Spring 2011 Newsletter
It is an honor and a privilege to be your President this year and I would like to thank you for this opportunity to serve the Section.
Our most recent Annual Meeting, held this past October at the Nemacolin Woodlands property in Pennsylvania, was a great success. Dr. Bud Burnett and the Program Committee organized a fabulous scientific program. Dr. and Mrs. Jay Miller, along with Local Arrangements Chair, Dr. Joseph Leoni and his wife, Peggy, put together a fun and relaxing social program. The “Home on the MountainRange” Reception provided us with a country western welcome in the Allegheny Mountains and we also enjoyed a lovely President’s Reception and Banquet at the Nemacolin Woodlands property. Prior to the President’s Reception, we held a Young Urologists Reception which was well attended and provided time for the young and upcoming leaders of the Section to network with the existing leadership. I hope to continue this program into the future, as personal communication is so valuable.
Scientific highlights of the 68th Annual Meeting in Farmington included an enlightening talk from our Hugh Hampton Young Lecturer, Dr. Stuart Howards, on “The American Board of Urology: The Supply of Urologists in the US, Urologic Workload, and the Future of Medicare Funding.” We also showcased 33 oral presentations, 2 panel discussions, and 8 Special Topics Lectures, along with moderated and un-moderated sessions of 51 posters and remarks from Dr. Anton Buschen, Immediate Past President of the AUA. A new feature which was very well received was the morning Daily Review that highlighted the previous day’s sessions. I would also like to congratulate to the winning authors of the Resident Prize Essay Contest.
As I am sure most of you have heard, Dr. Williams Steers, Mid-Atlantic Section Member, will receive the AUA Hugh Hampton Young Award this May at the AUA Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. Dr. Steers was selected out of numerous nominees from the AUA Sections across the country. I hope our membership will join me if offering my sincere congratulations to Dr. Steers on this wonderful accomplishment!
I would also like to congratulate Dr. Alexander Kutikov, Assistant Professor of Urologic Oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center, on his poster presentation at the upcoming AUA Foundation Research Forum. He was nominated for this showcase by the Section Board of Directors and has graciously agreed to represent the region with his work on “Objectifying Risks in Patients with GU Cancers: Improving Existing Predictive Models and Developing Point-of-Care Risk Assessment Tools.” I hope you will attend the AUAF Research Forum and support Dr. Kutikov in this excellent achievement.
Our 2011 Annual Meeting will bring for the first time and Joint Meeting with the New England Section. We excited to work with Dr. Timothy Hopkins, New England Section President, and the Program Committee from NE in organizing the scientific and social programs. The Scientific Program will be led by Drs. Adam Klausner (from Mid-Atlantic) and Adam Feldman (from New England). They are hard at work finalizing the program and soliciting abstract submissions; I encourage you and your colleagues, residents, allied health professionals to submit before the April 10th deadline! Submit Your Abstract The Preliminary Program will be released later this spring and I look forward to seeing you all at the Joint Mid-Atlantic/New England Meeting, taking place November 3-6, 2011 at The Swan Hotel in Orlando, Florida.
One final item of business is to request feedback from the Mid-Atlantic Section membership on a new lecture for the Section – the “Paul Schellhammer Lecture in Urologic Oncology.” This lecture is proposed to honor Dr. Paul F. Schellhammer, a devoted member and Past President of our Section as well as a former President of the American Urological Association. Startup industry support has been confirmed and with the Section’s approval, I would like to incorporate the first ever Paul Schellhammer Lecture in Urologic Oncology into the Joint Meeting program this coming November. A poll will be sent to our membership within the coming weeks and I encourage everyone to submit their comments.
In closing, I would like to thank the Mid-Atlantic Board of Directors and our various administrative Committees for their hard work. I am looking forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming meeting in November. Thank you again for the honor of serving as your President.
Yours truly,
Harry Koo, MD
An update from Dr. Louis Keeler, III, Secretary of the Mid-Atlantic Section, AUA.
I would like to begin by thanking the Mid-Atlantic Section membership and its industry supporters for a successful 2010 Annual Meeting at the Nemacolin property in Pennsylvania last September. We hosted 152 professional attendees, 23 guests and spouses, and were joined by many industry representatives from 47 exhibiting companies and 10 sponsoring organizations – a truly great mix of colleagues and friends. Excellent science was presented over that weekend, thanks to Bud Burnett and his Program Committee, and I hope all in attendance enjoyed the atmosphere and activities the Nemacolin area had to offer.
In 2010 our industry supporters graciously contributed educational grants and exhibited at our meeting; the MA and NE Section leaderships have great expectations for Joint Meeting fundraising and exhibition as well. I hope you will all plan to visit our industry partners at the 2011 Joint Meeting to thank them for their continued support.
In working towards the Joint Meeting with the New England Section, I thank all those who have completed post-2010 Annual Meeting evaluations and the 2011 needs assessment survey, as this information will shape the 2011 program and ensure our regional education needs are met.
Please be sure to submit an abstract through the Joint Meeting submission site and encourage your colleagues, trainees, and friends to do so as well.
Other societal news is published in this edition of the Newsletter, but I would like to specifically comment on the recent activation of a Section Residents Committee. The initiative to enact a Section based Residents Committee has been encouraged by the AUA for some time and I am proud to report that the Mid-Atlantic is one of the first Sections to form such a group. While the Committee is still in its infancy, the Section, with the help of the regional residency directors, will work over the next several months to identify Committee members. We are pleased to announce that Dr. Jiakai Zhu of the University of Maryland Hospital has been appointed the Residents Committee Chairman. Please stay tuned for more information.
The Mid-Atlantic Section remains a strong advocate of urologic research. As such, in fall 2010, the Section completed its contributions to the AUA Foundation Research Scholar Program. The Mid-Atlantic Section will sponsor scholarships for qualified grant applicants within the region in 2012. The 2012 application cycle will open in June 2011 – please mark your calendars.
Finally, the AUA/AACU Joint Urology Conference was held March 27-29, 2011 in Washington, DC. If anyone has information from the Conference they would like to share with the Section, please send notice to the administrative office at [email protected]. The Board of Directors and membership would be interested to learn what came out of the meeting.
As always, I thank you for providing me with the opportunity to serve you as Secretary of the Mid-Atlantic Section. I am excited for the year ahead and in particular for our first Joint Meeting with another Section, November 3-6, 2011 at The Walt Disney World Swan Hotel. I hope as many of our members as possible can attend and participate in the program with the New England Section! In addition, please share your feedback on the new electronic format of the Newsletter via email to [email protected].
Louis L. Keeler, III, M.D.
Awards
It is a pleasure to announce that Dr. William D. Steers, M.D. will receive the AUA’s Hugh Hampton Young Award for outstanding contributions in urological education and pharmacology of the genitourinary tract, including female urology, urinary incontinence and neurogenic bladder.
Nominating Committee Report
The Board accepted the 2010-2011 report of the AUA Nominating Committee. Dr. Dennis A. Pessis will be the President-Elect from the North Central Section as per the AUA Presidential rotation. Dr. Gerald H. Jordan is one of two members whose names have been submitted to the American College of Surgeons for their Board of Governors.
Ratified Approval of Guidelines
The Board ratified its prior approval of the following guidelines:
- Guideline on the Management of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH): AUA Guideline 2010
- Guideline for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome
Education
Ultrasound Education. MedPAC, Third Party Insurers, and Radiology Benefits Management Companies continue to challenge urologists’ ability to perform and interpret office ultrasound, with the critical view that physicians perform imaging studies primarily for economic motives. Urology faces threats in that MedPAC and new requirements of the health care reform may require practice accreditation and/or physician certification to perform urologic ultrasound.
AUA’s Urologic Ultrasound Task Force, was established in October 2010 and held its first teleconference in January. The task force is exploring how AUA might establish criteria to certify physicians in urologic ultrasound and if and how AUA might establish a pathway for urology practices to obtain accreditation for ultrasound imaging. In November, Dr. Christopher Porter participated in a workshop with the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM), and AIUM is reportedly interested in having AUA develop/update urologic ultrasound practice guidelines and standard operating procedures (Blue Cross Blue Shield is already requiring urologic ultrasound practice accreditation in the states of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania).
Members of the task force and AUA staff will meet with the AIUM Board at the AIUM annual convention in NYC in April, and it is expected that urologists will be challenged on performing such standard procedures as trans-rectal ultrasound. The AUA task force is developing training criteria for urologists, and is moving ahead with the AIUM carefully so as to not accelerate the need for urologic practices to establish accreditation. The Board discussed the respective roles of the AUA and the ABU and differences between accreditation and verification of skills and training in urologic ultrasound and had an annual AUA/ABU Leadership Meeting also in February.
Maintenance of Certification (MOC). Dr. McDougall discussed the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)/ACCME Joint Working Group White Paper on CME for MOC which was issued in January. Soon thereafter, CMSS circulated a response letter to specialty societies indicating that the current draft of the White Paper is unacceptable and requested members to comment and sign on the CMSS’ opposition. The CMSS letter defends the appropriateness of educational and performance improvement programs produced by specialty societies, refutes language in the ABMS White Paper implying that CME activities are commercially biased, and insists on careful delineation between the roles of certifying boards as entities which assess and set standards, and specialty societies which parallel the boards as education providers and improvement facilitators – all within the framework of maintenance of certification.
The Board agreed to:
- Sign on to the CMSS letter to the ABMS.
- Reiterate concerns directly to the ABMS in a separate response to the White Paper.
- Discuss this further at the AUA/ABU Leadership meeting.
Continue discussions with the ABU.
Laparoscopy and Robotic Surgery Committee. The Directors approved the Laparoscopy and Robotic Surgery Committee’s name and mission change to Laparoscopic, Robotic and New Surgical Technology Committee with the Committee mission to educate and transfer laparoscopic, robotic and new surgical technologic skills efficiently to the urological community (as approved and recommended by the Education Council).
Urological Robotic Surgery Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). The Chair of Education discussed the SOP document which was designed to standardize operating practices for institutions during the process of credentialing of urologists for privileges to perform robotic surgery. Requirements for granting privileges for laparoscopy and individual surgical procedures are not included in these standard operating practices. Credentialing of physicians and granting privileges to perform surgeries is the responsibility of the individual institution.
The Board discussed if and how a number of required robotic cases might be built into the SOP. Dr. Green suggested that the prescribed number of cases would be helpful to local credentialing boards that may or may not include a urologist. Dr. McDougall described the wide range of opinion and no consensus among the Laparoscopy Committee or the Education Council to serve as a guide for defining when individuals are competent for granting and maintenance of privileges (training prior to performing procedures, proctored versus independent cased, etc). She explained that until now, Intuitive (the manufacturer of the DaVinci robot), has been creating guidelines without approval of expert robotic surgeons, and that although general, the SOP serve as a basis and be further developed in the coming year. Board members acknowledged that the American Board of Urology has not been willing to certify and set standards for urological procedures. Some parallels were made about the birth and evolution of laparoscopy, and in that case the AUA has determined a requisite number of cases for local credentialing boards. It was emphasized that in the last 5-7 years, robotics has become a near standard approach in prostate cancer surgery, that urology is largely driving robotics in the U.S., and that the AUA is therefore the body to issue the standard procedures, albeit a first version.
The Directors approved the Urological Robotic Surgery Standard Operating Practices as recommended by AUA’s Education Council.
Non Physician Providers Education Committee. The Directors approved the Non-Physician Providers Education Committee name change to Advanced Practice Nurses/Physician Assistants Education (APN/PA) Committee.
Education Council – Member Terms. The Directors approved that the terms for the four member at-large positions on the Education Council be changed from four to two year terms, renewable once.
Health Policy – Update
In 2008 the AUA was asked to join with other national medical societies as Amicus Curiae in the Maryland state courts, challenging a broad interpretation of the state’s self-referral law prohibiting referral for imaging studies within a single group practice. The case worked its way to Maryland’s highest court, which in January affirmed the decision of the Board of Physicians and of the lower court, upholding that interpretation.
The Board discussed and agreed that if followed in other states, the decision could have a devastating effect on urology patients, as well as urology practices which have purchased MRI or CT scanners, since the court refused to apply to in-office referral for imaging, variations of the “group practice” or direct supervision” exemptions under Maryland law. The Maryland Patient Care and Access Coalition (MPCAC) states that Maryland may be a bellwether for a national trend, either to extend the turf of radiology, or to roll back its attempted reach into the domain of other specialties. The Health Policy Chair agreed that this situation could be “ground zero” for this issue. It was not known at the time of the Board discussion whether AACU or LUGPA have also committed to funding this activity.
The Board approved up to \$20,000 in support of the MPCAC Self Referral legislative Written testimony in support of the legislation. AUA will also serve as a resource for MPCAC in responding to claims of over-utilization and increased costs associated with in-office imaging and radiation therapy services.
Membership Updates
The Directors approved the following member categories from the Mid-Atlantic Section: 15 Candidates, 6 Fast Track Associates, 10 Actives, 2 Associates, 15 Allied members, 1 Membership transfer and 1 Reinstatement.
International – Collaboration with Chinese Urological Association
The Board agreed to move forward with the CUA to assist in standardizing Residency Training Programs in China. The two year program at designated training centers is to include joint educational courses, simulation training and annual review courses. It is anticipated that the AUA would utilize the SASP to fulfill the examination process of the training program. Dr. Badlani explained that the details of how multiple choice exams and timing of exams will be determined as the program evolves over a 5 year period, with the expectation that the CUA will take it over eventually.
The Board agreed that participants in the program must become AUA International Residents-in-Training members upon entering the program, and it is intended that AUA guidelines will be incorporated into the training structure. A budget through 2013 was reviewed by the Board. Final implementation of the program is contingent on industry funding.
Section Secretaries/Membership Council
The Board approved the Non-Physicians Providers Membership Committee name change to the Advanced Practice Nurses/Physician Assistants (APN/PA) Membership Committee.
The Board approved the addition of a military representative as a voting member of the Young Urologists Committee for a two-year term, renewable once. The Society of Government Service Urologists (SGSU) will be asked to submit three names to the AUA, from which the YU Chair in concert with the Secretary will select one.
The Board agreed to add two liaison members from Mexico and Canada to serve as voting members of the Council. The leadership of SMU and the CMU will be asked to collectively propose a list of 3 Active AUA members who practice in Mexico to be sent to the AUA for its consideration and selection. These individuals will be vetted by the AUA South Central Section. Likewise, the CUA will be asked to submit a list of 3 Active AUA members who practice in Canada to be sent to the AUA for its consideration and selection. These individuals will be vetted by the Western or Northeastern Sections. The members selected by the AUA will serve a two year term, renewable once.
Bylaws Amendments
The Board approved two specific bylaws revisions (both approved in concept by the Board in Oct 2010, with language approved by the Bylaws Committee in Nov 2010).
- Article VIII Meetings Section 2 Annual Business Meeting. Language has been added to allow non-voting members to attend the meeting.
- Article X Discipline, Disability and Disqualification. Section 2.1 Reapplication. Language has been added so that disciplined members are reviewed by the Judicial & Ethics Committee prior to reapplication for membership.
Judicial & Ethics Committee
The Board discussed the member sign-in area of the website which lists the names of members who have been disciplined by the AUA in the form of rebuke or expulsion. The information posted is limited to name, date and the word “expulsion” or “rebuke” with no further details. The Directors agreed to retain the AUA firewall (as opposed to posting on the public site) where member disciplinary actions are posted on AUA’s website. All disciplinary actions posted on this member-only sign in website must be considered restricted but not confidential and must be communicated as such when notifications/communications are disseminated about these members.
NEW BUSINESS
Change in Nominations Process – for AUA Secretary-Elect and Treasurer-Elect
The Board agreed to change AUA Bylaws through which the offices of Secretary-Elect and Treasurer-Elect are selected to their respective positions, with the following protocol to be implemented: When Treasurer-Elect and Secretary-Elect positions are to be filled, the AUA will notify the Sections of this vacancy and each Section will be encouraged to nominate as many candidates for the position as it desires. Concomitantly, the AUA will also notify the Active and Senior membership as a whole and will accept self-nomination of candidates at-large. Triage of these candidates will be performed by the Executive Committee of the Board after reviewing all requested support documents. The Executive Committee will then forward the names of top candidates who will be interviewed by the entire Board. The Board will select a single nominee for the position to be submitted to the Membership for ratification at the next appropriate Business Meeting at the AUA Annual Meeting.
Note: A letter explaining this board action was sent to all Section Presidents, Secretaries and administrators on February 24.
The Young Urologists Committee’s mission is to address the needs of urologists 10 years or less out of training. Since its inception in 2004, the Committee has hosted a Forum held at the AUA Annual Meeting with topics that have included malpractice defense, maintenance of certification, utilization of physician extenders and revenue opportunities. It has been the goal of Committee leadership to expand the Young Urologists Committee’s role to provide more to young AUA members. Representatives from all Sections of the AUA share thoughts and provide feedback during Committee meetings and work to develop goals, tools, and activities for young urologists. The Committee has created a webpage specific to young urologists that contains information and links to topics of interest to young urologists, including the American Board of Urology, the American Medical Association, Conflict of Interest information, the AUA Expert Witness Policy, frequently asked questions, AUA Leadership Program information, coding information, maternity leave policy for female urologists, contract negotiation and MOC guidelines. The webpage can be accessed at http://www.auanet.org/content/residency/young-urologists.cfm. Lastly, over the coming years the Committee hopes to expand exposure by supporting the creation of Section events, when possible, specifically geared towards young urologists.
Tiffany M. Sotelo, MD
Section Representative to the AUA Young Urologist Committee
Each year, the Mid-Atlantic Section sponsors a Resident Prize Essay Competition at the Annual Meeting. Residents are invited to submit papers for consideration in the categories of Basic Science or Clinical Investigation. Awards of First Prize, Second Prize and Third Prize are presented to the three best papers.
Winners of the 2010 MAAUA Resident Prize Essay Competition.
- 1st Prize
Effect Of Mid-Urethral Sling Placement On Urgency And Urge Incontinence
Ashley King, MD
Virginia Commonwealth University - 2nd Prize
Clinical Stage T2 Subgroups Accurately Predict Prostate Cancer-Specific Survival Following Radical Prostatectomy
Jeffrey Mullins, MD
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions - 3rd Prize
Pediatric Robotic Extravesical Ureteral Reimplantation: A Comparison with Open Surgery
Ryan Smith, MD
University of Virginia
2011 Resident Prize Essay Competition
Deadline For Submission – April 10, 2011
The New England & Mid-Atlantic Sections of the American Urological Association are sponsoring the 2011 Resident Prize Essay Competition. All residents are invited to enter their best Basic Science or Clinical Research project for consideration.
Please note: If you have received a Resident Prize Essay Competition Award in the past, you are not eligible for the 2011 Competition.
Authors selected for oral presentation and eligible for the Resident Prize Essay Competition will be notified by late May/early June. The Program Committee will evaluate the manuscripts and oral presentation of each eligible competitor. Awards will be presented during the Joint Meeting President’s Dinner, to be held on Saturday evening, November 6, 2011.
New Members of the Mid-Atlantic Section, AUA
Congratulations to the new MAAUA members elected at the September 2010 Business Meeting.
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ACTIVE Hernan Altamar, MD, Ahmad Bani Hani, MD, Leo Doumanian, MD, David Glazier, MD, Christine Sears, MD, Jeffrey Haskins, MD, Ashutosh Kshirsagar, MD, Peter Kwong, MD, Nicholar Leone, MD, Richard Lieberman, MD, William Merriam, MD, Eddie Michli, MD, David Murphy, MD, Corey Passman, MD, Igner Rosner, MD, |
ASSOCIATE George Zahorian, DO, |
ASSOCIATE FAST TRACK Trinity Bivalacqua, MD, PhD, Dorota Hawksworth, MD, James Nederostek, MD, William Caraway, MD, Robert Linden, MD, Brian Tully, MD, William Kao, MD, Brian Steixner, MD, |
Future Meetings
MAAUA
2011 Joint Meeting
Walt Disney Swan Hotel
Orlando, Florida
November 3-6, 2011
70th Annual Meeting
Loews Philadelphia Hotel
Philadelphia, PA
October 11-14, 2012Mid-Atlantic & New England Sections of the AUA Joint Annual Meeting
Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
Orlando, Florida
November 3-6, 2011
Mid-Atlantic Section of the AUA 70th Annual Meeting
Loews Philadelphia Hotel
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
October 11-14, 2012
MID-ATLANTIC SECTION
of the
AMERICAN UROLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, INC.
ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING
Saturday, September 25, 2010
8:00 AM
Grand Ballroom
Nemacolin Woodlands Hotel
Farmington, Pennsylvania
MINUTES
- Call to Order: Approval of Minutes of the October 3, 2009 MAAUA Annual Business Meeting
The 2010 Annual Business Meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Section of the American Urological Association, Inc., was called to order at 8:05 AM in the Grand Ballroom of the Nemacolin Woodlands Hotel in Farmington, Pennsylvania by the President, Dr. Jay B. Miller. In his opening remarks, Dr. Miller acknowledged the industry partners that were present during the Nemacolin meeting and thanked them for their support of the program. He then called for an approval of the 2009 Annual Business Meeting Minutes.
VOTED to approve the Minutes of the October 3, 2009 Annual Business Meeting as summarized in the March 2010 issue of the Newsletter.
- Report of the President
Dr. Miller thanked both the Membership and the Board of Directors for their support during his Presidency over the last year and expressed special appreciation to Dr. Arthur Burnett, for his efforts as Program Committee Chairman, in developing a sound scientific program for this meeting; and to Dr. Joseph Leoni and his wife, Peggy, for a superb job in organizing the memorable social activities taking place in the Nemacolin area that weekend. He also thanked Dr. Anton Bueschen, Immediate Past President of the AUA, for attending the meeting and Dr. Stuart Howards, who would be delivering the Hugh Hampton Young Lecture later that morning. Dr. Miller also thanked the Nemacolin staff for making the MAAUA Annual Meeting enjoyable and PRRI for their management during his presidential year.
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Report of the Secretary
Through the use of slides, Dr. Louis L. Keeler, III, Secretary, reviewed the current membership statistics of the Section noting a total of 1122 members, with 667 Active, 292 Senior, 59 Associate, 3 Honorary, 4 Affiliate and 97 Candidate Members. In accordance with both the Section and AUA By-Laws, any members in arrears for payment of dues for 2(+) years will be sent final notice and dropped from membership roles effective November 1, 2010, if they have not brought their dues current by that date.
Dr. Keeler then reviewed the following actions that were taken by the Board of Directors at its meetings on March 21, 2010 and September 23, 2010:
- After reviewing a record number of applications for the AUA Leadership Program, the Board of Directors selected Drs. Mayer Grob and Kurt McCammon for the next cycle.
- The Board approved Dr. Philip Hanno as the new AUA Foundation Research Council Representative and Dr. Adam Klausner as Section Representative to the AUA Research Forum, which was held May 2010. In addition, the Section’s final payment toward the AUA Foundation Scholar Project was made and the Section’s role with respect to urologic research initiatives increased with the 2011 Research Scholar Awards cycle.
- The Board of Directors reviewed the latest activities that the AUA had taken with respect to the establishment of Residents Committees on the Section level and, as requested by the National Office, preliminarily approved the project subject to a final vote by the Section. A survey was also circulated to the Membership and feedback from the survey indicated that a MAAUA Residents Committee would be a beneficial addition to Section operations.
- The Board approved a request by the Society of Women in Urology (SWU) to have a function during the Nemacolin Woodlands program. As with the Virginia Urologic Society (VUS), who already conducts a function at the Section Annual Meetings, this was determined to be a nice addition seeing they occur at times that do not conflict with other programming.
- The Board continued work with the Canadian Journal of Urology (CJU) in publication of the 2010 Annual Meeting abstracts – a limited supply of copies were available at the Nemacolin Woodlands meeting. Dr. Gomella was acknowledged for his dedication to this initiative.
- The Board reviewed updates from the AUA on the eligibility of DOs for Associate Membership status; the Section By-Laws Committee will conduct a review of the present Section By-Laws for any potential modifications that may need to be made. A campaign to recruit DOs into Section Membership is planned for the coming year.
- The Board plans an outreach to affiliated urologic societies within the Section to promote both the Section’s Annual Meetings and membership.
- The Board reviewed an update from the AUA Judicial and Ethics Committee regarding expert witnesses. More information can be obtained by visiting the Members Only area of the AUA website.
- The Board reviewed initial planning proposals for the upcoming Joint Meeting with the New England Section and confirmed future Annual Meeting sites and dates as follows:
November 3-6, 2011 Swan Hotel Orlando, FL (Out of Section – Joint Meeting with the New England Section) October 11-14, 2012 Lowes Philadelphia Hotel Philadelphia, PA VOTED to accept the report of the Secretary.
- Report of the Treasurer
Dr. Zaslau used slides to report on the Section’s financial records as of August 31, 2010, noting that as the Section now has a dual structure, with both a 501c3 and 501c6, each corporation would have a report.
The 501c3 assets held at \$115,747 as of August 31st, with the beginning cash flow reading zero, as this is the first full fiscal cycle for the MAAUA Education Fund. Total receipts at the end of August were \$283,325; total disbursements were \$167,578, resulting in an operating surplus of \$115,747, prior to payment of final Annual Meeting expenses.
The 501c6 assets, as of August 31st, were \$765,797 with \$91,694 in the checking account and \$674,859 in the investment account with Allegheny. In the light of the recoving economy, the Investment Committee and Board decided to “stay the course” with the Section’s investments. Investment gains have been realized although the recovery process is ongoing. Total receipts as of August 31st were \$72,631; total disbursements were \$65,263, a large portion of which was a transfer of dues revenue to the 501c3 to support its operations. As of August 31st, the Section’s 501c6 maintained an operating surplus of \$10,795.
VOTED to accept the report of the Treasurer.
- Report of the Historian
In the absence of Dr. Lowentritt, Section Historian, Dr. Keeler reported the Section Necrology and informed the membership that the following members had passed away since the last Annual Meeting:
Robert F. Blythe, MD Silver Spring, Maryland John M. Bobbitt, MD Mooresville, North Carolina Edward “Ned” W. Campbell, Jr., MD, Section Past President (1992) Lutherville, Maryland Jose E. Gonzales, MD Norfolk, Virginia Elwood P. Hudson, MD Murdock, Florida Arnold M. Kwart, MD Washington, DC Luis R. Molina, MD Huntington, West Virginia Michael J. Stanton, MD Bethesda, Maryland Raymond M. Yow, MD, Section Past President (1973) Sarasota, Florida Dr. Keeler spoke kind words about Dr. Yow while Dr. Michael Naslund, friend and partner of Dr. Campbell, spoke fondly of their relationship and Dr. Campbell’s life.
- Report of the Membership Committee
ACTIVE
Mohamad Allaf, MD
Hernan Altamar, MD
Ahmad Bani Hani, MD
Leo Doumanian, MD
David Glazier, MD
Christine Sears, MD
Jeffrey Haskins, MD
Ashutosh Kshirsagar, MD
Peter Kwong, MD
Nicholar Leone, MD
Richard Lieberman, MD
William Merriam, MD
Eddie Michli, MD
David Murphy, MD
Corey Passman, MD
Igner Rosner, MD
Charles Schwab, II, MD
Alice Tsao, MDASSOCIATE
Mohamad Salkini
George Zahorian, DOASSOCIATE FAST TRACK
(in anticipation of members passing ABU Part I
exam and addendums from the AUA)Trinity Bivalacqua, MD, PhD
Benjamin Brucker, MD
William Caraway, MD
Clinton Collins, MD
Christopher Cost, MD
Bahfar Ehdaje, MD
Dorota Hawksworth, MD
Michael Issacson, MD
William Kao, MD
Keith Kowalczyk, MD
Aaron Krill, MD
Robert Linden, MD
Wesley Mayer, MD
James Nederostek, MD
Vernon Orton, MD
Mark Pe, MD
Wilmer Roberts, MD, PhD
Ornob Roy, MD
Susan Saunders, MD
Brian Steixner, MD
Kristina Suson, MD
Brian Tully, MD
Eric Whitman, MDDr. Adam Klausner, Chairman of the Membership Committee, informed the Members present that applicants for Active and Associate Membership were listed on pages 243-244 of the Program Book. In addition, a list that had been revised since the Program Book was printed, and approved by the Board of Directors, had been circulated to the membership at the start of the Business Meeting. This revised list, as noted below, represented all approved applications as of September 25, 2010.
It was VOTED that the By-Laws be suspended temporarily in accordance with Article VI to consider the revised list of applicants a noted.
VOTED to accept the report of the Membership Committee and elect the revised list of candidates to Section membership.
- Report of the Program Committee
Dr. Arthur Burnett, II, 2010 Program Committee Chairman, thanked his Committee for organizing an outstanding scientific program. Dr. Burnett made various key points about the Annual Meeting and noted that a total of 91 abstracts had been submitted for consideration with 33 Podium Presentations, 6 of which were eligible for the Resident Prize Essay competition, 27 Moderated and 24 Display-Only Posters being accepted. In addition 2 Panel Discussions; 7 Special Topic Lectures; a Urology Practice Lecture; an optional Coding Seminar conducted by Stephanie Stinchcomb, CPC, CCS-P, ACS-UR; daily reviews of each days’ science; and remarks from the AUA and IVUMed were in the program along with the traditional Howard M. Pollack X-Ray Conference being conducted by Dr. Robert Older.
Dr. Miller thanked Dr. Burnett and his Committee again for a fine job on the 2010 program.
- Report of the Local Arrangements Committee
Dr. Joseph Leoni recapped the social events that had been planned for the meeting including the well-received “Home on the Mountain Range” theme reception that had been held at the Nemacolin Ski Lodge on September 24th. He noted that everyone will enjoy the upcoming Annual Reception & Banquet later that evening which would be held in the Grand Ballroom and outdoor patio. Dr. Leoni stressed Nemacolin’s many wonderful activity options at attendees’ disposal and encouraged them to take advantage during their free afternoon. In closing, Dr. Leoni thanked his wife, Peggy, and Jillian West, Section Meeting Manager, for all their hard work and assistance with the social program in 2010.
Dr. Miller thanked Dr. Leoni again for his dedication in serving the Section.
- Report of the Representative to the AUA Board of Directors
As Dr. John Lynch just became a grandfather and left the meeting early to visit with family, there was no formal report from the Section’s Representative to the AUA Board of Directors. He had provided a comprehensive written report in the summer issue of the Section’s Newsletter.
- Report of the AACU
A new report to the Annual Business Meeting, Dr. F. Michael Rommel, Representative to the American Association of Clinical Urologists (AACU), presented a report of the AACU. He noted that the AACU holds a joint meeting with the AUA each year to encourage nation wide advocacy; he encouraged anyone interested to participate in the Joint Advocacy Conference in March 2011 in DC. He also urged Mid-Atlantic Section members to contact their state representatives to communicate their issues and to work together towards improving urologic care. Dr. Rommel maintains a current list of state representatives and volunteered to assist with matching urologists to their respective governmental leaders.
Dr. Rommel thanked the Section for serving as a strong supporter of UROPAC, which had accumulated approximately \$900,000 in advocacy funding; the MAAUA had contributed many funds over the past few years. Dr. McKinney noted that UROPAC had officially passed the \$1 million mark and declared it one of the largest advocacy organizations in the country.
- Report of the Nominating Committee
Dr. Douglas McKinney reported that the Nominating Committee, consisting of Drs. Marguerite Lippert, S. Bruce Malkowicz, Michael Naslund, and he met by conference call and prepared the Committee report which was emailed to the membership earlier in August. The Nominating Committee formally presented the following slate for Section appointments as distributed to the membership.
President Harry P. Koo, MD President-Elect F. Michael Rommel, MD Secretary Louis L. Keeler, III, MD Treasurer Stanley Zaslau, MD Historian Benjamin H. Lowentritt, MD Board of Directors Members (continuing terms) B. Mayer Grob, MD
Jonathan Roth, MD
Thomas W. Jarrett, MD
Edouard J. Trabulsi, MDNew Board of Directors Members (3-year terms) Wayne A. McWilliams, MD
Noah S. Schenckman, MDRepresentative to AUA Board of Directors John H. Lynch, MD Alternate Representative to AUA Board of Directors Craig A. Peters, MD Nominating Committee Leslie M. Rickey
Peter O. CareyAUA Health Policy Council Kent L. Rollins AUA Judicial and Ethics Committee James F. Borin AUA Practice Management Committee Roger E. Schultz AUA Residents Committee Jiakai Zhu In addition to these nominations, the AUA welcomes volunteers for other national Committee positions. Those interested were encouraged to visit the AUA website, via a link posted on the Mid-Atlantic Section website, to apply.
VOTED to close the nominations and instruct the Secretary to cast one ballot for the slate as presented by the Nominating Committee. All nominees were approved by the membership.
Dr. Miller thanked Drs. Chai and Eure for their dedication to the Board and a job well done. Those being put forth for AUA Awards were circulated via handout for information.
- Old Business
There was no old business to be discussed.
- New Business
As was mentioned earlier in the meeting, the Board had ongoing discussions on the establishment of a Section-level Residents Committee to supplement that of the National Residents Committee and feedback from a recent survey to the membership indicated strong interest. To establish the Committee would require the By-Laws amendment, which was shared with those in attendance at the Business Meeting via PowerPoint slide and handout. The By-Laws amendment had been approved by the By-Laws Committee with some modifications from the Board of Directors. Once established, the Board will solicit Program Directors and their residents for volunteers to serve on the Residents Committee.
VOTED to amend the Section By-Laws to include language regarding the Section Residents Committee.
Dr. Miller encouraged anyone interested in serving on the Committee to contact the MAAUA administrative office.
Dr. Miller then noted that for those interested in Health Policy, the AUA is offering the Gallagher Health Policy Scholar Program to AUA member urologists. Scholars selected for this program will spend up to 30 days away from their practice for intensive training on a wide range of health policy issues. A stipend of \$15,000 and reimbursement for travel and other expenses will be provided by the AUA over the course of the year-long program. The application deadline for the 2011-2012 Program was Monday, October 25, 2010 and applications were accepted online.
Dr. Miller invited Dr. Harry P. Koo, President-Elect, to come to the podium and presented him with the honorary gavel of the Section. Dr. Koo thanked the Section membership for electing him to the Presidency and presented Dr. Miller with a Certificate of Appreciation for his efforts as President of the Mid-Atlantic Section during the past year. He also reminded all to attend the upcoming 2011 Annual Meeting at the Swan Hotel in Orlando, Florida, which will be held in conjunction with the New England Section.
- Adjournment
There being no further business to come before the membership, the meeting was adjourned at 8:35 AM.
Respectfully submitted,
Louis L. Keeler, III, MD
Secretary