News Items

The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons are pleased to announce a shared scholarship open to U.S. members in good standing of both organizations.

This scholarship supports attendance and participation in the "Executive Leadership Program in Health Policy and Management," which will take place June 4-10, 2017, at Brandeis University, Waltham, MA. Additional details are available on the Brandeis University website.

For your convenience, the specific requirements for the Health Policy Scholarship are available in the scholarship flyer. The deadline for receipt of all application materials is February 1, 2017. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of the selection committee's decision by early April 2017.

To Apply

Applications should be submitted as a single PDF file via email to: [email protected].

ASCRS/ACS 2017 Health Policy Scholarship Information and Requirements (PDF)

ASCRS has formed an exciting partnership with the Colon Cancer Alliance. This leading national patient advocacy organization puts on the Undy Run/Walk nationwide and we’re helping get the word out to encourage participation, get people talking about colon cancer and raise money to support important research efforts. In order for this partnership to thrive, we need your support.

The Undy Run/Walk is a family-friendly 5K run and one mile walk, formerly known as the Undy 5000, and gets people talking about colon cancer prevention, with the ultimate goal of saving lives. By participating—whether to support a loved one, honor the memory of someone lost to the disease, raise awareness or simply run through the streets in a wild pair of undies—their community of survivors, families, healthcare professionals, runners, sponsors and friends are making a difference across the country.

In consideration of the Society’s efforts to promote the Undy Run/Walk and engage its members, the Colon Cancer Alliance will donate $1 of every paid event registration to the ASCRS Research Foundation. Based on current projections, these Research Foundation contributions could reach $15,000 to $20,000. The money raised will fund research focused on investigating the molecular basis of young onset colorectal cancer, a growing group of people being diagnosed with colon cancer.

Get registered for the Undy Run/Walk today! Click here to learn how you can get involved now!

ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, Revision 10), the international standard for the definition of medical conditions, takes effect on Thursday, October 1. ICD-10 is a HIPAA code set requirement, so all services and discharges on or after that date must comply with the new codes. The new code set incorporates an expanded code format (three to seven digits), which will allow providers to include greater detail within the codes.

ASCRS encourages members to consult the following resources to prepare for this change:

• Crosswalk Between ICD-9 and ICD-10: Top Colon and Rectal Diagnosis Codes
• American Medical Association Implementation Tools and Tips
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid "Road to 10" Tools

Announcement Sent Jointly from the American Medical Association and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Sent July 2015

The American Medical Association and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) jointly announced that agreement has been reached on important elements of a "grace period" for the October 1, 2015, implementation of the ICD-10 diagnosis code set.

In guidance the CMS announced that:

· For a one year period starting October 1, Medicare claims will not be denied solely on the specificity of the ICD-10 diagnosis codes provided, as long as the physician submitted an ICD-10 code from an appropriate family of codes. In addition, Medicare claims will not be audited based on the specificity of the diagnosis codes as long as they are from the appropriate family of codes. This policy will be followed by Medicare Administrative Contractors and Recovery Audit Contractors.

· To avoid potential problems with mid-year coding changes in CMS quality programs (PQRS, VBM and MU) for the 2015 reporting year, physicians using the appropriate family of diagnosis codes will not be penalized if CMS experiences difficulties in accurately calculating quality scores (i.e., for PQRS, VBM, or Meaningful Use). CMS will continue to monitor implementation and adjust the duration if needed.

· CMS will establish an ICD-10 Ombudsman to help receive and triage physician and provider problems that need to be resolved during the transition.

· CMS will authorize advanced payments if Medicare contractors are unable to process claims within established time limits due to problems with ICD-10 implementation.

This announcement demonstrates that CMS is responsive to physician concerns. The AMA will monitor and keep CMS apprised of any implementation issues that persist in 2016, and will urge the agency to make any needed adjustments to the grace period policy and time line based on new information that surfaces during the implementation process. We encourage the Federation to report to us any problems their members experience during the transition, to better inform our advocacy efforts on their behalf.

The October 1 deadline for implementation of the ICD-10 code set is fast approaching, and time is running out for physician practices to complete their preparation. The AMA has a broad range of materials available on its website to help physicians prepare for the October 1 deadline. To learn more and stay apprised on developments, visit AMA Wire.

Eugene Philip Salvati, MD, FASCRS

We are sad to report the passing of a long-time friend and ASCRS Fellow, Dr. Eugene Philip Salviti, who passed away on Dec. 8 at the age of 93. Dr. Salvati was an ASCRS Fellow since 1962, served as President of the organization from 1985-86 and regularly attended the Society's Annual Meetings. He will be greatly missed.

Dr. Salvati was born in Pursglove, WV in 1923. He attended the West Virginia School of Medicine and the University of Maryland and received his MD degree in 1947. He completed his internship at Muhlenberg Hospital in Plainfield, NJ, and surgical residencies in Indiana at St. Vincent's Hospital, VA Hospital, and Indiana University Medical Center. He then completed his colon and rectal surgery training in 1956 at Allentown Hospital in Allentown, PA and quickly became certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery. Dr. Salvati practiced in New Jersey and served as the Program Director at UMDNJ Robert Wood Johnson. He was preceded in death by his wife Laura who passed away in 2000.

A Remembrance for Eugene Salvati from Dr. Philip Gordon:

With the passing of Gene Salvati, so passes an entire era of colon and rectal surgery. His diminutive physical stature was never overshadowed by his booming, powerful, easily recognizable and unmistakable voice. His articulate comments at national meetings never went unnoticed. He leaves a legacy of countless fellows he trained, numerous scientific publications and major contributions to the Board and Society. We have lost a friend, a colleague and a master surgeon. I feel a particular deep sense of loss of a treasured friend because of our close personal relationship and feel indebted to him in many ways. His devout religious beliefs always acted as a guiding beacon in his life. At the Salvati Dinner and reception afterwards, he held court until late in the evening and indeed into the wee hours of the morning, where he outlasted surgeons many decades younger. He was a very special man with a heart of gold. He will truly be missed by all and the ASCRS Annual Scientific Meeting will not be the same without him. RIP sweet Gene.

A Remembrance for Eugene Salvati from Dr. Gerald Marks:

May Eugene Salvati's soul Rest in Peace. Gene was a pioneering warrior, who helped to establish the position of colorectal surgery within the regional, national and international surgical communities with fierce determination. Anything less than his bold resolve in those transitional years through the 1950s and 1960s might well have led to a failure to define the discipline of colorectal surgery as we proudly know and enjoy the specialty today. We shall be forever grateful for his unique style of leadership, his protective commitment to education and his fundamental goodness. Gene, we love you and will remember you with fondness. You will live forever in the collective hearts of the colorectal surgical world.

A Remembrance for Eugene Salvati from Dr. Robert Fry:

With the passing of Eugene Salvati, our specialty has lost a guiding spirit. To recite his leadership activities in the Society, the Board and the specialty would almost trivialize the special place he held in the hearts of his pupils, colleagues and friends. Over the years, we could anticipate the glint in his eye, the boom of his voice, the warmth of his smile and the humor of his greeting that made each meeting special. The ravages of time caused him to attend the most recent formal meeting of the Board with the aid of a walker. That gathering provided a venue for his many friends to make informal pilgrimage to his table, to bask in the warmth of his fellowship and to marvel at the broken body of the surgeon that could not contain the magnificent spirit of the man. God has other plans for Gene now, but we were blessed to have him with us for a time.

A Remembrance for Eugene Salvati from Dr. Jan Rakinic:

So sorry to receive this news. Gene was a friend and mentor, to me as to so many others.

A Remembrance for Eugene Salvati from Dr. Michael Stamos:

His departure leaves a huge void in our Society. In particular, his late evening get-togethers and his constant presence and leadership at the business meeting or indelible memories of his impact.

A Remembrance for Eugene Salvati from Dr. Anthony Senagore:

One of the giants. He will be missed.

A Remembrance for Eugene Salvati from Dr. Patricia Roberts:

A giant in our field. We will miss his wisdom and sage counsel.

A Remembrance for Eugene Salvati from Dr. David Schoetz:

With all that can and will be said about Gene and his unparalleled career as a colon and rectal surgeon, many of us have been privileged to become part of his ‘non-medical’ life. His enjoyment of his family and friends knew no limits and his pride in all of them was extraordinary and exemplary; we should all genuinely enjoy life to the extent that he did. He has personally been the consummate friend and teacher (of fishing and life). We are all better for knowing him and can never forget him.

A Remembrance for Eugene Salvati from Dr. David Rothenberger:

Gene was such a genuine person who lived a full and happy life. It will seem strange not to hear his voice, enjoy a story or share a memory with him.

A Remembrance for Eugene Salvati from Dr. Bruce Orkin:

Truly a sad day. One of the giants (regardless of height). A friend, mentor and role model.

A Remembrance for Eugene Salvati from Dr. Julio Garcia-Aguilar:

Sad news. A giant in our field.