September Practice Update (part two)

2012-09-27

News from Washington

Join ASH in Fighting 27 Percent Medicare Physician Payment Cut
Physicians are scheduled to receive a 27 percent cut from Medicare beginning January 1, 2013, unless Congress takes legislative action to avert it. The problem is that Congress must identify cuts elsewhere or find "offsets" to pay for the cost of preventing the cuts to physician payment. Congress plans to address this issue during the "lame duck" session, which will begin in mid-November. ASH has developed an on-line advocacy campaign so hematologists can easily contact their Members of Congress and share their concerns. Please visit the ASH Advocacy Center to participate in the Society's on-line advocacy campaign today. It is critical that all Members of Congress hear from their physician constituents about the need to avert the scheduled physician payment cut. 

News from ASH

ASH Announces its Participation in the Choosing Wisely Campaign
ASH has been invited by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation to participate in its Choosing Wisely Campaign: The Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question. The campaign is a multi-phased national effort in partnership with medical specialty societies to promote appropriate medical decision making. Choosing Wisely hopes to encourage the important dialogue between physicians and patients about medical tests and procedures that may be unnecessary, and in some instances cause harm. ASH will identify an evidence-based list of the five hematological tests, procedures and/or treatments patients should question. ASH welcomes input from all of its members; if you are interested, please contact Suzy Leous at sleous@hematology.org. For more information on the Choosing Wisely Campaign, please visit www.choosingwisely.org. 

View ASH's September Webinar on Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
View a recording or download an audio version of ASH's September webinar on Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia. One of the most important issues associated with the early diagnosis and acute management of idiopathic autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is the communication between the blood banker and the hematologist. Diagnosis followed by acute and chronic management of AIHA involves the use of appropriate diagnostics to suspect, confirm, and manage the treatment of patients with AIHA. The session was moderated by Samuel M. Silver, MD, PhD, from the University of Michigan Medical School and highlighted the following presentations:

  • Clinical Presentation Associated with Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
    Speaker: Marc Kahn, MD, MBA, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA
  • Role of the Blood Bank in Making the Diagnosis and Communication with the Hematologist
    Speaker: Leslie E. Silberstein, MD, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA

ASH thanks The Henry Loring Masters Foundation for providing support for the development and distribution of this valuable webinar. For more information on this and other ASH webinars, visit the webinar archive on the ASH website.

Register for the 2012 ASH State-of-the-Art Symposium in Los Angeles on October 12-13: Recent Advances in Hematologic Malignancies
Register today for the ASH State-of-the-Art Symposium (SAS) in Los Angeles on October 12-13. This clinically focused meeting has no competing sessions and boasts a small attendee-to-speaker ratio allowing for plenty of interaction with the speakers and your colleagues. Take advantage of this opportunity to ask our distinguished speakers about new treatment approaches, solutions for your challenging cases, or diagnosis and management of hematologic malignancies. This year's program will have a special focus on thrombosis. Visit www.hematology.org/sas for the full program schedule, hotel accommodations, and registration information.

Earn CME Credits from Blood
ASH, in partnership with Medscape, provides monthly opportunities to earn Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits by completing an Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) accredited activity in Blood. This month's activity is titled "All-trans-Retinoic Acid, Idarubicin, and IV Arsenic Trioxide as Initial Therapy in Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APML4)." 

Come to the 54th ASH Annual Meeting to learn and have fun!
Each year, ASH strives to ensure that its annual meeting is the world's premier hematology event that provides the best and latest educational and scientific content in the field. This year, as the 54th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition heads to Atlanta, you will find the city serves as the perfect backdrop for the annual meeting, offering a blend of fun and convenience. Take advantage of the accessible travel and lodging options within Atlanta and visit the city for this year's ASH annual meeting to learn, network, and enjoy your stay. Register today.

Take Advantage of ASH's Consult a Colleague Service
Consult a Colleague is a service for ASH members that helps facilitate the exchange of information between hematologists and their peers. The full list of available categories is below:

  • Anemias
  • Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
  • Hemostasis/Thrombosis
  • Leukemias
  • Lymphomas
  • Lymphoproliferative Disorders
  • Multiple Myeloma & Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia
  • Myeloproliferative Disorders
  • Myelodysplastic Syndromes

To learn more or to submit a request, visit www.hematology.org/consult. Assigned Colleagues will respond to inquiries within two business days either by email or phone.

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