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Recent News from the ACC ACC News You Can Use (August 2011) American College of Cardiology (ACC) President David Holmes, Jr, MD, FACC, represented the College at an FDA Advisory Committee meeting in July regarding pre-market approval of Edwards Lifesciences SAPIEN Transcatheter Heart Valve. Leaders from the Society for Thoracic Surgery (STS) and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) also spoke. The ACC is working closely with STS, SCAI and others to align efforts to ensure the physician community is prepared to appropriately use this new technology and techniques. The panel voted on three main questions following the hearing, in general agreeing to recommend approval of the device. The panel – for the first time ever – also recommended that Edwards be required to have all users of the device participate in a professional society registry like NCDR®. The next step is FDA approval. The ACC has posted a detailed summary in the FDA Issues center on CardioSource.org that includes links to the official statements, more information on the specific committee questions, and background information on the PARTNER trial and ACC/STS efforts related to TVT. A video with Holmes and STS President Michael Mack, MD, FACC, is also available. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the anti-platelet drug ticagrelor for patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). A boxed warning to health care professionals and patients warns that aspirin doses above 100 milligrams per day decrease the effectiveness of the medication. It also notes that, like other anti-platelet agents, ticagrelor increases the rate of bleeding and can cause significant, sometimes fatal, bleeding. The ACC will be working with the American Heart Association and Heart Rhythm Society to incorporate ticagrelor into future guidelines. Learn more about the decision. The ACC, in partnership with the American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC) and with sponsorship from Johnson & Johnson, is creating a first-of-its-kind "Community on Payment Innovations" with the goal of providing an interactive, online venue where cardiovascular professionals and others can engage in meaningful dialogue to advance current and innovative payment models. The community will feature, among other things, case studies, videos, webinars and hot topic discussions. While an editorial panel of experts is already in place and developing venerable content and identifying discussion topics, the College is also seeking expert advice from members currently involved with testing and/or implementing new payment models. The goal is to use these "case studies" as the basis for discussion when the community launches in September. Submissions should be sent to advocate@acc.org with "Payment Models" in the subject line. The registration deadline for this year’s Legislative Conference taking place Sept. 11-13 in Washington, DC, has been extended to August 14. The agenda is shaping up to include key congressional members, their staff and health policy leaders speaking to hot topics like health reform implementation, payment innovation and regulatory trends. General Stanley McChrystal also will address participants on the subject of leadership during the Sunday night's dinner to benefit the ACC Political Action Committee (PAC). Tickets are required for the dinner. General admission is $250 per person ($50 for FITs, CCAs and Practice Administrators). VIP admission, which includes preferred seating and a meet-and-greet reception with the general prior to the dinner, is $1,000 per person ($250 for FITs, CCAs and Practice Administrators). As always, participants will head to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to meet directly with their congressional delegation. More information is available at CardioSource.org/LegislativeConference . The latest issue of Cardiology magazine has arrived! Don’t miss great articles on medication adherence, sleep apnea and the latest NCDR research. In addition, the magazine includes a feature on the Puerto Rico Chapter’s efforts to engage FITs and patients, as well as an overview of the state-level advocacy issues facing chapters across the country. Read the latest issue at CardioSource.org/CardiologyMagazine. Also look for extended coverage on credo and breaking news items throughout the month of August. In addition, the Cardiology online site includes a special discussion forum and options to download the new Cardiology app for your iPad or iPhone. The ACC’s PINNACLE Network is partnering with Paragon Health to present a six-part webinar series focused on "Advancing the Business of Cardiovascular Care." The webinars, all of which will take place from 4-5 p.m. (ET), are free to ACC members and will feature key health care and/or physician leaders addressing hot topics related to the evolving models of cardiovascular practice. Whether you are staying in private practice, or are fully or partially integrated with a hospital system, this series is for you. Register today at CardioSource.org/Webinars! Physician-Hospital Alignment: The Fundamentals of Integration - Learn about current integration models and trends and hear from experts on the elements necessary for a successful integration. (Sept. 7) Integration is not Alignment: Constructing Sustainable Models - Hear from experts on the common obstacles to sustaining integration and alignment and gain insight into best practices. (Sept. 22) Effective Governance: Best Practices in Decision Making - Learn more about the basic tenets of sound practice in both private and integrated settings and hear from leaders on the challenges and best practices associated with transitioning from private to integrated models. (Oct. 4) Cardiovascular Service Line: Building a Foundation for Success - Understand the key elements for achieving alignment across the hospital and practice to bridge silos and transform from a product line to a CV enterprise. (Oct. 18) Private Practice Success Strategies: How to Optimize Revenue Cycle Management - Focus on the best practices necessary for developing a meaningful revenue cycle management function within physician practices and learn what common pitfalls to avoid. (Nov. 8) Aligning Incentives Through Co-Management Models - Understand the key elements of clinical co-management structures through case study presentations and expert commentary. (Nov. 29) If physician practices or vendors submit claims electronically, they must adhere to the Jan. 1, 2012 compliance deadline for using Version 5010 of the HIPAA electronic standard transactions. Noncompliance puts physician practices at risk for rejected claims and cash flow interruptions. Learn the steps needed to comply with the new 5010 toolkit from the American Medical Association (AMA). The toolkit explains the differences in Version 5010, how to test readiness for the Version 5010 transactions, and steps to take to prevent interruptions to cash flow. Access the toolkit and additional resources. Also visit the “Coding and Billing” section of CardioSource.org/Practice-Management for ACC resources on this issue. Physicians can now explore the “Recent Advances in Clinical Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac CT” live program anytime with the ACC’s most recent Meeting on Demand™ Program. The program will survey the various imaging modalities and cutting edge technologies and offer healthcare professionals the opportunity to listen to lectures from the experts with slides synched to audio covering developments in the field. Learn more and purchase. The Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Computed Tomography Laboratories (ICACTL) is hosting two free webinars on August 16 on accreditation and the ICACTL process. The webinars will focus on the key elements of submitting a successful application for accreditation. Mary Lally, MS, RT(R) (MR), IAC Director of Accreditation-MR/CT/Carotid Stenting will discuss the website, online application and the most common reasons for delayed accreditation. A live question and answer session at the end of the presentation will be available. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) is a sponsoring organization. Register for the August 16 webinar at 10:30 a.m. ET Register for the August 16 webinar at 5 p.m. ET The FOCUS Innovation Community provides an online forum for members to exchange ideas and experiences on the appropriate use of cardiac imaging. This online environment complements the FOCUS performance improvement module and offers educational and networking opportunities for those interested in appropriate use criteria. Join the FOCUS Innovation Community.
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