- Email: [email protected]
Practice Notes from the AAAI
Practice Notes from the AAAAI Meet the Members of the AAAAI Office of Practice Management
and allowed number of doses per year in immunotherapy. It appears that insurers do not really understand immunotherapy. This is a problem that we are continuing to work on.
Interview with: Paul V. Williams, MD, FAAAAI
New Members Elected to AAAAI Board of Directors
We continue our series of interviews with the members who make up the AAAAI Office of Practice Management. Keep reading for our interview with Paul V. Williams, MD, FAAAAI, and hear more about what this group does to support the practicing allergist in regards to healthcare organization relations. Detailed information about the Office of Practice Management can also be found at aaaai.org/practicematters.
Thank you to all eligible voting members who participated in the 2017 Board of Directors election and helped shape the future of the specialty. The Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the following candidates will be serving on the Board of Directors. They will begin their term during the 2017 Annual Meeting in Atlanta.
2017-2018 Secretary-Treasurer David M. Lang, MD, FAAAAI
How does the Office of Practice Management serve the practicing clinician? Through our subscription to Policy Reporter, we are informed about recent and upcoming changes to payers’ policies, including commercial and government insurers, which affect the practicing allergist. We are able to provide input to the insurers to try to influence that policy for the health and safety of our patients, and also alert clinicians about policies that may affect their practice. We also provide coding tips and respond to coding questions at [email protected] to help our clinicians navigate the intricacies of the billing process.
Can you share your thoughts regarding the AAAAI’s increasing emphasis in reviewing payer policies and your insights into the benefits this offers membership? This is partly answered in the question above, but I think the AAAAI’s emphasis shows how interested they are in helping the clinician. We do have “wins” with our communications with insurers, with changes to policies that improve the health and safety of our patients.
2017-2021 At-Large Director from the Interest Sections Scott H. Sicherer, MD, FAAAAI
What trends in payer compensation have you observed in your role as a member of the Office of Practice Management? The most common trends we are seeing that are making their way through the payers are limitations in skin testing numbers
30A MARCH/APRIL 2017
J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract
Practice Notes from the AAAAI Featured Session Topics 2017-2021 At-Large Director from the Nominating Committee Chitra Dinakar, MD, FAAAAI
2017-2016 At-Large Director from the Federation of Regional, State and Local Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Societies (RSLAAIS) Sharon B. Markovics, MD, FAAAAI
Major Moving Targets: MACRA, Quality Reporting, Compounding and More Revenue Cycle Management: From Appointment to Payment and Beyond Coding 101 Coding 2017: Strategies for Success Practice Marketing Solutions: What’s New? What Works? It’s all about ME: Managing Conflict in Your Practice HR Legal Primer: Best Practices for Allergy Practice Dancing with the Devil: Negotiating Managed Care Contracts Hot Topics in HR Advanced Coding Workshop Handling Biologics in Your Practice Combatting Physician Burnout and Rediscovering Joy in Practice Building a Successful Patient-Centered Allergy Practice Basics for the Academic and Employed Physician Practice Manager Roundtable Transitions in Practice: Selling, Merging, Retiring Starting in Practice: Choosing the Correct Path
Featured Consultant Speakers Ronald J. Howrigon, President and CEO, Fulcrum Strategies Suja Mathew, MD, Practice Transformation Consultant, American Medical Association Penelope (Penny) Phillips, Attorney, Felhaber Larson Teresa Thompson, CPC, CMSCS, CCC, TM Consulting, Inc.
Other Features Exhibit Hall Wine and Cheese Reception with faculty Breakfast presentation: Effective and Engaging Practice Websites Breakfast presentation: Ask the Experts: Consultant Roundtable Discussion
Registration Now Open for 2017 Practice Management Workshop Join the AAAAI July 14-16 for the only event that focuses on the day to day issues that all A/I physicians face—whether you’re in private practice, a multispecialty group, or the academic setting. Programmed by allergists for allergists, the 2017 Practice Management Workshop features sessions designed to address the key issues your practice is facing right now. If you can’t attend, send your practice manager. Nearly half of the workshop attendees are practice staff and many sessions are designed with them in mind. Registration is now open at education.aaaai.org. While a full course brochure with session descriptions is available there, continue reading for a sampling of session titles and speakers. All sessions will be held at the Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel.
J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract
Questions? Email [email protected] or call Lauri Sweetman at (414) 272-6071.
Submit Session Proposals for the 2018 AAAAI/WAO Joint Congress As you reflect on your experience at the 2017 AAAAI Annual Meeting, we invite you to think about the questions and challenges you face that were not addressed in the educational program. You are invited to submit your session ideas as the collection site for 2018 AAAAI/WAO Joint Congress proposals is now open at annualmeeting.aaaai.org. The 2018 meeting is a joint conference with the World Allergy Organization (WAO). This gives us a unique opportunity to explore global considerations in the field of allergy/immunology. Keep this in mind as you prepare your proposals.
MARCH/APRIL 2017 31A
Practice Notes from the AAAAI The deadline for submitting all proposals is Monday, April 3 at 11:59 pm CT. Interest section leaders need to hear your voice to build a program that meets your learning and practice needs. However, the AAAAI receives a large number of proposals to fill a finite number of session slots. Not all proposals will be programmed and many proposals will be combined with others. You can contact the administrative office with any questions at (414) 272-6071 or [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you at the 2018 AAAAI/WAO Joint Congress in Orlando, Florida on March 2-5.
Avoid a Lapse in your JACI: In Practice Subscription If you haven’t paid your membership dues for 2017, you’ll want to take action today in order to avoid interrupting your subscription to The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. This subscription is one of the most valuable benefits of AAAAI membership. Renewing your dues is an easy online process at www.aaaai.org/ renew. Assistants and office managers who are renewing dues on your behalf can use the convenient office administrator dues system at www.aaaai.org/adminrenew. All they will need is your email address. Renew your membership today to keep receiving all of the benefits of your investment in the AAAAI.
Natural and Conventional Medicine: A New Way for Members to See if They Mix As an added benefit, AAAAI members will once again have access to the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database (NMCD), an evidence-based leader on complementary, alternative and integrative therapies. The NMCD allows physicians to quickly cross reference alternative and more conventional medicine to see how they react together. It provides clinical data on approximately 90,000 herbal products, dietary supplements, vitamins, minerals, homeopathic products, Ayurvedic medicines, complementary alternative medicines, integrative therapies, alternative treatment modalities (e.g., acupuncture), traditional Chinese medicines (fixed combination) products, and other natural remedies. “This resource enables rapid, user-friendly access to balanced, up-to-date information on everything from vitamins to herbal supplements, including evidence-based information on efficacy, mechanisms of action, interactions with drugs and other supplements, adverse effects and precautions. What used to take an hour or more of research and then work to construct a patient/lay friendly summary, is now accessible to members at the press of a button,” said Renata Engler, MD, FAAAAI, member of the Complementary and Alternative Practices in Allergy Committee.
32A MARCH/APRIL 2017
The NMCD consists of multiple databases and interactive features including the Effectiveness Checker, Nutrient Depletion Checker, Natural Product/Drug Interaction Checker, Natural Medicines Brand Evidence-based Ratings (NMBERÒ), as well as continuing medical education modules accredited for health professionals. The site also allows physicians to print handouts in English, Spanish and French to provide evidencebased information to their patients who are taking specific supplements. To access the NMCD, log in to aaaai.org, click on My Membership in the top right corner of the page, then click on Direct Access Links. That will bring you to a list of links including the link to the NMCD. You do not have to login to use the NMCD unless you want to take advantage of educational opportunities.
Lay Organizations The AAAAI places a high value on its relationships with patient advocacy organizations in support of our mutual concern for the needs of people with allergy, asthma and immunologic disease and their families. In particular, the AAAAI has an ongoing relationship with a group of organizations with whom we partner on various projects as needs and opportunities arise. We encourage you to visit these organizations’ websites for more information on their initiatives and missions. Allergy & Asthma Network www.allergyasthmanetwork.org American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED) www.apfed.org Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) www.aafa.org Alaska Chapter: www.aafaalaska.com California Chapter: www.aafa-ca.com Greater Kansas City Chapter: www.aafakc.org Maryland/Washington DC Chapter: www.aafa-md.org Michigan Chapter: www.aafamich.org New England Chapter: www.asthmaandallergies.org Texas Chapter: www.aafatexas.org St. Louis Chapter: www.aafastl.org Campaign Urging Research for Eosinophilic Disease (CURED) www.curedfoundation.org Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Connection Team (FAACT) www.foodallergyawareness.org Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) www.foodallergy.org Immune Deficiency Foundation (IDF) www.primaryimmune.org International FPIES Association www.fpies.org The Mastocytosis Society (TMS) www.tmsforacure.org US Hereditary Angioedema Association (HAEA) www.haea.org
J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract
and allowed number of doses per year in immunotherapy. It appears that insurers do not really understand immunotherapy. This is a problem that we are continuing to work on.
Interview with: Paul V. Williams, MD, FAAAAI
New Members Elected to AAAAI Board of Directors
We continue our series of interviews with the members who make up the AAAAI Office of Practice Management. Keep reading for our interview with Paul V. Williams, MD, FAAAAI, and hear more about what this group does to support the practicing allergist in regards to healthcare organization relations. Detailed information about the Office of Practice Management can also be found at aaaai.org/practicematters.
Thank you to all eligible voting members who participated in the 2017 Board of Directors election and helped shape the future of the specialty. The Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the following candidates will be serving on the Board of Directors. They will begin their term during the 2017 Annual Meeting in Atlanta.
2017-2018 Secretary-Treasurer David M. Lang, MD, FAAAAI
How does the Office of Practice Management serve the practicing clinician? Through our subscription to Policy Reporter, we are informed about recent and upcoming changes to payers’ policies, including commercial and government insurers, which affect the practicing allergist. We are able to provide input to the insurers to try to influence that policy for the health and safety of our patients, and also alert clinicians about policies that may affect their practice. We also provide coding tips and respond to coding questions at [email protected] to help our clinicians navigate the intricacies of the billing process.
Can you share your thoughts regarding the AAAAI’s increasing emphasis in reviewing payer policies and your insights into the benefits this offers membership? This is partly answered in the question above, but I think the AAAAI’s emphasis shows how interested they are in helping the clinician. We do have “wins” with our communications with insurers, with changes to policies that improve the health and safety of our patients.
2017-2021 At-Large Director from the Interest Sections Scott H. Sicherer, MD, FAAAAI
What trends in payer compensation have you observed in your role as a member of the Office of Practice Management? The most common trends we are seeing that are making their way through the payers are limitations in skin testing numbers
30A MARCH/APRIL 2017
J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract
Practice Notes from the AAAAI Featured Session Topics 2017-2021 At-Large Director from the Nominating Committee Chitra Dinakar, MD, FAAAAI
2017-2016 At-Large Director from the Federation of Regional, State and Local Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Societies (RSLAAIS) Sharon B. Markovics, MD, FAAAAI
Major Moving Targets: MACRA, Quality Reporting, Compounding and More Revenue Cycle Management: From Appointment to Payment and Beyond Coding 101 Coding 2017: Strategies for Success Practice Marketing Solutions: What’s New? What Works? It’s all about ME: Managing Conflict in Your Practice HR Legal Primer: Best Practices for Allergy Practice Dancing with the Devil: Negotiating Managed Care Contracts Hot Topics in HR Advanced Coding Workshop Handling Biologics in Your Practice Combatting Physician Burnout and Rediscovering Joy in Practice Building a Successful Patient-Centered Allergy Practice Basics for the Academic and Employed Physician Practice Manager Roundtable Transitions in Practice: Selling, Merging, Retiring Starting in Practice: Choosing the Correct Path
Featured Consultant Speakers Ronald J. Howrigon, President and CEO, Fulcrum Strategies Suja Mathew, MD, Practice Transformation Consultant, American Medical Association Penelope (Penny) Phillips, Attorney, Felhaber Larson Teresa Thompson, CPC, CMSCS, CCC, TM Consulting, Inc.
Other Features Exhibit Hall Wine and Cheese Reception with faculty Breakfast presentation: Effective and Engaging Practice Websites Breakfast presentation: Ask the Experts: Consultant Roundtable Discussion
Registration Now Open for 2017 Practice Management Workshop Join the AAAAI July 14-16 for the only event that focuses on the day to day issues that all A/I physicians face—whether you’re in private practice, a multispecialty group, or the academic setting. Programmed by allergists for allergists, the 2017 Practice Management Workshop features sessions designed to address the key issues your practice is facing right now. If you can’t attend, send your practice manager. Nearly half of the workshop attendees are practice staff and many sessions are designed with them in mind. Registration is now open at education.aaaai.org. While a full course brochure with session descriptions is available there, continue reading for a sampling of session titles and speakers. All sessions will be held at the Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel.
J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract
Questions? Email [email protected] or call Lauri Sweetman at (414) 272-6071.
Submit Session Proposals for the 2018 AAAAI/WAO Joint Congress As you reflect on your experience at the 2017 AAAAI Annual Meeting, we invite you to think about the questions and challenges you face that were not addressed in the educational program. You are invited to submit your session ideas as the collection site for 2018 AAAAI/WAO Joint Congress proposals is now open at annualmeeting.aaaai.org. The 2018 meeting is a joint conference with the World Allergy Organization (WAO). This gives us a unique opportunity to explore global considerations in the field of allergy/immunology. Keep this in mind as you prepare your proposals.
MARCH/APRIL 2017 31A
Practice Notes from the AAAAI The deadline for submitting all proposals is Monday, April 3 at 11:59 pm CT. Interest section leaders need to hear your voice to build a program that meets your learning and practice needs. However, the AAAAI receives a large number of proposals to fill a finite number of session slots. Not all proposals will be programmed and many proposals will be combined with others. You can contact the administrative office with any questions at (414) 272-6071 or [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you at the 2018 AAAAI/WAO Joint Congress in Orlando, Florida on March 2-5.
Avoid a Lapse in your JACI: In Practice Subscription If you haven’t paid your membership dues for 2017, you’ll want to take action today in order to avoid interrupting your subscription to The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. This subscription is one of the most valuable benefits of AAAAI membership. Renewing your dues is an easy online process at www.aaaai.org/ renew. Assistants and office managers who are renewing dues on your behalf can use the convenient office administrator dues system at www.aaaai.org/adminrenew. All they will need is your email address. Renew your membership today to keep receiving all of the benefits of your investment in the AAAAI.
Natural and Conventional Medicine: A New Way for Members to See if They Mix As an added benefit, AAAAI members will once again have access to the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database (NMCD), an evidence-based leader on complementary, alternative and integrative therapies. The NMCD allows physicians to quickly cross reference alternative and more conventional medicine to see how they react together. It provides clinical data on approximately 90,000 herbal products, dietary supplements, vitamins, minerals, homeopathic products, Ayurvedic medicines, complementary alternative medicines, integrative therapies, alternative treatment modalities (e.g., acupuncture), traditional Chinese medicines (fixed combination) products, and other natural remedies. “This resource enables rapid, user-friendly access to balanced, up-to-date information on everything from vitamins to herbal supplements, including evidence-based information on efficacy, mechanisms of action, interactions with drugs and other supplements, adverse effects and precautions. What used to take an hour or more of research and then work to construct a patient/lay friendly summary, is now accessible to members at the press of a button,” said Renata Engler, MD, FAAAAI, member of the Complementary and Alternative Practices in Allergy Committee.
32A MARCH/APRIL 2017
The NMCD consists of multiple databases and interactive features including the Effectiveness Checker, Nutrient Depletion Checker, Natural Product/Drug Interaction Checker, Natural Medicines Brand Evidence-based Ratings (NMBERÒ), as well as continuing medical education modules accredited for health professionals. The site also allows physicians to print handouts in English, Spanish and French to provide evidencebased information to their patients who are taking specific supplements. To access the NMCD, log in to aaaai.org, click on My Membership in the top right corner of the page, then click on Direct Access Links. That will bring you to a list of links including the link to the NMCD. You do not have to login to use the NMCD unless you want to take advantage of educational opportunities.
Lay Organizations The AAAAI places a high value on its relationships with patient advocacy organizations in support of our mutual concern for the needs of people with allergy, asthma and immunologic disease and their families. In particular, the AAAAI has an ongoing relationship with a group of organizations with whom we partner on various projects as needs and opportunities arise. We encourage you to visit these organizations’ websites for more information on their initiatives and missions. Allergy & Asthma Network www.allergyasthmanetwork.org American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED) www.apfed.org Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) www.aafa.org Alaska Chapter: www.aafaalaska.com California Chapter: www.aafa-ca.com Greater Kansas City Chapter: www.aafakc.org Maryland/Washington DC Chapter: www.aafa-md.org Michigan Chapter: www.aafamich.org New England Chapter: www.asthmaandallergies.org Texas Chapter: www.aafatexas.org St. Louis Chapter: www.aafastl.org Campaign Urging Research for Eosinophilic Disease (CURED) www.curedfoundation.org Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Connection Team (FAACT) www.foodallergyawareness.org Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) www.foodallergy.org Immune Deficiency Foundation (IDF) www.primaryimmune.org International FPIES Association www.fpies.org The Mastocytosis Society (TMS) www.tmsforacure.org US Hereditary Angioedema Association (HAEA) www.haea.org
J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract