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April 8, 2009 |
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Welcome to ACAAI eNews - a bi-weekly aggregated news
service from the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. To be
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Conferences
On Line Allergy Initiative (COLA)
2008 ACAAI Annual Meeting CME Symposium
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2008 ACAAI/AAAAI Certification/Maintenance of Certification Board Review Course
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Periodicals |
Annals of Allergy, Asthma and
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AllergyWatch
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Calendar |
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MAY
2009 Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Society of Georgia Meeting
Pending ACAAI Joint Sponsorship
May 1-3, Pine Mountain, Ga.
Contact: Leslie Morris
Tel: 770-534-0534
Email
Atopy Patch Testing in Food Allergy
New York Allergy & Asthma Society
Pending ACAAI Joint Sponsorship
May 13, New York, N.Y.
Contact: Robert M. Klein, Md.
Tel: 973-773-7400
Email
7th Annual New Orleans Aeroallergen Course
Ochsner Baptist Medical Center
May 26-29, New Orleans, La.
Tel: 800-778-9353
Email
Link
JUNE
Asthma and Allergy Society of Virginia 2009 Symposium
Pending ACAAI Joint Sponsorship
June 19-21, Virginia Beach, Va.
Contact: Craig S. Koenig, M.D.
Tel: 757-547-7702
Email
JULY
CSAAI’s 17th Annual Meeting
A Midsummer Night’s Wheeze
July 10-12, Huntington Beach, Calif.
Contact: David Arriola
Tel: 323-442-2546
Email
IWAA Hot Topics in Allergy and Asthma
Pending ACAAI Joint Sponsorship
July 16-19, Sun Valley, Idaho
Contact: Doug Huneywell
Tel: 509-924-9722
Email
27th Annual Asthma Allergy Conference
Pending ACAAI Joint Sponsorship
July 29 - Aug. 1, Aspen, Colo.
Contact: Jill Hibbeln
Tel: 303-520-7660
Email
ONGOING
World
Allergy Organization Society Meetings
ACAAI
CME JOINT SPONSORSHIP ACCREDITATION
Contact: Mary Campbell
Tel: 847-427-1200
Email
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Top
Stories |
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Pertussis vaccination doesn’t increase child’s asthma or wheeze risk
Pertussis vaccination does not appear to increase a child’s risk for developing wheeze or asthma, according to a report in Pediatrics. Researchers from the University of Bern, Switzerland, studied 6,637 children born from 1993 to 1997 in Leicestershire, United Kingdom. They linked respiratory symptom data from parental questionnaires administered in 1998, 1999, 2001, and 2003 with vaccination data from the National Health Survey database, following the subjects to a mean age of 70 months. They compared incident of wheeze and asthma among children of different vaccination statuses (complete, partial, and no vaccination against pertussis) by computing hazard ratios and found no evidence for increased risk of wheeze or asthma in children vaccinated against pertussis compared with nonvaccinated children.
FDA asks AstraZeneca for more data about Symbicort for kids
AstraZeneca PLC may have to delay marketing its asthma drug Symbicort to young children in the United States after the Food and Drug Administration said the company did not provide adequate data to establish the appropriate dose or doses of the individual components of Symbicort — budesonide and formoterol. The drug already is approved for patients 12 and older, and the company is now seeking to market it for the long-term maintenance treatment of asthma in 6- to 11-year-olds. Due to its concerns, the FDA issued AstraZeneca with a Complete Response Letter that indicated the agency is not yet ready to approve the product for that use.
CDC to travelers: Get flu shot if headed south
In the Northern Hemisphere, influenza season is wrapping up. But travelers headed to the Southern Hemisphere or tropics, where the flu circulates year round, should get immunized to avoid influenza, according to a report in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. This season, the strains used in the Northern Hemisphere vaccine are identical to the strains included in the Southern Hemisphere vaccine. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is recommending flu vaccination for travelers who haven’t received the 2008-2009 vaccine and are headed to the Southern Hemisphere or tropics and belong to a group for which annual vaccination is recommended.
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A message from ACAAI President Richard G. Gower, M.D., FACAAI
Funding challenges require cost containment measures
You may have seen the proposal article, “Professional Medical Associations and Their Relationships with Industry: A Proposal for Controlling Conflict of Interest,” published in the April 1 edition of JAMA. This, coupled with new standards adopted by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), is resulting in a decline of industry support.
To meet this increasing challenge and assure that the ACAAI remains secure and proactive, leadership is implementing strategies that will contain costs, use advanced technology for education, and promote the role of the allergist through the Find an Allergist, Find Relief campaign.
As a cost-containment measure, the College will begin publishing ACAAI eNews monthly instead of biweekly. We also will continue to keep you abreast of important news via blast e-mails, as always. Other cost-containment measures will be discussed in the coming months.
Lay organizations are our allies in patient education and advocacy
Our specialty of allergy, asthma, and immunology is fortunate to have strong and extremely active lay organizations dedicated to educating our patients and advocating on their behalf. These allies, who partner with us in a variety of ways, include:
- Allergy and Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA)
- Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)
- Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN)
- American Latex Allergy Association (ALERT)
- U.S. Hereditary Angioedema Association (HAEA)
The unique services of these organizations are often a lifeline of support to patients who struggle with the daily management of allergic diseases, which can be perceived as overwhelming and complex. These advocates, passionately dedicated to patient education, are able to open doors on Capitol Hill and touch patients personally through stories in the general media, such as the Internet, mailings, publications, and programs. They support many of the College’s public education and awareness programs, including the Find an Allergist, Find Relief campaign and the Nationwide Asthma Screening Program.
The College is grateful for all the help these lay organizations provide to patients. Because of the dedication and outreach of these organizations, allergists can refer their patients to a wealth of additional information and support to help them manage their diseases. This teamwork is essential for optimal patient care.
Below is an update from Nancy Sander, CEO and founder of AANMA.
We’re on a mission. And we need your help.
by Nancy Sander, Founder & CEO, Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics
On May 6, 2009, Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA) and the ACAAI will ask Congress to put an end to asthma deaths in the United States. It’s AANMA’s 12th annual Asthma Awareness Day Capitol Hill event and we need YOU!
For more than 20 years, American tax dollars have supported congressionally mandated federal programs within the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Environmental Protection Agency to eliminate suffering and death due to asthma.
Ironically, our state Medicaid dollars also have been used to prevent patient access to the care these programs deem necessary. They’ve been used to discriminate against children who live in low-income families, African-Americans and Hispanics — populations hardest hit by asthma.
We know the most cost-effective ways to eliminate suffering and death due to asthma:
- patient access to specialty care
- personalized written asthma action plans
- strategic use of medications and inhalation devices
- ongoing monitoring
- environmental management
We also know that the Obama administration is determined to move health care reform measures forward.
So there’s no time like the present to make our move — together. Families and allergists, nurses and other medical professionals must stand united for one cause. We’re asking Congress to ensure that all patients have access to NAEPP-level care and that federal funds not support policies or programs that deny or restrict patient access to quality care. It makes no sense to spend our tax dollars for research and developing national asthma guidelines if federal and state health policies are going to deny patients the access to that care.
Here’s how you can help: Tell us about your challenges and successes. You’re on the forefront, where your practice and prescribing habits are called into question by others who know nothing about your patient or the care they so desperately need. We want those stories.
We need phone warriors — allergists who will call or write letters and e-mails to elected officials asking them to join our fight against asthma deaths. We need medical professionals who will sign AANMA’s petition to Congress, asking for their commitment. We also need allergists, in addition to ACAAI President Dr. Richard Gower, who will join us May 6, on Capitol Hill to visit members of Congress.
The day starts with a Congressional briefing and is followed by the ACAAI and AANMA Nationwide Asthma Screening Program kick-off in the Rayburn House Office Building foyer. Join the effort to eliminate asthma deaths in the United States. For more details, contact Sandra Fusco-Walker at (800) 878-4403, ext. 103 or sfwalker@aanma.org.
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Association
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Join the College's campaign to help people
Find an Allergist, Find Relief
All ACAAI member-allergists have an opportunity to be part of the largest, most
expansive public education and advocacy campaign about the benefits of seeing
an allergist.
Allergy and asthma sufferers need you, but may not know about you. That's the
reason for the coordinated national and local strategies to spread the word
about allergists. You can be part of this mobilization by joining the Allergy
and Asthma Relief Team.
All Relief Team members receive a "toolkit" for spreading the word in their
communities and for marketing their own practices. The toolkit includes:
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patient education brochures
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advertising templates
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a window cling featuring the new allergist logo
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community and media tips
Join the estimated 950 ACAAI members who have already joined the Relief Team.
Visit www.AllergyAndAsthmaRelief.org/order
to register and receive your free toolkit.
Come to Miami Beach for the ACAAI Annual Meeting
Save the date for the 2009 ACAAI Annual Meeting, “Expanding the Spectrum,” Nov. 5-10 at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami, Fla.
“With the general theme in mind, the program will include presentations aimed at expanding and strengthening the practice of allergy and clinical immunology,” said ACAAI President-Elect and Program Chair Sami L. Bahna, M.D., Dr.P.H., FACAAI.
“In the plenary sessions, top experts will address topics on exciting areas in medicine, clinical immunology, infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, asthma and related respiratory illnesses, occupational allergies, and current challenges for allergists,” Dr. Bahna said. “In addition, numerous symposia, workshops, and seminars will cover a wide variety of commonly encountered disorders and procedures.”
The meeting will kick off with the 13th International Food Allergy Symposium on Thursday, Nov. 5, first initiated by the College in 1972. A full-day program will provide cutting-edge information on the basic and clinical aspects of food allergy prediction, prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Our host city, Miami Beach, is world-famous for its Art Deco architecture, nightclubs and designer fashions. This trend-setting arts and entertainment mecca offers visitors a dazzling array of amenities to enjoy, including more than seven miles of beaches, three golf courses and 20 parks.
Miami Beach Convention Center
The ACAAI Job Source online services will enhance your search
The ACAAI Job Source provides a convenient online service for posting and searching employment opportunities within the specialty. The service is located on the College member Web site.
Job seekers can access the Job Source at no cost to search employment opportunities and to post their resumes for advertised positions. An anonymous resume feature enables you to list your experience and qualifications in a protected environment. A Job Alert system notifies you by e-mail when a new job has been posted that matches your search criteria. Other program features allow you to save searches, store jobs in an account, keep notes on job opportunities and communicate with employers using an internal messaging system. Candidates stay connected to the employment market while maintaining full control of their confidential information.
Employers can purchase ads for their available positions. When making your purchase, you have the option to pay online with a credit card or to be invoiced. Your account will allow you to post and manage job openings, search and manage job candidates and create a company profile.
The Job Source includes all categories of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology personnel, including physicians, program directors, investigators, laboratory technicians, nurses and administrators.
 In Memoriam: Dr. Jean A. Chapman
College members mourn the loss of Dr. Jean A. Chapman, past president of ACAAI (1997-98), who was a physician, leader, mentor and artist. Dr. Chapman, 80, of Cape Girardeau, Mo., passed away Monday, March 23, at Southeast Missouri Hospital.
Dr. Chapman was honored with the College’s Distinguished Fellow Award in 1989; its Distinguished Service Award in 2006; had an ACAAI Annual Meeting lectureship named for him from 1998 to 2000; and received numerous other professional awards and honors. He served on the Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters from 2000 to 2004, and chaired the committee that wrote the guidelines for food allergies. The Joint Task Force recognized him last summer for his tireless contributions and generosity. He initiated the first Convocation, held at the 1998 ACAAI Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, which remains a tradition for annually recognizing outstanding contributions to our specialty.
He helped established the Internal Medical Group in Cape Girardeau in 1959. He was certified by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology in 1974 and was in private practice until 1997. Dr. Chapman was assistant in clinical medicine at Washington University School of Medicine from 1953-54, and clinical assistant professor at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, 1988-1997.
Locally, Dr. Chapman was one of the founders and a former president of Doctors’ Park, and he helped establish and hosted the cable television program, “Ask Your Doctor.”
He loved and supported the arts, and continued to draw, paint, and create sculpture and pottery until he was no longer physically able. He donated several of his sculptures to the Silent Auction, benefiting programs of the ACAAI Foundation.
The family request memorials directed to Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Southeast Missouri Orchestra Fund, First Presbyterian Church or Chateau Girardeau Foundation.
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AMA Corner
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Welcome to the AMA Corner, prepared by Alnoor A. Malick, M.D., FACAAI, the College’s Delegate to the AMA House of Delegates. AMA Corner helps keep you abreast of important AMA news and developments impacting allergy-immunology.
Resource can help doctors establish a practice internal collections policy
An important part of managing a physician practice is addressing outstanding patient balances and taking the necessary steps to receive that balance before sending the patient account to an outside collection agency. That’s why the AMA and the Ohio State Medical Association developed the educational resource “Internal collections in the physician practice,” which discusses the importance of collecting from the patient at the time of service and provides useful tips and recommended steps for implementing a collections policy. It also includes sample template letters and practice policies to assist in developing physician practice policies.
Health reform dialogue group reaches consensus
For the past six months, the AMA has been participating with other national health system stakeholder organizations in a health reform dialogue process in an effort to identify common ground among health care providers, employers, consumers, insurers, public health professionals, and others about key issues that need to be addressed in the context of health system reform. The groups jointly released on March 27 the report, “A Dialogue on U.S. Health Reform,” which represents their consensus on steps that can be taken to reach the broad goals of increasing coverage and access, strengthening wellness and prevention, and ensuring quality and value.
AMA to Senate: Make health insurer payments more transparent
The AMA testified last week to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation about the need for increased insurer payment transparency. Congress can help restore reasonable compensation for the patients and physicians who were shortchanged by insurers and promote fair and accurate payments going forward. This follows recent legal settlements with insurers for underpayment of out-of-network care.
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Fellows-in-Training |
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Have any questions, suggestions or comments? Feel free to contact your regional or national FIT representatives listed on the Fellows-in-Training page of the College Web site.
Board Review Corner
Welcome to the Board Review Corner prepared by Jennifer W. Mbuthia, M.D., and Christopher R. Martin, M.D., Senior and Junior Representatives of ACAAI’s fellows-in-training (FITs) to the Board of Regents. The Board Review Corner is an opportunity to help hone your Board preparedness.
To refer to a previous Board Review Corner, click the "FIT Archive" link in the
left column.
Review Questions: Chapter 50 of Pediatric Allergy: Principles & Practices, edited by Donald Y.M. Leung, et al. Review questions were written by John M. Pulcini, M.D., University of Mississippi, and Christopher R. Martin, M.D., Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
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