Registration Is Now Open for AAHPM Courses
Register now for AAHPM's most popular courses of the year—Current Concepts in Palliative Care: Update and Review Course and Hospice Medical Director Course.

Annual Assembly Call for Proposals
The 2009 AAHPM & HPNA Annual Assembly will be held March 25-28, 2009 in Austin, TX. The first call for workshops and concurrent session proposals is open now through June 2, 2008, midnight Pacific Time. The second call for case studies, papers, and posters will be open July 14 - August 18, 2008.

Save the Date
Mark your calendars now for the Annual Assembly of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and Hospice Palliative Nurses Association, March 25-28, 2009 in Austin, TX. This unique event brings together the best-known names in the field.   

Call for Nominations
Nominate a colleague for the AAHPM board or for an AAHPM award. If you have any questions, contact Member Services at 847/375-4712 or e-mail tmckissack@aahpm.org.

New AMA/RUC Recommendations on Medicare Medical Home Demo
On April 29, 2008, recommendations on the new Medicare medical home demonstration project were submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) by the AMA/RUC.

CMS Proposes Hospice Wage Adjustment
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule to update and revise the Medicare hospice wage index for fiscal year 2009. A proposed elimination of this adjustment will save Medicare an estimated $2.29 billion over 5 years.  While hospice payment rates are projected to increase in 2009, the increase will be approximately 1.1 percent lower for FY 2009, the first year of the three-year phase-out of the adjustment.

National Consensus Project (NCP) Quality in Palliative Care Award - Call for Applications
The National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care (NCP) has announced the introduction of the NCP Quality in Palliative Care Award. Application deadline is September 1, 2008.

AAHPM Celebrates 20 Years
In honor of AAHPM's 20th anniversary, the Academy has put together this video to help celebrate this momentous occasion.  To view the video, click here.

Earn a Chance to Win an iPod Touch or iPhone
Help grow the field of palliative medicine by spreading the word about the benefits of membership. E-mail your referrals to info@aahpm.org.

New Analysis Shows Hospitals Continue to Implement Palliative Care Programs at Rapid Pace
According to the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) analysis of the data from the 2008 American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey of Hospitals, U.S. hospitals continue to implement palliative care programs at a rapid pace. The CAPC analysis shows that 1299 hospitals (31%) nationwide provide palliative care programs compared to 632 programs in 2000. Hospitals with over 50 beds showed a penetration of 47%.