MASA FORMS AD HOC COMMITTEE ON NON-PHYSICIAN PRACTICE
The Medical Association of Alabama has formed an ad hoc Committee on ´Non-Physician Practice´
The Committee is seeking input from Alabama´s specialty societies like ALAO.
The Committee will study, inter alia:
1. Whether prescriptive authority for non-physician providers can be expended without jeopardizing patient safety;
2. Procedures non-physician providers are not currently allowed to perform but which may be safely performed by non-physicians;
3. Rules and regulations related to registration, renewal, supervision and collaboration of practices utilizing non-physicians.
ALAO has asked to have a member on this Committee.
ALAO ANNUAL MEETING A BIG SUCCESS
The 2008 SE EYE ANNUAL MEETING was held July 24-26 at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. The event was co-sponsored by the Alabama-Louisiana-Mississippi-Tennessee
Academies of Ophthalmology.
This year´s meeting attracted some 93 physicians, 78 technicians, 47 administrators, and 38 exhibitors.
AAO President-Elect, Dr. Michael Brennan, and Alabama Speaker of the House, Hon. Seth Hammett, were special guests of ALAO at the meeting.
The 2009 Annual Meeting is July 23-25 at Sandestin.
ALAO ADDS NEW UAB RESIDENT TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr. Jill Wells, Chief Resident in the UAB Department of Ophthalmology, has been selected to the ALAO Board of Directors as its
´Resident´ Member. Dr. Wells will serve a one-year term.
AAO ANNUAL MEETING SET FOR NOVEMBER 8-11 IN ATLANTA
The American Academy of Ophthalmology´s 2008 Annual Meeting is November 8-11 in Atlanta.
Information about the meeting is available at AAO´s website www.aao.org
CRISIS AVERTED--CONGRESS OVERRIDES BUSH MEDICARE FEE FIX VETO
On Tuesday, July 15, the US Congress in bipartisan fashion voted to override President Bush´s veto of the Medicare Improvements for
Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (H.R. 6331) by a 383-41 vote in the House and 70-26 vote in the Senate.
The legislation immediately becomes law, giving physicians a temporary 18-month reprieve from the devastating 10.6 % physician payment
cut implemented July 1 and the 5.5 % cut scheduled for Jan. 1, 2009. Instead, physicians will get a 0.5 % positive payment update through
2008 and a 1.1 % increase in 2009.
CMS hold on claims expired July 15. Claims will now move into the processing queue, and payments will temporarily be processed at the
10.6 % reduced rate that went into effect on July 1. It will take about 10 business days for carriers to implement the 0.5 % positive update
and other changes, once they receive the new fee schedule.
Please contact the American Academy of Ophthalmology´s Governmental Affairs Department at 202-737-6662 with any questions.
AAO SELECTS ALAO MEMBER FOR 2009 LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CLASS
ALAO V-P, Dr. Britton B. Carter of Birmingham, has been chosen by the American Academy of Ophthalmology as a participant in its prestigious 2009 Leadership Development Program.
Dr. Carter was one of only a few physicians selected from hundreds of applications throughout the country.
The Leadership Development Program seeks to identify and offer training to some of the nation´s outstanding young ophthalmologists.
EYECARE ALABAMA JOINS BBECC IN MONTGOMERY
ALAO´s EyeCare Alabama community outreach program joined with other members of Governor Bob Riley´s Black Belt Eye Care Consortium at a one-day eye clinic at the Frazer-Asbury
Methodist Church in Montgomery on Saturday, May 31.
Over 75 attendees received free adult eye education, free eye glasses, and free eye exams.
A special word of thanks to ALCON Pharmaceuticals and Church´s Fried Chicken for their participation in and contributions to this event.
Drs. Won Kim, Roy Hager, Jim Izer, and In C. Shin represented our academy along with their technicians and other volunteers.
Dr. Cynthia Owsley and Ms. June Weston from UAB´s Ophthalmology Clinical Research Department offered free adult eye education classes.
ALAO USES STATE MEDIA TO PROMOTE EYE AWARENESS
ALAO continued to promote eye awareness in Alabama in early 2008 with television appearances in several of Alabama´s major media markets:
January---WSFA TV (Ch 12) in Montgomery-Glaucoma Awareness Month
March-----WTVY TV (Ch 4) in Dothan-Macular Degeneration Awareness Month
March-----WHNT TV (Ch 19) in Huntsville-Macular Degeneration Awareness Month
March-----WBRC TV (Ch 6) in Birmingham-Macular Degeneration Awareness Month
ALAO ATTENDS GRAND ROUNDS
ALAO President, Dr. Thomas M. Davis, Jr., and ALAO Executive Director, Mike Merrill, attended the UAB Dept. of Ophthalmology´s Grand Rounds on Friday, June 13.
Dr. Davis gave his annual State of the Academy presentation while Mike spoke on, ´Where do we go from here?´
Dr. Jill Wells, UAB Resident, spoke about her visit to the American Academy´s Mid-Year Legislative Forum earlier this year.
MASA ADOPTS ALAO´S RESOLUTION DEFINING SURGERY
The Alabama Medical Association (MASA) adopted at its May, 2008, Annual Meeting, an ALAO Resolution which defined ´Surgery´ in Alabama.
This same Resolution/Definition had previously been adopted by the American Medical Association´s House of Delegates.
Co-sponsors of the Resolution were the Alabama Orthopaedic Society and the Alabama Anesthesiologists.
GOVERNOR PROCLAIMS JANUARY 2008 AS GLAUCOMA AWARENESS MONTH IN ALABAMA
Alabama Governor, Bob Riley, issued a formal Proclamation denoting January as Glaucoma Awareness Month in Alabama.
ALAO ED, Mike Merrill, was present for the signing.
ALAO presented the Proclamation to the Glaucoma Unit at the UAB Department of Ophthalmology.
ALAO member Dr. Doug Owens of Montgomery appeared on WSFA-TV (Ch 12) in Montgomery on Jan. 30th to promote Glaucoma awareness.
Dr. Owens is a glaucoma specialist.
ALAO ATTENDS MASA GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS MEETING IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
ALAO Vice-President, Dr. Britton B. Carter, and ALAO ED, Mike Merrill, attended MASA´s 2008 Governmental Affairs Meeting January 26-29 in Washington, D.C.
Hundreds of physicians from Alabama were in attendance.
Attendees met personally with members of Alabama´s legislative delegation at a breakfast on Jan. 29.
2008 MEDICARE FEE SCHEDULES NOW ON ALAO WEBSITE
Medicare´s 2008 Fee Schedules are now posted on the ALAO website www.alabamaeyedoctors.com
Click ´Links´ to see the information
ALAO GETS NEW COUNCILOR
Mobile ophthalmologist, Dr. Christopher Semple, has been named as ALAO´s new ALAO/AAO Councilor. Dr. Semple will replace Dr. John Cox of
Huntsville. ALAO wishes to thank Dr. Cox for his many years of service in this position.
NEXT ALAO BOARD MEETING
ALAO´s next Board Meeting is scheduled for the Fall of 2008. TBA
EYECARE AMERICA VISITS ALABAMA
Two members of the American Academy´s Eye Care America program in San Francisco visited Alabama on Sept. 12-13-14 to meet with EyeCare Alabama officials and other eye members of the Governor´s Black Belt Eye Care
Consortium (BBECC). Ms. Betty Lucas and Ms. Shawn Fallon were hosted by ALAO and EyeCare Alabama. On Thursday, Sept. 13, they visited Camden, Alabama for an actual BBECC event.
ALAO WEBSITE NOW OFFERS ON-LINE PAYMENTS
ALAO is pleased to announce that you may now pay your (1) Annual Dues; (2) Annual Meeting Registration Fees; and (3) Annual PAC contributions on-line with your credit card.
See www.alabamaeyedoctors.com and click ´Contributions & Fees´
ALAO INSTALLS NEW PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT
Dr. Tommy Davis of Tuscaloosa became ALAO´s new President at the 2007 SE Eye Annual Meeting July 12-14 at Sandestin.
Dr. Britton B. Carter of Birmingham was named new Vice-President.
Both will serve terms of two years.
Dr. Won Kim of Florence is ALAO´s Immediate Past-President.
THREE NEW MEMBERS JOIN ALAO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ALAO welcomes three new physicians to its Board of Directors:
Dr. Ronald Braswell of Birmingham, Dr. Valerie Vick of Mobile, and Dr. James Izez of Montgomery.
Dr. Jill Wells, UAB Resident, joins the Board as the new Resident member.
Special thanks to Dr. Roy Hager of Montgomery, Dr. E. Van Johnson of Tuscaloosa, and Dr. Drew Mays of Birmingham for their service to our Board.
We also thank Dr. Jacob Yunker, former Resident member, for his service.
BIRMINGHAM OPHTHALMOLOGIST NAMED TO O.N.E. EDITORIAL BOARD
Birmingham ophthalmologist, Christopher A. Girkin, M.D., has been named to the Editorial Board of the Ophthalmic News and Education Network or the ´O.N.E.´
The new O.N.E. Editorial Board will be comprised of 10 sub-specialty editors to cover the major practice emphasis areas along with 1 editor for the General/Comprehensive Section.
ALAO DUES HAVE BEEN REDUCED
ALAO members have spoken and your Board has listened.
Beginning in 2008, ALAO ´regular member´ annual dues will be reduced from $995.00 per year to $895.00 per year.
All other categories will remain the same. There is no charge for Retired members.
CME CREDITS FROM SANDESTIN ANNUAL MEETING
Our 2008 Annual Meeting offered 12 AMA PRA Category One CME credits for physicians.
All CME documentation is submitted to the American Academy after our Annual Meeting. AAO keeps these records.
ALAO does not.
All physicians who wish to check on their CME status should go to www.aao.org and click on the ´CME´ icon.
SUGGESTIONS FOR 2009 ANNUAL MEETING
ALAO welcomes your suggestions as to how we may improve our Annual Meetings.
Please submit your comments to Mike Merrill, ALAO Executive Director, at 334-279-9755 or FAX at 334-277-2035 or e-mail at jmm0071@charter.net.
ALAO NEWSLETTER--SEND US YOUR INFORMATION
As most of you know, ALAO publishes a quarterly Newsletter highlighting events that affect our Academy and the practice of ophthalmology.
Please contact ALAO ED, Mike Merrill, if you have any items/stories/information that you would like to have included in our Newsletter.
PLEASE LET ALAO KNOW IF YOU CHANGE YOUR MAILING ADDRESS/TEL/FAX/E-MAIL. THIS IS VERY IMP SO THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN UP-TO-DATE RECORDS.
LOCAL LEGISLATIVE CONTACTS
It is extremely important that we establish and maintain a relationship with our State legislative officials.
If you have any close contacts/friendships with State legislators, please let ALAO ED, Mike Merrill, know of these contacts.
Please make an effort to contact and get to know your Local/ State/Federal legislators. Especially when your State legislators are not in session. Invite them to lunch/dinner on behalf of ALAO.
LET ALAO ED MIKE MERRILL KNOW AND HE WILL JOIN YOU!
EDITOR´S NOTE:
This News Page will be updated periodically to keep ALAO members informed of events affecting their Academy.