Orthopaedic Patients Visit Capitol Hill

Erin Lynn Ransford

Request Congressional support for orthopaedic research funding Erin Lynn Ransford Orthopaedic surgeons, patients, and researchers visited Capitol Hill on April 3, 2014, to raise awareness of the impact of musculoskeletal diseases and disorders and to underscore the need for more federal research funding. Advocacy teams from 20 states urged Congress to appropriate $535.

States’ Activities Recognized at NOLC

The Arkansas Orthopaedic Society (AOS) was selected as the 2014 State Orthopaedic Society of the Year during the National Orthopaedic Leadership Conference (NOLC) in Washington, D.C. The AOS was recognized for its work to change the methodology utilized in the Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield/Medicaid bundled care initiative.

Second Look—Advocacy

Physician employment A report released by Medscape compares survey data on employed (defined as a physician who does not run a private practice) and self-employed physicians. The survey of more than 4,600 physicians found that 38 percent of employed physicians indicated “financial security/less risk” as their primary reason for choosing employment.

Why TKAs Fail

Eric C. Makhni, MD, MBA; Christopher J. Dy, MD, MPH; the AAOS Washington Health Policy Fellows

Clinicians rely on various data sources to synthesize information for evidence-based medicine. Adhering to evidence-based medicine enables us, as orthopaedic surgeons, to help decrease costs and reduce unnecessary testing and diagnostics. Continual review of data may provide important information about how to improve the systems within which we deliver care.

Thinking about Running for Office?

Don’t miss the Physician & Dentist Candidate Workshop With many health policy challenges on the horizon, it is more important than ever that individuals who understand and care about the future of medicine are elected to public office. Fortunately, physician involvement in politics has grown considerably in recent years. The current (113th) Congress has 20 physician members, including two orthopaedic surgeons—Rep. Tom Price, MD (R-Ga.), and Sen. John A. Barrasso, MD (R-Wyo.).

PQRS: Transitioning from Reporting to Quality

Douglas W. Lundy, MD, FACS

The Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) is a federal initative to improve the quality of medical care in the United States. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) administers the program, which is undergoing a transition from pay-for-reporting to pay-for-quality metrics. It is also transitioning from incentive payments to penalty charges.

What Is a Perioperative Surgical Home?

A roundtable discussion with surgical home participants The “medical home” is just one of the healthcare reform measures proposed to provide coordinated care and reduce healthcare costs. Best described as a philosophy of primary care, the medical home should be patient-centered, comprehensive, team-based, coordinated, accessible, and focused on quality and safety. What happens when this primary care concept is applied to a surgical setting? Recently, Peggy L.

NOLC Urges Action on Key Orthopaedic Issues

Elizabeth Fassbender

On Thursday, May 1, 2014, more than 300 orthopaedic surgeons from around the country converged on Capitol Hill to meet with their representatives in Congress as part of the 2014 American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) National Orthopaedic Leadership Conference (NOLC). During the sessions with their Congressional representatives, NOLC participants focused on a variety of key orthopaedic issues.