Heart Rhythm Daily - Day 1, 2008 - (Page 4)

M AY 1 4 – 1 5 , 2 0 0 8 4 WE D N E S DAY / T H U R S DAY members, industry and the FDA. Clinical cardiac electrophysiology is a dynamic ﬁeld that has undergone substantial changes over the past decade. One area where this is most evident is the advent of remote monitoring of pacemakers and deﬁbrillators. Many related CPT codes were developed years ago. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) mandated an update of these codes and asked the Society to lead this effort in collaboration with the American College of Cardiology. New codes were developed to address this challenging problem and were evaluated by members who volunteered their time. The new codes have been submitted to the American Medical Association to assign relative value units for reimbursement. This was an important accomplishment for the Society, as it will affect practices for years to come. Another timely issue is that CMS recently hired outside contractors to review admissions for pacemakers and defibrillators. Based on criteria that are not in the public domain, the contractors retrospectively reassigned patients from inpatient to outpatient admission status. One of our concerns is that these decisions may adversely impact the quality of care. Society leadership has engaged CMS to discuss guidelines that will distinguish inpatient and outpatient procedures. We hope these efforts will ensure an emphasis on safety as well as cost effectiveness. The Heart Rhythm Foundation underwent signiﬁcant change this past year to serve our shared interests as we move forward. The new mission of the Foundation is to enhance the prevention and treatment of cardiac rhythm disorders by supporting the research, education and advocacy efforts of the Heart Rhythm Society. Its goal is to promote a culture of giving in service to this mission. We have many opportunities to contribute to valuable programs that will beneﬁt our patients. I urge you to donate to the Heart Rhythm Foundation and to make this philanthropic commitment a priority in years to come. This year, the Society began a major strategic planning initiative involving an extensive survey of members and non-members to assess the changes and developments in the ﬁeld. The data from this effort will help inform the work of our Strategic Planning Task Force — under the leadership of Mark Estes, MD, FHRS — where we will chart the course for the organization for the next ﬁve years. Recommendations from the ﬁrst strategic planning conference, which took place in 2001, led to changes in the name of the organization, a streamlined committee structure, the journal HeartRhythm, and expansion of other member beneﬁts. After a year of many accomplishments, we are positioned to provide strategic support for our members and the ﬁeld of heart rhythm disorders. It has been my great privilege to work with Mark Estes, MD, FHRS; Richard Page, MD, FHRS; Douglas Packer MD, FHRS; the Committee Chairs; James Youngblood, CEO; and the Society staff, all of whom are dedicated to the mission and work of the Society. As I pass the helm of leadership on to my friend and colleague, Mark Estes, MD, FHRS, for 2008-2009, I am pleased to know we can depend on his thoughtful and innovative leadership to further our successes and advancement of our mission. Sincerely, Bruce Lindsay, MD, FHRS President, Heart Rhythm Society President, continued from page 1 abruptly off the market earlier this year, the Society advised the manufacturer to make the transition more gradual so that physicians would have the time to identify alternative therapies. When an ICD lead failure occurred, the Society worked to make the issue transparent and sponsored an audio conference for attendees to discuss their concerns with a panel of experts who provided additional guidance for management of this problem. Moreover, we have formed a task force to develop a consensus document providing additional guidance to Presents: Lead Extraction 2008: Critical Review and Implementation of HRS Guidelines Grand Ballroom | InterContinental San Francisco | San Francisco, CA May 15, 2008 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm Official Satellite Symposium This program is not part of the Heart Rhythms 2008 Ofﬁcial Scientiﬁc Sessions as planned by the Heart Rhythm Society Program Committee. Co-Sponsored By SM Agenda THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2008 6:30 pm 7:15 pm 7:20 pm Registration and Reception Welcome and Introduction Bruce Wilkoff, MD Deﬁnitions and Indications: Procedures, Successes, Complications, Indications Charles Love, MD Training and Facilities Oussama Wazni, MD Devices and Techniques Bruce Wilkoff, MD Outcomes and Quality Measures Laurence Epstein, MD Coding and Reimbursement George Crossley, MD Perspectives on Device and Lead Safety Alerts Charles Byrd, MD Panel Discussion: Question and Answers All Faculty Adjourn 7:35 pm 7:50 pm 8:05 pm Future continued from page 1 8:20 pm 8:30 pm 8:40 pm 9:30 pm Acknowledgements The Cleveland Clinic Center for Continuing Education acknowledges educational grants for support of this activity from: Boston Scientiﬁc • Cook Vascular, Inc. • Medtronic • Spectranetics St. Jude Medical, Inc. Biotronik, Inc. • ELA Medical, Inc. “translator.” Scientists will present the latest discoveries, and the translator will highlight the clinical signiﬁcance of the science for the clinicians in the audience. Abstracts Plus offers a similar format, with oral presentations followed by an expert discussion of their clinical relevance. Dr. Page said he hopes this focus on the clinical signiﬁcance of each scientiﬁc discovery will make these sessions even more valuable to those who attend. “Once again the Scientific Sessions program committee has produced the most comprehensive educational meeting for anyone involved in the ﬁeld of heart rhythm management, and attendees will gain new insights that will enhance their careers and patient care,” Dr. Page added. http://www.ccfcme.org/hrs08leads

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Heart Rhythm Daily - Day 1, 2008

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