AGS Announcements

Are You No Longer Receiving the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society? Renew your 2008 AGS Membership by August 31, 2008
Perhaps you forgot to renew your AGS membership? Time is running out for renewing your membership for 2008 - the deadline for renewing your 2008 membership has been extended until August 31, 2008. In order to ensure that you have access to the latest clinical research on aging and other AGS benefits, renew your membership today. Renewing will ensure that you receive all of the many benefits of AGS membership. These include not only free subscriptions to the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Clinical Geriatrics and Annals of Long-Term Care, but also to AGS' weekly list serv and quarterly newsletter. Members also get free support materials for the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) geriatrics modules. Additional member benefits include: access to MyAGS, our members-only Web site we've created a host of resources just for you, including our Practice Management, Grassroots Media and Grassroots Advocacy toolkits. Members also receive discounts on Society programs and products, including the Annual Scientific Meeting, the Geriatrics Review Syllabus, and Geriatrics at Your Fingertips, to name just a few of the benefits of membership.

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AGS Offices Will Be Closed For Labor Day; Look for Next Issue of AGS News Week in Review September 9
AGS' offices will be closed next Monday, Labor Day. We wish you all an enjoyable Labor Day weekend. AGS News Week in Review will not publish next Tuesday, so look for the next issue in your Inbox on September 9.

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AGS Resources and September Board Review Courses Can Help You Prepare for the Upcoming Certificate of Added Qualifications in Geriatric Medicine Exam
Planning to take the November Geriatric Medicine Examination for the Certificate of Added Qualifications in Geriatric Medicine? This year's exam is slated for November 17, and for November 18 -19 for those with documented disability. AGS' Geriatric Review Syllabus 6th Edition (GRS6) and Case Based Geriatrics Review: 500 Questions and Critiques from the Geriatrics Review Syllabus can help you prepare for the examination. So can board review courses. In New York City, Mount Sinai School of Medicine is offering its four-day Intensive Update with Board Review in Geriatric and Palliative Medicine September 14-17. A four-day Intensive Course in Geriatric Medicine and Board Review is slated for September 17-20 in Marina del Rey, California. And the Wisconsin Board Review Course in Geriatric Medicine will run September 24-29 in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

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What's Up in Washington

Do you think geriatrician services are undervalued? If you do and you received a request to Participate in the 2008 Physician Practice Information Survey - PLEASE do so! Your Response Will Influence Reimbursement and Other Decisions
1,000 of AGS physician members were selected to participate in a comprehensive multi-specialty survey of America's physician practices. CMS has indicated that it will use the results on the practice expense portion of the survey to determine physician payment.

Our completion goal is 100 surveys and so far, we have only 47 completed surveys. If you received the survey, please complete it accurately and in its entirety. The results will influence national decision makers, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

The survey firm, dmrkynetec, has been retained to contact randomly selected physicians and practice managers to collect responses. All responses will remain confidential.

Dmrykynetec is currently calling and emailing physicians in our sample who have not completed the survey. Please alert your staff of your willingness to participate in this survey and the importance of accepting incoming calls, faxes or emails from dmrkynetec. A postcard was mailed to the entire physician sample on June 11. If you received this postcard, you have been selected to participate in the survey. If you have been selected and have any questions about the survey, please call (877) 816-8940 toll-free, and ask to speak with one of dmrkynetec's executive interviewers about the 2008 Physician Practice Information Survey.

Click here to access the survey Web site and check whether you have been selected to participate in the survey.

If you have been selected, the Web site will provide instructions that will help you prepare to participate in the survey. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

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New on the Web

Updated Announcements of Courses and Conferences Now Available
AGS has posted new courses and conferences of interest to our members -- including conferences addressing pharmacotherapy for chronic pain, health policy, health literacy, and long-term care. Upcoming courses and conferences include those for the International Federation on Ageing, The Center to Advance Palliative Care, and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

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FHA Releases New Tip Sheets For Older Adults -- A Guide to "Geriatrics Syndromes"
The American Geriatrics Society's (AGS) Foundation for Health in Aging (FHA) recently released new easy-to-read educational "tip sheets" for older adults and their caregivers. "The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging Guide to "Geriatric Syndromes" offers tips to help seniors and caregivers understand “geriatric syndromes” and how they affect older adults' health and quality of life.

The two-part tip sheet describes 14 commonly diagnosed geriatric syndromes -- including vision and hearing problems, difficulty swallowing, bladder problems, dizziness, and falls -- and offers advice on recognizing these complex disorders, and addressing them with healthcare providers. Since geriatric syndromes typically affect many older adults and are complicated -- commonly having more than one cause, involving several different body systems, and one often contributing to another – the tips suggest older adults seek out geriatrics healthcare providers, who play an important role in diagnosing and managing these syndromes.

The FHA's series of health tip sheets for older people is posted on the Foundation's comprehensive public education Web site. The tip sheets can be printed and distributed to patients and others at no cost.

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AGS Board and Committee News

Call for Nominations to AGS Board of Directors
The AGS is now accepting nominations for three-year terms on the AGS Board of Directors. These terms will commence in May 2009. Nominees must be members in good standing of the Society. Nomination packages are due in the AGS office by October 1, 2008. Self-nominations will be accepted.

Click here for a listing of current AGS Board members.

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2009 Call for Applications for AGS Committee Service
AGS is now accepting applications for three-year terms on AGS committees. These terms will commence in May 2009. AGS members who wish to serve on an AGS committee should complete an online application form, and send the requested additional application materials to Christine Campanelli at ccampanelli@americangeriatrics.org by December 15, 2008. Any committee member whose term ends in 2009 and wishes to reapply for an additional term should also complete an online application form.
Learn More About AGS Committees
Committee Member Roles and Responsibilities

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2009 Call for Applications for AGS Nominations Committee
AGS is now accepting applications for one-year terms on the AGS Nominations Committee, which recommends nominees for election to the Board and for Officer positions of the Society. These terms will commence in May 2009. AGS members who wish to serve on an AGS committee should complete an online application form, submit two letters of support from current AGS Board and/or Committee members, and a 2-page biographical sketch or short curriculum vitae to the AGS office by September 1, 2008. Nominations should be submitted electronically to Christine Campanelli at ccampanelli@americangeriatrics.org.

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Spotlight on Member Benefits

Eligibility for Committee and Subcommittee Membership
Opportunities to join the American Geriatrics Society's critically important committees and subcommittees -- and work on key geriatrics issues at the national level -- are among the many benefits of membership in the Society. Focusing on a wide array of aspects of geriatrics care, research, and training, AGS' diverse committees and subcommittees make vital contributions to the Society's efforts to ensure older adults access to quality healthcare. More information about AGS committees and subcommittees, their roles, the nominations process, and committee and subcommittee members' responsibilities is available on the AGS Web site.

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