JANUARY 2013 VOLUME XXXVII NO. 5
Presidential Viewpoints Gregory M. Christiansen, D.O., M.Ed., FACOEP
Compromise – It’s a Start
I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday season and a happy new year. It’s a time to spend with family and friends. It’s also a time to count one’s blessings. In these uncertain times, there is certainty we will have more uncertainty. This has been a tumultuous year with politics taking center stage as government expansion and the struggling economy have affected nearly every aspect of our professional activity. Emergency medicine is the bellwether medical specialty for the economic state of the nation. As the safety net, we absorb the ills of the day. Current healthcare policy is fixated on cost containment through reduced physician remuneration. This will hardly cure what ails the health system as the root drivers of medical expenditures are not addressed. They are counting on us to bear the burden. Whatever happens, the eventual ‘fix’ will not be fiscally based on economic policy, but rather political expediency. For this reason most experts are not holding out on physicians avoiding the projected $400 million in ‘unspecified’
Medicare cuts. Our best recourse is to keep involved. We then have an opportunity to achieve our goals. We have recent evidence to base our optimism despite seemingly insurmountable odds. The ACGME story comes to mind as one example where diligence and team work paid off. Allow me to update you on the current progress of this collaborative effort. In November, the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) briefed the osteopathic community on the status of the negotiations with the American Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The AOA, ACGME and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) have agreed to the concept of a single, unified accreditation system for all U.S. graduate medical education programs. As you may recall, over a year ago the AOA learned of the extent of the ACGME proposed common program requirement to restrict future ACGME education systems from the osteopathic community. Under the rule change osteopathic interns could not have their osteopathic post graduate training recognized, residents would be denied ACGME fellowship access and current osteopathic attending educators in allopathic programs would no longer be credentialed by regulatory bodies to provide medical education. Recognizing the myriad of consequences – intended and unintended - ACOEP did its due diligence to identify opportunities for progress in the effort to support osteopathic medical education. The ACOEP was grateful The PULSE JANUARY 2013
for our many friends, colleagues and professional supporters in the emergency medicine community who advocated for our members. We passed on our information and support to the AOA in the effort to educate the ACGME on the value of our professional community. After several meetings and comment sessions the hard work had a more favorable outcome. The AOA’s Acting Trustee, Boyd Buser D.O., announced an encouraging proposition for our current and future members. The agreement brings constituent organizations together for the purposes of a unified accreditation system. The governance structure will additionally include the following member organizations: the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Hospital Association (AHA), American Board of Medical Specialists (ABMS), American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) and the Council on Medical Specialty Society (CMSS). Under the structured agreement the AOA would have veto proof protection. For its part, the AOA was able to maintain its domain over graduate medical education, licensing, board certification and Comlex. The AOA secured equal opportunities for training for our graduates and community training sites for primary care. The seven core competencies will remain intact. Fitting with our perspective, the ACGME also gained structural benefits osteopathic continued on page 6
1