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Radiation oncologist Brian Kavanagh named to APC Advisory Panel
Fairfax, VA
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is pleased to announce that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has named ASTRO committee member Brian D. Kavanagh, M.D., M.P.H., to serve a four-year-term on the Advisory Panel on Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) Groups. Dr. Kavanagh is one of five new members selected to serve a term beginning October 1, 2010, and ending September 30, 2014.
The purpose of the advisory panel is to review the APC groups and their associated weights and to advise the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and the CMS administrator concerning the clinical integrity of the APC groups and their associated weights. CMS then considers the panel's recommendations when preparing the annual updates to the hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS).
"As an active member of ASTRO, Dr. Kavanagh has proven to be a leader in the field by participating in a number of committees addressing Medicare payment and coverage; health care and system reform; and various public health and medical safety issues," Laura I. Thevenot, ASTRO CEO, said. "Dr. Kavanagh's clinical training and subsequent professional career has included experience from inner-city public hospitals to urban and suburban private hospitals, as well as rural community hospitals, providing him with an appreciation for the broad spectrum of settings in which Medicare and Medicaid patients receive health care. This variety of professional experiences has given him the opportunity to develop technical expertise in the many areas the APC Advisory Panel monitors. It also has given him unique insight into the impact Medicare payment policies can have on various hospital settings. He will bring invaluable insights to the panel."
Dr. Kavanagh is a radiation oncologist at the University of Colorado Hospital whose academic interests include cranial and extracranial stereotactic treatments, but he also maintains a busy clinical practice that covers a variety of cancers. He has been active in ASTRO for more than seven years, including positions on the Health Policy Regulatory Committee, Government Relations Grassroots Committee and Communications Committee.
"I'm very excited about this opportunity to work on the APC Panel. I will be replacing Dr. Michael Mills, who is chief of medical physics at the University of Louisville. Mike has done a great job, and I want to thank him for educating me about some of the challenges the panel faces at each meeting," Dr. Kavanagh said. "It's great to be able to work with a wide spectrum of health care professionals from around the country, including other doctors, nurses and hospital administrators who can offer a range of perspectives when it comes to deciding fair compensation for simple and complex medical treatments. I'm grateful to the CMS Administrator, Dr. Donald Berwick, and the APC Panel chair, Dr. Edith Hambrick, for giving me the chance to serve in this capacity."
ASTRO is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 10,000 members who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, biology and physics, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through education, clinical practice, advancement of science and advocacy. For more information on radiation therapy, visit www.rtanswers.org. To learn more about ASTRO, visit www.astro.org.
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The purpose of the advisory panel is to review the APC groups and their associated weights and to advise the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and the CMS administrator concerning the clinical integrity of the APC groups and their associated weights. CMS then considers the panel's recommendations when preparing the annual updates to the hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS).
"As an active member of ASTRO, Dr. Kavanagh has proven to be a leader in the field by participating in a number of committees addressing Medicare payment and coverage; health care and system reform; and various public health and medical safety issues," Laura I. Thevenot, ASTRO CEO, said. "Dr. Kavanagh's clinical training and subsequent professional career has included experience from inner-city public hospitals to urban and suburban private hospitals, as well as rural community hospitals, providing him with an appreciation for the broad spectrum of settings in which Medicare and Medicaid patients receive health care. This variety of professional experiences has given him the opportunity to develop technical expertise in the many areas the APC Advisory Panel monitors. It also has given him unique insight into the impact Medicare payment policies can have on various hospital settings. He will bring invaluable insights to the panel."
Dr. Kavanagh is a radiation oncologist at the University of Colorado Hospital whose academic interests include cranial and extracranial stereotactic treatments, but he also maintains a busy clinical practice that covers a variety of cancers. He has been active in ASTRO for more than seven years, including positions on the Health Policy Regulatory Committee, Government Relations Grassroots Committee and Communications Committee.
"I'm very excited about this opportunity to work on the APC Panel. I will be replacing Dr. Michael Mills, who is chief of medical physics at the University of Louisville. Mike has done a great job, and I want to thank him for educating me about some of the challenges the panel faces at each meeting," Dr. Kavanagh said. "It's great to be able to work with a wide spectrum of health care professionals from around the country, including other doctors, nurses and hospital administrators who can offer a range of perspectives when it comes to deciding fair compensation for simple and complex medical treatments. I'm grateful to the CMS Administrator, Dr. Donald Berwick, and the APC Panel chair, Dr. Edith Hambrick, for giving me the chance to serve in this capacity."
ASTRO is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 10,000 members who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, biology and physics, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through education, clinical practice, advancement of science and advocacy. For more information on radiation therapy, visit www.rtanswers.org. To learn more about ASTRO, visit www.astro.org.
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Beth Bukata
Director of Communications
American Society for Radiation Oncology
Fairfax, VA
703-839-7332
