The ACC recently launched the ManageAnticoag App to help clinicians navigate periprocedural planning and bleed management scenarios for patients on oral anticoagulants. The app is comprised of three tools to help assess whether and how to interrupt and bridge anticoagulation, manage acute bleeds, and determine whether and how anticoagulation should be restarted. Download the app for free. A Guidance for Anticoagulation Reversal fact sheet is also available to provide clinical guidance for the administration of reversal agents, when needed, for patients on anticoagulation for any indication. Find out more at ACC.org/Apps.
Clinical Quality: How Do I Get Scored?
July 4, 2018 By
In the latest episode of the Practice Made Perfect podcast, Richard J. Kovacs, MD, FACC, ACC vice president, and Frederick A. Masoudi, MD, MSPH, FACC, NCDR chief science officer and chair of the NCDR Management Board, discuss the various tools and programs used to measure the quality of care provided by clinicians and hospital systems. Get up to speed on federal and payer programs used for measuring clinician performance, public facing rating programs and NCDR’s role in measuring and reporting. Aiming to bolster the non-clinical skills and competencies of early career providers, Practice Made Perfect features expert discussions on career and leadership development topics. Listen to this episode and previous episodes such as Coding & Documentation, Finding a Job After Fellowship and Contracts 101 at ACC.org/PracticeMadePerfect, or find them on iTunes or Google Play.
Download ACC’s Advocacy Action Mobile App
July 4, 2018 By
Be sure to download the ACC Advocacy Action mobile app to get easy access to ACC’s advocacy priorities and timely talking points to share during congressional visits. The app was designed to help members engage with lawmakers and influence health policy. Download it today on iTunes (iPhone, iPad) and Google Play (Android devices).
ACC Releases Alternative Payment Model Framework on ACC.org
July 4, 2018 By
The continued shift toward a value-based health system is driving more clinicians toward participation in alternative payment models (APMs), but knowing how and when to participate in an APM can pose significant challenges. ACC’s newly launched APM Framework is the College’s guide for members navigating the APM landscape. The APM Framework guides members through consideration of the most critical implications of APM participation. Composed of closed-ended questions, the Framework enables individual clinicians to self-select criteria applicable to their specific practice environment to determine readiness for APM participation. Learn more about APMs and determine whether your practice is ready for participation at ACC.org/APM. Share information about the APM Hub with your colleagues and chapter members through the APM Framework Leadership Communications Toolkit located on the Leadership Portal.
“Do Your PART” to Improve Prior Authorization
July 4, 2018 By
Help improve the prior authorization process by submitting your difficult cases or inappropriate denials through ACC’s PARTool. Through robust data collection, ACC members and their staff can help the College track trends and identify exhaustive administrative burdens. Submit your data at ACC.org/PARtool today!
Register Today For ACC’s 2018 Legislative Conference!
July 4, 2018 By
Registration for the 2018 ACC Legislative Conference, taking place Sept. 30 – Oct. 2 at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, is officially open! Don’t miss this unique opportunity to invest in the College’s advocacy initiatives, gain an insider perspective on how to impact health care policy change in your state, and most importantly, meet face-to-face with congressional leaders and staff on Capitol Hill to share the incredible work the cardiovascular community is doing to provide quality, cost-effective, evidence-based care. Register today to make your mark on the cardiovascular advocacy landscape.
PINNACLE Registry Celebrates 10 Years
July 4, 2018 By
The ACC’s PINNACLE Registry is celebrating 10 years of quality improvement. As the largest outpatient registry in cardiology, the PINNACLE Registry was the first to examine physician care processes and patient outcomes in coronary artery disease, hypertension, heart failure and atrial fibrillation. Since its launch in 2008, the PINNACLE Registry continues to provide real-world insight into the effect of new guidelines and drugs like novel oral anticoagulants and statins on patient care. The PINNACLE Registry also addresses the myriad of challenges facing cardiovascular practices, including the emergence of reimbursement models based on efficiency and value and the rise of new, untested business arrangements. Over the past decade, practices have used the registry to meet federal quality reporting requirements under the Physician Quality Reporting System, Electronic Health Record Incentive Program and, most recently, the Quality Payment Program. Today, the PINNACLE Registry provides a unique opportunity for cardiovascular practices to enable practice innovation and clinical excellence. Check out PINNACLE Registry tools and resources, including the newly launched PINNACLE Advance Care Planning Toolkit, which helps providers understand, integrate and document advance care planning into their routine practice. Learn more.
New ACC HeartCARE Center Designation Will Recognize Excellence in Cardiovascular Care
July 4, 2018 By
The ACC has announced a new overarching accreditation program – HeartCARE Center: National Distinction of Excellence – for institutions that demonstrate excellence in cardiovascular care through participation in multiple ACC Accreditation and NCDR programs. Hospitals can achieve the designation – the highest recognition from ACC – by meeting a set of criteria that can be realized through participation in at least two ACC Accreditation Services programs, as well as ACC’s NCDR programs and other targeted quality improvement efforts. According to Phillip Levy, MD, MPH, FACC, chair of ACC’s Accreditation Management Board, the HeartCARE Center designation “is designed to shine a light on the elite group of U.S. hospitals that are going above and beyond to ensure each patient that comes through their doors has access to consistent, highest-quality cardiovascular care.” Learn more at CVQuality.ACC.org/HeartCARECenter.
ACC Seeks Comments on Data Standards For Transthoracic Echocardiography by July 5
July 4, 2018 By
The ACC is seeking comments on a draft of the 2018 ACC/AHA/ASE Key Data Elements and Definitions for Transthoracic Echocardiography. The document aims to provide a standardized set of data elements and definition specific to transthoracic echocardiography. Comments are due by July 5. Access the document and public comment response form here.
ACC Launches Chest Pain – MI Registry, Expanding Scope of Former ACTION Registry
July 4, 2018 By
The ACC has announced that the name of its ACTION Registry will change to Chest Pain – MI Registry, effective June 26. With the new name, the registry will continue as the nation’s largest quality improvement program for patients with acute myocardial infarction and will expand to include patients with acute coronary syndromes. Beginning in fall 2018, the registry will fully support data requirements for ACC’s Chest Pain Center Accreditation program. In addition, the registry’s expanded scope will facilitate collaboration across multiple providers and specialists who manage care for these patients, including emergency department clinicians and emergency medical services providers. Visit CVQuality.ACC.org/ChestPainMIRegistry to learn more.
