What: Cardiothoracic surgeon Alan M. Speir, MD, a member of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, will testify at the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s hearing – “A Permanent Solution to the SGR: The Time Is Now” on Thursday, January 22.
Dr. Speir’s testimony will focus on the need to repeal the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) and replace it with alternative payment models that promote patient-centered, team-based care and reward all members of the patient’s care team for putting the patient first. The STS National Database, renowned especially for an Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (ACSD) that has become the gold standard for outcomes databases in the US, combined with other sources of administrative claims and quality information, would serve as an example for these alternative payment models, according to his testimony.
Dr. Speir is Chair of the STS Workforce on Health Policy, Reform and Advocacy, and serves on the Workforce on National Databases. He is the Medical Director of Cardiac Surgical Services Inova Health System in Falls Church, VA. Dr. Speir also serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Virginia Cardiac Surgery Quality Initiative.
**Copies of Dr. Speir’s comments are available by request. For a copy, please contact STS media relations at [email protected] or 312-202-5865.
When: Thursday, January 22, 201510:15 a.m. ET
Where: 2322 Rayburn House Office BuildingWashington, DC
The hearing will also be broadcast live on the Energy & Commerce Committee website: http://energycommerce.house.gov/
Background: The STS National Database was established in 1989 as an initiative for quality improvement and patient safety among cardiothoracic surgeons. There are three components to the STS National Database, each focusing on a different area of cardiothoracic surgery—Adult Cardiac, General Thoracic, and Congenital Heart Surgery.
Founded in 1964, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons is a not-for-profit organization representing more than 6,900 cardiothoracic surgeons, researchers, and allied health care professionals worldwide who are dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes for surgeries of the heart, lung, and esophagus, as well as other surgical procedures within the chest. The Society’s mission is to enhance the ability of cardiothoracic surgeons to provide the highest quality patient care through education, research, and advocacy.
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For more information or to schedule an interview with Dr. Speir, contact Cassie McNulty at 312-202-5865 or [email protected].
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