Fall 2015
Mission Statement
The mission of the Texas Chapter of the American College of Physicians is to promote quality health care for all Texans by strengthening the practice of internal medicine.
President's Message
Alejandro Moreno, MBBS, MPH, JD, FACP, FCLM
TXACP President
The ICD-10 implementation will take place in a week. The majority of the practicing Internists have never experienced a change of this magnitude in coding before. The complexity of the change goes beyond the training necessary to learn a new coding system that goes beyond the 3 to 5 digits of the ICD-9. The ICD-10 employs 3 to 7 alpha numeric characters that allow identification of the disease, anatomic site, severity, any device involved in a procedure, and whether the visit is initial or subsequent. ICD-10 also reorganizes the categories of diseases and disorders, updates definitions, and incorporates factors influencing the underlying illness, such as injury and health status.
Hopefully, you and your practice are ready for this change and you have gone through the necessary training, acquired software and practice management systems that can run ICD-10, updated contracts with vendors to comply with new HIPAA and ICD-10 requirements, designed new encounter and superbill forms, and upgraded the electronic health record.
What can you do in the next week while the change takes effect? First, review that all of your colleagues and staff have indeed participated in the training. There is still time for everyone in your practice to be trained. Second, you should do a dry run at your practice to verify that software, practice management system, electronic medical record, encounter forms and superbills are ready to go live on October 1. You should pay special attention during the dry run to any changes in work flow as it may slow the efficiency of your practice. If that is the case, you may want to rethink the work flow process altogether or decrease the patient load for few days while you and your staff adapt to the new system. Third, contact vendors, billing services, and insurance companies to learn whether they have set up contingency plans or have established response teams to help your practice if problems arise. Fourth, you should set aside extra cash aside in case the billing and collection is disrupted and you can continue covering your payable accounts.
What is the American College of Physicians (ACP) doing for its members? The ACP, in conjunction with other medical societies, has asking the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to have contingency plans so medical practices are not negatively impacted by the change. For instance, the ACP has asked CMS not to reject claims based solely based on lack of coding accuracy during a transition period and to allow longer periods to file a claim when administrative or system problems arise that are not the fault of the physician. The ACP has also encouraged CMS to allow medical practices to continue using the ICD-9 codes for meaningful use and quality reporting until the end of the year. For more details, I encourage you to read the entire statement of Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP, President of the College, to CMS early this summer (available at https://www.acponline.org/newsroom/icd10-contingency.htm).
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Governor’s Message
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Sue S. Bornstein, MD, FACP
Governor, TX Northern Region
I love music. I love the varied instruments and their complex interplay. But what I really love are the lyrics. Somehow words have more meaning when they’re set to music.
So while pondering my message to you I kept thinking about one musical phrase: “What have you done for me lately?” Many of you will recognize this as being sung by Janet Jackson, infamous for her “wardrobe malfunction” seen by millions and fined heavily by the FCC. What does this have to do with the ACP?
The American College of Physicians has indeed done a lot for us of late. Here are some highlights:
- The ACP was instrumental in the repeal of Medicare’s flawed Sustainable Growth Rate payment methodology this spring after years of patches.
- The College created an advocacy program called Patients Before Paperwork to identify the top burdens affecting internists and has proposed ways to eliminate or alleviate unnecessary paperwork and
- The Texas Chapter of the ACP played a crucial role in the Texas legislature’s reinstatement of funding for the General Internal Medicine Statewide Preceptorship Program for the upcoming biennium.
The ACP’s leadership has responded to the ABIM’s unpopular new policies for Maintenance of Certification with professionalism, smart strategy and resolve. The ACP has listened to its members and brought our voices to the ABIM. I realize that many ABIM diplomates remain frustrated and some advocate for creating a new certification process.
However, our organization’s sustained efforts have clearly influenced the ABIM’s reassessment of its MOC policies. As an example, the ACP conducted a survey of between 2,000 and 3,000 randomly selected ACP members to learn which clinical scenarios were relevant to practicing physicians. The result of this is the ABIM’s Blueprint for MOC. This document’s contents will be reflected in the revised MOC exam beginning this fall. Please see https://www.abim.org/pdf/blueprint/im_moc.pdf for more details.
Also, the 2014 requirements for practice assessment, patient voice and patient safety have been suspended, in large part due to the ACP’s feedback.
Is the MOC process where we want it to be? Not yet but we have come a long way and will continue to advocate for our members in the strongest way possible.
One of the best things about being Governor for Texas Northern ACP is that I get to participate in the ACP’s Residents Day events. Internal medicine residents present oral clinical vignettes, clinical posters and research posters. In addition to attending my “hometown” event in Dallas that is always excellent, this year I traveled to El Paso to be part of the Far Northwest Texas competition. Residents from the Texas Tech Paul L Foster School of Medicine and William Beaumont Army Medical Center did an outstanding job as did their faulty members that helped them prepare. I am encouraged about the future of our profession.
I will close with a personal invitation to you to attend this year’s Texas ACP Scientific Meeting in Dallas November 7 and 8 at the Renaissance Hotel. Education Committee Chair Temple Howell-Stampley, MD, FACP and her committee have created a great program with some new features. In addition to updates in clinical medicine, we will continue the celebration of ACP’s Centennial Year by recognizing Lynne Kirk, MD, MACP and Marvin Forland, MD, MACP as Texas ACP Centennial Award winners. And please don’t miss the opportunity to hear the keynote address by Faith Fitzgerald, MD, MACP that is sure to inspire.
I look forward to seeing you in Dallas.
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2015 Annual Meeting Registration Now Open!
Registration is open and we encourage all members and friends of the Texas Chapter of the ACP to attend.
A Distinguished Past | A Bright Future
November 7-8, 2015 at the Dallas Renaissance Hotel
ABIM SEP Modules will be offered on Friday, November 6th
This meeting has been approved for CME credit.
Click here for more info!
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Volunteer to Become a Medical Student and or Resident Judge for the 2015 Annual Meeting
We would like to invite you to participate as a Medical Student and/or Resident judge for the 2015 TXACP Annual Meeting poster competition.
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Judging Information
Eligibility
Onsite Judges must meet the following criteria:
- Must be a current member of the ACP (non-Medical Student/Resident Member)
- Complete the Volunteer Form before Friday, October 16th. Be sure to indicate whether you would like to review for the Medical Students and/or Residents
- Be registered for the 2015 TXACP Annual Meeting November 7th-8th hosted at the Dallas Renaissance Hotel
- Approximately 5-8 posters will be assigned to each judge (this is dependent to the amount of poster accepted to present
- A judging packet will be picked up at registration onsite at the hotel
- Judges may work independently or as a group
- Must be available to judge the Medical Student competition Saturday, November 7th at 8:30-10:30am
- And/or be available to judge the Resident competition Saturday, November 7th at 2:45-4:45pm.
SIGN UP HERE!
Your contribution to this event is valued not only by the Medical Students and Residents, but by TXACP staff and your fellow TXACP members as well.
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Medical Students and Residents are invited to participate in all annual meeting events, especially those activities designed specifically for their interests. Although registration is free for students, all attendees must register for the meeting in advance.
Five winners of the regional Residents’ clinical vignette competitions will present their cases in the statewide competition during the plenary session on Saturday morning. The winner will advance to ACP’s national competition in Washington, DC, in May 5th- 7th 2015.
Medical students will present clinical vignettes in a competition, with the winners to receive cash prizes. The student who achieves first place will be eligible for the national competition at the 2016 ACP annual meeting.
First and second-place winners will be named in the Medical Students’ and Residents’ poster competitions. The annual Doctors’DilemmaTM statewide competition will begin with a lunch on Sunday. All Texas residency programs are invited to register their team in advance and come join in the fun. Visit the TXACP Web site at www.txacp.org for complete details on all of the student and resident events, or call the Chapter Business Office at 512-370-1508.
Saturday, Nov. 7
7:00– 8:30am Medical Students’ Poster Set-up
8:30–10:35am Medical Students’ Poster Competition
10:35–11:50am Residents’ Clinical Vignette Presentations and Competition (during Plenary Session)
12:00-1:00pm Resident Poster Set-up
1:20pm On Being a Doctor: "Team-based Care: Why is it Important in the Current Healthcare Environment?" The winning author of the On Being a Doctor writing competition for Medical Student/Resident members will give a 10-minute oral presentation during the Awards Luncheon
1:30pm Medical Student Poster Winners will be announced following the Chapter Awards Luncheon
2:45–4:45pm Residents’ Poster Exhibition and Competition
4:45–5:45pm Cocktail Reception and Awards Presentations (Winners of the poster and clinical vignette competitions will be announced)
5:15pm Winners will be announced
Sunday, Nov. 16
12:15- 2:30pm– Residents’ Luncheon and Doctor’s DilemmaTM Competition
2015 Doctor's Dilemma Competition Team Form for the TXACP 2015 Annual Meeting
Residents can now register their team for the Doctors Dilemma competition at the annual meeting by submitting this online form. The competition is much like the TV show Jeopardy. Questions are presented as answers and teams buzz in to answer the question in the form of a question. There is a moderator asking the questions and each team has a buzzer so that the team that buzzes in first, has the first chance to answer the question. Checks are awarded to first and second place team members. The first place team advances to the National ACP competition held May 5th - 7th, 2016, in Washington, DC, during the ACP Annual Session at IM2016. Members of the team who advance to the national competition must be Resident ACP members in good standing. Please contact Becca Lawson in the chapter business office at (512) 370-1463 or e-mail her at rebecca.lawson@texmed.org with questions.
For more information, please visit www.txacp.org.
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Help Shape the Future of Internal Medicine: GIMSPP Call for Volunteer Preceptors
The General Internal Medicine Statewide Preceptorship Program (GIMSPP) places students with internists across the state for three or four-week preceptorships during the student's summer break. Most are first and second year students.
Preceptorships are meant to be hands-on experiences that will get the students interested in pursuing Internal Medicine upon graduation. On average, 30% of students who participate in the GIMSPP plan to pursue Internal Medicine after medical school. Even if the student does not pursue IM, the experience is still a valid and important one in helping them make their decision.
The GIMSPP is funded by the Texas Chapter of the ACP and is supported by our volunteer preceptors who generously devote their time to these students. We are asking you to please consider giving your time next summer to assist us in recruiting students for Internal Medicine.
The preceptor availability form is now active and can be accessed here: http://www.txacp.org/i4a/forms/index.cfm?id=14
This year, 95 students from all 9 medical schools were matched through our program. We have received as many as 200 applications for preceptorships in the past. We need you to help us accommodate these students and give them an experience that will stay with them for their entire careers. To learn more about the outcome of this year’s program, view the GIMSPP Final Report.
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DynaMed Plus: A New Benefit for ACP Members
We are excited to announce that ACP and EBSCO Health are collaborating to provide ACP members with free access to the most current, evidence-based clinical decision support tool – DynaMed Plus™ as a benefit of ACP membership. Get started today using this powerful new tool:
How Your ACP Member Access Works
1. After clicking the button above, you will be prompted to log into ACP Online to confirm your membership (if you are not already logged in). (Forgot your password?)
2. You’ll be logged into DynaMed Plus as an authorized ACP member.
3. On your initial visit, you'll be asked to create a unique DynaMed Plus account including an email and password that you'll use for future access from any web browser or via the DynaMed Plus mobile app ("Remote Access").
4. Every 6 months thereafter, you’ll need to return to this page to click the button above and re-establish your free access by confirming your membership in ACP.
Learn more about this process.
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Member News
Sakthiraj Subramanian, MD, FACP, joins Lone Star Medical Group. Read press release here.
Steffanie Campbell, MD, joins Kelsey-Seybold. Read press release here.
Isabel. V. Hoverman, MD, MACP appointed to the TMA Foundation Board. Read press release here.
Congratulations to Felicia Jordan, MD, FACP on the July 16, 2015 arrival of twin girls, Madison Elizabeth and Sydney Victoria. Best wishes to parents, Perry & Felicia.
Send news of your accomplishments, or that of a colleague, to: Becca Lawson, TXACP Staff, 401 W. 15th St., Austin, TX 78701; fax to (512) 370-1635; or e-mail to Becca Lawson.
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Congratulations to our Newest Fellows
Fellowship recognizes personal integrity, superior competence in internal medicine, professional accomplishment, and demonstrated scholarship.
Swati B. Avashia, MD, FACP, Austin
Pedro A. Blandon, MD, FACP, El Paso
Eduardo Bruera, MD, FACP, Houston
Safa E. Farrag, MD, FACP, El Paso
Jennifer L. Finch, MD, FACP, Houston
Sherronda M. Henderson, MD, FACP, Temple
Rifat Jehan, MD, FACP, Houston
Eric J. Mueller, MD, FACP, Houston
Harris V. Naina, MD, FACP, Dallas
Roobila Naz, MBBS, FACP, Dallas
Alvaro Restrepo, MD, FACP, Mc Allen
Carlos E. Rodriguez, MD, FACP, El Paso
Hasan J. Salameh, MD, FACP, El Paso
Orlando. Schaening, MD, FACP, Beaumont
Abdul Rashid Shah, MD, FACP, Houston
Marc A. Tribble, MD, FACP, Dallas
Advancement to Fellowship applications are available:
• At the ACP Web site
• From the ACP Customer Service Department at (800) 523-1546, ext. 2600
• By e-mail
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Welcome New Members
We are proud to welcome the following members who have joined the Chapter during the past three month.
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ACP Recruit-a-Colleague Program
Recommend ACP membership to your colleagues and earn a significant discount on your membership dues or even free membership!
Now you have the opportunity to provide your colleagues with the same clinical support and educational resources that you have enjoyed as an ACP member. Talk to your post-training colleagues about ACP today so they can experience the College’s benefits for themselves -- and join a worldwide internal medicine community of more than 143,000 members.
To thank you for your time and effort, we offer the following recruitment program. Between now and March 15, 2016, receive a:
- $100 credit toward your 2016-17 annual dues when you recruit one member
- $200 credit toward your 2016-17 annual dues when you recruit two new members
- $300 credit toward your 2016-17 annual dues when you recruit three new members
- Free membership in 2016-17 when you recruit four or more new members*
Read more here.
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Call for 2016 Resolutions
Are you concerned about a practice or clinical issue or have an idea you'd like to suggest? If so, you might consider submitting a resolution to your Governor or chapter council.
Initiating a resolution provides ACP members an opportunity to focus attention at the ACP national level on a particular issue or topic that concerns them. Participating in the Board of Governors resolutions process provides the ACP grassroots member a voice and allows you to shape College policy that impacts the practice of internal medicine. When drafting a resolution, don't forget to consider how well it fits within ACP's Mission and Goals. In addition, be sure to use the College's 2015-2016 Priority Initiatives to guide you when proposing a resolution topic.
If effecting change interests you, the deadline for submitting new resolutions to be heard at the Spring 2016 Board of Governors Meeting is October 7, 2015. Members must submit resolutions to their Governor and/or chapter council. A resolution becomes a resolution of the chapter once the chapter council approves it.
Not sure how to begin drafting a resolution? Researching the College's position on an issue can give you a start. Visit the ACP Online homepage and click the "Advocacy" link in the right-hand, top margin to access ACP policy positions, read about recent ACP advocacy activities, or search ACP's library of policies and recommendations. Visit your chapter website, too, and click the link under "Advocacy" to access Electronic Resolutions System (ERS) where you can search past or proposed resolutions. A copy of the resolutions process is available on the ERS which furnishes more details on formatting resolutions, as well the process for submission, review, and approval.
Share your good idea with us. Draft a resolution.
Thank you for being a member of the ACP.