The Cardiologist


*Fall, 2009* From Your Chapter President The folks at the national ACC have been working tirelessly on our behalf to represent our interests to the Congress and the President while changes in our health care delivery system are being considered. During Legislative Day 2009, hundreds of ACC members converged in Washington DC to meet with many Members of Congress to make our case for stable and appropriate reimbursements for the services that we perform. It is through the action of professional organizations such as the ACC that we have guidelines in place that have so effectively improved cardiovascular outcomes over the past 40 years. During this critical legislative period, I would like to invite you to go to http://acc.org/advocacy/advocacy.htm and browse some of the information that is available. Please take 15 minutes to do this and consider contacting your elected representatives via email to let them know about the hard work that you do to better the health of your patients. Cardiology practices are important economic engines in many local economies and the very evidence-based approach to treatment that the ACC has developed works to the benefit of everybody in the community. Also, I invite you to consider contributing to the ACC's political action committee (information also available on the web site). We cardiologists don't support our PAC like other subspecialties (and other fields of work), and the PAC's work on our behalf ensures that our voices are part of the decision making process. You can find information on the ACC web page. One last thing: If you haven't already read "The War on Specialists" in the October 6, 2009, Wall Street Journal, here it is: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704471504574443472658898710.html *John Bisognano, MD, PhD, FACC* Lee Goldman, MD, MPH 2009 New York Cardiac Center Lecturer Lee Goldman, MD, MPH, has been invited to deliver The Thirteenth Annual New York Cardiac Center Lecture. Dr. Goldman is Executive Vice President and Dean at Columbia University Medical Center. The title of Dr. Goldman’s lecture is, CARDIAC RISK IN NON CARDIAC SURGERY. Dr. Goldman is an internationally recognized expert and pioneer in clinical epidemiologic studies. He authored the original series of papers establishing algorithms for determining cardiac risk for non cardiac surgery. The target audience is practicing cardiologists, internists, surgeons, anesthesiologists, fellows, residents and other healthcare providers who are with patients before, during and after surgery. This lecture is presented by The New York Cardiological Society of the New York State Chapter, American College of Cardiology, in association with New York Cardiac Center. The lecture will be held on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at Stony Brook University Medical Center. A light dinner will be served beginning at 6:30 p.m. followed by the lecture from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Please contact the New York State Chapter office at 212.686.0228 or e-mail nweiner@nycms.org if you are interested in attending. Legislative Action… There is Still Time Members of the New York State Chapter joined over 350 cardiologists from all over the United States at the 2009 Legislative Conference hosted by the American College of Cardiology in Washington DC in September. The group visited the offices of their elected Congressional officials on Capitol Hill in order to discuss important health reform initiatives and specifically requested them to act to prevent the proposed Medicare cuts to critical cardiology services from being implemented on November 1, 2009. There is still time to contact your members of Congress to urge them to write or call Secretary Sebelius and request her to delay implementation of the CMS fee schedule until more reliable data pertaining to the true practice expenses of cardiologists is available. The link below will assist you in contacting your representative. http://www.capitolconnect.com/cardiology/legis_search.aspx Notice of Elections A slate of candidates for the 2010 New York State Chapter Council election will be presented to the membership in late December, 2009. All New York State Chapter members are eligible to vote. Councilors are elected to a two-year term of office and may be elected to two consecutive terms. Councilors will be elected in the following districts: • District 1- Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens and Richmond counties • District 2- Nassau and Suffolk counties • District 3- Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties • District 4- Albany, Clinton, Columbia, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Montgomery, Otsego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren and Washington counties • District 5- Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego and St. Lawrence and Tompkins counties • District 6- Chemung, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Wayne and Yates counties • District 7- Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties Councilor responsibilities include: • developing Chapter policy and direction by attending at least one Chapter Council meeting annually • monitoring the needs of cardiologists within his or her district and communicating these needs to the Chapter President and the Council • assisting the President in membership development including contacting ACC members who have not paid Chapter dues • helping to locate interested volunteers for Chapter committees when vacancies occur • assuming the role of leader/promoter for the Chapter by relaying accomplishments and activities to colleagues • assisting the President in activating a network pyramid when deemed appropriate for urgent communication If you would like to receive additional information regarding the election process, please contact the New York State Chapter at 212.686.0228. Modification of New York State Department of Health Official Prescription Form The New York State Department of Health has added a patient safety feature to its Official Prescription forms. The purpose of the patient safety feature is to decrease medical errors. The check box feature appearing on the back of the Official Prescription form allows the prescriber to communicate to the pharmacist the general purpose for which the medication has been prescribed. • Utilization of the check box is optional, but is strongly encouraged. • Completion of the check box is not a requirement; therefore, pharmacists may still dispense prescriptions when the check box has not been utilized. Pharmacists may also continue to dispense when older Official Prescriptions, that do not contain the check box feature, are used. • The New York State Department of Health will begin phasing in Official Prescription forms contain the new patient safety feature within the next month. Funding for Electronic Health Records Available The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is offering funding for Electronic Health Records adoption to members of the New York State Chapter of the American College of Cardiology. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene would like to introduce an Electronic Health Record system into your office at a significantly reduced cost, through the Primary Care Information Project. As part of a $27 million mayoral initiative to improve the quality and efficiency of health care in New York City, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is heavily subsidizing the implementation of the award-winning eClinical Works electronic health record system for primary care physicians and specialists in the community. To be eligible for this initiative, providers must practice in New York City and see at least 30% Medicaid and/or Uninsured patients (including Medicaid HMOs and State insurance plans such as Child Health Plus and Family Health Plus). Nearly 2,000 providers have already joined the program and a limited number of spots are still available. Please direct your questions and/or requests for additional information to Reena Samantaray at (212) 341-2263 or email pcip@health.nyc.gov or complete an online application at www.nyc.gov/pcip 2009 Young Investigators= Awards Presented Congratulations to John N. Catanzaro, MD, from North Shore University Hospital and Preeti A. Chandra, MD, from Maimonides Medical Center on their selection as the 2009 winners of the Young Investigators= Competition sponsored by the New York State Chapter of the American College of Cardiology. Their research appeared at the October 3^rd Annual Scientific Session of The New York Cardiological Society/ New York State Chapter, Cardiology 2009: The Practice and Science of Quality Care. Upcoming Meetings 13^th Annual NEW YORK CARDIAC CENTER LECTURE *CARDIAC RISKS OF NON CARDIAC SURGERY* Lee Goldman , MD , MPH Tuesday, October 27, 2009 SUNY-HSC Stony Brook Stony Brook 42^nd ANNUAL NEW YORK CARDIOVASCULAR SYMPOSIUM (co-sponsor) Friday, December 11- Sunday, 13, 2009 Hilton New York New York City Tenth Annual (co-sponsor) NEW FRONTIERS IN HEART FAILURE THERAPY INTEGRATING DEVICES & PHARMACOLOGY Saturday, January 23, 2010 Waldorf-Astoria Hotel New York City Up-to-date meeting information appears on the New York State Chapter website www.ny-acc.org