Improve Practice Management with AAOS

Jackie Ryan, MPA

Whether you began your practice 1 year ago or 20 years ago, you quickly discovered that medical school didn’t teach you how to run a business or manage an orthopaedic practice. All you want to do is practice medicine, but supervising employees, meeting the challenge of high technology costs, and dealing with finance and accounting problems keep getting in your way.

Here at the AAOS Annual Meeting, you can visit the technical exhibits to find vendors willing to help you address these problems—for a price. But under the direction of the Practice Management Committee, the AAOS provides plenty of free advice and assistance in all phases of practice management, from launching your practice to achieving meaningful use, as well as opportunities to save with member discounts on a wide range of programs.

Stop by the Practice Management kiosk in Academy Hall B, McCormick Place North, for information on the following member benefits.

AAOS Member Advantage Program
Are you saving and increasing your revenue with the AAOS Revenue Management Program powered by Gateway EDI? The program is celebrating 3 successful years—and more than 600 AAOS members are lowering their claim rejections rate, increasing their revenues, and reducing their costs. Find out more at the Practice Management kiosk in Academy Hall B or the Gateway EDI booth in Exhibit Hall A.

Are you saving with the AAOS Group Purchasing Program by MedAssets? Launched in 2012, this program enables participating AAOS members to take advantage of their collective buying power and save up to 15% or more on supplies and equipment. Joining the program is easy. Simply call Anita Jones at 1-678-248-8130 or email ajones@medassets.com to request a participation agreement. For complete details visit www.aaos/advantage or stop by the Practice Management kiosk.

Are you protecting your future with the AAOS Member Insurance Program? Launched in 2012, this program enables AAOS members to obtain Term Life, Individual Disability Insurance (including own occupation policy) and Long Term Care insurance coverage at affordable group rates. Visit www.aaosinsurance.com or the Practice Management kiosk for complete details and informative downloads.

What’s New?
This year, the AAOS Practice Management Committee is pleased to introduce “Elements of Practice Management,” an on-demand, online library of recorded lectures designed to help busy medical practices stay current with payer agreements, financial statements, and healthcare reform, and to help you deal with career transitions and physician stress and burnout.

Available through the OrthoPortal, these lectures help you manage and grow your practice. You can keep informed of changes in the healthcare environment and how these changes will affect your practice and future. The series consists of 20- to 30-minute lectures that are easy to listen to on your mobile device while on the go.

An annual subscription to the “Elements of Practice Management” gives you 24/7 online access to more than a dozen lectures. New programs are added throughout the year and subscribers will be notified when new programs become available. Stop by the Practice Management kiosk for more information.

Perhaps one of the most stressful challenges facing orthopaedic practices is the transition to ICD-10 coding. Beginning Oct. 1, 2014, all healthcare providers will be required to use ICD-10 codes, but recent surveys have shown that nearly a third of providers have yet to start the switch. That’s why the AAOS is introducing your ICD-10 LINK (www.aaos.org/ICD10). It’s an on-line resource designed to get you up to speed and provide you with the education, planning documents, and checklists you’ll need to get ready. Come talk to us about participating in educational webinars and find out what a range of resources are available to you.

The Stage 1 Meaningful Use Toolkit is currently available online—and a Stage 2 toolkit is coming soon. This toolkit walks you through the measures and provides guidance in selecting measures. You can download the Meaningful Use Toolkit at www.aaos.org/emrtoolkit(Member login required)

With today’s economics, taking advantage of the practice management opportunities available through the AAOS only makes sense.

For complete information on all the benefits available to members—from discounts on medical, surgical, and front-office supplies to personal and financial protection—visit the Practice Management kiosk, located in Academy Hall B, McCormick North or visit us online at www.aaos.org/pracman

Jackie Ryan, MPA, is manager of the AAOS practice management group.

2013 Annual Meeting News
Tuesday through Friday, February 19 – 23, 2013.
http://www.aaos.org/news/acadnews/2013/AAOS15_3_20.asp