AUA 2011

I am very excited to extend a personal invitation to you to attend the AUA Annual Meeting in Washington,DC, May 14-19, 2011. Plenary Sessions, which again this year will be simultaneously translated into Spanish, are scheduled each morning Sunday through Thursday.

In addition to planning the daily Plenary Sessions, Dr. Robert Flanigan, AUA Secretary, has put together an exceptional array of poster, podium and video sessions that include the latest urological science from around the world. Dr. Elspeth McDougall, AUA Chair of Education, has once again planned a superb educational program featuring courses scheduled throughout the meeting, as well as the ever-popular handson courses and a new Live Surgery program. Specialty society programs, including Chinese, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish, and dedicated forums provide other avenues for scientific learning.

The Science & Technology Hall, open Saturday, May 14, through Tuesday, May 17, provides an opportunity to visit numerous exhibits and see the latest products. Because of their popularity last year, the Industry Clinical Update Theaters are back in the hall, as are the Industry Clinical Evening Programs.

Meet with friends and colleagues at “A Taste of DC” in the Science & Technology Hall from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Saturday, May 14. And don’t forget to buy your tickets early for this year’s Welcoming Reception, which will be held on Sunday, May 15, at the National Air and Space Museum.

There are many, many reasons to attend this year’s AUA Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, and I look forward to seeing you there.

Datta G. Wagle, M.D.
AUA President

The number of abstracts submitted to this year’s AUA Annual Meeting in Washington, DC set an all-time record. We received 6,638 paper and 400 video submissions, of which 2,318 abstracts were accepted for presentation. This tremendous response from urological investigators around the world will result in 58 podium sessions (696 presentations), 75 moderated poster sessions (1,500 posters) and 11 video sessions (122 videos), again representing the largest numbers of sessions in the history of the AUA Annual Meeting.

The best posters from each session will be honored and showcased on a continuous basis throughout the meeting at a prominent location in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The number of submissions is also a reflection of the quality research in urology worldwide.

Plenary Sessions, scheduled Sunday through Wednesday mornings, will feature state-of-the-art lectures by experts in the field, point/counterpoint debates, critical discussions and panel discussions. We also plan to schedule several “Late-Breaking News” presentations again this year during the Plenary Sessions. As in the past, Thursday’s Plenary Session will be devoted to Take Home Messages summarizing the week’s topics in review.

The Late-Breaking Science Forum will be held from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 17, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. This Forum, as well as the Late-Breaking News presentations, allows the AUA to include important research that is completed after the deadlines for meeting submissions have passed.

We at the AUA look forward to hosting you in our nation’s capital. This beautiful city houses our most important government buildings (the White House and Capitol), monuments to our most important forefathers (Presidents Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson among many others) and many world-class museums. Therefore, this year’s Annual Meeting promises to bring together the very best in science that urology has to offer, with perhaps the best venue in which to feel the “spirit” that created our country. I hope to see all of you in Washington, DC and look forward to warmly welcoming you personally!

Robert C. Flanigan, M.D.
AUA Secretary and Program Chair

This year the AUA Office of Education will offer learners an impressive line-up of high quality, up-to-date and practice-relevant educational activities. Of the 90 didactic educational courses being provided, fully a third address new topics. Due to their increased popularity, our hands-on skills courses have been expanded to 16 sessions and redesigned to provide practical training experiences to an even larger audience. Specialty track designations facilitate the course selection process, while simultaneous Spanish translation of designated courses will promote learning to a broader segment of attendees.

This year we will again offer a Non-Physician Providers Curriculum to address the needs of the entire urological team. A total of 11 courses, including 2 hands-on labs, have been identified to educate this growing professional segment.

The 2 live surgery programs on Saturday, May 14, will feature actual patient cases transmitted via satellite, interspersed with panel discussions, tricks-of-technique presentations and Q&A sessions.

For the third year in a row, the AUA will present its “Primary Care Update in Urology,” targeting family physicians and allied health care providers, on Saturday, May 14, from 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Co-presented by family medicine and urology faculty, this half-day program provides needed education to a component of the medical community that is increasingly called upon to deliver quality care to urological patients.

To extend your learning experience beyond the Annual Meeting, educational courses, Plenary Sessions, “Primary Care Update in Urology,” as well as other sessions will be recorded and represented as enduring materials in online or DVD formats. For more detailed information about the educational offerings at this year’s meeting and educational materials available from the AUA Office of Education, visit www.auanet.org.

Before you leave DC, please help us continue to improve the AUA educational offerings by completing the course and meeting evaluations. Your opinion matters!

We hope you enjoy the 2011 AUA Annual Meeting and look forward to providing you with advanced urological education that meets your learning and practice improvement needs. See you in DC in May!

Elspeth M. McDougall, M.D., FRCSC, MHPE
AUA Chair of Education

The data tell the story. Since 1975 the AUA Foundation’s Research Scholar program has provided scholarship awards to nearly 500 of the country’s brightest investigators. Aside from their significant research accomplishments, 83 grant recipients went on to be named division chiefs or department chairs of urology. The median number of publications was 28, total citations were 590 and the h-index of AUA Foundation scholars was 12. Six scholars have served on the Board of Directors, including 1 president.

As part of our mission to support and promote research, we are pleased to offer these events at the 2011 AUA Annual Meeting.

• Friday, May 13, 1:00 – 6:00 p.m. Come to Washington early to attend the AUA Foundation/SBUR/NIDDK Basic Science Symposium: “Stem Cells and Urologic Diseases” in Room 143 A/B/C at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Registration is free. Go to www.UrologyHealth.org/BSS for more information. Thanks to the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine for their support.

• Sunday, May 15, 3:00 – 5:30 p.m. The AUA Foundation Research Forum, “Showcasing Young Investigators,” in Room 144 A/B/C at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center features posters and podium presentations from top young investigators nominated by the AUA Sections and Specialty Societies. Dornier MedTech is a proud supporter of the AUA Foundation and the Research Forum.

• Monday, May 16, 6:30 – 8:00 a.m. The AUA Foundation Scholar Awards Breakfast will be held in the Grand Central Room of the Renaissance Hotel. Speakers will include recipients of prestigious AUA Foundation 2011 honors such as the Outstanding Graduating Scholar, Distinguished Mentor, Distinguished Scholar Alumnus and the John W. Duckett Pediatric Urology Research Excellence Award. We wish to acknowledge the continued sponsorship of Endo Pharmaceuticals.

Your Foundation is hard at work in communities across the country. Visit our booth to learn more about our Know Your Stats about Prostate Cancer Campaign®, 35th Anniversary Initiative for Continued Research Excellence and our new Urology for Women Campaign sponsored by Kimberly-Clark. Also you may pickup patient information brochures at the booth, and see the names of the Foundation’s top donors recognized. We can’t wait to meet you! Contact us at 800-828-7866 or e-mail AUAFoundation@AUAFoundation.org with any questions.

The Urology Practice Management Conference, held cooperatively by the AUA Practice Management Department and the Urology Administration Assembly of the Medical Group Management Association, will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, May 13-14, at the kickoff of the AUA Annual Meeting.

Offering a total of 13 additional hours of CME, ACMPE or CEU credit, the conference will feature speakers and course content intended to prepare urologists and their managers for major shifts in the practice paradigm. Topics include developing winddown plans for aging urologists, preserving your autonomy while collaborating with your hospital, preparing for more robust government anti-fraud actions and how the growth of Accountable Care Organizations may affect urology. A unique new session titled, “Looking Under the Hood of Meaningful Use of EHR” concludes this year’s conference.

Physicians and managers interested in continuing to operate financially successful private urology practices should not miss this valuable education program. The optional breakout sessions include a special “Physicians Track” for the first time.

Registration is available for all registered AUA attendees for a modest additional fee. Continental breakfast and lunch are provided on Friday and Saturday, and a networking reception is planned for Friday evening. Click on Practice Management Conference at www.aua2011.org to see the entire conference schedule.

The topic for this year’s Young Urologists (YU) Forum is “Financial Stability at Work and at Home: What Does it Take?” The YU Forum will take place from 12:15 – 1:45 p.m. Monday, May 16, 2011, at the AUA Annual Meeting in Washington, DC in Rooms 145 AB in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

This year’s forum promises to be informative and interactive, as attendees will receive professional and personal recommendations on how young urologists can maintain and strengthen their finances. Although the forum is sponsored by the Young Urologists Committee, all urologists are invited and will be able to take away valuable information from the presentations.

Each speaker will present his/her (or a) point of view and then the floor will be open for questions, answers and discussion. Panel members and topics are:

• Rick Davis, Chief Financial Officer, The George Washington University Hospital: The Hospital Perspective: What do They Need From Their Surgeons?

• Angela Jordan, Administrator, Bend Urology Associates, LLC: The Private Practice Perspective: What are the Administrative Elements for Financial Stability?

• David Mandler, Managing Partner, GuyauxMandlerMah Financial Group, LLC: The Personal Perspective: What Should Every Urologist Do for Themselves?

The YU Forum and lunch are free with your Annual Meeting registration. We encourage you to register early by simply e-mailing your name, AUA ID number and contact information to youngurologists@AUAnet.org. However, on-site registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis as space permits. Don’t miss this important event!

The AUA Residents Committee will be sponsoring the Residents Forum during the upcoming AUA Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. This year’s educational forum is titled, “Getting Started: A Blueprint for Post-Residency Life,” and is specifically designed to bring residents together so they can network and learn about life after residency through a series of presentations.

The Residents Forum will be held from 9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 14, in Room 207 AB at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Lunch will be served as part of this event.

Confirmed speakers include Sanford Siegel, MD; Robert G. Uzzo, MD; W. Scott Webster, MD; Marshall Gifford, CLU ChFC; Margaret Pearle, MD, PhD; and Timothy Daskivich, MD. Topics include:

• Financial Planning for the Physician

• A Career Choice Between Academics and Private Practice

• Your Career in Urology

• Coding Update from the Residency Review Committee

• Roundtable Fellowship Session

In addition to the educational presentations, the following activities will take place during the Residents Forum:

• Presentation of the Residents Committee Teaching Award

• Presentation by the Society for Women in Urology

• Prize drawings for those in attendance

Sponsored by the Residents Committee, the Residents Forum is f ree and open to al l resident s at tending the AUA Annual Meeting. The AUA has been able to continue funding a $500 travel stipend for resident attendees. This travel stipend will be available for the first 160 qualifying residents only.

This year’s Health Policy Forum, co-sponsored by the AUA and the American Association of Clinical Urologists (AACU), will focus on one of the most talked about topics on Capitol Hill today — health care reform. The forum will be held from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 15, during the Annual Meeting. Attendees can earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for their participation.

This year’s program will feature Mark E. Miller, PhD, Executive Director of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), the influential independent body established to advise Congress on Medicare payment and quality, as well as a panel of congressional staff who will address the current status of health care reform and what it will mean for the practice of medicine.

Since the Affordable Care Act passed a year ago, there are many well-publicized legislative and judicial efforts to repeal it, in whole or in part, at the state and federal levels at the same time that many of its provisions are coming into effect. Such provisions directly affect physicians. Payment remains a key issue facing physicians today. Newly developing models such as Accountable Care Organizations, as well as increased pressure on physicians to implement health information technology systems and report on quality measures bring additional costs and an uncertain future to physician practices.

As Executive Director of MedPAC, Dr. Miller has an insider’s unique perspective on how this prominent health policy body intends to advise Congress on these issues. The congressional staff panel will weigh-in on the probable success of federal, state and judicial challenges to the law as well as the potential for medical liability reform and a permanent fix to the sustainable growth rate.

Take advantage of being in Washington, DC during the AUA Annual Meeting and sign up to visit your U.S. Senators. At 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18, we will be holding an informational session that will provide all the tools you need to be an effective advocate for urology. So even if you have never participated in an advocacy event, this is a perfect opportunity for you to get involved. AUA will schedule all of the appointments and take care of all the logistics. All you have to do is sign up.

The political landscape has changed with the November elections, and the fight for health care reform continues. Many other medical specialty societies are advocating on Capitol Hill, so do your part and make sure urology’s voice is heard. Remember, if your voice is not heard, someone else’s will be. Space is filling up fast, so please sign up when you register for this year’s AUA Annual Meeting.

For more information about “Afternoon on the Hill,” e-mail GovernmentRelations@AUAnet.org.

Last cycle, UROPAC reached its $1 million goal. With that accomplishment, AUA members and staff were able to secure lasting relationships with key members of Congress who support urology’s agenda. With your support we helped elect the largest-ever physician caucus, which will enable us to change the agenda for the practice of medicine on Capitol Hill.

Our presence in Washington, DC is at an all-time high, but to maintain that momentum we must continue to keep UROPAC strong. Before long, the 2012 elections will be upon us. UROPAC needs to be ready to ensure that we support leaders who will protect the interests of urology. We are off to a great start having already raised more than $100,000 for the 2011-2012 cycle. Let’s keep up the momentum and make this another record-breaking cycle.

The UROPAC booth will be open from Saturday, May 14, to Thursday, May 19, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center (next to Starbucks). Please stop by and meet the AUA Government Relations & Advocacy and AACU staff, and make your donation.

While reaching $1 million last year was amazing, consider this: If every AUA member contributed just $535 ($1 for each member of Congress), UROPAC would be a $5 million PAC! Other health care specialty societies continue to grow their PACs and we must do the same to make urology’s voice heard.

Please visit www.UROPAC.org to learn more about UROPAC and make your donation today!

On Saturday, May 14, the American Urological Association will hold a graduation ceremony for the 2010-2011 AUA Leadership Program class during the AUA Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. The ceremony is by invitation only.

The Leadership Program is designed to provide leadership skills, competency training and development for those interested in serving as future leaders of the AUA at the Section and National levels. A total of 20 individuals will be graduating at this year’s ceremony.

Last year the Leadership Class and mentors participated in a Kickoff weekend at the AUA Headquarters where they learned about leadership training, networking and operations of the AUA. In March 2011 the Leadership Class attended the AUA/AACU Joint Advocacy Conference in Washington, DC and had the opportunity to meet with their Congressional representatives on Capitol Hill to speak in support of AUA’s legislative agenda. Between events, class members have stayed engaged with their mentors to continue their leadership skills training while increasing their knowledge about how the AUA serves its members and the field of urology.

Graduates of the AUA Leadership Program have gone on to serve in key leadership positions at the Section and National levels of the AUA. The 2010-2011 class is the fourth for the AUA Leadership Program, and we look forward to congratulating the graduates!

For more information about the AUA Leadership Program, visit www.AUAnet.org.

The AUA JobFinder Connection offers attendees the oppor tunit y to network with potential employers to discuss career opportunities in the United States. This year employers will be located throughout the Science & Technology Hall in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center during the AUA Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.

If you have a full schedule, don’t worry! Employers will be exhibiting and available Saturday, May 14, from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., and Sunday through Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Just look for the special “AUA JobFinder Connection” sign located in the exhibit booths to identify employers who are participating in the AUA JobFinder Connection network.

We recommend that jobseekers get a head start by registering in advance to be part of the network. All you have to do is visit www.AUAnet.org/JobFinder and create a free account. If you don’t already have an account, instructions are provided on the site. By registering in advance you will be able to:

• View posit ions posted by exhibiting employers
• Schedule on-site interviews
• Communicate with employers

The AUA Annual Meeting is the world’s foremost meeting of urologists, gathering more than 11,000 practicing urologists and urology health care professionals. If you are an employer/recruiter who is interested in exhibiting and being a part of the network, please contact Jane Conway at Exhibits@AUAnet.org. If you have questions about the 2011 AUA JobFinder Connection, please contact Adriene Williams at JFConnection@AUAnet.org.