Report from the Chair of the Board of Governors: ACC State Chapters and Fellows in Training

Fellow Governors:

Fellows in training (FIT) are encouraged to become involved in ACC State chapters. Participation in chapter activities is an excellent opportunity for fellows to network with other colleagues and become involved with State legislative and advocacy issues. ACC leadership recognizes service in the Chapter as the first step to getting appointed to national service positions. There are often opportunities that provide FITs with both personal and professional rewards, such as learning how to take part in grassroots lobbying on issues that affect cardiologists on a daily basis, the ability to acquire new leadership skills, access to valuable information and tools to use in their own work place, and more.

Participation in chapter activities allows FITs to:

• Take advantage of unique educational opportunities.
• Network with other colleagues in their State.
• Be on the ground floor of quality care initiatives.
• Help influence state legislative and regulatory efforts affecting the practice of cardiovascular medicine.

ACC extends complimentary membership in the College to FITs. Membership in the ACC provides practical benefits including on-line access to the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) and discounts on educational products and programs. Complimentary membership for all cardiology fellows is provided to those fellows currently training in an approved training program in the U.S. and Canada. Approved programs are those accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the Royal College of Physician and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC).

A survey of State chapter executives was conducted by the ACC Fellows in Training Committee regarding the participation of fellows in chapter activities. More than half of the fellows surveyed were not even aware that they were members of their State chapter. Almost half of those surveyed expressed interest in getting more involved in their chapter. Based on the survey findings Dr. Bryan Zweig and Dr. Andrew Freeman made the following recommendations on behalf of the FITs Committee:

Communications:

A large number of fellows surveyed felt they had received very little communication from their local ACC chapter. Fellows should be contacted early in their training with a formal introduction to their local ACC State chapter. Each fellow in training should know the name of his or her state ACC governor. This could be in the form of a welcome packet that contains information regarding getting involved with the local chapter and ways to contact committee leaders through e-mail or telephone. Quarterly newsletters to training programs may increase communication and encourage fellow involvement. Chapter leadership should make contact each year with the Chief Fellow in each of the cardiology training programs and provide periodic updates. The Chief Fellow can facilitate getting fellows involved in chapter activities both at the local and State level. Having a cardiology fellow as part of the chapter executive committee can serve as a liaison between the fellows across the State. Kelly Evans Ventura (kventura@acc.org) is the College liaison for the Fellows in Training Committee. ACC staff is working hard to get contact information for FITs that are graduating, and plan to share that information with chapter leadership once it is compiled. They are also gathering the names of the FITs that are just entering training, and plan to send a list of new FITs by state to chapter executives. Fellows in training are potential future leaders and their participation in chapter affairs should be encouraged. Promoting attendance at chapter meetings is an excellent way to get fellows more involved. According to the most recent survey, only 13% of fellows in training attended their last annual chapter meeting. Making chapter meetings more valuable to fellows may be a challenge. This added effort, though, could markedly improve turnout, and make your program more exciting for FACC members as well.  

Poster Competitions:

Several State chapters have a FIT scientific poster competition. In 2010, winners of State chapter competitions will be compete at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Atlanta. Several State chapters increased FIT attendance with complimentary registration and/or complimentary lodging at their annual meeting.

Job opportunities:

Assistance with employment and opportunities to network with colleagues are two of the most important benefits that FITs hope to get from their involvement with their local ACC chapter.  Some chapters have formed a website designed for FITs to communicate with one another through discussion forums. In addition a website is also an opportunity for FITs to discuss employment opportunities and for practices throughout the state to post job opportunities. Some States have organized job fairs and were able to have local attorneys lecture about the nuances of contract negotiations, malpractice insurance, and techniques for job searching. 

Board of Governors Council of Mentors:

The Board of Governors Council of Mentors program consists of former ACC Governors who can provide advice and be a resource to FITs. These mentors will have met many of the challenges that their younger colleagues will encounter. These mentors have been active at local and national levels. They may help to faciliate the professional development of a fellow in training. They can inspire fellows with their own stories of how they became active and moved up the leadership ladder. Further details of the BOG Council of Mentors can be obtained from Jayne Jordan (Jjordan@acc.org) in Chapter Affairs.

The future of the American College of Cardiology at both the State and national level is critically dependent on the next generation of trainees who become FACCs.  Early engagement of fellows will keep these individuals active, informed, and much more likely to take an active role in your chapter, and perhaps even nationally.

JOHN GORDON HAROLD, MD, FACC 

2009-2010 Board of Governors Steering Committee Membership:

John Gordon Harold, MD, FACC (Chair), California: john.harold@cshs.org
Jane E. Schauer, MD, PhD, FACC (Past Chair), New Mexico: janeschauer1@msn.com
Richard J. Kovacs, MD, FACC (Chair-Elect), Indiana: rikovacs@iupui.edu
José Rivera Del Río, MD, FACC, Puerto Rico: joseriveradelrio@gmail.com
J. Chris Higgins, MD, FACC, Vermont: jch6@mac.com 
Oscar R. Jenkins, Jr, MD, FACC, North Carolina: oscarj@avlcard.com
Margo Minissian, ACNP-BC, MSN, CNS, California: Margo.Minissian@cshs.org  
Thad F. Waites, MD, FACC, Mississippi: twaites@netdoor.com 
Michael Widmer, MD, FACC, Oregon:  michael@heartdoctorsnw.com 

BOG Governor-Elect Elections

The Governors of the following states will end their term in March of 2011: British Columbia, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Mexico, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma , Quebec, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin.

ACC Staff has contacted the Governors in above states regarding election process for the Governor-elect position and are currently collecting nominees. The Governor-elect will serve from 2010-2011and assume the Governor position from 2011 - 2014.

Please contact Taryn Gold (tgold@acc.org) with any questions.

Practice Administrator Recruitment: ACC needs your help!

The College is working to recruit more practice administrators into ACC membership.  Next week we will send you a list of practices in your state to reach out to, along with talking points.  A phone call could go a long way.

Meanwhile, please use the “website button” above to promote this effort.  Please contact Lisa Chambers (lchamber@acc.org) with questions.

CCA and FIT Travel Award Winners
Please find below the list of FIT and CCA awardees. 

BOG Member Needed on Writing Committee
The writing committee to develop a new Health Policy Statement on Optimizing Cardiovascular Imaging Utilization, to be chaired by Dr. Pam Douglas, is looking for a BOG Representative that is currently a non-imaging cardiologist in private practice. If you fit the criteria and are interested in serving on this committee, please email Maria Velasquez at mvelasqu@acc.org.

BOG Listserv Usage 

The exchange of dialogue on the BOG listserv these days has been invigorating and engaging.  We are all excited by the discussions.  Keep it coming!  Here are some tips about listserv usage, however, that you should keep in mind:

* If you would prefer to get all contributions to the listserv bundled daily and delivered in one email at the end of the day, let Jayne Jordan at jjordan@acc.org know and she will change your delivery preference;

* Please remember that no matter what changes you make in the To: line, responses to a listserv email will go to everyone on the email list - all 174 names;

* If you want to send a listserv email to just one person, please forward it to them;

* Conversations across the listserv should be of interest to all recipients; conversations between individuals should be taken offline.

Thank you for your cooperation.

August Presents Opportunities to Educate Congress on Payment Cut Impacts
The ACC continues to meet with CMS staff, members of Congress and administration officials about the impact of the proposed CMS cuts on patients and practices. In addition, the College is working with oncology and partner cardiovascular societies to educate Congress about the flaws in the practice expense data used to determine the drastic cuts. ACC members are encouraged to support these efforts through calls, emails and face-to-face visits with lawmakers. The August congressional recess presents great opportunities for face-to-face meetings with members while they are home, and ACC Advocacy staff is available to help schedule appointments. For help with scheduling visits contact Molly Nichelson at mnichels@acc.org. Talking points and patient materials are also available at www.acc.org/can.

On a related front, the registration deadline for ACC’s 2009 Legislative Conference, Sept. 13-15 in Washington, D.C., is fast approaching. Don’t miss this opportunity to take the cardiovascular message directly to Capitol Hill. Click here to register now! You can also learn more about the proposed cuts as they relate to practice management during a Webcast led by the Cardiology Advocacy Alliance on Thursday, Aug. 6, from 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET. For more information and to register, go to: http://www.medaxiom.com/cgi/ma_cdtll.pgm?CFCFID=00030&innexus=N. Stay tuned for information on an ACC all-member call scheduled for August.

Victims of the Physician Fee Schedule: Patients, CV Quality
Several ACC members are speaking out about the impacts of the proposed cuts. In a recent guest post to the “Lewin Report” blog, ACC Advocacy Committee Chair Vincent Bufalino, M.D., F.A.C.C., talks about the effects of the cuts on his patients, his practice and the local community. You can read his post and share what the effects of the proposed rule would be on your practice at http://lewinreport.acc.org. ACC Chapter Gov. George Crossley, M.D., F.A.C.C., was also featured in an opinion piece on health care reform in The Tennessean on July 28. Crossley writes, “There is a right way and a wrong way to reform our health-care system” and that “large-scale arbitrary cuts” will inhibit cardiovascular professionals’ ability “to make great strides in how patients with heart disease and other illnesses are treated.” Read more at http://qualityfirst.acc.org

ACC Educates State Lawmakers on Key Issues
The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) held its annual meeting last week in Philadelphia, at which the ACC had several representatives in attendance. During the event, the ACC had the opportunity to educate more than 70 state legislators on the topics of health care reform, physician payment, patient education, imaging and other important state issues. ACC attendees, including President Alfred Bove, M.D., F.A.C.C., and James Galloway, M.D., F.A.C.C., also met with other medical organizations to discuss areas of collaboration and took part in a panel that provided an overview of the state of cardiovascular health in the U.S.

FTC Reprieve on Red Flags Rules
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has even further delayed implementation of new rules aimed at preventing identity theft until Nov. 1. The ACC, the American Medical Association (AMA), Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) and other medical associations have challenged the rules’ inclusion of physicians as “creditors” because they regularly defer payment for goods and services. The FTC released rules in November 2007 requiring all financial institutions and “creditors” to develop and implement a written program to protect consumers by identifying potentially suspicious “red flags” that may signal identity theft. The ACC is taking advantage of this newest reprieve to continue efforts to have physicians removed from the “creditor” definition.

In the meantime, the ACC recommends that practices begin preparing a written identity theft detection and prevention program that complies with the new rules as a contingency plan. The AMA, MedAxiom and MGMA have developed Red Flags Rule guidance documents and sample policies that can be modified. The FTC also has developed a template that groups at low risk can use to develop their programs, available on its Web site. Contact Gretchen Wyatt at gwyatt@acc.org  with questions.

New Ways to Stay in Touch with the ACC
Stay tuned in to ACC activities and important clinical and advocacy news with “ACC in Touch,” the College’s new social media campaign. If you’re active on the popular networking sites Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, check out the new online options for ACC members and others interested in the ACC. On Twitter, the ACC has four profiles tailored to your interests: @ACCinTouch, ACC’s main Twitter account; @Cardiosource, dedicated to the latest science from Cardiosource; @Cardiology, ACC’s advocacy account; and @CardioSmart, which features patient-centered news from CardioSmart.

If you’re a Facebook or LinkedIn member, we encourage you to become a “fan” of the ACC or join the ACC group. Both sites will feature the latest news from the College, including more information about ACC's many initiatives. It's also intended as a space to connect with others interested in cardiology. The College is looking for more ways to use emerging social media — if you have ideas, suggestions or want to get involved, contact Emily Zeigenfuse (ezeigenf@acc.org).