ACOFP President

"If you think you're too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room."
– Anita Roddick

March 12-16, 2008
ACOFP 45th Annual Convention & Exhibition
Hyatt Regency Denver
Denver, Colorado

Registration Details

By Steven F. Rubin, DO, FACOFP dist.

March 4, 2008

Transforming Primary Care Practices
The ACOFP participated in a meeting last week where representatives of TransforMED presented research findings on how approximately 35 practices of various sizes are transitioning to the “medical home” model.

Preliminary findings reveal that many practices can achieve significantly greater productivity and financial success through effective physician leadership, communications, and use of electronic medical records.  ACOFP will continue to monitor progress of “medical home” development and provide educational resources to the members.

Joining ACOFP Governor Dr. Kevin de Regnier and Executive Director Peter Schmelzer at the meeting were representatives of the AOA, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians.

Washington Update
Preliminary participation data for the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) has been released.  The data is based upon submitted claims from July through November 2007.  CMS still needs to make final calculations on performance rates, bonuses and payment amounts.  According to the preliminary data, 15.4 percent of eligible physicians tried (whether or not they did so correctly) to participate in PQRI – that’s 99,319 National Provider Identifiers out of 631,110 eligible to submit quality measures.  Of that total, 92,218 participants successfully submitted a quality measure code; and 65,168 submitted more than one quality measure in at least 80 percent of the cases in which the measure was reportable. The average number of measures attempted was greater than three (3.58).

CMS feels positive about the 2007 participation level.  The PQRI program is again in full swing for 2008 providing physicians with an average 1.5 percent payment update for reporting.

ACOFP’s Fit for Life
CNN’s Accent Health (http://www.accenthealth.com/) says “Don't gossip.”

Register Today for the 2008 ACOFP Convention!
This year’s convention will feature a lecture on Preventive Medicine Case Studies. This lecture will look at preventive medicine in action through case reports on chicken pox and whopping cough outbreaks.  In addition, a discussion on public health in action will examine high altitude sickness and wilderness issues.  This lecture will include the Namey/Burnett Writing Award Lecture. Register Today!

News from the States
Congratulations to newly-elected Missouri ACOFP State Society President, John Collins, DO; President-elect Elisa Vineyard, DO;  Vice President James Stoneking, DO; Treasurer Wilber Hill, DO, FACOFP dist.; who were inaugurated by visiting ACOFP Board Governor Paul A. Martin, DO, FACOFP at their January meeting. Dr. Martin also presented outgoing president Laura Hempstead with a token of appreciation for her efforts on behalf of MO members during the year.   

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