James Pivarnik

What sets ACSM apart from other sports medicine schools or programs across the country?

Our name can be a bit deceiving. We’re actually not a “college” in the traditional sense of the word, but rather the world’s largest professional sports medicine and exercise science organization. We also certify health and fitness professionals such as personal trainers, registered clinical exercise physiologists, and more. It is our breadth and scope that  sets us apart from other similar associations. We pride ourselves on our 35,000 members and certified professionals, who provide the best research, science and practice in the industry today.

How competitive is acceptance into your certification program?

Each of our certification programs has different eligibility standards to enable one to sit for the exams. For instance, to qualify for our Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist designation, an individual must hold a bachelor’s degree in an allied health field and a minimum of 600 hours of clinical practice. In addition, the exams for all ACSM certifications are rigorous and are considered the “gold standard” for the certification industry. These aren’t the types of certifications that one can obtain simply by going online and signing up.  They require studying and a deep knowledge of health and fitness.

How do you go above and beyond NCCA guidelines for accreditation?

Accreditation by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies is all about process, not the content upon which an organization is basing a certification. Meeting these rigorous NCCA process standards is an accomplishment in and of itself. But ACSM is the standard-setter for the certification industry, so that aids our credibility when added to our strict adherence to the NCCA guidelines.

What do you think is the most important factor in keeping ACSM ahead of the curve?

Our members are the ones who deserve the credit for maintaining our status as the biggest and the best. Every day, they’re performing laboratory research; treating patients in the clinics or on the sidelines; teaching future generations in university classrooms; and much, much more. In addition, our conferences are a great way for us to reach out to even more practitioners and professionals. Our Annual Meeting, held each year around the beginning of June, is the largest sports medicine and exercise science conference in the world. More than 2,000 study abstracts are presented, giving attendees the latest and greatest research.

Your website claims that your members make ACSM the largest, most respected sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world, what would you say is the most notable accomplishment/achievement of the past year?

It’s difficult to choose just one accomplishment because of ACSM’s multidisciplinary nature and the wide array of successful programs and initiatives we have. However, one great achievement is our Exercise is Medicine™ (EIM) program, which we launched in 2007 with the help of the American Medical Association. This program encourages all health care providers to talk to patients about their physical activity levels at each doctor’s office visit. Patients themselves are also encouraged to view exercise as an essential part of health care. It can prevent and treat numerous chronic diseases and conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and many more. EIM is now represented in multiple countries around the world, from Italy to Tanzania to China.

Since your inception in 1954, ACSM has grown to more than 20,000 professional members across the country, how have you ensured that your members are professionals with a deep interest in advancing sports medicine rather than looking to pad their own credentials by affiliating with ACSM?

Our members truly put their affiliation with ACSM to good use. They are part of committees, task forces and interest groups that further the goals of the College (and, by way of their work, the public and its collective health). Becoming a Fellow of ACSM requires a certain level of service. Also, ACSM’s reputation precedes itself in the sports medicine and exercise science community. Those who join ACSM know of the high standards of the organization and what being an ACSM member truly means for their professionalism and practice.

Are all of your members ACSM certified or is it also made up of independent specialists who simply want to further their education in sports medicine?

Our members and our certified professionals are two relatively distinct groups. Professional members are usually M.D.s or Ph.D.s practicing or teaching sports medicine or exercise science in some form. They are clinicians, researchers, scientists and educators. Certified professionals are working in the health and fitness fields as personal trainers, group exercise leaders, clinical exercise physiologists, or similar fields. Although there is some overlap between our professional members and certified individuals, their scopes of practice are generally pretty different.

The ACSM Foundation has awarded grants for furthering sports medicine research since 1989. How competitive is this program? How many applicants do you generally see a year?

To date, we have funded 360 grants for roughly $2 million – that’s a lot of new science and a lot of emerging professionals whose careers have been aided by ACSM! Last year, we received 81 proposals. Our grant program has come a long way. In 1989, we had just five grant applicants. In 2008, we had 97 – and with this much interest, the program is obviously pretty competitive. With the addition of two more funding categories, we believe that our future numbers will be even higher. We’re proud to be funding great science year in and year out.

Would you say that the success, and generosity of your members has been fueling the almost yearly increases in grant awards?

Yes. The success of our grant program is due largely in part to our members’ dedicated giving. They know they’re fueling programs that not only help investigators, but also honor the legacies of past ACSM leaders. In addition, we have corporate and organizational grant sponsors – like NASA – whose generosity demonstrates their understanding of the importance of science and research.

Sports medicine programs, even in prestigious institutions, across the country often don’t receive the same amount of attention as other disciplines. Why has your organization achieved so much success?

Since it was founded more than 50 years ago, ACSM has been able to cement itself as the premier professional society for those working in sports medicine and exercise science. We’re able to maintain this reputation through the work of our members and certified professionals. Their efforts allow us to keep our status as the world’s largest sports medicine and exercise science organization – programs, initiatives, committees, media coverage and more.

Will Lee
Physician Network Writer

Roberta Wager

Despite feeling dizzy and under the weather, I sat down with President of the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP), Roberta Wager, or Bobbi.  Her passion for the AAKP as a patient organization for the service of kidney patients was inspiring, to say the least.  I asked Bobbi about the AAKP, what the organization stands for, and her opinion on some of the recent issues affecting kidney patients.  I am pleased to say that, despite my sickness and nervousness, the interview went very smoothly, as it was clear to me that I was talking with an individual that was extremely passionate about her organization and caring towards patients suffering from the same disease that affected her.

That’s right — the President of the American Association of Kidney Patients is herself a Chronic Kidney Disease patient.  In fact, it is the organization’s policy that at least 50% of its Board of Directors are kidney disease patients.  The AAKP is indeed a unique organization, as I quickly found out in my interview with Bobbi.

Timothy Du: Hi Bobbi, thanks for taking time out to talk with me.  I want to apologize beforehand if I sound a bit congested, I’m feeling a bit under the weather today.

Roberta Wager: It’s nice to meet you Timothy — don’t worry about that, I understand!

TD: Now, I don’t want to take up too much of your time, so let’s get started.  First, for our readers to better understand your organization — what is the American Association of Kidney Patients, and what are some of its goals?

RW: Well, the American Association of Kidney Patients is a patient organization formed by 6 patients, about 40 years ago in the interest of educating and advocating for kidney patients’ rights — we were instrumental in a bill signed in 1973 by Nixon that provided Medicare funding for dialysis and kidney transplants.  Since then, we have become a national organization, run by a Board of Directors.  Our mission is to help patients and family members physically, socially, and emotionally and support them through their transition of the different stages and journey through chronic kidney diseases.

TD: I understand that many members of your Board are actually kidney patients, including yourself.

RW: Yes Timothy, in fact, it is mandated that 50% of our Board are kidney patients.

TD: So tell me about your journey to becoming President of the AAKP and how being President has changed your life as a kidney patient.

RW: Well, I worked in San Antonio as a nurse educator — I became a nurse after my first transplant.  I realized that, in order to live a quality life, and live a long time, you must stay educated.  As a nurse educator, I went around to different dialysis clinics, working with patients and other nurses [about dialysis].  I was asked by a Board member to serve on the Board, and I applied.  My family and I had worked and volunteered locally with the National Kidney Foundation for years.  The AAKP was the first time I had ever served nationally, and the first time I had served in a patient organization, not a professional organization.  I loved it.  I loved the mission — and I loved the patients.

I am now more aware about what is out there, in regards to national legislative public policy, and how those national issues affect us locally.  Since I’ve started this journey as a 24 year old in 1982, struggling with Chronic Kidney Disease, I’ve wanted to affect patients — there was nobody to tell me back then about how long I would live while on dialysis.  I am now able to represent and educate patients, and let the renal community know [how to] speak on behalf of kidney patients.

TD:  As you mentioned earlier, the AAKP is a patient organization.  What benefits does you have, being a patient organization, as opposed to a professional organization, as you said?

RW: The thing is — this organization is about the patients.  We have reached out to over a million patients in these 40 years, educating them, letting them know — through education — that there is hope.  Professional organizations, on the other hand, deal with these aspects for patients as well, but they are dedicated solely to the patients, not run by patients.

TD: You mentioned public policy earlier.  I wanted to ask you, what do you think may be the next big step in public policy, as it relates to kidney patients?

RW: The next big step is likely the CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid) holding a town hall meeting in regards to bundling, and how it will affect kidney patients on dialysis.

TD:  Well, along the same vein, let’s jump into some more recent news.  As you mentioned, the CMS has issued a proposed bundle affecting individuals who are on dialysis.  How, specifically, does this proposal affect both access to care and quality of care for patients?

RW: We are hoping that it doesn’t affect their access — we made sure that one of our Board members were at that town hall meeting in regards to bundling.  What they proposed was not to pay for home training, that is, dialysis therapy.  What we’re afraid of is that it will affect the options of patients — and will that, then, not be enough incentive for providers to have it?  This will affect patients’ access, limiting patients to incentive dialysis.  The patient should have the right to choose.

TD: The arrests in New Jersey for alleged human kidney trafficking have rekindled a debate in bioethics regarding cash incentives for organ donors.  What is your stance on this issue?

RW: What this issue has brought to the forefront, is that, unless they are involved with someone waiting for an organ, that there is indeed a shortage of organs and organ donors, and that there should be other incentives for donors to donate organs that are not illegal and do not fall under the [realm] of cash incentives.

You can find the AAKP’s website here; and donate or find information about contributing to the cause here.

Tim Du
Physician Network Writer

National Health Council

“National Health Council”

The National Health Council is an organization dedicated to bringing together all segments of the health care community in effort to provide a united voice for people with chronic diseases and disabilities and their family caregivers.  It is made up of more than 100 national health-related organizations, including 50 of the nation’s leading patient advocacy groups.

Nancy Hughes is the Director of Communications and Marketing at the National Health Council.  I talked with Nancy about the goals and accomplishments of the National Health Council as well as couple of recent health issues in the news.  As she was once a reporter on radio and television, she was very forgiving and helpful in what was the first interview I had ever conducted.  I received some very good responses including information and opinions about the newly proposed health care bill, biologics, and the National Health Council.

Physician.com : Hi Nancy!  Let’s get right down to business.  In a perfect world, or the United States in this case, what would health care look like?

Nancy Hughes:  That’s a very good question Tim.  Both the House and Senate have legislation that is currently being revised.  At the National Health Center, we believe in five core principles to health care: First, we believe that health care should cover everyone.  Second, we believe that health care should aim to curb its costs responsibly.  Third, we believe that health care should abolish exclusions of pre-existing conditions.  Fourth, we believe that health care should eliminate lifetime caps that limit a specified level of the total benefit a health plan will pay.  Lastly, we believe that health care should ensure access to long-term and end-of-life care.

P: Hopefully the new legislation will cover some of those principles.  Moving on, what is the goal of the National Health Council?

N: At the National Health Council, our mission is to provide a united voice for the more than 133 million people with chronic conditions and disabilities and their family caregivers.

P:  What are some of the bigger accomplishments of the National Health Council in the past year?

N: I would have to say that our [biggest] accomplishment has been providing that united voice.  We have spent a lot of time working with members of Congress on health care reform legislation and the new administration.  All five of the aforementioned new principles are covered in the main pieces of legislation that are currently being debated.  I believe that getting Congress to include these five principles was a major accomplishment.

P:  Please give an example of how the National Health Council advocates for patients.

N: We meet on the Hill with members of Congress and meet with administration to advocate for patients.  Additionally, we meet the representatives of patient organizations and get together to have a dialogue on how best to present the issues that affect people with chronic conditions in setting policy and changing the laws on a national, federal level.  We do this through offering testimony and drafting legislation — which we then share with Congress for their consideration.

P: Let’s dive into some more recent health news.  What do you think about the newly proposed health care bill by the House Democrats?

N: The new bill does include a lot of good elements that we at the National Health Council support.  For example, it does cut costs and abolish exclusions for pre-existing conditions.  We are still studying it — it is a long bill [laughs]. We are still in the process of reviewing it.

P: Yes, I have heard rumors of its heaviness.  How about biotechnology drugs?  Generic drugs have been estimated to save $734 billion in the last decade alone.  Biotechnology drugs, or biologics, are widely regarded as the future of medicine and the pharmaceutical industry.  How long do you believe the length of exclusivity should be for these biologics?

N: Well, there are a number of different opinions regarding the length of exclusivity — should it be 5, 7, 10, 12 years?  The National Health Council conducted patient focus groups, national in scope, asking patients about what they thought about exclusivity periods.  The consensus was that there should be incentive for a company to do the research, but [how long] should the period be?  There are a number of different opinions.  We’ve done research dealing with the legislation — the consensus is 10 years, which is the international standard.  We believe that there should be an added twist.  The National Health Council believes that the legislation should include additional incentive for the companies that address conditions that do not currently have a cure — Alzheimer’s, for example.  We don’t think it’s just about the exclusivity period; legislation should include additional incentives for areas such as pediatrics which do not garner the attention that other diseases do.

P:  I agree, but what about affordability?  Biologics may be revolutionary, but they are very expensive.  Do you believe that lowering the length of exclusivity can increase competition, or provide incentive as you said, enough to make biologics substantially more affordable?

N: They are very expensive.  You make a very good point here — that is, how do you balance cost verses availability?  There are differences of opinion on this issue.  Based on research that we did, our recommendation is 10 years.  Now, that’s not a hard and fast time frame, just a recommendation.  There needs to be continued dialogue about the cost and availability of these drugs to give the incentives that any company would have.  It is important for patients to have affordable biologics, especially those that hold a treatment that most communities don’t have access to.

P:  I don’t want to take up too much of your time, so I’ll leave you with this.  What can the common person do to help the National Health Council with its goals?

N: Well thank you for asking!  We have a website called PuttingPatientsFirst.net that includes the five principles and a detailed explanation about each of them.  We are encouraging people to find and sign the petition to support the five principles and putting patients first.

You can find the petition on the NHC website here.  Also, click here to download The National Health Council’s Five Health Care Principles for Putting Patients First.

Will Lee
Physician Network Writer

A Healthy Life is a Happy Life

Across the country, children as well as adults living with autism are going about living their lives; they have greater access to opportunities to learn, work, and enjoy recreational activities. In order to further promote the safe practice of such leisurely activities, the Autism Society of America has launched the Safe and Sound Campaign, in 2005, to develop strategies and information that is beneficial to individuals with ASD, their families, and their health care providers.

The focal point in the Safe and Sound Campaign is working with law enforcement professionals and first responders in order to address some of the conflicts that may arise during an emergency situation. In order to avoid any unfortunate incidents, the ASA has created an emergency decal that can be affixed to your front door or automobile window to alert first responders of autistic persons. In addition, they also have a Personal Information Record available for primary caregivers that also includes tips for emergency responders.

You can purchase the Safe and Sound emergency decals from the ASA online store.

Tim Du
Physician Network Writer

Autism Children

autism-society.org

Although autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is traditionally seen as a genetically-based, neurological and life-long condition, recent studies have put the incidence of ASD at an alarming rate of 1 in 150 births, and as a result there has been an increase in attention given to possible environmental factors as culprits for the symptoms known as ASD.

The increase in environmental health concerns stretches far beyond ASD. The effects of environmental factors and toxicity have been widely discussed and are well-established as causes for numerous disabling conditions. However, with ASD in particular, research has shown that the majority of sufferers have a reduced ability to rid their bodies of heavy metals and toxins, thus leading to even more aggravated symptoms.

Although the Autism Society’s Environmental Health Project is relatively young, having been founded in 2006, it nevertheless benefits a great deal from being part of the oldest grassroots autism organization in the country. In addition, ASA founder, Dr. Bernard Rimland, has been on the forefront of this area for decades and ASA’s numerous conventions, publications, and public policy initiatives have always pushed for further research in the matter. The Environmental Health Project has arrived in a timely manner; it’s arrival coincides with increasing global concerns about the effect of environmental toxins across the board.

Visit the ASA website for more in-depth information regarding the Environmental Health Project.

Will Lee
Physician Network Writer