ACC GRASSROOTS ACTION ALERT

In an effort to help members who are tirelessly serving their patients and communities, ACC and other medical society partners helped secure a substantial telemedicine victory in the first bipartisan emergency funding package that was signed into law on March 6th. This provision will increase access to telehealth services and protect vulnerable patient populations during the COVID-19 emergency. The College will continue to work towards improved healthcare delivery for patients while protecting clinician wellbeing throughout this crisis.

Please CLICK HERE to urge Congress to include the following in the next COVID-19 emergency response package.  

President's Message

Andrew R. Waxler, MD, FACC

Dear PaACC Members:

As we all try to wrap our minds around this rapidly accelerating crisis, it is important that we keep communication, education, and mutual support to a maximum. As we are rapidly learning, this COVID-19 is not just a respiratory problem - indeed it is very much a cardiac problem. We are now "on the front lines" in Pennsylvania since there are now 268 confirmed cases across the Commonwealth, including 5 here in Berks County - and the numbers go up 20-30% daily.

With regard to the feared potential PPE shortage, the federal government - with some guidance from groups like our ACC - is apparently starting to crank up production in a "wartime" fashion. Hopefully we will be okay in 1-2-3 weeks when this may get really ugly...

There are multiple advocacy issues that really impact both doctors/providers/staff as well as patients - these are being addressed nationally by the ACC Health Affairs Committee (HAC) and at the state level by the PaACC Advocacy Committee (with the assistance of ACC national as well as our fantastic lobbyist).

Regarding telemedicine, we are all trying to keep patients out of offices/hospitals for "routine" and "elective" visits/tests - yet we don't want them to have their care delayed too long. Yes, the federal government approved some telemedicine codes 1-2 weeks ago, but several of our PaACC members have pointed out: 1) the elderly often have trouble with the "video" portion and perhaps telephone only is good enough and 2) ideally, that "office visit" by phone should be reimbursed at the same rate as if it were face-to-face. We are pushing for these concepts BOTH federally in Washington but also at the state level in Harrisburg. We do have a bill in Harrisburg, which should pass soon and that will hopefully address some of these issues. Federally, we in the HAC sent out "Call to Action" alerts 1-2 days ago - please find that email and respond to ask the federal legislators to help us with these issues, or use this link.  

There are multiple - and rapidly-evolving - clinical issues that we must share with and help each other. Is that positive Troponin with ST changes a true atherothrombotic ACS or a Type II MI or myocarditis? Should the patient go to the Cath Lab vs. thrombolytics? What to do with the ACE inhibitor? What to do with the fact that these patients appear to be hypercoagulable - should we anticoagulate?

The recent ACC COVID-19 webinar series this past week was fantastic and addressed most of these issues - these webinars can now be viewed your leisure.

The ACC is here to help -> please check out - and use - the awesome links below; in particular check out the new and evolving ACC COVID-19 hub...

Thank you for all that you do - you/we are the front-line warriors in this war...

Stay safe.

Andrew R. Waxler, MD, FACC

Katie Berlacher, MD, FACC

Governors, Pennsylvania Chapter, ACC

As COVID-19 continues to spread, the ACC is working to help members on the front lines best manage their patients. ACC's new COVID-19 Hub curates ACC clinical guidance and practice, clinical perspectives and front-line experience, regulatory and reimbursement updates, and more.

Content is updated daily. Visit and share the link: ACC.org/COVID19

Articles posted on the hub to date include:

ACC Clinical Guidance and Practice

• ACC Clinical Bulletin  
• Telehealth: Rapid Implementation For Your Cardiology Clinic 
• HFSA/ACC/AHA Statement Addresses Concerns Re: Using RAAS Antagonists in COVID-19
• ACC Interventional Council, SCAI Address Cath Lab Considerations During COVID-19
• Troponin and BNP Use in COVID-19
• Is There a Role For Statin Therapy in Acute Viral Infections?
• Cardiovascular Considerations for Patients, Health Care Workers, and Health Systems During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic
• COVID-19 Operational Considerations

Clinical Perspectives and Front-Line Experience 

• COVID-19 Provides Potent Reminder of the Risk of Infectious Agents 
• Cardiologist’s Insights From Treating COVID-19 Patients in China 
• Chinese Clinical Guidance For COVID-19 Pneumonia Diagnosis and Treatment
• Coronavirus Fulminant Myocarditis Case Review
• Clinical Course and Risk Factors for Mortality of Inpatients With COVID-19
• Coronaviruses and the Cardiovascular System
• The Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Threat for Patients with Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer

Regulatory and Reimbursement Updates

• ACC COVID-19 Coding Quick Tips 
• Payer Resources on COVID-19 and Telehealth Services
• Medicare Issues Telehealth Expansion of Physician Services
• New CPT Code Streamlines COVID-19 Testing in U.S. 
• COVID-19 Grassroots Action Alert
• CMS Announces Recommendations for Non-Essential and Elective Procedures
• MedAxiom COVID-19 Resources 
• MedAxiom Virtual Services Tool

Content is update daily. Visit and share the link: ACC.org/COVID19

Humans of Cardiology is an opportunity for PaACC members to share motivating stories about their personal and professional lives and was inspired by the wildly popular Humans of New York series. Submit your story and view past posts here.