SUMMER 2008 CHAPTER ANNUAL CLINICAL MEETING Saturday, December 6, 2008 At Crowne Plaza Meadowlands Hotel In Secaucus (Exit 16 W of NJ Turnpike) Lewis Wetstein, MD, is developing a program involving 13 specialties and 7.5 Cat. 1 CME Credits. Morning Sessions: “GENERAL SURGERY,” Michael A. Goldfarb, MD; “PLASTIC SURGERY,” Gregory L. Borah, MD; “VASCULAR SURGERY,” Michael Ombrellino, MD; “ENT,” Paul J. Carniol, MD; “RESIDENTS & YOUNG SURGEONS MEETING”; Ronald. S. Chamberlain, MD; “BARIATIRIC SURGERY,” Michael Nusbaum, MD. (The Sheen Award Lunch Speaker to be announced.) Afternoon: “TRAUMA SURGERY,” Felix Antonio Garcia-Perez, MD; “NEUROSURGERY & ORTHOPEDICS,” Roderick J. Clemente, MD; “CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY,” Mark Widmann, MD; “ONCOLOGY/BREAST SURGERY,” Aaron H. Chevinsky, MD; “UROLOGIC SURGERY,” Louis Galdieri, MD; “COLORECTAL SURGERY,” Michael L. Arvanitis, MD. “RESIDENTS PROGRAM,” Ronald S. Chamberlain, MD - will be run by residents, and will include our Robert D. DeGroote Memorial Resident Award Contest Moderated by Harry Agis, MD. ****** PRESIDENTS MESSAGE Mark W. Moritz, MD, President Our Chapter’s Constitution and Bylaws are undergoing revision so that young surgeons have more opportunity to participate in the meetings of our Council and Committees. Fred Weber, MD, JD of Somers Point, presented a draft of the revision at our June Council and he will incorporate suggested changes. After review at our September Council meeting, the new document will be sent by email to the entire membership. It then will be voted upon at our Business Meeting, held during our Annual Meeting at the Crowne Plaza in Secaucus, on Saturday December 6, 2008. Our December meeting will also include new programming this year, designed for young surgeons and surgical trainees. I thank Lew Wetstein, MD, who is arranging the program, and the various surgical program directors who have volunteered to assist in this effort. Several of your officers, have been involved in political advocacy on your behalf. We have a tangible result in defeating the 10.6% Medicare pay cut by overriding the president’s veto. ****** WE WON A BIG ONE We are pleased to inform you that on July 15th the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate voted to override the President’s veto of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (H.R.6331). The President vetoed H.R. 6331, which includes provisions to stop the 10.6 percent cut In Medicare reimbursement that went into effect on July 1. The House, in a 383 to 41 vote, voted to override the President’s veto. The Senate, in a 70 to 26 vote, also voted to override the President’s veto. With over two-thirds of both the House and Senate supporting the override, the bill’s provisions to stop the 10.6 percent cut will take effect in spite of the President’s veto. In addition, H.R. 6331 also includes provisions to replace the 5.4 percent cut scheduled for January 1 with a positive 1.1 percent update for 2009. We want to thank the NJACS surgeons who called their Senators and Representatives multiple times over the past 6 months urging support for this legislation. As you may recall, their votes marked the second time the House has voted on H.R. 6331 and the third time that the Senate has voted on H.R. 6331---and the fourth time, in a little over a month, that the Senate has voted on legislation to stop Medicare payment cuts in 2008 and 2009. Your advocacy efforts played a critical role in securing this successful override of the President’s veto and helped bring much needed stability in Medicare payments for medical practices over the next 18 months. Again, thanks, when they feel the heat they see the light. MIIX BANKRUPTCY MEETING Art Ellenberger attended a May 2nd meeting on MIIX in Princeton. Of great importance is that all doctors insured under MIIX would no longer have $300,000 protection past April 9, 2009 unless they started a patient file with MIIX prior to that date. Any potential incidents, where a patient indicated any action against you, should be reported to MIIX before April 9, 2009. They will confirm coverage and set up a file and you will have up to $300,000. Note: MIIX tail coverage is available at the Joseph A. Britton Agency 908/654-6464 DEADLINE TO INCLUDE NPI # ON CONSECUTIVELY NUMBERED RX BLANKS OCTOBER 1, 2008 As of October 1, 2008, NJ Prescription Blanks must be pre-printed with the physician’s NPI number and must be consecutively numbered. Until the deadline, physicians may continue to use their existing blanks. CULTURAL COMPETENCY CME REQUIREMENT CAN BE SATISFIED OVER THE INTERNET Physicians need 6 hours of documented “Cultural Competency” training (6 Hours) as a condition of their next licensure renewal after March 24, 2008. Good news is you can achieve as many as 6 hours of approved CME on this topic over the internet. Https://cccm.thinkculturalhealth.org/GUIs/GUI_AboutthisSite.asp TORT REFORM REVISITED Drs. H. Stephen Fletcher, Lewis Wetstein and Richard Scott are working with Trenton Senator Jennifer Beck to write a Tort Reform Bill which would clarify discovery issues, define who or what qualifies as an expert, that a plaintiff must cite reason for suit, and set time restrictions on suits. Another bill may also be introduced to set limitations on awards for pain and suffering. ****** RECENT COUNCIL ACTIONS Socio Economic Meeting An interim meeting of our Officers had recommended that we open up our only socioeconomic meeting to the entire membership; and that a registration fee be charged to include the cost of the lunch. It was also recommended that we drop the Hospital Liaison Representatives Meeting since there are less than half the hospitals in the State than when the meeting was first developed. It was unanimously approved that our Chapter’s March HOSPITAL LIAISON REPRESENTATIVES MEETING be changed to the “SPRING SOCIOECONOMIC MEETING,” to be held in March and be open to all members with a charge for registration to include the lunch. Exhibitors are to be invited. Membership A motion was made, seconded and carried that all Residents of NJ Surgical Programs be offered NJACS membership at no charge. ACS Candidate Members should be offered NJACS Membership at no charge, will be given access to our Website and receive Chapter mailings. State Legislation Update (1) A downsized State budget will cut deeply into medical and charity care perpetuating hospital closings. (2) S-787/A-1933 We are supporting the Codey/Conaway bill so physicians can refer patients to an ASCs. (3) Opposing N.J. BC/BS going to profit status. (4) A-2521 We are strongly opposing the tax on Ambulatory facilities increasing from 3.5% to 7%. (5) S-114 We support insurance benefit assignment to Out-of Network physicians. (6) We are supporting a prevailing PIP fee schedule and A-1821 as a placeholder bill if we don’t get one from the court or DOBI for reasonable and prevailing fees. (7) S-996 We are opposing the wrongful death bill to expand damages which may be collected to include mental anguish, pain and suffering and loss of companionship. If anyone is interested in providing testimony at Trenton legislative committee meetings on any of these bills: Call Art Ellenberger. ****** 3 HOSPITALIZED,1 CRITICALLY ILL, 1 DEAD Torch Lamp Oil mistaken for Apple Juice Six New Jersey residents became ill recently after ingesting a small amount of torch oil which was mistaken for apple juice. It is very important to recognize that lamp oil bottles closely resemble juice containers. They must be stored in a locked cabinet away from storage of food and drinks. When accidentally taken by mouth, such lamp oils can enter the lungs causing pneumonia and death. An elderly woman, died two days after mistaking the lamp oil for apple juice. Earlier in the month an 8 year old girl was hospitalized in critical condition and was placed on a ventilator after ingesting the torch oil. The child survived her illness but will live the rest of her life with damaged lungs. The 6 cases of lamp oil ingestions reported to New Jersey’s Poison Information and Education System occurred when the victim drank the oil thinking it was apple juice. If you suspect a poisoning, call the poison control center for immediate treatment advice. Call 1-800-222-1222.Other dangerous look a likes are found at WWW.NJPIES.ORG REPORT ON HEPAC ACTIVITIES by:Jeffrey Hammond MD, MPH, FACS HEPAC was constituted last year as the successor to MEDPREP and as a vehicle to give advice to the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services on matters pertaining to Disaster Planning and Emergency Preparedness. I represent the NJ ACS chapter was elected as first Chair. Glenn Paulson, representing the NJ Center for Public Health Preparedness, was elected Vice-Chair. In the first year after formal re-organization, since April 2007, HEPAC has: 1) Created bylaws and constituted four working subcommittees: Pre-Hospital, Operations, Education and Training, and Systems. 2) In conjunction with the NJ Trauma Center Council and the NJ COT, a gap analysis of the 10 trauma centers and the State Burn Unit was conducted. 3) Reviewed pre-hospital BLS standards for possible recommendation of areas warranting relaxation in event of a declared disaster (none were required). 4) Three major projects underway are: a. Development of a statewide Mass Burn Plan, including recommendations for training and hospital-specific supply stockpiles. b. Plans for distribution of mobile radiation detectors and response SOP for MICU (paramedic) units. c. Identification of long-term care facility generator capacity and recommendation for state guidelines. 5) Subcommittee projects for 2008 will review of 2007 after action reports, investigation of quarantine issues and consideration of mass evacuation issues. 6) HEPAC will strive to coordinate efforts with the state’s OHS and its Preparedness College. ****** THE RISKS OF TALKING WHILE DRIVING Some states have banned drivers from using hand held phones in an effort to reduce accidents. But recent studies found that any type of cellphone use makes a driver four times as likely to suffer a serious crash. “When you’re having a phone conversation, the brain is less engaged in the task of driving,” says Arthur Goodwin of the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center. “That increases the risk of being involved in an accident SBME The SBME took a courageous stand on mandated CME at their March 19, 2008 Board Meeting. Their Board is, “Opposed to any attempt by the Legislature to mandate particular CME courses or additional educational requirements for their licensees.” ACS CODING HOTLINE The College has a reimbursement consultation service. Call 1-800-ACS-7911 for immediate access to specialists trained in procedural coding in all surgical specialties. ****** POEM OF THE DAY Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well-preserved body. But rather to skid in broadside, Thoroughly used up, Totally worn out, & proclaiming, “Wow, what a ride!” Anonymous OTHER STALL I was barely sitting down when I heard a voice from the other stall saying: “Hi, how are you?” I’m not the type to start a conversation in the restroom? I don’t know what got into me, but I answered, somewhat embarrassed, “Doin’ just fine!” And the other person says: “So what are you up to?” What kind of question is that? At that point, I’m thinking this is too bizarre so I say: “Uhhh, I’m like you, just sitting here.” At this point I am just trying to get out as fast as I can when I hear another question: “Can I come over?” Ok, this question is just too weird for me.? I figured I could politely end the conversation. I say: “No............I’m a little busy right now!!!” Then I hear the person say, nervously: “Listen, I’ll have to call you back. There’s an idiot in the other stall who keeps answering all my questions!!” A GARDEN VERSE I used to love my Garden. But now my love is dead: I found a Bachelor’s Button In Black-eyed Susan’s Bed. Unknown