April Updates

Happy National Volunteer Week

While National Volunteer Week is coming to a close, our gratitude and appreciation persist. THANK YOU to our:

• Board of Directors
• Annual Meeting Program Planning Committee
• Affiliate Leaders
• Document Oversight Committee
• Education Committee
• JCRP Editorial Team
• Membership & Affiliate Relations Committee
• Professional Certification Commission
• Program Certification Committee
• Quality of Care Committee
• Registry Committee/Super User Group
• Research Committee
• Value-Based Care Committee
• Members who represent AACVPR in the industry

Your unwavering commitment to service is the driving force behind our mission. Please take a moment to celebrate your invaluable contributions and check out this video from AACVPR President Hank Wu, MD, MPH.

Share Your Best Out West

AACVPR is proud to offer multiple opportunities to highlight your research at the 39th AACVPR Annual Meeting, taking place September 25-27 in Anaheim, California. Establish yourself as a leader within the realm of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation by submitting a beginning investigator presentation, oral abstract, or poster presentation before 11:59 p.m. CT on May 1.

Press "Play" on The Pulse Pod

The Pulse Pod is back for round three with Tom Draper as the host! Check out the season premiere to learn about AACVPR's 2024 Day on the Hill (DOTH) directly from people who were in D.C. Throughout the episode, you'll have a chance to hear attendees reflect on the event, how meetings with legislators went, and more.

Learn

Explore the relationship between psychological distress and cardiovascular health by participating in our upcoming webinar on May 14. Learn more

Take advantage of your AACVPR membership and save $100 on registration for our final PR Billing & Coding Workshop of 2024, taking place on June 5. Register now

Connect

Converse with your cardiopulmonary peers from across the country by visiting AACVPR Central.

Visit the AACVPR Career Center to find a job that makes your heart happy.

Practice

Check out the latest issue of the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention (JCRP).

Garner tips on how to implement strategies from the second edition of the Million Hearts®/AACVPR Cardiac Rehabilitation Change Package (CRCP) from a four-part video series. Watch now

Advocate

Take one minute to send a letter to your U.S. Representative or Senators on critical legislation impacting CR and PR services. Take action

April 26, 2024

Cardiac Rehab Can Improve the Bidirectional Relationship Between Heart Health and Mental Health

Ahead of her upcoming live webinar, Sharon Lee, PhD, talks with News & Views about the link between mental health and cardiovascular well-being. Cardiac rehabilitation, she explains, is an ideal space where both can be nurtured.

JCRP Line-Up and Video Overview, Plus Article Summary on CR in Patients With Heart Failure: May 2024

To catch up on the latest research in the CR/PR field, check out a brief video from JCRP Editor-in-Chief Todd Brown, MD, MSPH, FACC, MAACVPR, who runs down what readers can expect in the upcoming issue. Our sneak peek also features a quick-read synopsis of one paper, “Cardiac Rehabilitation Use After Heart Failure Hospitalization Associated with Advanced Heart Failure Center Status.”

Reiki: Lending a ‘Hand’ to Anxious CR/PR Patients

The holistic healing energy of Reiki is a perfect complement to traditional cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, writes Linda Clark, RN, BC, BSN, who has been practicing the skill for years. She explains the benefits of Reiki, how it works and what CR/PR programs need to do in order to offer the service to their participants.

AACVPR Accolades: Celebrating the Remarkable Career of Dr. Ray Squires

How to report every single impact from an extraordinary professional life spanning a quarter of a century? That’s a tough assignment, but Mayo Clinic’s Randal Thomas, MD, MS, captures a selection of key accomplishments defining the legacy of his esteemed colleague, Ray Squires, PhD, MAACVPR, FACSM, FAHA — a pioneer of cardiac rehabilitation who recently announced his retirement.

Gain a Deeper Understanding of Arab Culture to Provide Culturally Competent Care

In observance of Arab American Heritage Month, News & Views is pleased to re-run an article published last fall. In case you missed it in September, our writer spoke with Hayder Abduljabber, a language services supervisor at Mayo Clinic, who suggested ways the cardiopulmonary rehab community can deliver culturally appropriate care to this patient population.

April 26, 2024

AACVPR Health Policy & Reimbursement Update

AACVPR Urges Congressional Committees to Advance Virtual Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation

On April 10, the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee held a hearing to examine long-term solutions to maintain telehealth flexibilities. During the hearing, Rep. John Joyce (R-Pa.), a physician and sponsor of H.R. 1406, the Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act, reminded the committee that access to virtual delivery of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation services in the hospital outpatient setting lapsed when the COVID-19 PHE ended in May 2023. He urged his colleagues to advance the legislation as part of any telehealth package considered this year. Rep. Joyce engaged witnesses in on the importance of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation in improving overall health outcomes and ultimately allowing cost savings to Medicare. He also requested that a letter from AACVPR be entered into the official hearing record.

Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.), a cardiothoracic surgeon, also spoke about the importance of ensuring access to cardiopulmonary rehabilitation services and stated his support for H.R. 1406. He asked the witnesses to comment on the importance of stable reimbursement, noting that Medicare should not pay substantially less for telehealth services.

Health Subcommittee Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) closed the hearing stating that he thinks the committee “can work together, to move legislation making sure seniors have access to telehealth when they want it while also including appropriate program integrity measures, addressing the costs of such access to the program.”

On March 12, the House Ways and Means Committee convened a hearing to examine opportunities for enhancing access to care at home for patients in rural and underserved communities. During the hearing, lawmakers considered the importance of maintaining the telehealth flexibilities that make at-home care possible, while also weighing the need to protect patients and taxpayers from potential waste, fraud, and abuse. AACVPR submitted a statement for the hearing record urging the committee to advance H.R. 1406. AACVPR’s testimony focused on the importance of patient access to cardiopulmonary rehabilitation in the home, noting the success of COVID-era flexibilities, and discussed the current impediments of access to virtual CR/ICR/PR services explaining that current telehealth extensions only apply to CR/ICR/PR services provided in physician offices, which represents less than 5% of programs. AACVPR stressed that legislative action is needed by Congress since the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services does not have the authority to allow virtual delivery of hospital outpatient services, including CR/ICR/PR services, beyond the expiration of the PHE.

AACVPR Members Return to Washington D.C. for DOTH 2024

Prior to the March 12 hearing, over 75 AACVPR members visited Capitol Hill to educate their U.S. Senators and Representatives about the importance of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation services as part of Day on the Hill (DOTH).

DOTH 2024 attendees requested that legislators support the Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act (H.R. 1406/S. 3021), and the SOS: Sustaining Outpatient Services Act (H.R. 955/S. 1849). H.R. 1406 gained 10 new bipartisan cosponsors following the DOTH meetings on Capitol Hill, and HR 955 gained two additional cosponsors. But advocacy is not a once-a-year activity; it needs to be ongoing.

If you haven’t already, please contact your senators and representative to ask them to support these important patient access bills. Visit AACVPR’s "Take Action" page for information about the bills and steps on how to contact your legislators by email or phone. AACVPR’s easy-to-use letter template makes taking action as simple as a few clicks. Keep in mind that your personal experiences can tell congressional members and staff why legislation is needed.

AACVPR Welcomes New Firm to Consult on Advocacy Efforts

AACVPR is pleased to announce Hart Health Strategies Inc. as our new government relations partner to advise and execute on the organization’s regulatory and advocacy priorities. Hart Health Strategies Inc. is a distinguished bipartisan consulting and lobbying firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. Specializing in navigating legislative and regulatory healthcare landscapes, the firm brings a wealth of experience to the table. The Hart Health Strategies Inc. team is comprised of individuals with bipartisan, bicameral legislative experience and have multi-talented backgrounds in health-related fields, including public health, quality improvement, coding, reimbursement, and health information technology. With relationships extending to Congress and various federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Hart Health Strategies Inc. is well-positioned to champion the interests of AACVPR, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation programs and professionals, and the patients you serve.

The team at Hart Health Strategies Inc. was thrilled to join AACVPR members for DOTH last month. Many individuals on their legislative and regulatory teams joined DOTH participants to prepare for congressional meetings, attend meetings alongside AACVPR members, and meet with AACVPR’s Board to discuss future advocacy activities. The Hart Health Strategies Inc. team was impressed by the enthusiasm of AACVPR members and remarked about the active participation and willingness to engage with Capitol Hill.

If you have questions about DOTH, or advocacy in general, please send a message to advocacy@aacvpr.org

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Zoom Meeting:

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