|
 From the Chair
Scott D. Hayworth, MD, FACOG
Get Involved in 2011
I certainly hope your 2011 is off to a productive and fulfilling start. Personally speaking, I have already had quite an exciting year. As many of you may know, my wife, Nan Hayworth, took the oath of office this month as a new member of the
 112th Congress, representing District 19. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported Nan in this effort.
As ACOG moves forward through 2011, I'd like to invite you to become active with District II. Our expert team in Albany has a wide range of activities, committees and task forces you may want to participate in - addressing such topics as patient safety, communications and state government. Please visit the District II website to explore all District II has to offer. Get involved in medical education efforts, lobby in Albany or share your expertise by writing a newsletter piece on a topic of interest. Of course, another great way to get involved with District II is by participating in the 2011 Annual District II Meeting, held October 28-30 in the heart of New York City.
For more information on District II opportunities, feel free to contact the Albany office at (518) 436-3461 or info@ny.acog.org.
I wish you all a Happy New Year!
 From the Executive Director
Donna Montalto, MPP
New Year - New Governor
Welcome to 2011! With a new year in front of us, New Yorkers also have a new governor. Andrew Cuomo, the eldest son of former Governor Mario Cuomo, is now New York's 56th governor, extending the Cuomo legacy in the halls of the State Capitol in Albany.
Representatives from District II will be meeting with the Cuomo administration in the coming weeks to outline our legislative agenda. With an expected 7% across the board cut to Medicaid providers expected, Governor Cuomo has created a "Medicaid Redesign Team" as well as a Mandate Relief Team. ACOG has been asked to meet with Cuomo's Medicaid leaders to outlay our ideas on Medicaid ob-gyn reforms. During these Medicaid deliberations, District II will not hesitate to push for medical liability reform. CLICK HERE to read the District II statement in response to the governor's State of the State address - and see the Albany Connection portion of the newsletter for more on the address.
We welcome the opportunity to meet with the new governor on behalf of our physicians and the women they serve. If you would like to be involved with this effort, please contact Jennifer Lange, Director of Government Relations at (518) 436-3461 or at jlange@ny.acog.org.
State of the State Address
January 5, 2011
Governor Andrew Cuomo laid some very concrete measures addressing economic development, government consolidation, balancing the budget, reforming Medicaid and New York State's health and education systems. However, Governor Cuomo did not address medical liability, a key issue for ACOG District II this legislative session. Medical liability continues to be a huge financial obstacle for many ob-gyns in New York. With the highest medical liability premiums in the nation and the fear of litigation, many of our members are forced to make choices based on the economic survival of their profession rather than the direction that they intended for their practice of medicine. CLICK HERE to read the District II statement in response to the governor's State of the State address.
ACOG District II supports a medical liability reform measure that would lower premiums and create a compensatory fund, similar to worker's compensation for neurologically impaired infants. ACOG has asked for a meeting with the newly named New York State Health Commissioner Nirav R. Shah, MD, MPH. Commissioner Shah, a native of Buffalo, who now lives in Battery Park City, is also a physician at the city-owned Bellevue Hospital and an assistant professor at NYU's Langone Medical Center. He graduated from Harvard University and attended Yale for medical school and public health administration. He has written extensively on the effectiveness of different modes of healthcare service delivery and on improving care for minority populations.
ACOG District II looks forward to working with the Cuomo administration to ensure relief for physicians from skyrocketing medical liability costs and to guarantee that patients and their families receive care and services seamlessly and expeditiously.
Medical Education
ACOG District II Adds Smoking Cessation to Its Well-Woman Initiative
ACOG District II is pleased to announce a new two-year grant project Enhancing Early Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment of the Casual Smoker: In-Office Education for Ob-Gyns and Their Patients. This latest project is the second "installment"of the Well-Woman Education Initiative (WWEI) that began in September 2010. The first project on immunizations is ongoing and will be completed in August 2011.
This smoking cessation grant project will utilize five ob-gyn offices as pilot sites for the development of a comprehensive, in-office educational model on smoking cessation for the casual smoker. This education would become part of the routine annual well-woman visit. A chart assessment tool and resources will be developed over the next two years to assist ob-gyns in identifying patient needs.
____________________________
If your office is interested in participating in
the ACOG smoking cessation pilot project
or physician task force,
____________________________
The comprehensive WWEI will serve as an enduring educational tool and will incorporate various components of the well-woman visit over the next several years. In addition to immunizations and smoking, subsequent topics may include osteoporosis, adolescent gynecology, healthy weight management and diabetes, and integrative medicine.
D2 Radio Spot Airs Across State
A radio spot produced by ACOG District II is currently airing on stations across New York State. The piece addresses Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) - and asks women if they are pregnant to "think - don't drink." To hear the spot, CLICK HERE.
This piece is part of a district-wide public awareness and education campaign on FASD prevention, targeting women of childbearing age, about the dangers of alcohol use during pregnancy. Other campaign components include FASD prevention posters - available in five languages - and a handbook entitled "Pregnant? Think! Don't Drink!" in addition to a patient education video that is currently airing on the Newborn Channel in hospitals throughout America.
The FASD radio spot airs through March. It was funded by the New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council. For more information, visit the FASD section of the District II website.
Membership & Meetings
Committee Appointments
Below lists the District II members who were recently appointed by President Elect James N. Martin, Jr., MD to Congress and College committees. Congratulations to all!
Committee on Ambulatory Practice Operations (Congress)
John M. Scalzone, MD
Appeals Panel Committee (Congress)
Iffath A. Hoskins, MD
Committee on Credentials (Congress)
Richard N. Waldman, MD
Committee on Government Affairs (Congress)
MaryAnn E. Millar, MD
Grievance Committee (Congress)
William J. Hoskins, MD
Committee on Patient Safety and Quality Improvement (College)
Jessica M. Atrio, MD
 Practice News
-
-
2011 Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program UPDATE
 Patient Safety & Quality Improvement
A major goal of the ACOG District II Patient Safety and Quality Improvement (PSQI) Committee is to provide effective tools and resources to obstetric hospitals across New York State. Earlier this month, the District II PSQI Committee mailed a letter to New York State hospital obstetric department chairs requesting a copy of their protocols and/or checklists on massive obstetrical hemorrhage, hypertensive crisis, shoulder dystocia and use of oxytocin for labor augmentation. Upon acquiring the hospitals necessary approval, the selected protocols will be used to create a library of model protocols and/or checklists for other hospitals to utilize to tailor their own protocols. Protocols, checklists, and best practice tools can improve quality as well as help reduce poor maternal and neonatal outcomes. If your ob department has yet to receive this important letter, please email the ACOG District II office at kgilchrist@ny.acog.org.
Join Our Online Community Today!
 
|