The Online Abstract Submission for the 10th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians is now open. The meeting will be held June 21- June 25, 2008 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Washington, DC.

To be considered for a presentation at the meeting, abstracts must be submitted and completed by the submission deadline of 5 pm Central Standard Time (CST) Friday, December 28, 2007.

Click here for rules an submission direction

The Senate and the House are currently considering physician payment reform. Decisions will likely be made within the next 30 days. This is the time to step- up your efforts to contact your Congressional officials. We must act immediately if we are to make an impact. If we are silent on the issues, we can assuredly expect the worse.

You will soon receive a personal letter detailing your state's actions thus far and the needs for the next 30 days but until then, please take a minute to look over the state-by-state statistics for the Capwiz campaign since in began in August. Click on your state for more detailed information on state activity and key officials.

I urge you to take this matter seriously and begin today sending your letters to Congress. If you have already done so, continue to get signatures from your patients and encourage your colleagues to get involved as well. Today's complacency will become tomorrow's urgency.

To send a letter from yourself click on the Physician Capwiz Letter link below. You may edit the letter or send it as it is. You may send it through Capwiz or fax or mail the letter on your personal or business letterhead. The choice is yours.

Please take the time to send a letter today. Additionally, we urge you to have your patients sign the letter and support this effort as well.

• Capwiz Physician Letter
• Capwiz Patient Letter
• Capwiz Staff Letter
• Capwiz Citizen Letter
  

1. Customize and print off copies of the sample
2. Identify patients' state, putting the names of their Senators and Representative at the top of the page along with the President. Only one letter with all the names is necessary (see example).
3. As your patients sign out, ask them to fill out and
4. Using the patient Capwiz link assign a staff
5. Also you can print off the ASIPP Advocacy page and post or hand out to your patients for more information
   

• Example Physician Letter
• Example Patient Letter
• Example Staff Letter
• Example Citizen Letter

The House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee will probe into why NASPER, a program created two years ago to financially assist states that set up controlled substance monitoring programs, has not gotten off the ground. (Congress Daily)

Today Dr. Andrea Trescot testified before the Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations in a hearing on "NASPER: Why Has the National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act Not Been Implemented?"

Online registration is open for the upcoming Dec. specialty course in spinal cord stimulation. This information packed intensive review course and cadaver workshop will provide a comprehensive learning experience focusing on various aspects of spinal cord stimulation.

The course will be conducted at the historic Peabody Hotel and the Medical Education Research Institute in Memphis, TN. We have secured a special room rate of $179 which will be honored until COB on Nov. 6, 2007. Early registration is encouraged to ensure your spot in this exciting course.

Texas has been getting an unexpected flood of business from its Louisiana neighbors. Why would so many Louisianans flood across the Texas border?

It's the draw of Texas pain management clinics that dispense pills much easier than Louisiana. (Leigh Frillici, KOHU.com - Oct. 19, 2007)

Drug traffic a real 'pain' along Texas, Louisiana border

By now all of our members should have recieved a benchmarking (comparative data) survey for pain specialty practices. If you have not, you can obtaina the form by clicking on the link provided.

The survey is important to interventional pain in that the information from this survey provides useful benchmarking data for pain specialty practices. The more practices that participate, the more valid the data becomes.

We encourage you to participate in this benchmarking project. By completing the attached survey and returning it to us by the deadline, November 12, 2007, you will receive a copy of the summarized report of the benchmark data results.

Survey

New Report Provides Startling Look At Substance Abuse On An Average Day In The Life Of American Adolescents.

The report, which highlights the substance abuse behavior and addiction treatment activities that occur among adolescents on an average day, draws on national surveys conducted and analyzed by SAMHSA's Office of Applied Studies. "A Day in the Life of American Adolescents: Substance Use Facts, "presents a stark picture of the daily toll substance abuse takes on America's young.

Report

ASIPP is offering a new feature for those who advertise on our Postions Wanted section of the ASIPP Website. As a service to our advertisers and our members, we will list the link to each current job posting.

Interventional Pain Physician -- Louisville, Kentucky

Pain Management -- Florida

Interventional Pain Physician -- New Hampshire

Pain Management Opportunity -- Pennsylvania

Entrepreneurial Opportunity -- Lake Tahoe, Nevada

Florida Opportunities

Pain Medicine Fellowship Program Opportunity

Interventional Pain Specialist -- Toledo, Ohio

Interventional Pain Specialist -- Paducah, KY and Marion, IL

Interventional Pain Medicine Physician -- St. Cloud, Minnesota

Entrepreneurial Opportunity -- Wooster, Ohio

Musculoskeletal Interventionalist -- Dallas, Texas

Pain Specialist -- Wisconsin

PainCare Holding, Inc.

Interventional Techniques In Chronic Spinal Pain is now availabe for purchase and all pre-order purchases have been shipped. Each book comes with a complimentary CD of the book.

Interventional Techniques in Chronic Spinal Pain, is the premier manual for interventionalists. With detailed descriptions of practical techniques in interventional pain management this is a must have publication for all interventioanl pain physicians.

If you have not yet ordered your copy, you can do so by visiting the ASIPP Web site.

ASIPP Publishing

On Monday, Karen Tandy announced that she will be retiring as the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, after more than thirty years of public service and 4 years as DEA Administrater. She has been named Senior Vice President of Motorola's Global Government Relations and Public Policy Division.

No announcement has been made as to her replacement.

Press Release