Week In Review

In December we found out that #AGS20 is already off to a record-breaking start: We had a total of 1,060 abstract submissions, more than any meeting in AGS history!

But what exactly could be found in all of those groundbreaking abstracts and thoughtful program proposals? Clinical, research, and educational insights varying in topic from blood pressure to the newest advances in geriatrics training programs, that's what! The AGS Annual Scientific Meeting Program Committee, as well as our network of volunteer abstract reviewers, certainly had their hands full.  

"It's something we all take very seriously—many, many hours go into trying to make the best meeting possible," said Joe Shega, MD, this year's meeting Program Chair.

You can find a sneak peek at some of those abstracts and presentation plans in your latest AGS quarterly newsletter, sent out with your December copy of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS). For even more information, check out #AGS20 on Twitter, and of course find our full program at Meeting.AmericanGeriatrics.org. While you're there, don't forget to register—then mark your calendar for Long Beach, CA, May 7-9 (pre-conference day May 6). We can't wait to see you!

• Can essential oil therapy help some patients with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD)?
• How do you structure and bill for your geriatric hospitalist program?
• What are your guidelines for the assessment of older clinicians for cognitive and physical performance?

Congratulations to this week's most active members: Priti Gujar, Umesh Bogati, Maria Cantu-Cooper, and Donald Mack. Thank you for your contributions! 

• From the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University: Very Few Lower-Income Older Adults Live in Accessible Units
• From Kaiser Health News: Health Law Dramatically Helped Combat Racial Coverage Disparities, But That Progress Has Now Stalled

The 2020 Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) Compensation and Production Survey is open now through Fri., Feb. 14.

 The AGS is partnering with the MGMA on this survey, which collects data on compensation for medical practice leadership and support staff, physician, and non-physician providers. It also benchmarks productivity by specialty, including provider collections, encounters, work RVUs, etc. By participating, you will be helping to create more geriatrics-specific benchmarking data. You also will receive complimentary access to the results.

The survey can be accessed here, and resources to assist with completing the Compensation and Production Survey are posted to the MGMA website. You will need to create an account or log in to the MGMA website to participate. Please note that you do not need to be an MGMA member to create an account.

Need one-on-one help?
MGMA data analysts are available M-F, 7:00am-5:00pm MT.
Toll-free: 877.275.6462, ext. 1895
survey@mgma.com

Don't miss out! The AGS released an exciting new resource—free for members and non-members alike.

Our interactive educational program on the Assessment of Older Drivers using Virtual Patient Cases provides an opportunity for healthcare professionals to learn how to incorporate the safety needs of older drivers into their practices by diagnosing and managing a patient in a virtual clinical encounter. The cases were developed through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and in partnership with DxR Clinician. They provide an interactive and appealing format for all clinicians to engage with issues around older driver safety.

Want even more info? Don't forget to check out our full suite of materials detailing how clinicians can assess and counsel older drivers. Take these tools for a test drive today!

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's (NASEM's) Committee on Implementing High-Quality Primary Care will host Laurie Jacobs, MD, AGSF, for a presentation during its public session on Wed., Jan. 22. This session will kickstart the process of building an implementation plan to strengthen primary care services in the U.S. and to inform primary care services around the world. Learn more about the initiative here, and check out the event (which includes a free live webcast) here.

Johns Hopkins University's Mixed Methods Research Training Program for the Health Sciences, funded by the National Institutes of Health through the Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research (OBSSR), matches selected scholars with mixed methods expert consultants to provide a more comprehensive understanding of research problems. The 2020 Mixed Methods Research Training Program Retreat will be held in Baltimore, MD, June 22-24. Learn more about the program here, and find the call for applications here.

Passed with great fanfare in 2018, the CHRONIC Care Act paved the way for Medicare Advantage plans to begin covering services like adult day care, support for family caregivers, pest control, or other benefits that help members maintain or improve health. In its latest issue of Transforming Care, the Commonwealth Fund looks at how health plans are responding to the law by changing their benefit offerings and partnering with community-based organizations to promote more holistic, patient-focused approaches to health and wellness.

Best Practice Caregiving, a free web-based database, provides organizations that serve caregivers with a tool to easily compare and select evidence-based programs for dementia caregiving. It serves as a single source of detailed information on more than 40 programs across the U.S. Try it out at bpc.caregiver.org.