| September 14, 2022 |
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ASTRO | ASTRO Blog | ROhub | Career Center | Upcoming Events
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Final day to register for ASTRO 2022 at advance rate
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Act now to save! Tomorrow is the last day to register at the advance rates for the ASTRO Annual Meeting. New for this year, the full registration packages for both in-person and virtual attendance include the onDemand meeting, so even if you are unsure of your travel plans or schedule, you can register for the meeting and get the added benefit of access to the onDemand meeting. If you know you cannot attend in person, don’t miss the live virtual meeting option, which offers livestreamed access to the in-person scientific and education sessions. Act now to get the advance registration rates for both registration options!
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There’s still time to register for ASTRO 2022 Master Classes
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Last year, ASTRO introduced a track dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion in health care, and we are excited to expand this track of educational and scientific sessions at ASTRO 2022, including a Master Class scheduled for Saturday, October 22, focusing on unconscious bias, dominant culture and privilege. Participants of the interactive class will learn skills they can use in their clinical practice through exercises that focus on addressing health disparities, reducing financial toxicity, working with community partners, and building an equitable culture within your department or practice. Other Master Class topics include radiopharmaceuticals, noninferiority trials and professional development. View the schedules and descriptions of each class and add to your registration package.
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ASTRO 2022 updates: ROI 5k registration opens, MyASTROApp now available
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Lace up your running shoes for the Radiation Oncology Institute (ROI) 5k! The race begins just three blocks from the Convention Center and winds along the River Walk, starting at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 25. Register now! All funds raised benefit the Radiation Oncology Institute (ROI).
Begin planning your daily schedule for the meeting with the newly launched MyASTROApp. The official ASTRO meeting app is available for iOS and Android and can be downloaded through your phone’s app store. Use the MyASTROApp to search sessions, find exhibitors, view full abstracts and posters, listen to narration and much more. The app is fully integrated with the Conference Planner and is a great tool to use during the meeting.
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Call for volunteers for #ASTRO22 Social Champions!
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Attention all social savvy #radoncs, #medphys and #RadBio members. We are looking for more volunteers to serve as Social Champions during the ASTRO 2022 Annual Meeting in San Antonio. Social Champions serve as Annual Meeting social ambassadors on Twitter, Instagram or both. Duties include pre-promotion of the meeting (including highlighting ASTRO content) and being an active participant during the meeting (sharing important science, interesting topics, social events and more). This is a great opportunity to elevate radiation oncology while also elevating your own profile. Fill out this form by COB Wednesday, September 28 to apply. All submissions will be reviewed by the Communications Committee and announced in early October. If you submitted your name in the early bird call for volunteers, your form is still under review and there is no need to reapply.
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Alert: Beware of false websites impersonating ASTRO 2022 registration and housing
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The official website of the ASTRO Annual Meeting is www.astro.org/AnnualMeeting. The official housing agent for ASTRO 2022 is SPARGO, Inc. If you are contacted by anyone who is not a representative of SPARGO, Inc., asking if you need assistance with hotel accommodations or registration for the ASTRO Annual Meeting or discover a fraudulent website, please obtain as much information as you can and pass it along to us. Learn more about ASTRO’s Housing Poachers and Pirates Policy.
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Upcoming eContouring webinar: eContouring for CNS Cancer, free to Members-in-Training
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Registration is open for the 2022 eContouring for Central Nervous System Cancer webinar on September 22, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time and will be led by Vinai Gondi, MD. This ASTRO Academy webinar offers access to hands-on contouring practice on real cases in addition to a live webinar with time for Q&A. CME credits are available and can be used as a PQI project for those participating in MOC for the ABR. ASTRO members receive a discount at registration and members-in-training and international members-in-training can register for free.
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House passes prior authorization reform
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This afternoon, via voice vote under suspension of the rules, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the ASTRO-backed HR.3173, the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act to drive major reforms in the prior authorization process. The legislation requires the Secretary of HHS to promote electronic prior authorization, accelerate the process by which decisions are made by Medicare Advantage (MA) payers, issue lists of routinely approved services that must be approved in real time, and increases transparency on the processes MA plans use to determine prior authorization requirements. More than a third of U.S. Senators have cosponsored the Senate version (S. 3018), and ASTRO continues to encourage additional Senate support to pass the bill, which will then hopefully, receive President Biden’s signature this year. For more information, visit What’s Happening in Washington and read the ASTRO statement.
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ASTRO provides comments on 2023 HOPPS proposed rule
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On September 9, ASTRO submitted an official comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to the 2023 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS) proposed rule. ASTRO’s comments urged changes to the Agency’s comprehensive ambulatory payment classification methodology, which undervalues many radiation oncology services, and provided input on the requests for input on HOPPS payment for software as a service and health equity. ASTRO expects the final rule to be released in November.
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ASTRO joins groups seeking fair, transparent Practice Expense methodology
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ASTRO has signed onto two group letters that seek to address recent cuts associated with Clinical Labor Price Input updates, as well as secure a transparent, stakeholder-focused process associated with anticipated updates to the Physician Practice Information Survey tool. Both policies are components of the Practice Expense methodology, which is used to value direct and indirect practice expenses as part of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule payment methodology. Modifications in recent years have led to rate cuts for radiation oncology, as well as other specialties that rely on expensive equipment and technology. For more information, see What’s Happening in Washington.
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Is your practice accredited? Schedule a one-on-one meeting to learn more
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ASTRO is proud to partner with the entire radiation oncology team to improve quality and safety for patients and staff. ASTRO’s APEx – Accreditation Program for Excellence® is the fastest growing accreditation program in the U.S. ASTRO President-elect Jeff Michalski, MD, MBA, FASTRO, has said of his experience with APEx, “While we have always prided our organizations as delivering the safest and highest quality care, [having engaged APEx for our practice accreditation] we discovered opportunities to improve our processes, upgrade our policies and increase our system-wide integration.” Sign up for a personalized, one-on-one information meeting to start your practice’s path toward improvement and recognition in your community as a leader in safety.
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Part 2 of new Ask a Radiation Oncologist: Multidisciplinary Lung Cancer Care with CancerGRACE now available
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ASTRO and RTAnswers partnered with CancerGRACE for a new Ask a Radiation Oncologist session focused on the multidisciplinary approach to lung cancer patient care. Part 2 of this Q&A session features radiation oncologists Edina Wang, MD, and Henry Park, MD, along with interventional pulmonologist Jed Gorden, MD, and medical oncologist Isabel Preeshagul, MD. The panel answers common patient questions about lung cancer treatment options. Part 1 and Part 2 of this lung cancer series are on the RTAnswers YouTube channel and the RTAnswers website.
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