Subcertification in Surgery of the Hand (SOTH)
For the 2009 examination year, ABPS anticipates 19 initial SOTH diplomates to take the September examination and 34 SOTH recertification diplomates to take the examination, some of whom are recertifying for the second time. Administration of the SOTH examination will transfer in 2011 to the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. The custodial care of the SOTH item bank will transfer from the American Board of Surgery to the National Board of Medical Examiners.

Maintenance of Certification in Plastic Surgery (MOC-PS) Program
The third MOC-PS examination was offered in April 2009; 260 diplomates completed the 2009 examination - 236 passed and 24 failed resulting in a failure rate of 9.2%. Preliminary statistics from the first year of the Practice Assessment in Plastic Surgery (PA-PS), Part IV of MOC demonstrated that Augmentation Mammaplasty, Reduction Mammaplasty, Breast Reconstruction, Abdominoplasty and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome were the most common modules selected. Approximately 55% of 986 diplomates who completed the PA-PS modules indicated that they would change an element of their practice because of viewing the benchmarking statistics from their selected tracer procedure. The Board is considering research and publication implications from these early data.

Credentials and Requirements
The Board approved a new policy statement for recognition of exceptional plastic surgeons with international training requesting certification by the Board.

Ethics
ABPS approved three new plastic surgery certificate revocations based on loss of medical licensure. To date, the Board has revoked certification for 65 Diplomates. This information is published in the Board’s annual newsletter to diplomates in February and on the Board’s website in the new physician locator search for consumers.

Residency Review Committee for Plastic Surgery (RRC-PS)
The RRC-PS approved numerous programs for changes in program format and commensurate increase in resident compliment. These changes included expanding Independent Programs from two to three years of training and for Integrated Programs from five to six years. A subcommittee has been formed to review the plastic surgery operative log (PSOL). Thomas R. Stevenson, M.D. will Chair the subcommittee charged to address the operative logs which currently have disparate categories, not necessarily representative, and are difficult to map to CPT Codes.

Outgoing ABPS Directors and Officers
Walter L. Erhardt, Jr., M.D.; William M. Swartz, M.D.; and James M. Stuzin, M.D.

New ABPS Directors and Officers
Robert J. Havlik, M.D., Indianapolis, Indiana; William M. Kuzon, Jr., M.D., Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Sheri Slezak, M.D, Baltimore, Maryland. Donald H. Lalonde, M.D., St. John, New Brunswick, Canada was elected as Vice-Chair and will serve as Chair from 2011-2012. A. Michael Sadove, M.D. of Indianapolis, Indiana is the current Board Chair from 2009-2010 and Nicholas B. Vedder, M.D. will serve as Chair from 2010-2011.

Advisory Council Members
Additional Advisory Council members were named to fill vacancies created by newly elected directors who were all Advisory Council members. These are: Charles E. Butler, M.D., Houston, Texas (American Association of Plastic Surgeons); Steven R. Buchman, M.D., Ann Arbor, Michigan (American Society of Plastic Surgeons)

Obama Speech Outlined Administration’s Goal to Reform Health Care This Year
President Obama used strong rhetoric to drive home his commitment to sweeping reform of the health care system before the end of 2009. President Obama called the issue “personal,” citing his own mother’s struggle with insurers during her cancer treatment. Obama called for the reform of a system which he said provided incentives for the overutilization of screening and diagnostic tests and required physicians to be bean counters rather than healers. Obama stressed the importance of the implementation of health information technology to lower the costs of medical record-keeping. He also called for a greater investment in preventive care, calling for all Americans to make individual commitments to improving their health via lifestyle changes. Obama pointedly called for the bundling of payments to physicians so that they are not paid for every treatment, but instead paid for the overall treatment of chronic disease. He also called for “bonuses” to be paid to physicians for good health outcomes.

HOD Adopted Policy Guiding Medicine’s Strategy and Message for HSR
In the days following the President’s speech, the HOD acted on a number of policy resolutions that will significantly shape the way the AMA engages in policy discussions on HSR in Washington. In its most impassioned and lengthy debate of the meeting, the HOD adopted policy supporting health system reform alternatives that are consistent with AMA principles of “pluralism, freedom of choice, freedom of practice and universal access for patients.” In addition, the HOD voted to include in its top advocacy priorities the enactment of federal legislation that ensures and protects the fundamental right of patients to privately contract with physicians, without penalties for doing so and regardless of payer, within the framework of free market principles.

Physician-Industry Relationships, “Anti-aging” treatments, and Physician Supervision Considered
The HOD took up an abundance of other issues of interest to plastic surgery, including calling for the re-draft of an AMA report prescribing ethical parameters for industry support for continuing medical education. In addition, the House voted to file a report calling proponents of anti-aging products to prove their claims via well-designed clinical valid studies. The HOD also voted affirmatively to file a report detailing ethical considerations that should be undertaken when a physician is employed by a non-physician mid-level provider/supervisee.

Plastic Surgery Well-Served by AMA Plastic Surgery Caucus
In a group that swelled to over 35 ASPS members in this most recent meeting, the Plastic Surgery Caucus of the AMA has in recent years become a visible and cohesive voice for the interests of plastic surgery in the House of Medicine. Of particular note, ASPS Resident and Fellow Section Delegate to the AMA Raj Ambay, MD, DDS was elected to serve a two-year term on the AMA Board of Trustees (Resident Seat) at the latest AMA meeting.

Other Items of Note:
No dues increase in 2010.
The Washington, DC F Street building is still viable.
The ACS NSQIP is providing the most reliable data to help improve patient care and lower expenses and more hospitals should be encouraged to use this program.
There is an 8.1% suicidal thought rate among surgeons in these difficult economic times.
Next meeting March 2010 in Washington D.C.