December 21, 2011
- HOLIDAY MESSAGE FROM THE ATS PRESIDENT
- ATS OFFICER CANDIDATES DISCUSS RESEARCH PROGRAM FUNDING
- ATS 2012 REGISTRATION IS OPEN
- FROM THE CENTERS FOR MEDICAIRE & MEDICAID SERVICES
HOLIDAY MESSAGE FROM THE ATS PRESIDENT
Dear Friends and Fellow ATS Members,
The holidays can be a bittersweet time when we spend time with family and friends while trying to find the time to buy gifts and to prepare for and attend many calorie-laden parties. Many people also find the holidays time for reflection, for taking stock of one’s life, appreciating all the blessings we have and considering how we can help others less fortunate than ourselves or our favorite charities.
Personally, I feel very blessed to have my health and the love of my family as well as the affection of the many friends I have made over the years. I am also blessed to have had a rewarding career and the special relationships I have with many patients.
I am also most grateful to be President of the ATS. This has been a challenging but extremely rewarding year so far, enabling me meet inspirational people throughout the world who do so much with so little, and to work with such dedicated and talented individuals, both members and staff , who are highly committed to strengthening the ATS as an outstanding international organization, “helping the world breathe” every day. One of the biggest challenges is to find the resources and people with the knowledge and time to help prevent and combat lung disease the world over, but that only inspires me to work harder in my role as your president.
Through my many years of involvement with the ATS, I’ve met so many people who happily work tirelessly to close the gap between our aspirations as healthcare professionals and the needs of our patients. The ATS’s work—your work— is far from complete, but we can rededicate ourselves, as the New Year approaches, to making the world a better place, in our special way. And, for that, I am truly grateful.
With heartfelt wishes for peace, joy, and health in the New Year.
Nicholas S. Hill, MD
The holidays can be a bittersweet time when we spend time with family and friends while trying to find the time to buy gifts and to prepare for and attend many calorie-laden parties. Many people also find the holidays time for reflection, for taking stock of one’s life, appreciating all the blessings we have and considering how we can help others less fortunate than ourselves or our favorite charities.
Personally, I feel very blessed to have my health and the love of my family as well as the affection of the many friends I have made over the years. I am also blessed to have had a rewarding career and the special relationships I have with many patients.
I am also most grateful to be President of the ATS. This has been a challenging but extremely rewarding year so far, enabling me meet inspirational people throughout the world who do so much with so little, and to work with such dedicated and talented individuals, both members and staff , who are highly committed to strengthening the ATS as an outstanding international organization, “helping the world breathe” every day. One of the biggest challenges is to find the resources and people with the knowledge and time to help prevent and combat lung disease the world over, but that only inspires me to work harder in my role as your president.
Through my many years of involvement with the ATS, I’ve met so many people who happily work tirelessly to close the gap between our aspirations as healthcare professionals and the needs of our patients. The ATS’s work—your work— is far from complete, but we can rededicate ourselves, as the New Year approaches, to making the world a better place, in our special way. And, for that, I am truly grateful.
With heartfelt wishes for peace, joy, and health in the New Year.
Nicholas S. Hill, MD
ATS OFFICER CANDIDATES DISCUSS RESEARCH PROGRAM FUNDING
The candidates for Secretary-Treasurer in 2012-13—Atul Malhotra and Mitchell Levy - were invited to answer the following question:
Helping young investigators through the ATS Foundation Research Program is one of the Society’s highest priorities. What ideas do you have for growing financial support for the program?
Their answers follow below. Before casting your vote, please take a few minutes to read both candidates’ statements, which cover many more topics of interest to Society members, and their short videos on the ATS Web site. You can find both and vote online by clicking here.
Atul Malhotra, MD: Preparing young colleagues for careers in useful research is my principal academic responsibility and the one I most enjoy. If elected, this goal would be broadened to include all young ATS-associated researchers. I would pursue:
—Increasing transparency about Foundation funding to allow donors to observe return on investment. Knowing that ‘x dollars donated’ => ‘y numbers of funded trainees ’(eg, bridge to K08/K23 or international equivalent) is a vivid rationale for giving.
—Involving celebrities such as athletes or musicians (including our patients) in events such as our Foundation Dinner could considerably increase excitement, attendance and donations. My colleague Marc Pollick (http://givingbackfund.org/) runs philanthropic foundations for >60 celebrities and has agreed to help us.
—Inviting philanthropists into the clinics, laboratories and homes of senior ATS members would raise awareness about how ‘WeHelp the WorldBreathe.’ By featuring gifted trainees, we can demonstrate the importance of helping researchers at the beginning of their careers.
Mitchell Levy, MD: Identifying and supporting young investigators has always been a primary mission of the ATS. The future of our field will be shaped by the success we achieve in that mission. In light of the current financial environment, in the United States and globally, we must redouble our efforts to enhance research funding.
We must champion sustained and increased government funding for research, as well as develop alternative sources of funding for young investigators, including the ATS Foundation Research Program.
We should develop a revitalized fundraising campaign, specifically for supporting young investigators in these difficult times. Such a campaign could prove inspiring to individual and corporate funders who are looking for focused initiatives that are high profile and likely to yield tangible results.
In addition, we should support projects and investigators in developing countries that could also inspire funding from individuals, corporations and foundations interested in supporting global initiatives.
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ATS 2012 REGISTRATION IS OPEN
San Francisco, the most popular city for the ATS International Conference, has an added benefit: Registration fees for ATS 2012 are the same as last year.
We’ve also opened registration early so you can secure your choice of hotel.
While registering for ATS 2012, please also register for the Fourth Annual ATS Foundation Research Program Benefit. It’s a fun way to start off the International Conference—and it’s for a great cause.
Please note that full ATS 2012 program information and registration for Postgraduate Courses, Sunrise and Meet the Professor seminars, the Thematic Seminar Series and workshops will be available online during the third week in January 2012.
For more information about the International Conference or to register, please click here.
San Francisco, the most popular city for the ATS International Conference, has an added benefit: Registration fees for ATS 2012 are the same as last year.
We’ve also opened registration early so you can secure your choice of hotel.
While registering for ATS 2012, please also register for the Fourth Annual ATS Foundation Research Program Benefit. It’s a fun way to start off the International Conference—and it’s for a great cause.
Please note that full ATS 2012 program information and registration for Postgraduate Courses, Sunrise and Meet the Professor seminars, the Thematic Seminar Series and workshops will be available online during the third week in January 2012.
For more information about the International Conference or to register, please click here.
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FROM THE CENTERS FOR MEDICAIRE & MEDICAID SERVICES
CMS sent the following announcement to health professionals regarding holding 2012 Date-of-Service Claims for Services Paid Under the 2012 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule:
“The negative update under current law for the 2012 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule is scheduled to take effect on Sun Jan 1, 2012, eight business days from today. Consequently, as on numerous occasions in the past, CMS will instruct its Medicare claims administration contractors to hold claims containing 2012 services paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for the first 10 business days of January 2012 (i.e., Sun Jan 1 through Tue Jan 17). The hold should have minimal impact on provider cash flow because, under current law, clean electronic claims are not paid sooner than 14 calendar days (29 days for paper claims) after the date of receipt.
“Medicare Physician Fee Schedule claims for services rendered on or before Sat Dec 31 are unaffected by the 2012 claims hold and will be processed and paid under normal procedures and time frames.
“The Administration is disappointed that Congress has failed to pass a solution to eliminate the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula-driven cuts, and has put payments for health care for Medicare beneficiaries at risk. We continue to urge Congress to take action to ensure these cuts do not take effect.
“CMS will notify you on or before Wed Jan 11, 2012, with more information about the status of Congressional action to avert the negative update and next steps regarding the claims hold.”
“The negative update under current law for the 2012 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule is scheduled to take effect on Sun Jan 1, 2012, eight business days from today. Consequently, as on numerous occasions in the past, CMS will instruct its Medicare claims administration contractors to hold claims containing 2012 services paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for the first 10 business days of January 2012 (i.e., Sun Jan 1 through Tue Jan 17). The hold should have minimal impact on provider cash flow because, under current law, clean electronic claims are not paid sooner than 14 calendar days (29 days for paper claims) after the date of receipt.
“Medicare Physician Fee Schedule claims for services rendered on or before Sat Dec 31 are unaffected by the 2012 claims hold and will be processed and paid under normal procedures and time frames.
“The Administration is disappointed that Congress has failed to pass a solution to eliminate the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula-driven cuts, and has put payments for health care for Medicare beneficiaries at risk. We continue to urge Congress to take action to ensure these cuts do not take effect.
“CMS will notify you on or before Wed Jan 11, 2012, with more information about the status of Congressional action to avert the negative update and next steps regarding the claims hold.”
