The report, A Roadmap for Physicians to Health Care Reform, gives physicians an in-depth perspective on the societal and economic issues that influence cur- rent health reform efforts, as well as insight into Congress and the possibil- ity it may alter the reform legislation. It also focuses on the major legislative changes that are significant to the daily practice of medicine, such as changes in payment systems, quality reporting, shared savings programs, workforce and rural initiatives, and select aspects of the changes reshaping the private health in- surance market. Among the report’s findings are the following:
• Physicians will assume greater re- sponsibility for the health of popula- tions, not individuals.
• Significant numbers of physicians may feel compelled to relinquish pri- vate practice autonomy in favor of networks or group formations.
• Physicians will increasingly lose the “private” in private practice, and
• Physicians could become a link for risk-bearing arrangements, thereby assuming significant shared financial risks and quasi-insurance roles.
“Physicians bring an essential perspec- tive on how the health care system can and should support optimal patient care. Therefore, it is vital that this community understand which aspects of health re- form will be most meaningful over time due to their impact on the practice of medicine,” said Louis J. Goodman, PhD, president of The Physicians Foundation and TMA’s executive vice president/chief executive officer. “We believe that no matter what ac- tions Congress takes to amend the ACA, the most direct provisions affecting phy- sicians will endure in some form. The Physicians Foundation commissioned this roadmap in order to educate phy- sicians on these core elements, as well as to promote broader understanding of how private practice physicians will be impacted.” You can download the report at www
.physiciansfoundation.org/Foundation ReportDetails.aspx?id=288. The Physicians Foundation is a non-
profit organization that seeks to advance the work of practicing physicians and improve the quality of health care for all Americans.
TMB needs physicians to review cases
The Texas Medical Board (TMB) is look- ing for physicians to serve on its expert physician panels to review standard-of- care cases. TMB pays reviewers $100 per hour. TMB says it can add five experts in most specialties to its roster. Spine sur- geons and pediatric subspecialties are especially needed.
TMB says it wants active licensed,
board-certified physicians “who truly represent the best of the medical pro- fession,” who have no history of license restriction or peer discipline, and who have an “acceptable” malpractice com- plaint history. Malpractice limits will be evaluated on an individual basis, a TMB spokesperson said. Experience in peer review is preferred.
Email TMB Medical Director Linda Newsmakers
Charles W. Bailey, MD
Thomas B. Hancher, MD
Two former TMA presidents, Charles W. Bailey, MD, of Aus- tin, class of 1967; and Thomas B. Hancher, MD, of Columbus, class of 1972, were among four physicians to receive The University of Texas Medi- cal Branch (UTMB) Ashbel Smith Distinguished Alumnus
Award. Also honored were the late Edward V. Hannigan, MD, class of 1970; and Bernard F. Morrey, MD, class of 1971. The Ashbel Smith Distinguished Alumnus Award — the highest honor bestowed by the university’s School of Medicine Alumni Association — recognizes outstanding service to the medical profession and to humanity.
Thomas M. Deas Jr., MD, of Fort Worth, has been named president- elect of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
10 TEXAS MEDICINE August 2011
Gage-White, MD, PhD, at
linda.gage-
white@tmb.state.tx.us for an applica- tion if you are interested.
RxEvent improves patient safety
Physicians can now report adverse drug events through
www.RxEvent.org, a new online service the PDR Network and its partners launched in June. The service is available to all prescribers via integra- tion into electronic health records and other online services. Adverse drug event reports submit- ted to
RxEvent.org will be sent to the manufacturer and/or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and will also be held by PDR Secure™, a patient safety organization, a PDR news release said. Information from PDR Secure “will be used to better understand adverse events and to develop education materi- als that will increase patient safety and
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