professional education
activities.”
The medical
environment and orthopaedic industry are seeing a great deal of change.
Continuing medical education, as we know it, may be changing. We will
update the TOA membership as these changes unfold.
Whether it be
through the TOA or the Texas Orthopaedic Foundation (www.toafoundation.org),
we will continue to provide quality CME during our annual meeting
scientific sessions. Next year’s TOA Annual Meeting will be in Austin
at the Sheraton on April 23-25, 2009.
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Division Enhances Referrals of
Injured Employees for Vocational Assistance
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The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation (TDI-DWC)
has enhanced the process for referring injured employees to vocational
services, as directed by the Texas Legislature. Referrals to the Texas
Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) are now
occurring earlier in the workers' compensation claims process.
TDI-DWC will begin referring all injured employees to DARS who have
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received 12 weeks of Temporary Income
Benefits (TIB). This earlier referral will encourage injured
employees to participate in the vocational resources offered by DARS.
Formerly, TDI-DWC only issued referral letters to severely injured
employees, usually 17 weeks prior to their eligibility for
Supplemental Income Benefits (SIB). The agency will continue to issue
these referral letters with the addition of the new 12-week referral
letter. TDI-DWC expects total referrals to increase from about 4,000
per year to about 24,000 per year.
A main goal of the workers' compensation system is to return Texans to
work after a work-related injury or illness, when safe and medically
appropriate. Changes to the TDI-DWC referral process for vocational
services are in support of the system goal.
The new, 12-week referral letter will also provide injured employees
information about services offered by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)
and the State's 211 Texas program. These programs provide additional
resources to injured employees for services, which include: job
search, job training, counseling, child care, rent assistance and
utility bill assistance.
We encourage you to forward this email to a friend or colleague who
participates in the Texas workers' compensation system.
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This Week In Texas: Mignon
McGarry Memos
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By Mignon McGarry
TOA Legislative Advocate
TOA Online Version: All Memos
June 4, 2008, Wednesday
The Sunset Advisory Commission is making news this week. The
12 member Commission, made up of 10 legislators and two public
members,
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conducts a regular assessment of the
continuing need for particular state agencies to exist. The Commission
is aided by a staff whose reports provide an assessment of an agency's
programs, giving the Legislature the information needed to draw
conclusions about program necessity and workability. Anywhere from 20
to 30 state agencies undergo sunset review each legislative session.
The process begins during the Interim preceding a legislative session
with agency self-evaluation reports, Sunset Commission staff reports
and a report containing the final recommendations of the Commission.
These final recommendations ultimately become a bill which then goes
through the legislative process.
On Tuesday, the staff of the Sunset Commission issued their report on
the Texas Department of Transportation. The report recommends
replacing the current five member commission with a single appointed
commissioner. Other recommendations include the creation of a
Transportation Legislative Oversight Committee; increased transparency
of the agency’s transportation planning and project development
process; and increase the accountability of the agency’s contracting
functions, particularly its comprehensive development agreements. In
addition, the report recommends continuing the agency for four more
years instead of the usual 12 year period between sunset reviews.
These recommendations will be discussed at a meeting of the Sunset
Advisory Commission on July 15th. The full report can be accessed on
the Commission’s website by clicking
here.
As expected, Gov. Rick Perry has announced a special election to fill
the vacancy in Senate District 17 (formerly held by Sen. Kyle Janek)
to be held on the next general election date, Nov. 4, 2008. This means
House members considering a run for this Senate seat must resign their
House seat in order to run since Texas law prohibits a person from
being on the same ballot for two different races.
Members of the Texas Legislature as well as statewide elected
officials are busy with fundraising receptions across the state as
they try to build their campaign accounts in advance of the June 30,
2008 cutoff date prior to the July semiannual campaign finance report.
Texas Comptroller Susan Combs has announced several staffing changes.
Chris Kadas has been hired as her new Special Counsel for Tax
Hearings. He replaces Ashley Harden, who was named Chief Deputy
General Counsel. Combs also announced that Special Counsel Pete Slover
will now serve as Special Counsel and Director of Criminal
Investigations, and Senior Advisor Sarah Whitley is the newly
appointed Chief of Staff.
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Thank You! To TOF Donors
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To fund its programs, the Texas Orthopaedic Foundation will
depend on contributions from the orthopaedic community, other caring
individuals and our friends of orthopaedics in business. Your
contributions will be dedicated to orthopaedic research and education
in Texas.
By making a donation to the Texas Orthopaedic Foundation, you
will become a member of the Board of Trustees. The Foundation’s
website and meeting exhibit will list you as a donor Trustee, unless
you wish to remain anonymous. Memorial or tribute gifts will list both
donor and the person named for tribute. |
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While we encourage your donations and annual gifting at any point in
the future, by giving $1,000 or more during 2008, you will
become a member of the TOF Founders’ Circle. Please donate
today and become a founding member of the Texas Orthopaedic
Foundation.
There are many benefits to supporting the Texas Orthopaedic
Foundation. By donating to the Foundation you will be able to:
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Support orthopaedic continuing medical
education and research
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Support orthopaedic residents and their
Texas training programs
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Give a gift that will remain in Texas
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Receive an income tax deduction; reduce
capital gains tax or estate taxes
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Help the Texas Orthopaedic Foundation
develop clinical treatment guidelines
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Facilitate public education of
orthopaedic surgery and orthopaedic treatment.
If your gift is intended as a memorial
or tribute, please indicate such on your contribution form. The
Foundation’s first Memorial pledge was in honor of Albert Tisdale,
MD. Many of you may remember Dr. Tisdale as the “TOA
Photographer/Historian.” He faithfully attended and photographed the
TOA annual meetings and the past presidents breakfasts. Dr. Tisdale
was also a former president of TOA from Austin.
Thank You, Donors!
The Texas Orthopaedic Foundation
gratefully acknowledges their
contributors.
Donations received from April 14, 2008
In Memory Of:
Albert Tisdale, MD, Austin
donation by the Clements
Family
Robert Hyde, MD, Amarillo
donation by Dr. & Mrs. Richard F. McKay
Richard Eppright, MD, Houston
donation by Jorge Tjimes, MD
David Beal, DDS,
Killeen
donation by Terry Beal, MD
Hugh S. Tullos, MD, Houston
donation by James Bocell, MD
Michael Marshall,
MD, Lubbock
by Drs. Cynthia and Stephen Norwood
In Honor Of:
Texas Orthopaedic Association
Past Presidents
donation by Texas Orthopaedic Association
Richard J. Haynes, MD, Houston
donation by Howard Epps, MD
Dr. & Mrs. Kaye E. Wilkins
donation
by Susan & Patrick M. Palmer, MD
Individual Donors:
Fred Corley, MD
John Early, MD
Marc DeHart, MD
Stacy and Brannan Smoot, MD
Edward Seade, MD
Patricia and Andrew Kant, MD
Barbara and Bill Schreiber, MD
Elizabeth and Subram Gopalkrishnan,
MD
Kay and Thomas O. Clanton, MD
G. W. Cox, MD
Kelly Carmichael, MD
Jay Mabrey, MD
Omer Ilahi, MD
David Teuscher, MD
Timothy Beck, MD
Stephen L. Wilson, MD
Pledged
David Mansfield, MD
Pledged
Bob Kramer, MD
Pledged
Lou and Bud Kennedy, MD
Pledged
LaNyce and Archie Whittemore, MD
Pledged Todd Mackenzie, Remington Medical
Resort
Pledged Don Chow, TMLT
Friend of Orthopaedics Founders Circle:
Pledged
Wright Medical
Cary Edgar, Ancillary Care Solutions
Denotes Founders Circle Member
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Monthly Updates To Official
Disability Guidelines - Treatment In Workers' Comp
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The Texas Department of Insurance,
Division of Workers' Compensation (TDI-DWC) and the Work Loss Data
Institute, publishers of the Official Disability Guidelines -
Treatment in Workers' Comp (ODG), have partnered to produce a monthly
update to inform system participants of changes that have occurred in
the online version of the ODG during the preceding month. A memo
discussing the monthly updates to ODG is posted and can be accessed by clicking
here.
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Worth Repeating: Physicians Meet With
Legislators To Discuss Medicare Package
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CongressDaily reports that staff from the Senate Finance
Committee has been meeting with physician specialty groups to
discuss a legislative package that would halt a 10.6 percent
cut to Medicare physicians' payments—currently scheduled to go
into effect on July 1—and institute |
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a 0.5 percent increase in
reimbursement through the end of 2009. Leaders in both the Republican
and Democratic parties have advanced Medicare proposals that are
similar on key physician-related issues, such
as requiring physicians to adopt
electronic prescribing systems by 2011 or face reimbursement
penalties up to 2 percent. Physicians who adopt e-prescribing
would receive payment bonuses of up to 2 percent and scaling
back to 0.5 percent. Both proposals also increase the current
1.5 percent bonus for physicians who participate in a quality
reporting initiative to 2 percent in 2009 and 2010. Democrats
and Republicans are primarily split over how to fund the
entire package. Democrats want to reduce additional payments
to private Medicare Advantage plans, while Republicans have
indicated they will only accept Medicare Advantage cuts to
indirect medical education payments.
The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) staff
in the office of government relations will continue to
participate in all Medicare discussions and keep the AAOS
membership updated on any provisions that would affect the
orthopaedic community. The AAOS is advocating for a bipartisan
bill that would combine provisions from both the Democratic
and Republican packages in an effort to ensure the physician
payment formula is fixed in advance of the July 1, 2008,
deadline and is not delayed by a presidential veto. To
read more, please click
here.
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