Archives for November 2017

ASE Members Smash Donation Records on Giving Tuesday

Thank you to the 76 donors who supported the ASE Foundation on Giving Tuesday by donating a total of $26,982 in 24 hours! With this milestone in giving, our highest one day fundraising total of $20,320, on last year’s Giving Tuesday, was crushed! This marks the 4th year in a row that we have exceeded our Giving Tuesday goal, and we owe it all to you, our very generous donors! You can feel confident that your gifts will have a direct impact on the future of cardiovascular ultrasound because 100% of all donations will be used to support the Foundation’s 2018 initiatives. ASEF sends a special thank you to the ASE leaders, Drs. Asch, Banchs, Eidem, Klein, and Rose who made early pledges to match the first $4,500 raised yesterday. And a special shout-out to the Foundation volunteers serving on the 2017 China Outreach as they collectively gave more than $4,250 on Giving Tuesday to support future global outreach activities. Thank you all for making this our best Giving Tuesday ever!

Renew Your Membership Today!

Receive valuable member benefits 365 days a year by  renewing your ASE membership by December 31. Benefits include the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography (JASE), access to the new online case reports journal CASE, more than 30 hours of FREE CME, peer-to-peer networking, advocacy efforts for quality cardiovascular ultrasound and patient care, and much more. If you have not yet renewed your membership, we encourage you to renew by December 31, 2017, and you will receive a special 2018 ASE Echo Image Calendar. Plus, if applicable, you may be able to claim the majority of your membership dues in ASE as a business expense deduction on your 2017 tax return.

ASE On the Road

Attending EuroEcho-Imaging 2017 this week in Lisbon, Portugal? Be sure to stop by ASE’s booth, B200 in the EuroEcho exhibit hall. Pick up your FREE, updated ASE Guidelines thumb drive and learn more about ASE educational products. Receive 20% off and free shipping on all products. This is also a great opportunity to renew your 2018 membership and have staff walk you through the new benefits and online education. We would also like to invite you to join ASE leadership, staff, and your colleagues at the ASE Member Reception on Wednesday, December 6, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. The reception will take place at the Restaurante Sacramento at Calçada Sacramento 40 a 46, 1200-394 Lisboa, Portugal. We look forward to seeing you.

ASE 2018: Call for Abstracts — Deadline February 7

Submit your abstract of original work or clinical case report to be considered for presentation at the premier cardiovascular ultrasound conference of the year, the 29th Annual ASE Scientific Sessions in Nashville, Tennessee, June 22-26, 2018. Make your submission online today! Presenters benefit from dedicated viewing times, a global audience that promotes future collaborative work, eligibility for travel support, and low conference registration rates. Exceptional research is also considered for the prestigious Arthur E. Weyman Young Investigator’s Award Competition for young investigators under the age of 40 and the Sonographer Investigator’s Award Competition for non-physicians who served as the primary investigator on their project. Visit the ASE 2018 Call for Abstracts for more information. Submission closes Wednesday, February 7. Submit your research today!

ASE Headquarters Closed Thursday & Friday

ASE Headquarters will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 23-24 in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday. Normal business hours will resume Monday, November 27.

Download the Advance Program for Echo ASE ASEAN

Register today for the 3rd Annual Echo ASE ASEAN in Manila, Philippines, March 22-24, 2018. This conference highlights the growing collaboration between ASE and the ASEAN Society of Echocardiography, and exemplifies the best in ASE outreach around the world.

New this year – all investigators are invited to submit abstracts of their original research or clinical case reports to be considered for presentation in Manila. Presenters benefit from discounted registration rates and feedback from our world-renowned faculty. Visit the Call for Abstracts page for submission instructions. Submission closes January 15, 2018.

The aim of the Echo ASE ASEAN Symposium is to provide cardiovascular practitioners with information on state-of-the-art echocardiography technology. This international meeting is led by expert faculty from the United States and the countries comprising the ASEAN region who are leaders in how echocardiography can be effectively applied to improve clinical care. Case-based learning approaches will be used to highlight new and established uses of echocardiography for diagnosis and guiding management in patients with a broad array of cardiovascular conditions. Topics include: advanced assessment of systolic and diastolic function, 3D/4D imaging, contemporary approaches to valve disease, guidance of interventional procedures, contrast echocardiography, ischemic heart disease, pericardial disease, and echo in arrhythmic disorders. Download the Advance Program and learn more here .

Call for Committee Volunteers Now Open

ASE depends on its members to get involved and advance our mission. Our volunteers help set standards, develop products, create courses, direct subspecialty activities, advocate for echo on the federal and state levels, and more. If you are a new volunteer interested in serving on an ASE committee or a member currently serving on a committee, and would like to continue to serve, log in to your ASE member portal, click on “Committee” in the menu bar, and complete the Committee Interest form.

For more information on volunteering for ASE, click hereThe application process will remain open through January 5, 2018. The term of service for new appointments will be July 2018 – June 2019.

Echo 2017 Edition Released

The October 2017 Echo magazine has been released! This annual ASE news vehicle covers more in-depth subjects than can be covered in this e-news. This issue contains articles celebrating 30 years of JASE and how women in ASE leadership positions are transforming gender dynamics. Two articles on cutting-edge research are included, new microbubble applications, by Tom Porter, MD, FASE, and percutaneous interventions by Feroze Mahmood, MD, FASE. You can also read about the ASE Foundation training event in Cuba, the ASE guideline process and glean ideas from our leaders for how to implement them, the ImageGuideEcho Registry, the new Mentor Match Program, and more. If you have an idea for a topic you would like covered in an upcoming issue or want to contribute an article, email Echo@ASEcho.org

The Latest Issue of CASE is Now Available

CASE’s fifth issue is now online. The ten cases cover aortopathies, cardiac sarcoidosis, endocardial fibroelastosis, left atrial appendage membrane, lipomatous hypertrophy, masses, mitral hemi-arcade, and percutaneous intervention. The figure shown here is from the “Left Atrial Appendage Membrane in a Patient Presenting with Stroke,” case provided by Drs. Sharon L. McCartney, Bradford Berndt, Muath Bishawi, Donald Glower, Madhav Swaminathan, and Alina Nicoara. Dr. McCartney said, “We think that this case illustrates the importance of routinely performing a comprehensive intraoperative TEE examination. Additional abnormalities may be found that could impact surgical decision-making and outcome of the patient.” Don’t forget to test your wits with the CASE “What is This Image?” quiz, on the CASE homepage.

How to Review Your QRUR and PQRS Reports Before the December 1st Deadline

2016 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) feedback reports and 2016 Annual Quality and Resource Use Reports (QRURs) were released on September 18, 2017. Dr. Geoffrey Rose, an ASE Board and Advocacy Committee member, developed a brief presentation on these reports to help ASE members understand what they are, how they impact you, and how to read them.

These reports will determine whether providers are subject to the 2018 PQRS downward payment adjustment and your practice’s 2018 Value Modifier payment adjustment. If you believe information contained in these reports is incorrect, you may request an informal review of your 2016 PQRS results and/or 2018 Value Modifier calculation during the informal review period from now until December 1, 2017 8:00 PM Eastern Time (ET).