Save The Date: 2010 TOA Socioeconomic Summit

By John Early, MD
President, Texas Orthopaedic Association

                        Save the date!
                  January 30-31, 2010

               2010 Socioeconomic Summit &
                    the Business of Orthopaedics

TOA's original Practice Management Course
for orthopaedic residents

BC/BS Medical Quality and Policy

• Draft Medical Policies

• Active/Pending Medical Policies

• Medical Policy Medical Records Documentation Guidelines (Predeterminations/Claims)

A couple of examples of Medical Policy Drafts now posted ...

Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) for the Treatment of Wounds (VAC or Versatile 1)
[posted 10/30/2009; comment period ends 11/20/2009]

Bone Turnover Markers for Diagnosis and Management of Osteoporosis and Other Conditions Associated with Increased Bone Turnover
[posted 11/14/2009; comment period ends 12/5/2009]

Measurement of Thromboxane Metabolites in Urine
[posted 11/14/2009; comment period ends 12/5/2009]

Intraepidermal Nerve Fiber Density
[posted 11/14/2009; comment period ends 12/5/2009]

Gene Expression Profiling (GEP) Using Microarray Analysis
[posted 11/14/2009; comment period ends 12/5/2009]

Liver Transplant
[posted 11/14/2009; comment period ends 12/5/2009]

Total Ankle Replacement (TAR)
[posted 11/14/2009; comment period ends 12/5/2009]

Retinal Prosthesis
[posted 10/30/2009; comment period ends 11/20/2009]

Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO2) Pressurization
[posted 11/14/2009; comment period ends 12/5/2009]

Thank You To Our Sponsor: Flexrad

Please visit our sponsor's website!

Charles Schwertner, MD RPh: Candidate for TX House District 20
 

Current

·         Small Businessman and Partner,
Georgetown Orthopedics PLLC

• Managing partner of  organization

• Employer of 25 full time employees

• Private Medical Practice specializing in Orthopedic Surgery

• Caring for the people of Central Texas since 2002.

• Performance of over 400 surgeries a year.

Leadership

• President, Williamson County Medical Society

• Head of an organization representing all the physicians in Williamson County.

• Governing Board Member, Hill Country Surgery Center, Cedar Park

• Member of a Board that oversees the administration of a multi-million dollar healthcare endeavor.

• Physician Reviewer, TMF Health Quality Institute

• Physician Reviewer for the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for people with Medicare in Texas.  As a reviewer, assist in protecting Medicare patient rights and improving the quality of health care in Texas.

• Past County Delegate, Texas Medical Association

• Helped shape policy positions of the Texas Medical Association.

Education

Doctor of Medicine Summa Cum Laude, University of Texas Medical Branch

• Graduated with Honors in Surgery, Internal Medicine, and Psychiatry; Dean’s List 1994-1997.

Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin

• Fourth Generation Pharmacist.

Professional Memberships and Licenses

• American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Board Certified

• American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Fellow

• Registered Pharmacist, State of Texas

• Physician Reviewer, TMF Health Quality Institute

• Texas Medical Association, Member

• Texas Orthopaedic Association, Member

• Alpha Omega Alpha Academic Honor Medical Society, Member

• Rho Chi National Academic Honor Pharmaceutical Society, Member

Civic Leadership

• 6^th generation Texan with Williamson County Roots

• St. Helen’s Catholic Church, Member

• Williamson County Republican Party, Member

• Texas Right to Life, Member

• National Rifle Association, Member

• Texas State Rifle Association, Member

This Week In Texas: Mignon McGarry's Memos

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Rep. Brian McCall (R-Plano) announced that he has decided not to seek re-election to his House District 66 seat.  McCall, current chair of

the House Calendars Committee, has served in the Texas House for 19 years.  Plano City Council member Mabrie Jackson plans to resign her seat on the council to run for the House District 66.

Over the weekend, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison announced that she does not plan to resign from her seat to run for governor until after the Republican primary.

The Sunset Advisory Commission met Tuesday in an organizational meeting to set its review schedule and take care of other housekeeping matters. The Texas Legislature created the Sunset Advisory Commission in 1977 to identify and eliminate waste, duplication, and inefficiency in government agencies. The Commission conducts thorough reviews of nearly all state agencies, gathering information from the agency itself, members of the public, interest groups, and professional organizations. During the 2009-2010 interim, the Commission will review 28 of Texas' most important state agencies. Important agencies under review include the Public Utility Commission, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the Division of Workers' Compensation, as well as re-reviews of the Texas Department of Insurance, Texas Department of Transportation, and the Texas Youth Commission.  Both the review schedule and future meeting dates are available on the Commission's website which can be accessed by clicking here.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Speaker Joe Straus released his interim charges to the Standing Committees of the Texas House late Thursday. Interim charges direct committees to examine and review certain issues in preparation for the next legislative session. To read the charges given to each committee, please click here. Still no word from the other side of the pink dome on when the Senate Interim charges will be released.

DWC 2010 Conversion Factors - Medical Fee Guideline

The Division of Workers' Compensation and the Commissioner Bordelon have determined the new calendar year 2010 conversion factors for the Medical Fee Guideline for non-network professional services. They have increased slightly and the following bulletin explains the change.

The email distribution to all of their healthcare providers and the posting to their web will all be occurring in the next day or two.

To view the bulletin, please click here.