Happy New Year from SCOA

Happy New Year from the South Carolina Orthopaedic Association! We wish you good health, impactful relationships and energizing professional & personal growth in 2024. Thank you for engaging with SCOA to create genuine community. Onward!

Urge Congress to Pass HR 6683 Preserving Seniors’ Access to Physicians Act to Eliminate the Full 3.37% Cut to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule!

With a partial government funding lapse approaching on Jan. 19, 2024, Congress is facing a tight deadline to implement this fix. Should Congress act to stop the cut before Jan. 19, CMS would immediately direct its payment contractors to update payment calculations retroactively to Jan. 1 to pay the full adjusted rate.

AAOS Now Update: Click here to view.

Send a message to your Congressional Representatives seeking support of H.R. 6683 via the MGMA Contact Congress Portal even if you are not a MGMA member: Take Action | Medical Group Management Association (congressweb.com)

Reminder: Pay 2024 Membership Dues

SCOA is committed to supporting South Carolina’s orthopaedic surgeons in all practice settings with robust clinical content, legislative advocacy, and practice management resources. Given ever-increasing regulatory and economic pressures and changing practice models, SCOA seeks to be a trusted resource for all orthopaedic surgeons in SC as they prioritize patient care while also managing their practices and service lines.

Resident engagement is a priority for SCOA recognizing the worthy investment in the next generation of SC's orthopedic surgeons. Please encourage residents you know to sign up for free SCOA membership and to participate in the annual research competition.

While SCOA is designed to enhance your professional development and satisfaction, we also need you as an active collaborator and advocate. Please invest in SC’s orthopaedic future by renewing your membership today.

Contribute to the SC BONE PAC

​​The SC BONE PAC is the voice of orthopaedic surgeons in Columbia, SC. Our non-partisan political action committee engages local legislative leaders to press for policies that enhance the physician-patient relationship and support your ability to practice orthopaedics.

Get Involved: Share Your Research & Expertise at the 2024 SCOA Annual Meeting

The South Carolina Orthopaedic Association is now accepting abstract submissions, Resident Research Competition submissions, and Expert Talks submissions to be presented at the Annual Meeting:

Abstracts + Resident Research Competition

Don’t miss this opportunity to present your research to seasoned specialists in a collegial and interactive setting!

We’ve posted instructions for submissions on our website. In addition to the abstract information, all submissions must be accompanied by a financial disclosure form.

Expert Talks

Approximately 60 minutes of the meeting program will be devoted to these presentations, which may range from 10 – 20 minutes each depending on the number of submissions selected.

Our goal is to offer a platform for colleagues to share expertise that may not be documented in formal research.

About the SCOA Annual Meeting

2024 SCOA Annual Meeting

August 1-3, 2024

The Sanctuary

Kiawah Island, SC​

Reconnect with your peers as we seek clinical and professional excellence through dynamic keynotes, expert talks and research presentations.

Keynote speakers for the 2023 Annual Meeting include Steven L. Frick, MD, and Milt Lowder, PhD.

Register early and secure your 2024 stay with our group rate! Meeting registration is required to receive the booking ID, which will be required to book in our group block.

Resources Available: Kaiser Family Foundation

KFF is an independent source for health policy research with a mission to serve as a nonpartisan source of information based on facts and data without taking policy positions. The KFF website is robust and provides abundant state level data relative to many topics practice leaders may find helpful in navigating market trends and developing strategic plans.

• State Health Facts compiles more than 800 current health indicators at the state level.

• What to Watch in the 2024 ACA Open Enrollment: This article outlines 9 trends related to ACA Marketplace growth that could ultimately your practice payer mix.

Message from HHS: Ongoing Active Cybersecurity Threat to Your IT Resources

In response to active exploitation of a cybersecurity vulnerability, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center has released the attached notice strongly encouraging organizations to upgrade their devices and prevent further damage to the health sector. Please make sure the attached message is seen and acted upon by the appropriate members of your organization, such as the IT department. We encourage those with networks to distribute this message to your networks.

For more information, click here.

Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Issues Reporting Requirements for Small Entities effective January 1, 2024

Practices with 20 or fewer full-time employees should review FinCEN’s  Small Entity Compliance Guide to determine if compliance is required with new requirements under the Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting Rule.

NORC Survey: Physicians Say Practice Ownership by Non-Physician Organizations Worsened Patients’ Quality of Care

Almost 60% of physicians who practice as employees of hospitals and other corporate entities say that non-physician practice ownership results in a lower quality of patient care, according to a comprehensive survey by NORC at the University of Chicago. To read more, click here.

FTC Chief Gears Up for a Showdown with Private Equity

Content via Health News Florida | By Harris Meyer - KFF Health News

The large and growing volume of private equity acquisitions of physician groups in recent years has raised mounting concerns about the impact on health costs, quality of care, and providers’ clinical autonomy. Click here to continue reading.

Have a Book that was Meaningful to your Professional Journey? Please Share!

Please consider sharing a short paragraph about lessons learned from a book that has shaped you as a leader.

Send your summary to Sarah Thompson.

Past Recommendations Include:

• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
• Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life by Arthur C. Brooks
• The Powerful Purpose of Introverts: Why the World Needs YOU to be YOU by Holly Gerth
• Leading with Your Upper Brain: How to Create the Behaviors That Unlock Performance Excellence by Michael E. Frisina, PhD, and Robert W. Frisina, MA
• Give and Take by Adam Grant
• The 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni
• The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
• Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger and Multiply Your Impact by Liz Wiseman

• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
• What Exceptional Leaders Know & Exceptional Leaders Playbook by Tracy Spears and Wally Schmader
• Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
• The Traveler’s Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success by Andy Andrews
• Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
• Multipliers by Liz Wiseman
• Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
• The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek
• The Power of Moments by Chip & Dan Heath

SC Orthopaedic Practice Administrators, Ortho Service Line Directors, and emerging leaders in both private and hospital settings are encouraged to join the Southeastern Association of Orthopaedic Executives (SAOE).

SAOE offers ortho practice leaders from South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee a unique opportunity to collaborate, network and learn from one another. SAOE membership and attendance at the annual meeting is an affordable and sound investment in your administrative team members.