October 2015
What's New in CME?
MOC
The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) have collaborated to simplify the integration of Maintenance of Certification (MOC) and accredited CME. The collaboration formed to expand the number and diversity of accredited CME activities that offer ABIM MOC points and to streamline the process for registering CME activities in ABIM's MOC program. ACCME offered a webinar to all CME providers on Oct. 14. A recording of the webinar will be available soon.
For more information and educational resources, visit CME that Counts for ABIM MOC.
Teleconference Criteria Revised
TMA uses an onsite or conference call format for the accreditation interview and activity file review. TMA’s Subcommittee on Accreditation and Committee on Continuing Education revised the criteria an organization must meet to select a conference call format for the accreditation interview and activity file review.
The revisions resulted in several more TMA-accredited organizations qualifying for the opportunity to select the format for their accreditation interview and activity file review. The revised criteria take effect in the June 2016 accreditation cohort. Organizations will be notified in the Notification of Reaccreditation email distributed approximately eight months before the Self-Study Report is due to TMA, regardless of whether they meet the qualifications for the conference call option.
Revised criteria:
To be considered for the conference call format, organizations must meet the following criteria of no probationary or provisional status in the current accreditation cycle and no more than two Criteria 1-3, 5-13 (Level 2) and policies out of compliance within the current accreditation cycle, with the exception of a reoccurrence of noncompliance in Criterion 7, SCS 1, SCS 2 and SCS 6 in the last two accreditation cycles.
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Increase in Annual Fee
Beginning January 2016 TMA will institute a slight increase to its annual fee for CME accreditation. The increase in the fee allows TMA to continue offering valuable conferences and educational assistance to organizations and also includes registration for a staff member from the TMA-accredited organization to attend the annual Texas CME Conference. The new annual fee is $325.
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Q&A
Q&A is a newer section of the newsletter that addresses selected questions or challenges submitted to TMA by accredited providers. Questions and challenges will not include identifiable information.
If you have any questions or challenges, please contact Casey Harrison in the TMA CME office. Do not contact the ACCME, which will direct you to TMA.
Q: Can physicians claim AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ more than once for the same activity?
A. AMA states that it is each physician’s ethical responsibility to claim credit only for activities in which they have learned something that will help their practice. This includes i.e. physicians who complete Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) or Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) on an annual basis and feel that it benefits their patient care.
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Covenant Health in Lubbock Achieves Accreditation with Commendation
At its September 2015 meeting the TMA Committee on Continuing Education awarded Covenant Health Accreditation with Commendation, which confers a six-year term of accreditation. Congratulations to Covenant Health!
TMA has awarded Accreditation with Commendation to 48 percent of the 58 TMA-accredited providers.
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Welcome! New TMA-Accredited Provider
Texas Pain Society (TPS), a physician membership organization with approximately 400 physician members who treat patients for pain, many of whom are board-certified specialists, joined the list of TMA-accredited providers in September 2015. Eight pain physicians founded TPS in 1989 to improve the practice of pain management in the state. Members’ patients range from those with short-term injuries to patients seeking to manage chronic pain. TPS hosts an annual scientific meeting every October.
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Mark Your Calendar!
2016 Texas CME Conference
June 22-24, 2016
Sheraton Austin at the Capitol
701 E. 11th Street
Austin, TX 78701
Click here to learn about the hotel.
This conference is your opportunity to get CME updates, benefit from best practices, and network with your CME peers.
Please consider submitting a 2016 Texas CME Conference Abstract proposal. More information is available on the 2016 Texas CME Conference webpage.
For budgeting purposes:
Registration:
- One registration included in the annual fee for TMA-accredited providers
- $335 for additional registrants
- $175 special rate for physicians attending Thursday only
Room rates:
- $169 single or double*
- $189 triple*
- $209 quad*
*Plus taxes, currently 15%
Parking:
- Self-parking:
- Daily attendees - $4/hour (maximum of $12/day), does not include in/out privileges
- Overnight attendees –$12/night, includes in/out privileges
- Valet parking:
- Daily attendees - $17/day, does not include in/out privileges
- Overnight attendees - $32.00/night, includes in/out privileges
Internet access:
Complimentary in event space and in guest rooms for all guest registered in the group block
Join Colleagues at the ACEhp 41st Annual Conference
Save the date for the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Profession (ACEhp) 41st Annual Conference Jan. 13-16, 2016, at the Gaylord National in National Harbor, MD. This year's theme, Discovering Connections, focuses on how organizational alignment, professional collaboration, and networking lay the groundwork for solutions to your pressing issues. Conference registration and details are available at www.ACEhp.org.
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Compliance Reminder
PARS is Available for 2015 Activity Data; Reminder about PARS Improvements for 2015
Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS) is open for data entry for the 2015 reporting year. The deadline for completing data entry for the 2015 reporting year is not until March 31, 2016, but we are reminding you now to give you time to prepare and to familiarize yourself with the changes. As always, you can enter basic information about an activity before it has taken place and complete the entry after the activity has occurred.
Access PARS at www.accme.org by using your e-mail address and provider identification number. If you are new to your organization and need information about your organization for PARS, please contact Casey Harrison in the TMA CME office. Do not contact ACCME, as they will direct you to TMA.
Educational Resources
About PARS includes improvements for reporting 2015 data, batch upload resources, Q&A for PARS 2015 Changes
PARS Video FAQ
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Got New Staff?
TMA CME Staff can train your staff via conference call, in person at your organization or ours. Email Casey Harrison to schedule a meeting.
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