Calendar
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September 26-29, 2010
2010 AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO
Boston, MA
October 9, 2010
Otolaryngology Update for Primary care
UW Center for Urban Horticulture
Seattle
Meeting Brochure
October 21, 2010
NWAO Fall Dinner Meeting
Robot Surgery in Otolaryngology - TORS and Thyroid
Chris Holsinger, MD and Eduardo Mendez, MD
Registration
November 5, 2010
Oregon Academy of Otolaryngology Fall Meeting
Governor Hotel
Portland, OR
January 7-8, 2011
NWAO Winter Conference
Bell Harbor International Conference Center
Seattle, WA
April 14, 2011
NWAO Spring Dinner Meeting
Anna M. Pou, MD
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NWAO Board of Directors
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May Huang, MD
President
Craig Murakami, MD
Immediate Past President
Steven Bayles, MD
Secretary/Treasurer
Al Merati, MD
Program Chairman
Paul Abson, MD
Program Co-Chairman
Scott Manning, MD
AAO BOG Representative
Greg Davis, MD
Member-at-Large
Kris Moe, MD
Member-at-Large
Christine Puig, MD
Member-at-Large
Eric Waterman, MD
Member-at-Large
Shannon McDonald
Executive Director
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NWAO Website
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www.nwao.org
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Register now for the
NWAO Fall Dinner Meeting
October 21, 2010
6:00 - 8:00
PM
McCormick & Schmick's Harborside
Robot
Surgery in Otolaryngology - TORS and Thyroid
Chris
Holsinger, MD and Eduardo Mendez, MD
Click here for the meeting registration
In an effort to provide
our membership with the most current educational calendar, the NWAO is looking
to post all ENT CME events on a master calendar. That way, you will only need to look one
place to find a calendar of events pertinent to your practice.
To post an event on
this calendar, email the NWAO office at smc@wsma.org.
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Classified
& Job Posting Information
To have your job posting or classified advertising included in
the e-News, submit your copy to smc@wsma.org.
Your
ad will appear in our electronically distributed e-News. Ads for job postings
will also be placed in the Job Posting section of the NWAO website, until the
position has been filled. |
NWAO is Looking for Volunteers: Get Involved!
The NWAO e-News is your newsletter! All member
contributions are welcome! We encourage you to submit articles, letters,
practices tips to share in the newsletter, or send us a question you would like
answered or your ideas for future articles. Email your contribution and
suggestions to the NWAO office at smc@wsma.org. |
Don't Miss Out on the $350
Million UnitedHealth Group Settlement
Deadline Oct. 5th
October 5, 2010 is
the deadline for filing a claim in the UnitedHealth settlement. In order to be
eligible to file a claim you must have provided covered out-of-network services
or supplies between March 15, 1994 and November, 18, 2009 to patients who were
covered by a health plan insured or administered by one of the defendant
companies: UnitedHealthCare, Oxford Health Plans, Metropolitan Life Insurance
Company, American Airlines, or any associated company.
Access the online AMA resource to file a claim at www.ama-assn.org (go to Advocacy, Current Topics, Private
Sector Advocacy, Health Insurer
Settlements, then UnitedHealth Group). |
Physicians Insurance A Mutual Company Announces a $5 Million Dividend
Distribution to Physician Owners
The
Physicians Insurance Board of Directors recently announced that the company
will distribute $5,000,000 in dividends to eligible members in September 2010.
Those eligible will receive a pro rata share of the total dividend based on
their individual premium written from January 1, 1982, through September 1,
2010. Physicians Insurance is a mutual company, where the physician insureds
are owners who share in the company's success. With this year's distribution,
Physicians Insurance has returned $15,000,000 to policyholders in the last
three years.
In addition to the
dividend as a means of rewarding members for the company's outstanding
performance, premium credits are available to insureds through exclusive
programs, including the company's ACCOLADES loss experience credit, now
available in all service territories. |
Over-the-phone Interpretive Services Now Available
Health care providers can use over-the-phone interpretive services for
direct contact (face-to-face) beginning September 1st.
Benefits
of over-the-phone interpretation
- Access to rare languages - over 180 languages available
- Real-time access to a more comprehensive network of interpreters
- No scheduled appointment is necessary
- Interpreters available on the phone within 30 - 60 seconds
Notes:
- No authorization
required on open claims. Check claim status prior to ordering over-the-phone
interpretive services.
- Provide the claim
number, worker's/victim's full name, date of injury and language when you call
for an interpreter.
- L&I does not pay
for interpretive services for legal purposes. Payment is the responsibility of
the attorney or other requesting party(ies).
| Pacific Interpreters |
| CTS Language Link | | State Fund claim: | 877-810-4721 | or | 877-626-0678 | | Self-Insurance claim: | 877-810-4723 | or | 877-626-0678 | | Crime Victims claim: | 877-840-2083 | or | 877-626-0678 |
Additional
information is available at www.interpreters.lni.wa.gov or contact Cecilia
Maskell at 360-902-5161 or Mili235@Lni.wa.gov. |
AAO-HNS Seeks to Intervene in FTC "Red Flags Rules" Lawsuit
The AAO-HNS joined with 25 medical organizations to file a Motion to Intervene in a pending lawsuit against the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding its "Red Flag Rules." These rules, which are the collective result of numerous federal regulations, would require financial institutions and other "creditors" to establish written programs to detect and respond to activities, or "red flags," indicating identity theft. The FTC contends that physicians should be included in the definition of "creditors" and thereby subject to the Rules. The original lawsuit - filed by the American Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association, and the Medical Society for the District of Columbia - would only protect physician members of the plaintiff organizations from FTC enforcement. The Motion to Intervene filed by the AAO-HNS and others seeks to expand this protection to all physicians. |
EMR Meaningful Use
Resources
The Health Policy department has added some
helpful resources such as fact sheets, tables for clinical quality measures,
core and menu meaningful objectives, and many more to assist you as you prepare
to participate in the Medicare/Medicaid EHR Incentive programs.
To access these
resources, click here. |
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Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment Form Review
This fall the
Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment Form (POLST) and attending
educational materials will be reviewed. The revision process reflects a
commitment by the WSMA and Washington State Department of Health (DOH) to
review and consider revisions to the POLST program every two years. The form
was last updated in December of 2008.
The POLST
form is designed to improve the quality of care people receive at the end of
life. It is based on effective communication of patient wishes, documentation
of medical orders on a brightly colored form and a promise by health care
professionals to honor these wishes.
The WSMA POLST web page, has instructions on how to order the form (free for WSMA members),
as well as related educational materials, including a patient brochure,
training DVDs and a streaming educational video.
If you have
any comments or suggestions on how to improve the POLST form and program,
please email Graham Short at gfs@wsma.org.
All revisions to the
form are approved by the WSMA and the DOH, the program's co-sponsors. |
New
MQAC Rules for Office-Based Anesthesia and Analgesia Go Into Effect September
2, 2010
The newly
adopted rules from the Medical Quality Assurance Commission (MQAC) governing
safe and effective anesthesia and analgesia in office-based surgery settings
are about to go into effect. The rules will require facilities
administering anesthesia or sedation of certain types for office-based surgery
to become accredited or certified. The rules and an accompanying concise
explanatory statement are available at - www.wsma.org.
Facilities must be
accredited or certified by an entity listed in the rules within 365 calendar
days of the effective date, September 2, 2010. |
Health care providers encouraged to sign up for Electronic Fund
Transfers
The
Washington State Medicaid program is asking its health care providers around
the state to enroll in an Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) system to avoid the
additional costs and time required to issue reimbursement checks, also called
state warrants.
Under the EFT
system, the providers' reimbursement is simply deposited directly into a bank
account. That saves the state the expense and work of issuing, addressing, and
mailing checks to the providers, who range from hospitals and clinics to
individual doctors, dentists and nursing homes.
The sooner providers sign up,
the quicker they can start receiving the electronic transfers.
- Providers can download the EFT authorization
agreement (DSHS EFT Form 18-633) from the Department's Web site at: www.dshs.wa.gov/pdf/ms/forms/18_633.pdf.
- Fax the authorization agreement to (360)
725-2144.
- DSHS will test the transaction first to verify
that the deposit can be transferred successfully. Until the transaction works,
providers continue to receive mailed checks.
- Once testing is complete, Medicaid will begin
transferring the deposits electronically.
- Questions? Call Medicaid at 1-800-562-3022 Ext.1-6132
or e-mail to askmedicaid@dshs.wa.gov
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Update on Reporting
Discarded Biologicals
CMS has released a new MLN Matters article (MM
7095) to address reporting discarded biologicals with the JW modifier (draft or
biological amount discarded/ not administered to any patient). In the article,
the agency states that effective September 21, 2010, each Medicare contractor
will have discretion to determine how to modifier JW and will communicate this
policy to all the providers in their regions.
More... |
New Rules on Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedures Now in Effect
The Medical Quality
Assurance Commission adopted rules on non-surgical medical cosmetic procedures
on January 14, 2010. The rules went into effect on June 6, 2010. There are two
rules.
The first rule (WAC
246-919-606) establishes the duties and responsibilities of a physician who delegates the injection of medication or substance for cosmetic
purposes or the use of prescription devices for cosmetic purposes.
The second rule (WAC
246-918-126) establishes the duties and responsibilities of a physician assistant who injects medication or substances for
cosmetic purposes or uses prescription devices for cosmetic purposes. The rules
do not apply to: (a)
surgery; (b) the use of prescription lasers, non-coherent light, intense pulsed
light, radiofrequency, or plasma as applied to the skin, which are covered in
WAC 246-919-605 and 246-918-125; (c) the practice of a profession by a licensed
health care professional under methods or means within the scope of practice
permitted by such license; (d) the use of non-prescription devices; and (e)
intravenous therapy.
For more information
on the rules go to www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/mqac/RulesInProgress.htm. |
Membership Directory
This online membership directory is password protected and
only your fellow colleagues will have access to your practice information.
Please visit http://www.nwao.organd clink on
the directory tab to view the membership directory.
Member Directory
Access Information:
Member Directory Login: nwao
Password: ents1
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About Us
Northwest Academy of Otolaryngology
Executive Director - Shannon McDonald
2033 6th Ave, Suite 1100 | Seattle, WA 98121
Phone: 800.552.0612 | Fax: 206.441.5863
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