From the President
TAKE A NEW ROUTE: UHMS PROGRAM FOR ADVANCED TRAINING IN HYPERBARICS (PATH)
ENOCH HUANG MD, FUHM • E: enoch.huang@mac.com • Twitter: @POTUHMS
Let’s talk education.
There is currently a low bar to practice undersea and hyperbaric medicine (UHM). Most hospitals only require completion of a 40-hour introductory course in hyperbaric medicine (ICHM) to get hospital privileges, and some organizations are offering portions of the ICHM online, circumventing the UHMS requirement that those 40 hours be conducted in person with live, face-to-face encounters with course faculty.
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From the Executive Director
THE UHMS CELEBRATES A HALF-CENTURY OF SERVICE
JOHN S. PETERS MBA, FACHE • E: jpeters@uhms.org
Greetings from the team here at the UHMS!
Annual Scientific Meeting
It's an exciting time as we approach our 50th Anniversary date – April 10, 2017. However, we’re going to hold back celebrating this golden achievement until we get to the beach in Naples, Florida, for the UHMS’s Annual Scientific Meeting.
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MEDFAQs
WELCOME TO MEDFAQS . . .
the UHMS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) system
www.uhms.org/resources/medfaqs-frequently-asked-questions-faq.html
A benefit of UHMS membership, MEDFAQs is a question-and-answer format where you can answers to frequently asked questions.
Members can see all questions and answers and submit new queries by simply logging in to the UHMS website. Certain safety-related material will be available to non-members as well.
Members can submit new queries by logging in, choosing the Resources tab and clicking on MEDFAQs. Questions are not answered in real time, but selected queries will be sent to committees and members for answers.
Q&As are archived for future reference and updated periodically.
HAVE A QUESTION? CHECK OUT MEDFAQS TODAY!
Quality Assurance Corner
THE ROLE OF THE ASSOCIATION OF HEALTH FACILITY SURVEY AGENCIES
TOM WORKMAN MS, CaSP, CHT-A, FAsMA • E: tom@uhms.org
AHFSA: What is it?
I don’t know about you, but I had never heard of the Association of Health Facility Survey Agencies (AHFSA). Then I attended the 2016 Joint Commission Health Care Association Forum.
AHFSA is a member of the JC forum. It is a not-for-profit organization that provides a forum for health care regulatory agency directors and managers to address common interests, concerns and health care program issues. The state licensing and certification agencies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are members of the organization.
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Nursing Notes
FUTURE OF QUALITY REPORTING, REIMBURSEMENT AND DOCUMENTATION FOR THE HYPERBARIC CLINICAL STAFF
BRADLEY WALKER RN, CHT, UHMS Associate Nurse-Elect • E: walker92607@gmail.com
Challenges ahead
For those of us who have been in the wound care and hyperbaric medicine arena for many years, we are accustomed to seeing changes from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services/CMS. However, what we have seen will not be as challenging as what we are facing now and in the future.
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Special Report from the QUARC Committee
THE APPROPRIATE ROLE FOR HBO2 THERAPY QUARC CO-CHAIR CAROLINE FIFE TALKS ABOUT PREDICTIVE MODELS
In a recent paper published in “Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery,” Dr. Caroline Fife discussed the value of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy’s “unique ability . . . to induce neovascularization,” noting that this “accounts for its persistence in the clinical armamentarium of chronic wound treatments, despite ongoing controversy regarding its cost effectiveness.” Dr. Fife is co-chair of the UHMS committee on Quality, Utilization, Authorization and Reimbursement.
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Special Report from the Safety Committee
RISK MANAGEMENT AND THE USE OF HYPERBARIC OXYGEN CHAMBERS
TOM WORKMAN and JIM BELL, UHMS Safety Committee
Over the past four decades we have seen a geometric growth in the number of clinical hyperbaric medicine facilities. The numbers have grown, from approximately 27 facilities in the early 1970s to now more than 1,350 hospital-based programs. There is no reliable estimate of the number of non-hospital based facilities in operation. For the most part, facilities that are a part of a healthcare system are well regulated; those in non-healthcare rated occupancies, such as health spas, commercial office buildings and homes, much less so.
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Corporate Partners Listing
As the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society celebrates 50 years of distinctive service to the diving and medical communities, we recognize we are here today thanks in large part to our members and corporate partners. To see the list of current Corporate Partners, go to www.uhms.org:
https://www.uhms.org/about/corporate-members/diamond-corporate-members.html
https://www.uhms.org/about/corporate-members/platinum-corporate-members.html
https://www.uhms.org/about/corporate-members/gold-corporate-members.html
https://www.uhms.org/about/corporate-members/bronze-corporate-members.html
To learn how to join UHMS as a Corporate Partner see:
https://www.uhms.org/corporate-memberships.html
UHMS Accredited Facilities
RECOGNIZING EXCELLENCE
The UHMS clinical hyperbaric medicine facility accreditation program recognizes clinical hyperbaric facilities that demonstrate their commitment to patient care and facility safety.
See a listing of all these facilities at:
https://www.uhms.org/accredited-facilities.html
CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE FACILITIES:
December 2016 Reaccreditations
- Robert Packer Hospital, Sayre, Pennsylvania
- Salt Lake Regional Medical Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
January 2017 Reaccreditations
- Freeman Hospital, Joplin, Missouri
- Griffin Hospital, Derby, Connecticut
- Springhill Medical Center, Mobile, Alabama
February 2017 Reaccreditations
- Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport, Connecticut
- Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, Illinois – With Distinction
- O'Connor Hospital, San Jose, California
- Retreat Hospital, Richmond, Virginia – With Distinction
UHMS Educational Calendar (course listings)
https://www.uhms.org/education/calendar.html
Get a global perspective of courses on offer, listed by date.
UHMS Directly Provided Activities (course listings)
https://www.uhms.org/
The UHMS offers a range of directly sponsored educational activities, ranging from those at its Online Education Portal to the NOAA-UHMS course, the Medical Examiner of Divers course, the Annual Scientific Meeting and annual chapter meetings with the Gulf Coast, Northeast, Mid-West and Pacific Chapters.
To check out what's on tap, go to the home page (listed above) and toggle over to 'Education' at the top of the page. Use the easy pull-down menu to review UHMS directly sponsored course offerings.
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Introductory courses (course listings)
https://www.uhms.org/education/courses-meeting/introductory-courses.html
UHMS-approved 40 hour live Introductory Training Courses must meet UHMS standards and requirement of 40 hours of hyperbaric medicine specific topics, face-to-face instruction, hands-on training/simulation and evaluation and examination upon completion.
Below is physician supervsion Novitas Solutions, Inc. LCD for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (subect to change)
PHYSICIAN SUPERVISION: Physicians supervising HYPERBARIC OXYGEN Therapy should be certified in Underseas and HYPERBARIC Medicine by the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) or the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) or the American Osteopathic Conjoint Committee of Undersea and HYPERBARIC Medicine (AOCUHM); or must have completed a minimum 40-hour in-person training experience in a program approved by the American College of HYPERBARIC Medicine or The Underseas and HYPERBARIC Medical Society.
The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians (MD/DO) but also seek approval through the National Board of Diving and Hyperbaric Medical Technologies and Wound Care Education Partners for certification requirements for other allied health professionals. We offer directly sponsored courses that can be found on our calendar as well as joint sponsorship with other non-accredited organizations to provide CME.
All CME educational activities developed and presented by the UHMS must be developed and presented in compliance with ACCME accreditation requirements-in addition to all the requirements of the AMA PRA program.
UHMS Joint/Co-Sponsored Activities (course listings)
https://www.uhms.org/education/courses-meeting/jointly-co-sponsored.html
Classifieds
Search employment opportunities, equipment for sale and services offered on the UHMS website.
Go to:
https://www.uhms.org/
Then toggler over to 'Resources.'