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New Cardiovascular Imaging Section Provides Specialists Opportunity for Involvement
American College of Cardiology (ACC) members will have an additional opportunity for involvement with the addition of the new Cardiovascular (CV) Imaging Member Section. CV Imaging Section membership will provide members a forum to advance professional priorities, offer input into the coordination of imaging activities within the College and facilitate networking with peers in their field. Governed by the ACC Imaging Council, the section hopes to represent the cardiovascular imaging community and work with ACC leadership to promote collaboration on issues facing cardiovascular specialists using imaging technologies to provide optimal patient care. As the CV Imaging Member Section grows in its inaugural year, members may establish work groups to address imaging-specific issues related to research, education, quality, guidelines, advocacy and more. Membership is open to physician, cardiac care associate and fellow-in-training members of the ACC. Those interested may join by opting in on their dues statement or calling the Resource Center at (800) 253-4636, ext. 5603. Visit CardioSource.org/Imaging for more information.
ACC Joins Campaign to Promote Wise Use of Resources Among Physicians, Patients
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has joined the ABIM Foundation and eight other leading national medical specialty societies in Choosing Wisely. The goal of this campaign is to help physicians, patients and other health care stakeholders think and talk about overuse or misuse of health care resources in the United States. Consumer Reports, the nation’s leading expert, independent, nonprofit consumer organization, has also joined the campaign to provide resources for consumers and physicians to engage in these important conversations.
As part of the campaign, the ACC will develop a list of five common tests or procedures in cardiology whose necessity patients and physicians should question and discuss. The resulting lists will be released in April 2012 and aim to spark discussion about the need – or lack thereof – for many frequently ordered tests or treatments in America.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that up to 30 percent of care delivered in America goes toward unnecessary tests, procedures, doctor visits, hospital stays and other services that may not improve people’s health – and in fact may actually cause harm. If current trends remain unchanged, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services project U.S. health care spending will reach $4.3 trillion and account for 19.3 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product by 2019.
To learn more about Choosing Wisely, visit www.choosingwisely.org
News from RACE Central
The RACE acronym has been modified to encompass our overall mission, “Regional Approach to Cardiovascular Emergencies”. Based upon the input of thousands of participating health care providers across the state, we will expand our model to expedite emergency care to cardiac arrest and stroke victims. This approach embraces existing leadership, institutions and resources to develop coordinated plans of care across every hospitals and emergency medical service. Supported by regional coordinators, ongoing data collection and feedback, regional meetings, state-wide consensus documents, and customized training of health care professionals, our interventions speed diagnosis and treatment. According to this approach, every North Carolinian can receive the best cardiovascular care regardless of geographic location or socioeconomic status.
Recently, the Medtronic Foundation HeartRescue project selected North Carolina as one of five states to implement and regional cardiac arrest system, termed RACE-CARS (Cardiac Arrest Regional System). This will not only involve the same partners as the STEMI program, EMS and hospitals, but will also include a community education plan.
The next initiative that begs for a regional system implementation model will be RACE-STROKE. Initial conversations with state partners and physician leadership in neurology and emergency medicine have occurred. This initiative would in no way replace existing work being done at the state and regional level. RACE STROKE will seek to work in tandem and support ongoing efforts and with other organizations with vested interest in the stroke patients. As soon as funding is secured, more information will be posted and communicated directly at state RACE regional meetings.
January Deadlines Approaching
As of Jan 1, 2012, suppliers who furnish the technical component of Advanced Diagnostic Imaging (ADI) must be accredited in order to bill Medicare for these services. For dates of service on or after Jan. 1, MACs will begin denying claims by non- accredited suppliers. More information about Accreditation process, including a list of accrediting organizations and details of the accreditation process, is available on the CMS website and on www.cardiosource.org. Also, as of Jan. 2012, providers must be transitioned to Version 5010. There are certain steps that providers should be taking this fall to ensure a smooth transition. Specifically, providers should be continuing with external testing and making any system revisions. Daily transactions, such as claims and eligibility determinations, should be undergoing testing as well. More information on the transition is available on the CMS website and on www.cardiosource.org
Reperfusion of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Carolina Emergency Departments
The RACE project is a statewide system for providing rapid artery reperfusion for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Established in 2003, the RACE system incorporates the quality improvement efforts of over 100 hospitals, 700 and emergency systems, and thousands of health care professionals working in a coordinated effort in order to improve timely reperfusion.
The key elements of the system include regional organization and coordination, institution of the single best plan for treatment at every point of care, ongoing measurement, and the establishment of teams of healthcare professionals that span all aspects of STEMI care.
Click here for more information about RACE.
Learn more about CardioSmart and World Heart Day
CardioSmart is a patient education site of the American College of Cardiology. Our mission is to engage, inform, and empower patients to better prepare them for participation in their own care. We are committed to providing visitors to our site with accurate, un-biased information in an advertising-free environment. We hope you enjoy visiting our site and find it a useful extension of your relationship with your cardiologist.
View the CardioSmart brochure
View the Cardiosmart Patient Flyer
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