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ProTech
Manufacturer of the lightest and most innovative radiation protective apparel, eyewear and barriers

Ziehm Imaging
Ziehm Imaging is the specialist for mobile X-ray based imaging. For more than 35 years, our systems have been delivering superb image quality, while minimizing radiation levels.
We work closely with our clinical partners and - as a medium-size company - have the agility needed to develop tailored solutions. We feel a strong sense of responsibility for both medical staff and patients.

Pricara
Welcome. At PRICARA®, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc we are dedicated to Primary Care like no other health care organization. We recognize the special relationship between Primary Care healthcare professionals and their patients, one that is critical to a patient's well being. By providing Primary Care healthcare professionals with comprehensive and innovative solutions, we can advance patient care. It's called Health Care, but Human Being Care is how we see it. We currently market products to treat pain, acid reflux disease and infectious diseases.

Genzyme Biosurgery
Genzyme Biosurgery develops and markets innovative, biologically based products for health conditions that are often difficult and expensive to manage. Our current product lines are used for osteoarthritis relief, adhesion prevention, cartilage repair, and severe burn treatment.

King Pharmaceuticals
King Pharmaceuticals, established in 1994, is a vertically integrated branded pharmaceutical company that performs basic research and develops, manufactures, markets and sells branded prescription pharmaceutical products and animal health products.

Kimberly-Clark Health Care

Kimberly-Clark’s Pain Management Products division markets a complete line of chronic pain management procedural needles, procedure trays, accessories, and a new, innovative radiofrequency pain management system that includes standard, pulsed, and multi-level RF lesioning functions, as well as RF-based intradiscal and sacroiliac joint applications.

Clarus Medical
Clarus Medical is a company dedicated to the advancement of products for less invasive medicine. Clarus manufactures Nucleotome®, a clinically proven, safe and effective device for percutaneous disc decompression as well as other innovative products used in the fields of spine surgery, neurosurgery, pain management, and difficult airway management.

Cosman Medical
Cosman Medical represents over 50 years of pioneering and leadership in RF generator and electrode technology, and now offers the most modern, reliable, and functional equipment ever built.

Danna Gracey
An Independent Insurance Agency dedicated solely to insurance placement for Florida Doctors as well as medical facilities and workers compensation.

Cardinal Health, Interventional Specialties
Cardinal Health presents the AVAmax PLUS system for Advanced Vertebral Augmentation. AVAmax PLUS brings innovation to bone cement preparation, injection and controlled cement placement. Also featured is the AVAflex curved injection needle for targeted cement placement. The AVAflex needle gives clinicians maneuverability and flexibility unmatched by traditional straight cannulae.

Avee Laboratories Inc
The next level of patient testing arrives to one of Florida’s most hi-tech business parks. At Avee Laboratories, we follow a chain of custody procedure to test patient samples for drugs and drug abuse. Our automated procedures include barcoding, aliquoting, biological testing, and testing via an acid and base quadrupole MS/MS.

Avee Laboratories employs nationally recognized scientists to work in conjunction with highly automated equipment; hence minimizing human error while preserving a personal relationship with you. At Avee, we take pride in our excellent team of scientist-and-machine. Our exemplary standard will deliver rapid yet accurate results.

Aspen Medical Products
Aspen Medical Products is a leader in the development of innovative spinal bracing for post-trauma stabilization, pre-and-post surgical stabilization, pain management and long-term patient care. Aspen Medical Products offers multiple orthotic options that provide unsurpassed motion restriction, superior comfort and an economic advantage, encouraging better patient compliance.

Silver

Present in Order of Sign-In: Frank Zondlo MD, Andrea Trescot MD, Raul A Monzon MD, Vinod K Malik MD, Bill Paul MD, Nancy Layton MD, Morris Shlamowitz MD, Charles Grudem MD, Virind Gupta MD, Brad Ruben MD, Tony Dorto MD, Robert Dehgan MD, Richard Hays MD, Hal Tobias MD, Edward Frankoski DO, Emilio Alarcon MD, David A Lindley DO, Enzo Abad DO, Adam Berliner DO, Hernan Pabon MD, C Apostol MD, Robert Burns MD, Dorothea D Glass MD, Andrew Sherman MD, Ronald Tolchin DO, Brian Dowdell MD, Francisco M Torres MD, Cesar Llanera Jr MD, Ana D Lipson MD, Susanti Chowdhury MD, Felix Linetsky MD, Peter Taraschi DO, Fred Furgang MD, Juanita Brown DO, Anjan Ghosh MD, James Worden MD, Marshall Bedder MD, Kelvin Gorrell MD, Youssef Wassef MD, Virgilio C Barangan MD, V.K. Mansourian MD, Gene Mahoney MD.

2. Treasury Report – Dr Furgang reported: The Florida Academy of Pain Medicine is in decent financial shape. Detailed information about our Profit & Loss Statement and/or copies of our 2005 Income Tax Return is available upon request. We will end 2005 with approximately $35,000.

3. Membership Report – Peter Taraschi, DO, VP/Membership Chair reported: We currently have 135 members (123 this time last year). The following applications were found to be in order, all clear/active medical license statuses. Please welcome these new members: Jennifer Burns MD – St Petersburg, Juliet D Burry MD – Daytona Beach, Kamel Elzawahry MD – Panama City, Kevin R Free MD – Cape Coral, Michael E Frey MD – Ft Myers, Mustafa Hammad MD – Panama City, Adel Kallini MD – Pompano, Ana D Lipson MD – Winter Haven, Karin Maddox MD – Panama City, William L Paul MD – Gainesville, Nader Said MD – Tarpon Springs, Firas Saleh MD – Panama City, Douglas L Stringer MD – Panama City, Merle P Stringer MD – Panama City

Currently, the ABA exam is the only nationally recognized pain medicine board certification/ ABPMedicine board certification is recognized in CA, FL, TX. Dr Rafael Miguel (via email), stated that “the only pain medicine board certification recognized and allowed to be advertised in FL are ABMS Pain Medicine Certifications (Anesthesiology, Neurology, or PM&R) and the ABPMedicine Certifications. All others open themselves up to BOM complaints and disciplinary action, if investigated….”

AAPManagement uses the same exam for allied health professionals and physicians.

One of FAPM’s members complained that a carrier here in Florida will not accept his ABPMedicine Board Certification. Per the FMA, that carrier does not have to. FAPM, as one of Florida’s pain organizations, will write a letter stating their position that the ABPMedicine Board Exam should be recognized, that Florida’s Department of Health, Agency for Healthcare Administration, and Board of Medicine all accept the ABPMedicine Board Certification. This letter can then be shared with members who are having such difficulty, and it should be placed on our website under position papers.

A true story was told about a young physician who had his medical license suspended because of his prescription writing practices. This young physician was not a bad doctor, but inadequately informed about how to protect himself and his patients. ASIPP has developed a Clinical Competency in Prescribing Narcotics course which should help prevent this type of thing happening. The AMA has funding for doctors in legal trouble, but FAPM is too small to give this type of assistance to its members.

Another method to help physicians in this matter would be to further educate the Florida Board of Medicine (the body which can suspend your license) about pain medicine.

A motion was made and carried to create a Task Force to liaison with the BOM. Dr Lora Brown will head up that Task Force. Drs Chuck Grudem, Jim Worden, Marshall Bedder, and Peter Taraschi have volunteered to serve on the Task Force. A goal of this group will be to get a FAPM member to sit as a representative on the BOM.

Another method suggested by a member was to “google” prospective patients to see if they have criminal records, etc.

5. Florida Pain Initiative/Coalition – Dr Furgang: The Coaliton was Bob Yezierski’s idea. There are now 14 organizations participating, including FAPM, nurses, hospitals, PTs, and others. The overall goal is to improve access to pain medicine and to revive the Florida Pain Commission. The Coalition will be taking a proposal to the FMA Legislative Council in September to seek the FMA’s support. Dr Trescot will be representing FAPM in the FMA House of Delegates in September. At the FAPM Executive Committee meeting yesterday, a motion was made and carried to have Dr Furgang stay involved with the Pain Coalition on behalf of FAPM.

9. Comments from Incoming President: Dr Tolchin thanked his fellow officers for their support over the past year. He asked the question, “Who is FAPM?” FAPM is made up of various specialties that treat pain interventionally and non-interventionally. He reminded us that there is no one way to treat pain, that our minds need to remain open. It is complex and patients benefit from a multidisciplinary approach. One of pain medicine’s challenges is to be recognized as a distinct specialty. FAPM needs to be an author of that historical change.

10. Announcements: JOB OP: Anesthesia Pain Care Consultants, South Florida’s largest anesthesiology practice specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of pain is seeking physicians to join our growing practice.

We are in search of board certified anesthesiologists who have completed a pain fellowship. The position consists of interventional pain management to include fluoroscopic-guided epidural steroid injections, facet injections, medial branch nerve blocks, and radiofrequency ablations. Intrathecal infusion pump and spinal cord stimulator implantation experience is optional.

We offer a competitive salary, an attractive benefits package and generous performance bonuses. Broward County offers an unsurpassed lifestyle including recreation, shopping, the arts and plenty of sunshine!

Contact Marynell Lubinski, Practice Administrator at (954) 586-0661 or at marynell@fdn.com.

Ashraf F. Hanna, M.D., Presiding

Thank you to UD Testing Inc for sponsoring this meeting.

Present: Drs Joseph Alshon, Constantine Bouchlas, Lee Ann Brown, Lora Brown, Jose Campoamor, Lance Cassell, Ramon Castellanos, Harold Cordner, Robert Dehgan, Edward Dieguez Jr, Anthony Dorto, Anne Dunham, Orlando Florete, Stephen Friedman, Fred Furgang, Anjan Ghosh, Dorothea Glass, Larry Gorfine, Erick Grana, Israel Grinberg, Robert Gruber, Ashraf Hanna, William Jacobs, Gary Jay, Paul Kotturan, Scott Kramarich, Jorge Leal, Craig Lichtblau, Felix Linetsky, Douglas MacLear, Debora Martineau, Tony Mesa, Rafael Miguel, Asya Mikulinsky, Joseph Mouhanna, Dirk Parvus, Sherri Pinsley, Sanford Pollak, Raymon Priewe, Bradley Ruben, Richard Saitta, Michael Schou, Morris Shlamowitz, Sanford Silverman, Ed Sleight, Anna Sottile, Peter Taraschi, Jonathan Tarrash, Francisco Torres, Andrea Trescot, Christopher Vendryes, Mark Walter, Paul Wand, Youssef Wassef, Jay Wright, Laura Yard, Yili Zhou

1. Self introductions were made all around.

2. Minutes of the 2003 Annual Meeting were approved.

3. The following Membership Report was given by Peter Taraschi DO, VP and Membership Chair: We currently have 171 members (up approximately 15% from this time last year).
Different strategies are used to attract new members:
After our annual meeting last year, we sent out letters to those attendees who were not yet in FAPM. We will do the same this year.
The membership application is on our website, and 4 of our new members came to us this way.
When the FAPM office is contact with an interested physician, an application is immediately sent to them.
Member apps go into the conference registration form, as well as both issues of PainInfo, FAPM’s newsletter. The registrations and PainInfo were mailed to FAPM members, FL Society of Physical Medicine and Rehab members, and FL Society of Interventional Pain Physicians members.
The Pain Clinic magazine, FAPM’s official journal published every other month, always has a half page ad about FAPM in it, and inquiries come in this way.

The following new members were recognized: John E Barsa MD – Tampa, Lee Ann Brown DO – Clearwater, Lance S Cassell MD – Sarasota, Ramon Castellanos MD – Coral Gables, Robert Dehgan MD – St Augustine, Anjan K Ghosh MD – Pembroke Pines, Monica Grinberg MD – Hialeah, Israel Grinberg MD – Pembroke Pines, William S Jacobs MD – Gainesville, Stephen “Scott” Kramarich MD – Jacksonville, Dirk Parvus
FAPM Minutes, June, 2004, page 2

MD – Vero Beach, Bradley H Ruben DO – Hernando, Steven Siegel MD – Oakland Park, Anna Sottile MD – Tamarac, Deborah H Tracy MD – Spring Hill, Mark V Walter MD – Sarasota, Thomas J Weed MD – Ft Lauderdale, Michael A Weitzner MD – Tampa

The following member transitions were reported:
Carlos Placer MD has relocated to Puerto Rico
Mordecai Potash MD has relocated to New Orleans, to Tulane University
Ralph Ortiz DO has relocated to New York
Cheryl Tapp DO cannot be located
Ronald Dennie MD is deceased

4. The Treasury Report was given by Felix Linetsky MD, Secretary, in the absence of Kenneth Botwin MD, Treasurer: Specific information on the Treasury Report can be obtained by members from Lorry S. Davis, Executive Director, PO Box 330298, Atlantic Beach FL 32233-0298, Ph 904 270 8886, Fax 904 246 9233, Lorry4@earthlink.net

5. Florida Pain Medicine Accreditation and Standards Inc – Gary Jay MD, Past President, introduced the membership to FPMA&S Inc (booklets were given to attendees, the entire contents of which can be found on FAPM’s website at http://fapmmed.net/accreditation.htm). He mentioned the Executive Committee’s change of $2500 for nonmembers, $1500 for members, and the change to accrediting only clinics that were wholly owned by physicians (MDs, DOs, as defined by Florida statutes).

Legislative Issues
National Agenda – Andrea Trescot MD, Past President
Dr Trescot discussed the class action suit that the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP) has with Aetna.
Dr Trescot encouraged everyone to go to www.nasper.org to learn more about The National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act, or NASPER, which is a bill proposed by ASIPP to provide and improve patient access with quality care, and protect patients and physicians from deleterious effects of controlled substance misuse, abuse and trafficking. Sample letters to legislators can be found on the site.
Dr Trescot encouraged everyone to go to www.empiremedicaltraining.com and see the types of programs this institution (out of Ft Lauderdale, FL) is promoting. Drs Rafael Miguel and Larry Gorfine agreed that this program is dangerous, not only for patients, but also for physicians to think that they would have a level
FAPM Minutes, June, 2004, page 3
of expertise in pain management by completing this program. Dr Trescot handed out a sample letter from physicians who wrote to Empire Medical Training’s Program Chair (which also cc’d all the Program’s faculty), concerned and alarmed about the Training Program’s practices and claims. That letter is attached to the bottom of these minutes, and all are encouraged to write a similar letter.
State Agenda – Laura Yard MD, Member-at-Large, discussed the FMA’s push for a constitutional amendment to limit attorneys’ contingency fees. She stressed the need for all to act on gathering signed petitions and for all to contribute financially to Citizens for a Fair Share. FAPM has contributed, but is limited as a 501 c 6, to the amount it can give for political purposes. Dr Yard urged individual contributions. Dr Hanna passed out his “Directions for Obtaining Petition Signatures for Citizens for a Fair Share.”

7. Coding Challenges – Erick Grana MD outlined the issue with insurance companies not paying for the 76005 code (for the use of fluoroscope when doing spinal injections at the office) was due to a computer software glitch that could not be corrected until the new version comes out next year. This problem is being dealt with at a national level. In the meantime, doctors will have to deal with individual insurance companies on a case by case basis whenever a denial occurs.

8. Comments from Outgoing President – Dr Hanna expressed his honor in having the opportunity to serve as FAPM’s President. He recalled his mission as having done what he could to help inform FAPM members about tort reform and the constitutional amendment initiative to limit attorney’s contingency fees.

Dr Hanna presented the following Slate of Candidates for Executive Board, 2004 – 2005:

President: Sanford Pollak DO
President-Elect/State Legislative Chair: Laura Yard MD
VP: Peter Taraschi DO
Secretary: Felix Linetsky MD
Treasurer: Kenneth Botwin MD
Executive Medical Director: Gary Jay MD
National Legislative Chair: Andrea Trescot MD
Members-at-Large:
Winston Parris MD
Asya Mikulinsky MD
Fred Furgang MD
Immediate Past President: Ashraf Hanna MD

9. A motion was made and carried to accept the entire slate above.

10. Comments from the Incoming President – Sanford Pollak DO:

“During this successful annual conference, the comraderie apparent has made me pause to consider the cooperation among the membership of our diverse organization.
FAPM Minutes, June, 2004, page 4: Interventionalists and non inter-ventionalists, neurologists and anesthesiologists, psychiatrists and rheumatologists, generalists and radiologists, pm&rs and orthopedic surgeons, all coming together in fellowship for the purpose of exchange of ideas and education. Let our organization be a microcosm in this day of beleaguered physicians to demonstrate to our chosen profession that together we stand strong. We can be an example to larger organizations that diversity is good and unity is essential for the survival of the medical profession that we all serve.”

Respectfully submitted,

Lorry S Davis MEd
FAPM Executive Director

This notice is to advise that the Florida Workers' Compensation Health Care Provider Reimbursement Manual, 2006 Edition, which is included in Rule 69L-7.020 F.A.C., has been adopted and will become effective November 16, 2006. Please review the entire new rule carefully at the division's web site as it implements the reimbursement rates authorized by the Three Member Panel pursuant to Section 440.13(12) F.S., as well as important amendments throughout each section of the rule. It may be found under the section entitled "New Rules" at: http://www.fldfs.com/WC/.

PDF and ASCII versions of the Florida Workers' Compensation Health Care Provider Reimbursement Manual, 2006 Edition are available at this website.

For questions or additional information regarding this rule, please contact Don Davis, Office of Data Quality and Collection, Division of Workers' Compensation at 850-413-1711.

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