SHM Shapes Pay for Performance

The Hospitalist. 2006 September;2006(09):

September 1, 2006 | The Hospitalist

To further develop its agenda on performance and quality standards in inpatient hospital care, SHM recently established a new Performance and Standards Task Force. This task force is charged with developing a coordinated approach for SHM to work with external organizations in the performance and standards and quality arena and comprises the chairs of the PPC and HQPS committees and other SHM leaders active in organizations like the JCAHO and the IHI.

P4P is here to stay. SHM is well positioned to influence the development and implementation of inpatient quality measures that may eventually become part of a Medicare P4P program for physician services. TH

Allendorf is senior advisor for Advocacy and Government Affairs at SHM. Epstein is senior advisor for Quality Standards and Compliance at SHM.

SHM Chapter reports

SAN DIEGO

San Diego’s SHM Chapter met on June 14 at Donovan’s Steak and Chop House in La Jolla, Calif. Attendees listened to a report on acute neurologic issues for the hospitalists. David Ko, MD, associate professor at the University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, discussed acute stroke, seizure, and status epilepticus.

Join the San Diego Chapter on September 14, 2006, when Alpesh Amin, MD, from the University of California at Irvine will discuss MRSA infections. CME credit will be provided for the September meeting.

PHILADELPHIA

SHM’s Philadelphia Chapter met on June 14 at The Capital Grill in Center City, Philadelphia. Gregory Tino, MD, associate professor of medicine, director, Pulmonary Outpatient Practices at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care gave a presentation: “COPD: Overview of Patient Management.” Twenty-five attendees from nine hospital medicine groups attended.

For more information about the Philadelphia Chapter please contact Jennifer Myers, MD, at jennifer.myers@uphs.upenn.edu.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN

The Rocky Mountain Chapter conducted its June CME program on June 8. The meeting was held at Landry’s at the Downtown Aquarium in Denver. The meeting was attended by 20 hospitalists representing eight hospital medicine groups.

The speakers for the night included Joseph Varon, MD, FACP, FCCP, FCCM, professor, Acute and Continuing Care, The University of Texas Health Sciences Center (San Antonio), who shared his expertise on “Treatment of Hypertensive Emergencies in Surgery, Intracranial Hemorrhage and Stroke” and Jason Haukoos, MD, MS, from the Department of Emergency Medicine, Denver Health Medical Center, who presented “Cardiac Arrest: Beyond ACLS.” Attendees received two category 1 CME credits.

CHICAGO

The Chicago Chapter held its quarterly chapter meeting on May 31. The meeting was held at Brazzaz Brazilian restaurant in downtown Chicago. The meeting was attended by 30 hospitalists from the Chicago area.

The SHM Annual Meeting was reviewed in brief, the need for greater local and national participation by members was addressed, and the organizational involvement for furthering DVT prevention was discussed. The keynote speaker was J. Pandolfino, MD, assistant professor, Department of Gastroenterology, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago. His topic was “NSAIDs in GI Bleeding.” The meeting was concluded with group discussion and networking.

The election process for the next cohort of officers for the Chicago Chapter has been initiated. Voting will occur prior to the next meeting, and officers will be presented. The next Chicago Chapter meeting is planned for August 2006. Location and exact date are to be announced.

To become involved with the Chicago Chapter, please contact Suj Sundararaj, MD, via e-mail at docsuj@hotmail.com.

BOSTON

A group of more than 40 hospitalists representing 27 hospital medicine groups attended the Boston Chapter’s May 30 meeting. Joe Miller, senior vice president of SHM, presented the 2005-2006 results from SHM’s “Bi-Annual Survey on the State of the Hospital Medicine Movement.” The chapter’s next meeting is scheduled for September 2006.