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An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

From the College

The Quality Movement Explained

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“To Err is Human,” published by the Institute of Medicine in 1999, set off a firestorm of quality initiatives when it announced that at least 44,000 to 98,000 people die in hospitals every year because of medical errors. The first quality initiatives, which were aimed at hospitals, have now trickled down to physician practices. For two years there have been reports of payors moving to a pay-for-performance system or value-based purchasing.

Support for a Future without RA

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Shirley Enis of Jacksboro, Texas, has decided to get involved with “Within Our Reach” because the campaign has the capacity to improve RA patients’ quality of life, alleviate long-term effects of RA, and ultimately ensure that future generations can enjoy life without RA.

Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome

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A recently identified autoimmune disorder, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) mainly affects young women between age 30 and 40. Those affected by APS may otherwise be healthy or have an underlying disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Advocacy: An essential component of professional practice

Karen L. Kerr, MSN, NP, CPNP, APRN-BC  |  

In our challenging and cost-conscious healthcare environment, advocacy is an essential skill for all health professionals. As rheumatology health professionals, we advocate for our patients with insurers, institutional administrators, employers, and teachers. To bring about needed healthcare reforms, we must also learn to be effective political advocates.

Be Aware of New Waived Tests

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Keeping current on changes to laboratory certifications for common lab tests can save your practice time—and money. Since the passage of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) in 1988, all health-assessment laboratory tests are ranked for complexity, and their complexity dictates which labs can process Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)–reimbursed tests. In accordance with CLIA, each laboratory facility must register with CMS to receive a CLIA certification. There are five certifications, each with differing degrees of complexity, listed from least to most complex: Certificate of Waiver, Certificate of Provider-Performed Microscopy Procedures, Certificate of Registration, Certificate of Compliance, and the Certificate of Accreditation.

ACR Unites with AMA to Correct SGR

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Fair Medicare reimbursement is of great concern of physicians today. During the past few years, the SGR has called for damaging cuts to physician payments. Each year, however, Congress has placed a temporary fix on the scheduled cuts.

ACR Board Lobbies Congress

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ACR Board of Directors members recently spent time in Washington, D.C., discussing rheumatology-related issues with members of Congress, including Sen. Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy (D-Mass.). The senior senator from Massachusetts is the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which oversees health legislation that affects rheumatologists.