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WSSA Fall Scientific Meeting
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Bell Harbor International Conference Center, Seattle
Registration is now open. Click here for program information
Download exhibitor information and registration form
Special Program for Anesthesiology Residents
WSSA invites Residents to attend a special informational session immediately following the Fall Scientific Meeting, Saturday, September 11th at Bell Harbor International Conference Center. Member residents are welcome to attend both the morning scientific program, lunch, and the resident-only afternoon session, or just the morning or just the afternoon and lunch. Registration is complimentary for resident members; the non-member resident fee is $10 and includes 2010 membership in WSSA.
| 1:30 – 4:30pm |
Residents Only Practice Management Program: How Do We Get Paid For Anesthesia, Negotiation Workshop & Role Plays, and Picking a Horse to go the Course – Choosing the Right Practice for You.
Speakers: Jody Locke and Karin Bierstein – Anesthesia Business Consultants, LLC |
WSSA thanks Anesthesia Business Consultants for its sponsorship of this non-CME program
Register Now |
New this fall: Juried poster session for residents. Prizes will be awarded in the categories of basic science or clinical research and case studies. Click here for more information. |
The Federation and PPACA
Rodney L. Trytko, MD, MBA
The AMA had many spirited debates amongst its House of Delegates (its policy making body) on health care reform. After controversially supporting the original House Bill which included an SGR fix (worth over $300b), the AMA decided upon seven guiding principles that it would utilize in order to support a health care reform bill. They were:
- Cover all Americans
- Expand choice, eliminate denials
- Protect the patient-physician relationship
- Repeal Medicare SGR
- Reduce defensive medicine
- Streamline administration
- Promote quality, prevention, wellness
By my count, only two or three of these guiding principles were included in the bill. Still with no notice to the AMA House of Delegates, the AMA Board decided to endorse the bill. This has created a real and possibly insurmountable division in the AMA between specialists and southern states, and everyone else.
The ASA, almost all surgical societies, the Coalition of State Medical and National Specialty Societies, and Texas all publically opposed the PPACA. These societies represent over 400,000 physicians, whereas the AMA has approximately 70,000 members. The Coalition members include:
- Medical Association of the State of Alabama
- Medical Society of Delaware
- Medical Society of the District of Columbia
- Florida Medical Association
- Medical Association of Georgia
- Kansas Medical Society
- Medical Society of New Jersey
- Oklahoma State Medical Association
- South Carolina Medical Association
- Tennessee Medical Association
- American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
- American Association of Neurological Surgeons
- American Society of General Surgeons
- Congress of Neurological Surgeons
A recent survey of 2130 physicians from all over the country published in the New England Journal found that 12.5% of physicians agreed with the AMA position on coverage expansion. (NEJM 362:23; 2230-1 June 10, 2010).
Washington State Medical Society, like the vast majority of state medical societies, remained neutral. The WSMA decided to focus on elements of the bill that merited support or opposition (or improvement) based on WSMA House of Delegates action.
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