APMA News - April 2012 - (Page 27)

weeks this National Residency Facilitation Initiative has been in place. The response has been phenomenal. We have had substantive discussions with more than 30 hospitals about starting PMSRs. Let’s assume 15 of those fall by the wayside. Of the other 15, probably only half will ultimately start a program. But if we can plant the seeds for seven programs in 10 weeks, this problem will be resolved in not too terribly long. The money CMS allows through GME reimbursement for a resident is the same whether you’re training a firstyear podiatry resident or a fifth-year neurosurgery resident. The residency director achieves more visibility within the facility, increases referrals, receives a salary, and may even receive employee benefits such as health care, pensions, and vacation time. APMA NEWS: How will you engage various stakeholders in meeting those goals? DR. WOLF: All the stakeholders have been extremely helpful. Many have helped finance the effort, and others are helping us get the word out. We’re engaging everyone by reminding them of the importance of this initiative and how it directly affects each stakeholder. the podiatrist who chooses to develop and run that program. It means being compensated in line with other residency training directors at that institution. The money CMS allows through GME reimbursement for a resident is the same whether you’re training a first-year podiatry resident or a fifth-year neurosurgery resident. The residency director achieves more visibility within the facility, increases referrals, receives a salary, and may even receive employee benefits such as health care, pensions, and vacation time. The days of serving as a residency director out of pure altruism are over. The financial rewards can be a significant adjunct to your practice income. I’m letting podiatrists know we need to hear from them. We can help you start a program. We’ll provide you with the tools to help you work with your hospital administration. In many cases, we’re able to tell you exactly how much money a hospital would receive for a resident. This information gives you the ability to speak intelligently to an administrator. We’ll help you file CPME 309 [Application for Provisional Approval] and review the application before it is submitted to try to ensure it’s not rejected for problems with the application. We can help you evaluate facility resources to see whether the facility can support a residency program. APMA NEWS: What are the greatest obstacles to creating new residency programs and positions? DR. WOLF: A lack of understanding of the process is the biggest obstacle. Certainly starting a residency program does require some time and energy and effort, but it’s not all that obtrusive. It’s an investment that pays off in leaps and bounds, not only in actual dollars, but in the personal satisfaction of being able to educate the next generation and shape the way podiatric medicine and surgery is practiced nationwide. APMA NEWS: Tell us about your plan of action. DR. WOLF: First of all, we’re educating the general population of podiatrists around the country and trying to find venues to speak to as many podiatrists as we can at once. I have to thank PICA [Podiatry Insurance Company of America] for allowing me a few moments at the beginning of its risk management seminars to talk to podiatrists about the personal benefits of starting, developing, and running residency training programs. PICA’s generosity allows me to speak to attendees at major meetings without taking up time for continuing medical education, and it speaks to the commitment of PICA to podiatric medical education. We’re reaching podiatrists on a personal level. A PMSR program can bring in new GME funding (versus allopathic and osteopathic programs that are capped). Many hospitals earn more than $200,000 per resident per year. If a hospital starts a program with two positions, in a few years, that amounts to $1.2 million in GME money that the hospital wouldn’t have otherwise had. That’s great for the hospital. It’s also great for APMA NEWS: How can APMA members get involved? DR. WOLF: If they have interest, talk to us. Contact me at ewolf@ aacpm.org or 212-874-0609. We need them to point us to places where we can help develop programs. We need to know where the gold is buried so we can go mine it. APMA NEWS: What else should APMA News readers know? DR. WOLF: All of the parties of interest are acutely aware of the situation. No one has their head buried in the sand. We’re facing this problem and dealing with it head on, and we’re going to make it go away through positive action. Everybody who practices is a stakeholder, and every stakeholder has to pull on the same side of the rope. If everybody does, the problem will be rectified sooner rather than later, but if everyone thinks it’s someone else’s problem, the job will never get done. n APMA News April 2012 27

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of APMA News - April 2012

APMA News - April 2012
In This Issue
Contents
Gen Z and myFEET
Dr. Caporusso’s Inaugural Speech to the House of Delegates
The Nuts and Bolts of Your House
Residency Genesis: A Priority for the Profession
Forum Builds Profession-wide Consensus on Student Recruitment
APMA By the Decade: 1942–1951
Profiles in Progress: Postgraduate Education
2011 Podiatric Practice Survey: Insurance Plan Participation
Infection Control Issues in the Podiatric Setting
Committee Member Acknowledgements
Federal Advocacy Forum
APMAPAC Chair Report
IT Consultant
Visit the Nation’s Capital for The National
Annual Scientific Meeting Preliminary Program
Annual Scientific Meeting Registration Form
Annual Scientific Meeting Sponsors
Website Wisdom
Technofile
Small Business 101
APMA All Stars
In Short
Worthy of Note
Affiliates Corner
List of Affiliated Organizations
Insurance Advisor
New Members
Death Notices
APMAPAC Update
Development Update
Awards Nominations
Classified Advertising
Dates to Remember
Advertising Index
10 Questions
Your APMA

APMA News - April 2012