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ATTENTION - All NJ
-ACEP members are invited to the March 9 Board of Directors
Meeting. 9:30 am at the NJ Hospital Association
Conference Center, 760 Alexander Rd in Princeton. Dr.
Steven Marcus will present challenges to the NJ Poison
Control Center. Join us! Please RSVP so we can provide
adequate breakfast and seating. 609-392-1213
NJ-ACEP is looking for a few good men and women....
Have some good ideas to make NJ-ACEP better and
stronger? Have just a little spare time to support your
profession? If so, consider a run for the Board of
Directors. The Board meets in January, March, July,
September and November. Interested? Send NJ-ACEP a short
bio for distribution to the members with the ballot, e-mail
Lauren at
lmyers@blynchassociates.com. Deadline: March 15, 2010
From
the President...Bruce Bonanno, MD
Spring is almost here, but as I write this during ANOTHER
snowstorm, it seems a long way off. I know it is coming
because I notice the sun starting to appear during the drive
to my morning shifts, and there is still some daylight as I
report for the overnight.
The activity in Trenton is also heating up
with most of the activity concerning the budget. We are
involved in the debate on what to do about out of network
billing practices/charges. Be alert and get educated on the
subject. The insurance companies want to limit what
physicians can charge to take care of patients when the
physicans do not participate with the insurance company.
Remember the legislation in California made it illegal to
bill patients for what wasn't covered by the insurance
company. We will fight for what we call "fair payment." We
in EM give out the most uncompensated care of all
physicians.
We will also be looking at a new
comprehensive bill dealing with EMS in NJ.
Nationally, the Universal Healthcare debate
continues. No one knows where it will lead. Internationally,
the earthquake in Haiti occupied the news. It was great to
see how the EM community responded with several people from
NJ participating. Thanks to all of you who did, as well as
those who helped cover their shifts.
My year as President will be winding down
soon. We are looking for people to be involved with running
for the Board of Directors. We have the Scientific Assembly
coming up in May, as well as our annual Leadership and
Legislative meetings in Washington. Make plans to attend
both. They are both great ways to participate in ACEP, and
learn what might be new in EM, and to learn what the
political process is about. And don't to forget to send
money for STATPAC if you haven't already. It goes a long way
to helping our voice in EM be heard in Trenton, and NEMPAC
so we are heard in DC as well. Stay warm!!!
Take time to
recognize the best!
The NJ-ACEP Awards Committee is looking for nominees for its
2010 winners....you know you work with the best....take a
minute and complete the nomination form (available at
www.njacep.org ) in
any category: Distinguished Service, EMS, Educator of the
Year, "Good Government," Clinical Expertise, Resident and
Medical Student. It's a terrific way to say
thanks! Deadline is April 20th.
From the
Statehouse...Beverly J. Lynch
The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens
Committee debated and released a new measure (S-377,
sponsored by Committee Chairwoman Senator Loretta Weinberg,
D-Teaneck), that makes various changes to the membership and
duties of the State Board of Medical Examiners (BME).
Specifically, the bill:
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Provides that the three public members
of the BME include one person who represents a senior
citizen advocacy group, one who represents a child
advocacy group, and one who represents a Statewide
consumer advocacy group.
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Specifies that at least one of the 12
physician members of the BME shall be a pediatrician.
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Specifies that a member of the BME is
eligible for reappointment for one additional term of
office, but no member shall serve more than two
consecutive terms of office.
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To ensure that the BME takes timely
disciplinary action to protect the public, when
appropriate, the bill provides that:
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the Medical Practitioner Review Panel of
the BME is required to investigate notices or complaints
it receives from health care facilities and health
maintenance organizations regarding a licensee in order
to make a recommendation to the BME, and to make its
recommendation within 90 days after receipt of the
complaint, rather than to investigate "promptly," as the
law currently provides. If the review panel requires
additional time due to extenuating circumstances, it
shall so notify the board, indicating the reason and the
amount of additional time required to make its
recommendation, and transmit a copy of the notice to the
Attorney General and the complainant.
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within 60 days upon receipt of
notification from a physician of any action taken
against the physician's medical license by any other
state licensing board or any action affecting the
physician's privileges to practice medicine by any
out-of-State hospital, health care facility, health
maintenance organization or other employer, the BME
shall investigate the information received and obtain
any additional information that may be necessary in
order to make a determination whether to initiate
disciplinary action against the physician.
Some in the physician community argued that
specifying the representation of three public members and a
pediatrician would restrain the work of the Board. The
bill can now be considered by the full Senate, at the
discretion of the Senate President.
For information on these or any legislative
measures, please contact me at
BLYNCH@BLYNCHASSOCIATES.COM or 609-392-7553.
Attention Residents
and Residency Directors
NJ-ACEP will feature an Emergency Medicine
Resident abstract contest at the start of the NJ-ACEP
Scientific Assembly. We encourage all the New Jersey
residencies to be represented. Please consider sending at
least one resident to compete in this fun and educational
session (prizes to the winners!). All participating
residents are invited to display their research projects in
our Research Poster area. For more information or to submit
your abstract contact Lauren at (609) 392-1213 or
lmyers@blynchassociates.com.
New Publication:
Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisonings--US EPA
Region 2
Written by physicians, this publication is intended to be
used by health care professionals in a variety of medical
venues who may need to recognize and treat instances of
pesticide poisonings. Pesticide poisoning may manifest
with symptoms similar to a number of other acute or chronic
illnesses.
For example:
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Acute exposure to pesticides may cause
short-term effects such as: headaches, dizziness,
weakness, nausea, tingling sensations, and muscle
twitching.
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Long-term exposure may cause serious
health effects such as: birth defects, learning
disabilities, behavioral changes, organ damage, asthma
symptoms, and various forms of cancer.
Pesticides can adhere to the clothing of persons who use
these chemicals in their place of work, for example: the
landscaper, the pest control operator, the chemical
factory worker, and the farmer, to name a few. Work
clothing can contaminate areas of a person's home unless
they are removed before the person leaves his place of
work.
Recognition and Management of Pesticide
Poisonings, 5th Edition, is available on the US EPA website
at this web address:
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/safety/healthcare
Interested
in serving on an ACEP Committee? Committee Interest is now
open!
The 2010-11 Committee Interest Form can be downloaded at
http://www.acep.org/CommitteeInterest.aspx. It must be
completed and submitted along with your current CV file to
Rochelle Ross at ACEP headquarters, rross@acep.org.
All applications must be received by May 17, 2010. The
selection process will occur in mid-June and applicants will
be notified by the end of July.
Chapter input is invaluable to this process
and you may also want to submit a letter of support from
your chapter.
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Important Dates |
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2010 |
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March 9
9:30 am |
Board of
Directors/Membership Meeting |
New Jersey Hospital Association, Princeton |
May. 11
7:00 am |
NJ-ACEP
Scientific Assembly |
The Holiday Inn Conference Center, East
Windsor |
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