March 2022 Edition
1. Presidential Messages
Shanu Kothari, MD FASMBS and Nate Sann, MSN FNP-BC deliver their monthly Presidential Video Message. Hear about the current state of the Society and upcoming events.
ASMBS Presidential Message
This video has been archived.
Please click here and send your comment to CMS on the critical issue of anti-obesity medication! Less than 48 hours to submit!
ASMBS Integrated Health Presidential Message
This video has been archived.
2. Education & Events
Focus Practice Designation Review Course
Are you considering the April 1st Exam for Focus Practice Designation? Join the ASMBS in Denver Wednesday, March 16th, for the Focus Practice Designation Review Course held in conjunction with SAGES 2022.
This specially designed course prepares attendees to succeed on the American Board of Surgery Bariatric Surgery FPD examination on April 1st, 2022. For the full agenda and registration information click here .
3. Committee News
New Video
State of the Art: Working with Insurers, Shawn Garber, MD FACS FASMBS
The Community/Independent Practice Committee presents a new video in their Private Practice Solutions Video Series. In this video from his lecture at the 2021 ASMBS New York State Chapter Virtual Meeting Dr. Shawn Garber discusses working with insurers. He details negotiating, out-of-network issues, following up on claims, bundling, and value-based care.
Research Grant Award
Applications for the ASMBS 2022 Research Grant Award will be accepted from March 5 – April 15, 2022. To complete the grant application, please visit the ASMBS website . Preference will be given to proposals addressing Weight Regain After Bariatric Surgery. One top award will be announced in June, 2022. Funding is made possible by the ASMBS Foundation. If you have questions, please contact: research@asmbs.org .
CBN is looking to add members to the CBN Committee!
We are especially looking for nurses who are would be interested in one of the following subcommittees:
- Accreditation (guiding our efforts toward ABNS Accreditation)
- Recertification (reviewing applications and developing recertification policy)
- Marketing (organizing efforts to get the word out regarding the CBN activities)
Committee membership can be used to help with meeting the CBN recertification requirement and is a great way to network with bariatric nurses all over the country.
If you are interested, please contact Nikki, the CBN Manager, at CBN@asmbs.org .
4. Membership News
Bariatric Nursing Practice Analysis Survey 2022
The 2022 bariatric nursing practice analysis survey will be deployed to all ASMBS nursing membership on Friday, March 18, 2022, and the survey will take approximately 30-40 minutes to complete. Your input is extremely important. The survey is not exclusively for nurses who are members of ASMBS but can be taken by any currently licensed registered nurse (RN) involved in the care of metabolic and bariatric surgery patients. So please deploy/forward the survey link far and wide among your colleagues and organizations, as the more perspectives we can get, the better!
Join the ASMBS DocMatter Community!
ASMBS has partnered with DocMatter to create an online community for high-quality clinical discussion and collaboration as an added benefit of ASMBS membership. The community is launching in waves, and all active ASMBS members should have recently received an email with a link to activate their accounts.
Please check your inbox for this unique-to-you activation link! If you have any questions or require assistance, please contact us at info@asmbs.org .
5. Advocacy & Access to Care
OCC March 2022 Advocacy Report
In this report, prepared by Chris Gallagher, OCC Washington Representative:
- Advocates Virtually Swarm Capitol Hill in Support of TROA
- CMS Again Signals its Reluctance to Act Administratively on TROA
- Wisconsin Obesity Groups Push for State Employee IBT and Drug Coverage
- Ohio State Medical Board Proposes Less Restrictive Prescribing Rules
- Virginia Senate Committee Approves Bill to Require Study on Obesity