News From the College

Space is still available for the 2015 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP^®) Conference, July 25−28, at the Chicago Hilton, IL View the conference agenda at http://goo.gl/TkaKDi.

Attendees at the 10th ACS NSQIP National Conference will enjoy a range of informative workshops, interactive general and breakout sessions on quality improvement, and abundant networking opportunities.

For details regarding registration, contact Registration Services at 312-202-5244, or registration@facs.org. For questions about the conference, contact ACS NSQIP staff at 312-202-5261 or nsqipconference@facs.org

Space is still available for the 2015 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP^®) Conference, July 25−28, at the Chicago Hilton, IL View the conference agenda at http://goo.gl/TkaKDi.

Attendees at the 10th ACS NSQIP National Conference will enjoy a range of informative workshops, interactive general and breakout sessions on quality improvement, and abundant networking opportunities.

For details regarding registration, contact Registration Services at 312-202-5244, or registration@facs.org. For questions about the conference, contact ACS NSQIP staff at 312-202-5261 or nsqipconference@facs.org

Space is still available for the 2015 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP^®) Conference, July 25−28, at the Chicago Hilton, IL View the conference agenda at http://goo.gl/TkaKDi.

Attendees at the 10th ACS NSQIP National Conference will enjoy a range of informative workshops, interactive general and breakout sessions on quality improvement, and abundant networking opportunities.

For details regarding registration, contact Registration Services at 312-202-5244, or registration@facs.org. For questions about the conference, contact ACS NSQIP staff at 312-202-5261 or nsqipconference@facs.org

Don’t miss the International Coronary Congress focused on state-of-the-art coronary surgery.

August 21 – 23, 2015
Marriott Marquis, New York
New York City, NY

An international expert faculty will lead this highly practical interdisciplinary program. Topics will include the latest evidence, technologies, tips and tricks for all aspects of coronary revascularization — with a particular emphasis on safely and easily increasing use of arterial grafts.

This two and one-half day program is designed for surgeons, physicians, physician assistants and nurses from around the world. It will include a comprehensive simultaneous curriculum for physician assistants and surgical first assistants.

Surgeons are encouraged to attend with their entire operating team to maximize its unique benefits.

Program Directors

John Puskas
David Taggart
Robert Carlucci

Program Committee Members

Hirokuni Arai
Stephen Fremes
Joseph Sabik
James Tatoulis

Program, registration & additional information: www.aats.org/CoronaryCongress/

Don’t miss the International Coronary Congress focused on state-of-the-art coronary surgery.

August 21 – 23, 2015
Marriott Marquis, New York
New York City, NY

An international expert faculty will lead this highly practical interdisciplinary program. Topics will include the latest evidence, technologies, tips and tricks for all aspects of coronary revascularization — with a particular emphasis on safely and easily increasing use of arterial grafts.

This two and one-half day program is designed for surgeons, physicians, physician assistants and nurses from around the world. It will include a comprehensive simultaneous curriculum for physician assistants and surgical first assistants.

Surgeons are encouraged to attend with their entire operating team to maximize its unique benefits.

Program Directors

John Puskas
David Taggart
Robert Carlucci

Program Committee Members

Hirokuni Arai
Stephen Fremes
Joseph Sabik
James Tatoulis

Program, registration & additional information: www.aats.org/CoronaryCongress/

Don’t miss the International Coronary Congress focused on state-of-the-art coronary surgery.

August 21 – 23, 2015
Marriott Marquis, New York
New York City, NY

An international expert faculty will lead this highly practical interdisciplinary program. Topics will include the latest evidence, technologies, tips and tricks for all aspects of coronary revascularization — with a particular emphasis on safely and easily increasing use of arterial grafts.

This two and one-half day program is designed for surgeons, physicians, physician assistants and nurses from around the world. It will include a comprehensive simultaneous curriculum for physician assistants and surgical first assistants.

Surgeons are encouraged to attend with their entire operating team to maximize its unique benefits.

Program Directors

John Puskas
David Taggart
Robert Carlucci

Program Committee Members

Hirokuni Arai
Stephen Fremes
Joseph Sabik
James Tatoulis

Program, registration & additional information: www.aats.org/CoronaryCongress/

At the 68th World Health Assembly on May 22, member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) unanimously passed a historic resolution recognizing emergency and essential surgery and anesthesia as vital components of universal health coverage proposals. View the resolution at http://goo.gl/Un26V7. This resolution is critical in developing safe and cost-effective health care systems in which surgery and anesthesia assume an integral role.

Surgeons treat a range of vital conditions, but recent data published by the Disease Control Priorities Essential Surgery and The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery point to the acute unmet needs of more than 5 billion people worldwide who lack access to basic surgical care. View The Lancet Commission website at http://www.globalsurgery.info/.

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) recognizes that implementation of the WHO resolution will require the collaboration of many stakeholders. The ACS is committed to working with WHO, health ministries around the world, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and other surgical and anesthesia societies for the betterment of surgical care worldwide.

The College also supports the vision established by The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery: Universal Access to Safe, Affordable Surgical and Anaesthesia Care When Needed. The College will continue to promote research on access to safe, affordable, and timely surgery, reporting on the WHO’s and the Lancet Commission’s recommended surgical indicators.

At the 68th World Health Assembly on May 22, member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) unanimously passed a historic resolution recognizing emergency and essential surgery and anesthesia as vital components of universal health coverage proposals. View the resolution at http://goo.gl/Un26V7. This resolution is critical in developing safe and cost-effective health care systems in which surgery and anesthesia assume an integral role.

Surgeons treat a range of vital conditions, but recent data published by the Disease Control Priorities Essential Surgery and The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery point to the acute unmet needs of more than 5 billion people worldwide who lack access to basic surgical care. View The Lancet Commission website at http://www.globalsurgery.info/.

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) recognizes that implementation of the WHO resolution will require the collaboration of many stakeholders. The ACS is committed to working with WHO, health ministries around the world, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and other surgical and anesthesia societies for the betterment of surgical care worldwide.

The College also supports the vision established by The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery: Universal Access to Safe, Affordable Surgical and Anaesthesia Care When Needed. The College will continue to promote research on access to safe, affordable, and timely surgery, reporting on the WHO’s and the Lancet Commission’s recommended surgical indicators.

At the 68th World Health Assembly on May 22, member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) unanimously passed a historic resolution recognizing emergency and essential surgery and anesthesia as vital components of universal health coverage proposals. View the resolution at http://goo.gl/Un26V7. This resolution is critical in developing safe and cost-effective health care systems in which surgery and anesthesia assume an integral role.

Surgeons treat a range of vital conditions, but recent data published by the Disease Control Priorities Essential Surgery and The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery point to the acute unmet needs of more than 5 billion people worldwide who lack access to basic surgical care. View The Lancet Commission website at http://www.globalsurgery.info/.

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) recognizes that implementation of the WHO resolution will require the collaboration of many stakeholders. The ACS is committed to working with WHO, health ministries around the world, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and other surgical and anesthesia societies for the betterment of surgical care worldwide.

The College also supports the vision established by The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery: Universal Access to Safe, Affordable Surgical and Anaesthesia Care When Needed. The College will continue to promote research on access to safe, affordable, and timely surgery, reporting on the WHO’s and the Lancet Commission’s recommended surgical indicators.

Register now for Clinical Congress 2015, October 4-8, at McCormick Place, Chicago, IL, to take advantage of early-bird pricing. The ACS Clinical Congress remains the premier annual surgical meeting and provides a range of outstanding education and training opportunities for surgeons, surgery residents, medical students, and members of surgical teams.

Earn up to 47.5 Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits while acquiring new skills! A maximum of 28.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ is available for sessions Monday through Thursday. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. A maximum of 19 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ can also be earned through completion of Meet-the-Expert Luncheons and weekend Postgraduate courses.

Reasonable hotel rates are also available. Make your hotel reservations and receive special Clinical Congress rates. View more information online at https://www.facs.org/clincon2015.

Register now for Clinical Congress 2015, October 4-8, at McCormick Place, Chicago, IL, to take advantage of early-bird pricing. The ACS Clinical Congress remains the premier annual surgical meeting and provides a range of outstanding education and training opportunities for surgeons, surgery residents, medical students, and members of surgical teams.

Earn up to 47.5 Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits while acquiring new skills! A maximum of 28.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ is available for sessions Monday through Thursday. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. A maximum of 19 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ can also be earned through completion of Meet-the-Expert Luncheons and weekend Postgraduate courses.

Reasonable hotel rates are also available. Make your hotel reservations and receive special Clinical Congress rates. View more information online at https://www.facs.org/clincon2015.

Register now for Clinical Congress 2015, October 4-8, at McCormick Place, Chicago, IL, to take advantage of early-bird pricing. The ACS Clinical Congress remains the premier annual surgical meeting and provides a range of outstanding education and training opportunities for surgeons, surgery residents, medical students, and members of surgical teams.

Earn up to 47.5 Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits while acquiring new skills! A maximum of 28.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ is available for sessions Monday through Thursday. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. A maximum of 19 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ can also be earned through completion of Meet-the-Expert Luncheons and weekend Postgraduate courses.

Reasonable hotel rates are also available. Make your hotel reservations and receive special Clinical Congress rates. View more information online at https://www.facs.org/clincon2015.

The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) has awarded the American College of Surgeons (ACS) its highest honor—Accreditation with Commendation. In addition to extending the accreditation term to six years (through November 2020), the ACCME presented the College with a special certificate. The ACS thereby joins an elite group of ACCME-accredited organizations that have achieved this honor. This is the first time the College has received this distinction, which is recognition that the College complies with the ACCME Accreditation Criteria and is a leader and innovator in surgical education.

The Division of Education’s Continuous Professional Development Accreditation Section engaged in a four-year self-study of continuing medical education (CME) activities throughout the College, ACS Chapters, and Joint Providership Program, totaling more than 2,000 activities annually. This extensive accreditation review process included submission of extensive documentation, auditing by the ACCME, interviews with Division of Education leadership, and follow-up reviews by the ACCME Committee and ACCME Board of Directors.

Such an honor is awarded only to those providers that move CME into the arena of improving actual practice, identifying factors that impact patient care, implementing strategies to remove barriers to physician change, and participating within a systems-based framework for quality improvement. The College has taken a leading role in these areas, and the ACCME has recognized this with Accreditation with Commendation. View the ACCME website at http://www.accme.org/.

The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) has awarded the American College of Surgeons (ACS) its highest honor—Accreditation with Commendation. In addition to extending the accreditation term to six years (through November 2020), the ACCME presented the College with a special certificate. The ACS thereby joins an elite group of ACCME-accredited organizations that have achieved this honor. This is the first time the College has received this distinction, which is recognition that the College complies with the ACCME Accreditation Criteria and is a leader and innovator in surgical education.

The Division of Education’s Continuous Professional Development Accreditation Section engaged in a four-year self-study of continuing medical education (CME) activities throughout the College, ACS Chapters, and Joint Providership Program, totaling more than 2,000 activities annually. This extensive accreditation review process included submission of extensive documentation, auditing by the ACCME, interviews with Division of Education leadership, and follow-up reviews by the ACCME Committee and ACCME Board of Directors.

Such an honor is awarded only to those providers that move CME into the arena of improving actual practice, identifying factors that impact patient care, implementing strategies to remove barriers to physician change, and participating within a systems-based framework for quality improvement. The College has taken a leading role in these areas, and the ACCME has recognized this with Accreditation with Commendation. View the ACCME website at http://www.accme.org/.

The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) has awarded the American College of Surgeons (ACS) its highest honor—Accreditation with Commendation. In addition to extending the accreditation term to six years (through November 2020), the ACCME presented the College with a special certificate. The ACS thereby joins an elite group of ACCME-accredited organizations that have achieved this honor. This is the first time the College has received this distinction, which is recognition that the College complies with the ACCME Accreditation Criteria and is a leader and innovator in surgical education.

The Division of Education’s Continuous Professional Development Accreditation Section engaged in a four-year self-study of continuing medical education (CME) activities throughout the College, ACS Chapters, and Joint Providership Program, totaling more than 2,000 activities annually. This extensive accreditation review process included submission of extensive documentation, auditing by the ACCME, interviews with Division of Education leadership, and follow-up reviews by the ACCME Committee and ACCME Board of Directors.

Such an honor is awarded only to those providers that move CME into the arena of improving actual practice, identifying factors that impact patient care, implementing strategies to remove barriers to physician change, and participating within a systems-based framework for quality improvement. The College has taken a leading role in these areas, and the ACCME has recognized this with Accreditation with Commendation. View the ACCME website at http://www.accme.org/.

Online registration for the 2015 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP^®) Conference, July 25−28, at the Chicago Hilton, IL, is now open. [http://www.acsnsqipconference.org/] Conference space is limited. The registration fee will be waived for the first two registrants from enrolled ACS NSQIP and Pediatric sites. This waiver does not apply to medical students, residents, and participants in the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program. View the agenda at: http://www.acsnsqipconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/
Agenda_05_07_15.pdf.

Best-selling author Marcus Engel, MS, will deliver a keynote speech, The Other End of the Stethoscope. As a college freshman, Mr. Engel was blinded and nearly killed after being struck by a drunk driver. Following two years of rehabilitation, more than 300 hours of reconstructive facial surgery, and a multitude of life changes, Mr. Engel brings a unique perspective to patient care. Many nursing schools nationwide have used his presentation to teach the fundamentals of caregiving. He is working on his fifth book, Narrative Nursing, to help nurses overcome compassion fatigue and burnout.

Attendees at this 10th ACS NSQIP National Conference will enjoy a wide range of informative workshops, interactive general and breakout sessions on quality improvement, and abundant networking opportunities. For details regarding registration, contact Registration Services at 312-202-5244, or registration@facs.org. For questions about the conference, contact ACS NSQIP staff at 312-202-5261 or nsqipconference@facs.org.

Online registration for the 2015 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP^®) Conference, July 25−28, at the Chicago Hilton, IL, is now open. [http://www.acsnsqipconference.org/] Conference space is limited. The registration fee will be waived for the first two registrants from enrolled ACS NSQIP and Pediatric sites. This waiver does not apply to medical students, residents, and participants in the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program. View the agenda at: http://www.acsnsqipconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/
Agenda_05_07_15.pdf.

Best-selling author Marcus Engel, MS, will deliver a keynote speech, The Other End of the Stethoscope. As a college freshman, Mr. Engel was blinded and nearly killed after being struck by a drunk driver. Following two years of rehabilitation, more than 300 hours of reconstructive facial surgery, and a multitude of life changes, Mr. Engel brings a unique perspective to patient care. Many nursing schools nationwide have used his presentation to teach the fundamentals of caregiving. He is working on his fifth book, Narrative Nursing, to help nurses overcome compassion fatigue and burnout.

Attendees at this 10th ACS NSQIP National Conference will enjoy a wide range of informative workshops, interactive general and breakout sessions on quality improvement, and abundant networking opportunities. For details regarding registration, contact Registration Services at 312-202-5244, or registration@facs.org. For questions about the conference, contact ACS NSQIP staff at 312-202-5261 or nsqipconference@facs.org.

Online registration for the 2015 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP^®) Conference, July 25−28, at the Chicago Hilton, IL, is now open. [http://www.acsnsqipconference.org/] Conference space is limited. The registration fee will be waived for the first two registrants from enrolled ACS NSQIP and Pediatric sites. This waiver does not apply to medical students, residents, and participants in the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program. View the agenda at: http://www.acsnsqipconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/
Agenda_05_07_15.pdf.

Best-selling author Marcus Engel, MS, will deliver a keynote speech, The Other End of the Stethoscope. As a college freshman, Mr. Engel was blinded and nearly killed after being struck by a drunk driver. Following two years of rehabilitation, more than 300 hours of reconstructive facial surgery, and a multitude of life changes, Mr. Engel brings a unique perspective to patient care. Many nursing schools nationwide have used his presentation to teach the fundamentals of caregiving. He is working on his fifth book, Narrative Nursing, to help nurses overcome compassion fatigue and burnout.

Attendees at this 10th ACS NSQIP National Conference will enjoy a wide range of informative workshops, interactive general and breakout sessions on quality improvement, and abundant networking opportunities. For details regarding registration, contact Registration Services at 312-202-5244, or registration@facs.org. For questions about the conference, contact ACS NSQIP staff at 312-202-5261 or nsqipconference@facs.org.

According to results from a study published April 24 online in the Journal for Healthcare Quality, the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP^®) is one of few exemplary clinical data registries currently in use.

The researchers evaluated 153 registries that contained health service and disease outcomes data and found most of the others failed to measure and track outcomes in a meaningful way (http://goo.gl/fOV4Ju).

Data from the ACS NSQIP registry have generated valuable insights about surgical infections, transformed practice, and improved patient outcomes, according to Martin A. Makary, MD, MPH, FACS, senior study investigator and professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore.

Study authors said the hallmarks of a good registry include data that account for differences in patient case complexity across hospitals, broad hospital participation, meaningful measurement of complications, independent data collection, and open access to hospital performance for taxpayer-funded registries.

Investigators found that most other registries studied offered poor data monitoring and reporting, which the investigators said detracts from national efforts to study disease, guide patient choice of optimal treatments, formulate health policies, and track physician and hospital performance.

Dr. Makary noted most registries were underdeveloped, underfunded, and often not based on sound scientific methodology.

According to Heather Lyu, MD, lead author of the study and a research fellow at Johns Hopkins, exemplary registries illustrate the power to improve outcomes and inform best practices.

According to results from a study published April 24 online in the Journal for Healthcare Quality, the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP^®) is one of few exemplary clinical data registries currently in use.

The researchers evaluated 153 registries that contained health service and disease outcomes data and found most of the others failed to measure and track outcomes in a meaningful way (http://goo.gl/fOV4Ju).

Data from the ACS NSQIP registry have generated valuable insights about surgical infections, transformed practice, and improved patient outcomes, according to Martin A. Makary, MD, MPH, FACS, senior study investigator and professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore.

Study authors said the hallmarks of a good registry include data that account for differences in patient case complexity across hospitals, broad hospital participation, meaningful measurement of complications, independent data collection, and open access to hospital performance for taxpayer-funded registries.

Investigators found that most other registries studied offered poor data monitoring and reporting, which the investigators said detracts from national efforts to study disease, guide patient choice of optimal treatments, formulate health policies, and track physician and hospital performance.

Dr. Makary noted most registries were underdeveloped, underfunded, and often not based on sound scientific methodology.

According to Heather Lyu, MD, lead author of the study and a research fellow at Johns Hopkins, exemplary registries illustrate the power to improve outcomes and inform best practices.

According to results from a study published April 24 online in the Journal for Healthcare Quality, the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP^®) is one of few exemplary clinical data registries currently in use.

The researchers evaluated 153 registries that contained health service and disease outcomes data and found most of the others failed to measure and track outcomes in a meaningful way (http://goo.gl/fOV4Ju).

Data from the ACS NSQIP registry have generated valuable insights about surgical infections, transformed practice, and improved patient outcomes, according to Martin A. Makary, MD, MPH, FACS, senior study investigator and professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore.

Study authors said the hallmarks of a good registry include data that account for differences in patient case complexity across hospitals, broad hospital participation, meaningful measurement of complications, independent data collection, and open access to hospital performance for taxpayer-funded registries.

Investigators found that most other registries studied offered poor data monitoring and reporting, which the investigators said detracts from national efforts to study disease, guide patient choice of optimal treatments, formulate health policies, and track physician and hospital performance.

Dr. Makary noted most registries were underdeveloped, underfunded, and often not based on sound scientific methodology.

According to Heather Lyu, MD, lead author of the study and a research fellow at Johns Hopkins, exemplary registries illustrate the power to improve outcomes and inform best practices.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that many physicians billed incorrect place-of-service codes on Medicare Part B claims paid by Medicare contractors. These errors led to approximately $33.4 million in improper payments from January 2010 through September 2012. Specifically, services provided in the facility setting, such as an ambulatory surgery center or hospital outpatient department, were improperly coded as if they were performed in the non-institution or “office” setting. This miscoding resulted in overpayments because Medicare pays a higher rate for services provided in the non-facility setting.

The OIG urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to direct its contractors to:

• Initiate immediate recovery of $7.3 million in potential overpayments

• Monitor the recovery of $7.1 million from 87 physicians who said they would refund their overpayments

• Recover $19 million in potential overpayments identified through a computer match

• Educate physicians and billing personnel about the importance of internal controls to ensure proper place-of-service coding

• Expand and strengthen efforts to perform coordinated data matches of non-facility-coded physician services and facility claims in order to identify physician services that are vulnerable to place-of-service miscoding

• Improve overpayment recovery efforts

More information and the OIG report are available on the HHS website at https://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region1/11300506.pdf.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that many physicians billed incorrect place-of-service codes on Medicare Part B claims paid by Medicare contractors. These errors led to approximately $33.4 million in improper payments from January 2010 through September 2012. Specifically, services provided in the facility setting, such as an ambulatory surgery center or hospital outpatient department, were improperly coded as if they were performed in the non-institution or “office” setting. This miscoding resulted in overpayments because Medicare pays a higher rate for services provided in the non-facility setting.

The OIG urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to direct its contractors to:

• Initiate immediate recovery of $7.3 million in potential overpayments

• Monitor the recovery of $7.1 million from 87 physicians who said they would refund their overpayments

• Recover $19 million in potential overpayments identified through a computer match

• Educate physicians and billing personnel about the importance of internal controls to ensure proper place-of-service coding

• Expand and strengthen efforts to perform coordinated data matches of non-facility-coded physician services and facility claims in order to identify physician services that are vulnerable to place-of-service miscoding

• Improve overpayment recovery efforts

More information and the OIG report are available on the HHS website at https://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region1/11300506.pdf.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that many physicians billed incorrect place-of-service codes on Medicare Part B claims paid by Medicare contractors. These errors led to approximately $33.4 million in improper payments from January 2010 through September 2012. Specifically, services provided in the facility setting, such as an ambulatory surgery center or hospital outpatient department, were improperly coded as if they were performed in the non-institution or “office” setting. This miscoding resulted in overpayments because Medicare pays a higher rate for services provided in the non-facility setting.

The OIG urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to direct its contractors to:

• Initiate immediate recovery of $7.3 million in potential overpayments

• Monitor the recovery of $7.1 million from 87 physicians who said they would refund their overpayments

• Recover $19 million in potential overpayments identified through a computer match

• Educate physicians and billing personnel about the importance of internal controls to ensure proper place-of-service coding

• Expand and strengthen efforts to perform coordinated data matches of non-facility-coded physician services and facility claims in order to identify physician services that are vulnerable to place-of-service miscoding

• Improve overpayment recovery efforts

More information and the OIG report are available on the HHS website at https://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region1/11300506.pdf.

As part of a unique, collaborative effort to address disparities in health care, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH’s) National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) presented the first Symposium on Surgical Disparities Research, May 7-8, in Bethesda, MD. (Find more information about NIMHD at http://www.nimhd.nih.gov/.) Invited thought leaders from throughout the nation attended this meeting to discuss disparities in surgical care, outcomes, and treatment. Leading the program were ACS Past-President L.D. Britt, MD, MPH, DSc(Hon), FACS, FCCM, FRCSEng(Hon), FRCSEd(Hon), FWACS(Hon), FRCSI(Hon), FCS(SA)(Hon), FRCS(Glasg)(Hon), Chair, ACS Committee on Optimal Access; and Irene Dankwa-Mullan, MD, MPH, Acting Deputy Director, Extramural Programs, NIMHD.

The symposium centered on five cross-cutting themes that have been identified as determinants of disparities in surgical outcomes: 1) patient and host factors, 2) systemic factors and access issues, 3) clinical care and quality, 4) provider factors, and 5) postoperative care and rehabilitation. Subject matter experts gave presentations on each topic, and attendees generated research questions and concerns related to each topic, which were then used to develop a set of recommendations on national priorities in surgical disparities research.

Keynote speakers at the symposium included:

• Atul Gawande, MD, MPH, FACS, general surgeon, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; professor, Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School; and executive director, Ariadne Labs, Boston, MA

• ACS Past-President Carlos A. Pellegrini, MD, FACS, FRCSI(Hon), The Henry N. Harkins Professor and Chair, department of surgery, and chair of the board, Institute for Simulation and Interprofessional Studies, University of Washington, Seattle

• Jonathan Woodson, MD, FACS, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Washington, DC

Other speakers included leaders from the ACS, the NIH, other government agencies, and leading academic institutions. Details about the symposium will be published in the Bulletin, which can be accessed at http://bulletin.facs.org.

As part of a unique, collaborative effort to address disparities in health care, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH’s) National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) presented the first Symposium on Surgical Disparities Research, May 7-8, in Bethesda, MD. (Find more information about NIMHD at http://www.nimhd.nih.gov/.) Invited thought leaders from throughout the nation attended this meeting to discuss disparities in surgical care, outcomes, and treatment. Leading the program were ACS Past-President L.D. Britt, MD, MPH, DSc(Hon), FACS, FCCM, FRCSEng(Hon), FRCSEd(Hon), FWACS(Hon), FRCSI(Hon), FCS(SA)(Hon), FRCS(Glasg)(Hon), Chair, ACS Committee on Optimal Access; and Irene Dankwa-Mullan, MD, MPH, Acting Deputy Director, Extramural Programs, NIMHD.

The symposium centered on five cross-cutting themes that have been identified as determinants of disparities in surgical outcomes: 1) patient and host factors, 2) systemic factors and access issues, 3) clinical care and quality, 4) provider factors, and 5) postoperative care and rehabilitation. Subject matter experts gave presentations on each topic, and attendees generated research questions and concerns related to each topic, which were then used to develop a set of recommendations on national priorities in surgical disparities research.

Keynote speakers at the symposium included:

• Atul Gawande, MD, MPH, FACS, general surgeon, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; professor, Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School; and executive director, Ariadne Labs, Boston, MA

• ACS Past-President Carlos A. Pellegrini, MD, FACS, FRCSI(Hon), The Henry N. Harkins Professor and Chair, department of surgery, and chair of the board, Institute for Simulation and Interprofessional Studies, University of Washington, Seattle

• Jonathan Woodson, MD, FACS, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Washington, DC

Other speakers included leaders from the ACS, the NIH, other government agencies, and leading academic institutions. Details about the symposium will be published in the Bulletin, which can be accessed at http://bulletin.facs.org.

As part of a unique, collaborative effort to address disparities in health care, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH’s) National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) presented the first Symposium on Surgical Disparities Research, May 7-8, in Bethesda, MD. (Find more information about NIMHD at http://www.nimhd.nih.gov/.) Invited thought leaders from throughout the nation attended this meeting to discuss disparities in surgical care, outcomes, and treatment. Leading the program were ACS Past-President L.D. Britt, MD, MPH, DSc(Hon), FACS, FCCM, FRCSEng(Hon), FRCSEd(Hon), FWACS(Hon), FRCSI(Hon), FCS(SA)(Hon), FRCS(Glasg)(Hon), Chair, ACS Committee on Optimal Access; and Irene Dankwa-Mullan, MD, MPH, Acting Deputy Director, Extramural Programs, NIMHD.

The symposium centered on five cross-cutting themes that have been identified as determinants of disparities in surgical outcomes: 1) patient and host factors, 2) systemic factors and access issues, 3) clinical care and quality, 4) provider factors, and 5) postoperative care and rehabilitation. Subject matter experts gave presentations on each topic, and attendees generated research questions and concerns related to each topic, which were then used to develop a set of recommendations on national priorities in surgical disparities research.

Keynote speakers at the symposium included:

• Atul Gawande, MD, MPH, FACS, general surgeon, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; professor, Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School; and executive director, Ariadne Labs, Boston, MA

• ACS Past-President Carlos A. Pellegrini, MD, FACS, FRCSI(Hon), The Henry N. Harkins Professor and Chair, department of surgery, and chair of the board, Institute for Simulation and Interprofessional Studies, University of Washington, Seattle

• Jonathan Woodson, MD, FACS, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Washington, DC

Other speakers included leaders from the ACS, the NIH, other government agencies, and leading academic institutions. Details about the symposium will be published in the Bulletin, which can be accessed at http://bulletin.facs.org.

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (Alliance) present the first comprehensive, evidence-based examination of cancer surgery techniques that are critical to achieve optimal outcomes in a cancer operation. Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery, published in June by Wolters Kluwer, is a unique manual that focuses on best practices for breast, colon, lung, and pancreatic surgery, describing the surgical procedures that occur between skin incision and skin closure that directly affect cancer outcomes. The effort to develop a manual that details the critical elements of cancer surgery was first envisioned by Heidi Nelson, MD, FACS, Fred C. Andersen Professor and vice-chair, research, department of surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

The textbook has been the main focus of the Cancer Care Standards Development Committee for the last three years, led by Kelly Hunt, MD, FACS, professor, department of surgical oncology, division of surgery, and chief, breast surgical oncology section, department of surgical oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, and Program Director of the Alliance/ACS Clinical Research Program.

The manual provides concrete recommendations based on evidence of the proper conduct of operations and detailed information on the oncologic principles, avoidable pitfalls, and the quality of the evidence supporting the recommendations. Randomized trials have not addressed all components of operations within each disease site, Operative Standards draws on the experience and consensus opinion of the experts writing the individual chapters. Identifying the lack of evidence on certain topics has been an unintended consequence of writing this manual, and has galvanized the authors to establish standards. More than 120 surgeons contributed to the publication of this first edition, making it the best resource available on the proper conduct of an operation for cancer of the breast, colon, lung, and pancreas.

The authors describe several common but important operative procedures within each disease site. The manual focuses on oncologic fundamentals and critical elements in the conduct of the operation and intraoperative decision-making but it is not a surgical atlas. In addition, the participants identify controversies and pose several key questions that are analyzed with a systematic review of current literature. These questions might serve as the basis for a new clinical trial within each disease site. A leadership committee consisting of a section editor, a methodologist, and an art/illustrations editor reviewed each disease group. Surgeons with expertise in each disease site were recruited from national societies and cooperative groups to ensure broad representation. The authors also invited international experts to participate in each section. Much of the initial work was accomplished through conference calls followed by collaborative writing over a period of one-and-a-half years. This work culminated with a textbook, which will also be available online.

Anticipating continued evolution in surgical oncology, these initial four disease site sections will be updated every two to three years. Planning is already under way for the second edition of this manual and will include procedures in melanoma, gastric cancer, esophageal cancer, rectal cancer, and thyroid cancer.

Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery is available to order at http://www.lww.com/acs. Purchasers of the print edition will also receive the bundled interactive eBook edition, offering tablet, smartphone, or online access.

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (Alliance) present the first comprehensive, evidence-based examination of cancer surgery techniques that are critical to achieve optimal outcomes in a cancer operation. Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery, published in June by Wolters Kluwer, is a unique manual that focuses on best practices for breast, colon, lung, and pancreatic surgery, describing the surgical procedures that occur between skin incision and skin closure that directly affect cancer outcomes. The effort to develop a manual that details the critical elements of cancer surgery was first envisioned by Heidi Nelson, MD, FACS, Fred C. Andersen Professor and vice-chair, research, department of surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

The textbook has been the main focus of the Cancer Care Standards Development Committee for the last three years, led by Kelly Hunt, MD, FACS, professor, department of surgical oncology, division of surgery, and chief, breast surgical oncology section, department of surgical oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, and Program Director of the Alliance/ACS Clinical Research Program.

The manual provides concrete recommendations based on evidence of the proper conduct of operations and detailed information on the oncologic principles, avoidable pitfalls, and the quality of the evidence supporting the recommendations. Randomized trials have not addressed all components of operations within each disease site, Operative Standards draws on the experience and consensus opinion of the experts writing the individual chapters. Identifying the lack of evidence on certain topics has been an unintended consequence of writing this manual, and has galvanized the authors to establish standards. More than 120 surgeons contributed to the publication of this first edition, making it the best resource available on the proper conduct of an operation for cancer of the breast, colon, lung, and pancreas.

The authors describe several common but important operative procedures within each disease site. The manual focuses on oncologic fundamentals and critical elements in the conduct of the operation and intraoperative decision-making but it is not a surgical atlas. In addition, the participants identify controversies and pose several key questions that are analyzed with a systematic review of current literature. These questions might serve as the basis for a new clinical trial within each disease site. A leadership committee consisting of a section editor, a methodologist, and an art/illustrations editor reviewed each disease group. Surgeons with expertise in each disease site were recruited from national societies and cooperative groups to ensure broad representation. The authors also invited international experts to participate in each section. Much of the initial work was accomplished through conference calls followed by collaborative writing over a period of one-and-a-half years. This work culminated with a textbook, which will also be available online.

Anticipating continued evolution in surgical oncology, these initial four disease site sections will be updated every two to three years. Planning is already under way for the second edition of this manual and will include procedures in melanoma, gastric cancer, esophageal cancer, rectal cancer, and thyroid cancer.

Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery is available to order at http://www.lww.com/acs. Purchasers of the print edition will also receive the bundled interactive eBook edition, offering tablet, smartphone, or online access.

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (Alliance) present the first comprehensive, evidence-based examination of cancer surgery techniques that are critical to achieve optimal outcomes in a cancer operation. Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery, published in June by Wolters Kluwer, is a unique manual that focuses on best practices for breast, colon, lung, and pancreatic surgery, describing the surgical procedures that occur between skin incision and skin closure that directly affect cancer outcomes. The effort to develop a manual that details the critical elements of cancer surgery was first envisioned by Heidi Nelson, MD, FACS, Fred C. Andersen Professor and vice-chair, research, department of surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

The textbook has been the main focus of the Cancer Care Standards Development Committee for the last three years, led by Kelly Hunt, MD, FACS, professor, department of surgical oncology, division of surgery, and chief, breast surgical oncology section, department of surgical oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, and Program Director of the Alliance/ACS Clinical Research Program.

The manual provides concrete recommendations based on evidence of the proper conduct of operations and detailed information on the oncologic principles, avoidable pitfalls, and the quality of the evidence supporting the recommendations. Randomized trials have not addressed all components of operations within each disease site, Operative Standards draws on the experience and consensus opinion of the experts writing the individual chapters. Identifying the lack of evidence on certain topics has been an unintended consequence of writing this manual, and has galvanized the authors to establish standards. More than 120 surgeons contributed to the publication of this first edition, making it the best resource available on the proper conduct of an operation for cancer of the breast, colon, lung, and pancreas.

The authors describe several common but important operative procedures within each disease site. The manual focuses on oncologic fundamentals and critical elements in the conduct of the operation and intraoperative decision-making but it is not a surgical atlas. In addition, the participants identify controversies and pose several key questions that are analyzed with a systematic review of current literature. These questions might serve as the basis for a new clinical trial within each disease site. A leadership committee consisting of a section editor, a methodologist, and an art/illustrations editor reviewed each disease group. Surgeons with expertise in each disease site were recruited from national societies and cooperative groups to ensure broad representation. The authors also invited international experts to participate in each section. Much of the initial work was accomplished through conference calls followed by collaborative writing over a period of one-and-a-half years. This work culminated with a textbook, which will also be available online.

Anticipating continued evolution in surgical oncology, these initial four disease site sections will be updated every two to three years. Planning is already under way for the second edition of this manual and will include procedures in melanoma, gastric cancer, esophageal cancer, rectal cancer, and thyroid cancer.

Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery is available to order at http://www.lww.com/acs. Purchasers of the print edition will also receive the bundled interactive eBook edition, offering tablet, smartphone, or online access.