For Immediate Release September 10, 1997
CONTACT:
M.J. Fingland
Laura Gore
(202) 728-0610, ext. 3006
Emergency Physicians to Hold Major Convention in San Francisco: Focus on Clinical and Technological Innovations, the Future of Emergency Medicine, and Managed Care
Washington, D.C.óThe American College of Emergency Physicians, a medical specialty association of more than 19,000 members, will hold its premier annual conventionóScientific Assemblyófrom Thursday, October 16, until Sunday, October 19, in San Francisco, California. As the world's most comprehensive forum for emergency medicine education, the convention will consist of 4 days of curriculum with more than 240 presentations, more than 500 exhibits, and a Research Forum that will present poster and oral presentations of original emergency medicine research.
Over 3,000 physicians and expert speakers from across the nation will attend the courses designed to address issues of vital concern to emergency physicians and sharpen clinical skills by giving the most relevant, leading-edge information on issues, topics, and techniques in emergency medicine, as well as indepth coverage on the latest clinical controversies. More than 70 of the courses are new, including Widgets and Gadgets in the Emergency Department; Emergency Medicine in the 21st Century (James D. Mills Memorial Lecture, the course selected as the most significant this year to emergency medicine ); and Reimbursement 1997: An Update, which will explain the major changes in Health Care Financing Agency guidelines that physicians must comply with to be reimbursed for Medicare services.
Mark Shields of the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer will address the opening session of Scientific Assembly on Thursday, and Ricardo Martinez, M.D., an emergency physician and Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will speak that night on "A New Vision for the Role of Emergency Medical Services" and "The Emphasis on Injury Prevention." ACEP also will hold a news conference on domestic violence at 12 noon on Friday, October 17. In addition, Annals of Emergency Medicine, ACEP's science journal, will be celebrating its 25th anniversary by showcasing its history at its booth in the center of the exhibit hall. (Editors [previous and current] of the journal also will be available to do interviews.)
Members of the news media are invited to attend all the sessions and courses, and media registration fees are waived. News media can pre-register for the convention by completing a media registration form and faxing it (fax number: [202] 728-0617). or mailing it by September 30 to the American College of Emergency Physicians, 1111 19th Street, N.W., Suite 650, Washington, D.C., 20036-3603. Onsite registration for the news media will be available at the Media Office, Room 228, at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco.
Telephones and a fax machine will be available at the Media Workroom in Room 230 at the Moscone Convention Center. Both offices will be open during the following hours:
Wednesday, October 15--3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 16--7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Friday, October 17--7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 18--7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 19--7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Members of the news media are also invited to participate in social functions (fees not waived), as well as participate in tours or use child care, by faxing or mailing completed forms to the sponsoring companies listed on the top of the form.
The convention and on-site registration will be held at the Moscone Convention Center, located at 747 Howard Street, 94103, (415) 974-4000. Some courses will be held at the San Francisco Marriott Hotel, located at 55 Fourth Street, San Francisco, California, 95103, 1 block away from the convention center, (415) 896-1600.
Attached are highlights from the course, a detailed program brochure, and a media registration form. To arrange for an interview (telephone or on-site) before or during the convention, with an ACEP member, contact ACEP's Public Relations Department at (202) 728-0610, ext. 3006.
# # #
Scientific Assembly 1997: Program highlights October 16-19, 1997
Presented by the American College of Emergency Physicians
The American College of Emergency Physicians will hold its premier annual conventionó Scientific Assemblyófrom Thursday, October 16, until Sunday, October 19, in San Francisco, California. Courses will focus on the future of emergency medicine, clinical and technological innovations, administration of emergency medicine, and issues that affect the speciality, such as managed care. Detailed program brochure and media registration forms can be obtained by contacting ACEP's Public Relations Department at (202) 728-0610, ext. 3006. The following are highlights from the program:
Future of Emergency Medicine Courses
Emergency Medicine in the 21st Century (James D. Mills Memorial Lecture). (David K. Wagner, M.D.) As one of the founders of the specialty of emergency medicine, Dr. Wagner will discuss how the specialty is evolving in response to managed care, its rapid growth over the past 30 years, and the challenges it will face in the 21st century. Dr. Wagner is founder and past president of the American Board of Emergency Medicine, former president of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, and former delegate of the American Board of Medial Specialties. (Friday, October 17, 5:00 p.m. to 5:55 p.m.)
The Emergency Department of the Future. (William H. Cordell, M.D., and Todd B. Taylor, M.D.) What are the compelling forces driving information technologies in clinical medicine? The course will dispel some of the mystery behind medical computing and look at what can (and cannot) be done with today's technology. It also will present and demonstrate new technologies that provide a glimpse of the future of emergency medical computing. (Thursday, October 16, 9:00 a.m. to 10:55 a.m.)
The Future of Emergency Medicine: What Will We Look Like in the New Millennium? (Gregory L. Henry, M.D.) Health care in America is changing dramatically and rapidly, and emergency medicine will play a central role in future health care systems. The course explores what changes will occur and what impacts they will have on emergency medicine. (Friday, October 17, 12:30 p.m. to 2:25 p.m.)
Widgets and Gadgets in the Emergency Department. (William K. Mallon, M.D.) Devices to aid emergency physician in daily practice are introduced every day, but how many of them really are useful? The course explores the array of devices on the market, including ErCO2 monitors and pulse oximeters, endotracheal tube position checkers, wound cleaning aids, and endotracheal tube placers and keepers and evaluates their usefulness (or not-so-usefulness) to emergency medicine. (Friday, October 17, 8:00 a.m. to 9:55 a.m.)
Bedside Imaging for the Emergency Physician. New devices and techniques are available to aid the physician in imaging at the bedside. This course will examine some of these, including bedside fluoroscopy, ultrasound, and echocardiography. (Thursday, October 16, 3:00 p.m. to 3:55 p.m.)
EMS Future Trends: Expanded Scope or Taxi Service? Should paramedics be trained to perform more tasks in the field, such as immunizations and suturing, before bringing patients to the hospital? Or should they stop doing those treatments that have not been scientifically shown to benefit patients? The course will describe some of the potential roles of the EMT of the future and discuss some common prehospital interventions. (Friday, October 17, 10:00 a.m. to 11:55 a.m.)
Clinical Courses: Clinical and Technological Innovations
Abdominal Catastrophes: Case Presentations. (Robert A. Bitterman, M.D., J.D.) Abdominal pain is a common complaint in the emergency department, and its causes can present diagnostic dilemmas. Through case presentations and discussion, the course will assist emergency physicians in making appropriate diagnoses and using appropriate treatments. (Friday, October 17, 12:30 p.m. to 2:25 p.m.)
Aortic Disasters: Diagnosis, Imaging Techniques, and Management. (Howard A. Bessen, M.D.) Patients with acute aortic pathology range from the subtle to the dramatic. The course will discuss usual and unusual clinical presentations of aortic aneurysms and dissections, compare the merits and shortcomings of diagnostic tests available for diagnosing, and treatments that should begin in the emergency department. (Sunday, October 19, 8:00 a.m. to 8:55 a.m.)
Clinical Pearls From the Recent Medical Literature. (Richard Bukata, M.D., and Jerome R. Hoffman, M.A., M.D.) Nationally recognized faculty will review and analyze the most significant emergency medicine studies published during the past 2 years. Each article will be critically reviewed to determine its relevance and implications for clinical practice, as well as its limitations. (Thursday, October 16, 3:00 p.m. to 5:55 p.m.)
Could You Use These New Cardiac Drugs in Your Practice? (Eric R. Snoey, M.D.) New cardiovascular drugs, including IV ACE inhibitors, fl-blockers for congestive heart failure, and medications for ventricular tachycardia and atrial fibrillation may be useful in emergency medicine. The course will review the literature for new cardiovascular drugs, compare the drugs to currently available medications, and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. (Thursday, October 16, 3:00 p.m. to 3:55 p.m.)
Current Controversies in the Management of TIA. (Russ Harris, M.D.) Recently developed practical guidelines recommend admission for most patients with transient ischemic attacks, but the realities of the managed care environment can make this difficult. The course will analyze the literature that supports the guidelines and discuss the controversies in managing TIA, including evaluation and admission criteria. (Thursday, October 16, 9:00 a.m. to 9:55 a.m.)
Management of the Acute Myocardial Infarction: Thrombolytic Agents and Acute Interventional Centers. (James W. Hoekstra, M.D.) The standard of care for managing acute myocardial infarction is continuously evolving. The course will discuss the indications and contraindications for thrombolytic agents and angioplasty, explain the different types of thrombolytic agents and their clinical differences, and review recent literature regarding state-of-the-art clinical management of acute myocardial infarction. (Friday, October 17, 3:00 p.m. to 4:55 p.m.)
New Concepts in Management of Unstable Angina. (Mel Herbert, MBBS, M.D.) New research has emerged that challenges concepts of how unstable angina should be managed. The course will review the current literature and compare interventions, discuss the pros and cons of various evaluation and treatment strategies, and distinguish which treatments are most effective. (Saturday, October 18, 9:00 a.m. to 9:55 a.m.)
Pediatric Literature Update: Will These Articles Change Your Practice? (Richard M. Cantor, M.D.) Emergency physicians are constantly faced with the dilemma of keeping up with expanding emergency medicine literature. The course is designed to review pediatric emergency medicine literature for the past 12 months and discuss articles that will impact practice, as well as significant trends and changes. (Thursday, October 16, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.)
SPEED in the Emergency Department (Without Sacrificing Quality). (Todd L. Beed., M.D.) Speed is increasingly demanded from emergency physicians when people's lives are at stake, but is it the same as efficiency, and does fast care sacrifice quality? The course will present 21 practical ways to improve speed and describe systems that will allow emergency physicians to excel in time-oriented environments. (Sunday, October 19, 10:00 a.m. to 10:55 a.m.)
New and Resurgent Infectious Diseases. (David A. Talon, M.D.) The course will explore the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of emerging new infectious diseases and old infections that are reappearing, including Hantavirus, tuberculosis, "killer" Streptococcus, malaria, E coli O 157:H7, rabies, and Helicobacter. (Friday, October 17, 12:30 p.m. to 2:25 p.m.)
Pain Management in the Emergency Department. (Robert S. Hockberger, M.D.) Pain is the most common complaint of patients presenting for acute care. The course will discuss the need to ensure that emergency department patient receive adequate pain medication and both the pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic methods for relieving pain effectively and efficiently. (Saturday, October 18, 8:00 a.m. to 9:55 a.m.)
Trauma Triage: Community Hospitals or Trauma Centers? (Lee W. Shockley, M.D.) Should all patients be taken to trauma centers, and does trauma designation create centers of cost or centers of care? The course will examine the options of trauma triage from community hospitals to tertiary trauma centers and the consequences in patient care, cost, and legal risk. (Saturday, October 18, 4:00 p.m. to 4:55 p.m.)
Uses and Abuses of Blood Products. (Steven Lelyveld, M.D.) Although potentially lifesaving, the use of blood products can be associated with short- and long-term complications. The course will discuss new blood substitutes that may be useful in the emergency department, indications for using them, and their potential complications. (Saturday, October 18, 3:00 p.m. to 3:55 p.m.)
What You Should Know About Antibiotic Overuse and Resistant Organisms. (Gregory J. Moran, M.D.). Bacteria are constantly developing ways to defeat the best antibiotics. The course will review the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and discuss many of the specific bacteria and clinical settings in which this is becoming a problem. (Friday, October 17, 4:00 p.m. to 4:55 p.m.)
Flesh-Eating Bacteria! Necrotizing Soft-Tissue Infections. (Carl M. Ferraro, M.D.). How can a necrotizing infection be distinguished from routine cellulitis? The course will explore both simple and complex soft-tissue infections, including necrotizing fasciitis and gangrene; identify factors that distinguish life- or limb-threatening infections from routine cellulitis; and recommend antimicrobial therapy and other beneficial treatments, including surgical intervention and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. (Sunday, October 19, 10:00 a.m. to 10:55 a.m.)
HIV-Related Emergencies. (Gregory J. Moran, M.D.) The patient with AIDS often presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges to emergency physicians. The course will address the evaluation of complaints in HIV-positive patients in emergency situations, identify usual and unusual complications of AIDS, and highlight management of HIV-related abdominal emergencies. (Thursday, October 16, 3 p.m. to 4:55 p.m.)
Administration of Emergency Medicine Courses
Reimbursement 1997: An Update. (Caral Edelberg) The course will discuss new Health Care Financing Agency guidelines that will result in major changes in how doctors must submit claims for reimbursement for Medicare services, effective October 1, 1997 (grace period ends January 1998). The course also will describe how the guidelines for documenting physical examinations will affect the way these examinations are performed and in turn reimbursed. (Thursday, October 16, 4:00 p.m. to 4:55 p.m.)
Reengineering the Emergency Department: An Award-Winning Case Study. (John M. Geesbreght, M.D., M.S.; Lindy Rose, R.N., B.S.; Ralph Baine, R.N.) What does it take to reengineer an emergency department? Dr. Geesbreght, winner of a Quality Cup award from the Rochester Institute of Technology and USA Today, will present steps for successfully reengineering an emergency department and discuss significant improvements that can be achieved. (Thursday, October 16, 9:00 a.m. to 10:55 a.m.)
Change Management: Essential Adaptations for Survival in Emergency Medicine. (Thom A. Mayer, M.D.) As the pace of change in health care accelerates, applying certain principles of change management can substantially benefit the emergency department. The course will introduce modern management concepts of reengineering and practical strategies for implementing them. It also will discuss how change impacts providers and how to manage it productively. (Friday, October 17, 8:00 a.m. to 9:55 a.m.)
Managed Care-Related Courses
Federal COBRA/EMTALA Law and You: Avoid the Snake's Bite. (Robert A. Bitterman, M.D., J.D.) Ensuring compliance with COBRA/EMTALA requirements has become even more difficult in the era of managed care. The course will review the latest regulations and provide guidance on how to ensure compliance. It also will provide an update on ACEP's efforts to modify the law, describe HCFA's new COBRA/EMTALA regulations, and discuss the conflict between COBRA/EMTALA and the requirements of managed care organizations. (Thursday, October 16, 12:30 p.m. to 2:25 p.m.)
Pitfalls of Contracting With Managed Care: Advanced Case Studies. (J. Stephen Bohan, M.D.) Managed care can be a complex area when it comes to emergency medicine. The course will explain different approaches to contracting with managed care entities, provide successful strategies for working in a managed care environment, and list practical strategies for dealing with the more complicated aspects of managed care, including capitation and integration. (Saturday, October 18, 9:00 a.m. to 9:55 a.m.)
EMTALA Townhall Meeting. (Larry A. Bedard, M.D., president of ACEP; Charlotte Yeh, M.D.; and Robert A. Bitterman, M.D., J.D.) The panel will report on the progress of the EMTALA Working Group, sponsored by the Health Care Financing Administration to develop new guidelines for enforcing the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. ACEP members were involved in developing the guidelines, which are scheduled to be released from HCFA this year. (Friday, October 17, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.)
Myths of Managed Medicaid. (Michael J. Williams, MPA). Managed Medicaid is one of the "hottest" markets for growing managed care payers, but emergency department use by Medicaid clients also can be one of the most resource intensive yet least reimbursable categories. Hear the 10 most common myths about managed Medicaid and the strategies to overcome them. Four case studies will be presented, including two "losers" and two "winners." (Sunday, October 19, 10:00 a.m. to 11:55 a.m.)
The Politics of Health Care Reform: What's Happening Now and Why? (Toni A. Mitchell, M.D., M.B.A.). How are reforms solving the major problems of American health care and what will they mean? The course will provide an overview of the major problems in health care, recently enacted and proposed political reforms, and the overall impact on emergency medicine. (Friday, October 17, 12:30 p.m. to 2:25 p.m.)
Survival Strategies in the World Order of Managed Care. (Art B. Wong, M.D., Stephen J. Dresnick, M.D., and Patricia R. Salber, M.D.) Is cost-effective quality medicine an oxymoron? In the new era of medicine, physicians are accountable to do that. The course will discuss economic credentialing and how it is being implemented across the country and present the development and implementation of clinical pathways as a winning strategy to escape the "cost-quality bind." (Thursday, October 16, 9:00 a.m. to 10:55 a.m.)
# # #
RSS