Congress Gets to Work Following Historical Swearing-In Day for the 116th Congress
With the U.S. House of Representatives switching to Democratic control for the first time since 2010, and the Republicans gaining seats in the Senate, the voters in the 2018 midterm elections pulled the lever for divided government. While on election day it was more purple rain, than a blue wave, as more races were called, […]
MIPS, Cost Measures and Innovation from a Neurosurgical Perspective
Clemens M. Schirmer, MD, PhD, FAANS, FACS, FAHA Vice-Chair, AANS/CNS Communications and Public Relations Committee Geisinger Wilkes Barre, PA The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) is a law that reformed the Medicare payment system by repealing the sustainable growth rate formula (SGR), which calculated payment cuts for physicians. It also created […]
Unnecessary Regulatory Burden: Appropriate Use Criteria for Advanced Diagnostic Imaging
Ann R. Stroink, MD, CPE, FAANS Chair, AANS/CNS Washington Committee System Medical Director, Neurosciences Quality and Educational Program Development Senior Neurosurgeon CINHS Central Illinois Neuro Health Science Bloomington, IL Ordering X-rays or other diagnostic imaging used to be purposeful and easy. Physicians, whether primary care or specialists, would see the patient, take a history and perform a […]
Faces of Neurosurgery: Dr. Ann Stroink, a Tireless Advocate
Guest post from Kristopher T. Kimmell, MD (left) Neurosurgeon at North Kansas City Hospital/Meritas Health North Kansas City, MO Tyler Martin Schmidt, DO (middle) Neurosurgical Resident at University of Rochester Medical Center Rochester, NY Gabrielle Santangelo (right) Medical Student at University of Rochester Medical Center Rochester, NY Patients often face difficult decisions regarding their health, […]
The Rush to Limit Opioid Prescribing
Christopher J. Winfree, MD, FAANS Department of Neurological Surgery, Columbia University New York, NY Ever since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed in 2010, there has been increased attention paid to the use of opioids to treat chronic pain in America. Much of this has been in response to a worsening opioid crisis for […]
The Nation’s Opioid Epidemic — Continued Advocacy Needed to Turn the Tide
Guest Post from Patrice A. Harris, MD, MA Chair, AMA Opioid Task Force Atlanta, GA It is a basic tenet of physician leadership that we run toward an emergency. We evaluate the situation, make an initial diagnosis, and pursue interventions consistent with our education and training. This is as true for clinical practice as it […]
Repealing IPAB: Bipartisan Health Care Reform We Can All Agree On
Guest post from Representative Phil Roe, MD (R-Tenn.) Chair, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Member, House Education and Workforce Committee Chair, House GOP Doc Caucus As a physician who has lived through a massive expansion of Medicaid in my home state of Tennessee, I have had serious concerns about the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) effect […]
AANS and CNS Release 2017 Legislative and Regulatory Agenda
On February 14, 2017 the AANS and CNS released their 2017 legislative and regulatory agenda, which includes action items such as improving the health care delivery system, abolishing the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), expanding support for graduate medical education, alleviating the medical liability crisis and restructuring Medicare’s quality improvement programs. To read the full […]
Summer’s End
Guest Post from Deborah L. Benzil, MD, FACS, FAANS Chair, AANS/CNS Communications and Public Relations Committee Care Mount Medical Group Columbia University Medical Center Mt Kisco, New York Summer’s End Apples crisp and red fill Farmer’s Markets School corridors echo with new shoe squeak Cooling evenings draw in fast while Gridirons fill with collegiate cheer […]
Spotlighting Medical Resident Training and Education: GME Month
Deborah L. Benzil, MD, FACS, FAANS, AANS (right) Chair, AANS/CNS Communications and Public Relations Committee Mount Kismo Medical Group Columbia University Medical Center Mt Kisco, New York Graduate medical education (GME) provides the essential foundation for the future of medicine, including neurosurgery. As such, Neurosurgery Blog will devote the month of March to a comprehensive […]