CAP TODAY Pathology/Laboratory Medicine/Laboratory Management
R. Bruce Williams, MD
September 2019—The CAP will sponsor next May the Pathologists Leadership Summit in Washington, DC. This is not just another meeting where you’ll learn to deal with changes happening around you that feel as if they are out of your control. No. This is a radical reinvention of a meeting where members will come together to achieve something specific—and move pathology forward. The Pathologists Leadership Summit is an integrated meeting that will be held annually in Washington, DC, to increase our presence and influence in Washington on critical issues affecting pathologists and our patients.
R. Bruce Williams, MD
We will convene at the Grand Hyatt in DC, May 2–5, 2020, to strengthen our ability to communicate, persuade, and manage, drawing on content from the House of Delegates, the Engaged Leadership Academy, the Practice Management Workshop, and the Policy Meeting. The concept is to enhance skills so we can become better leaders and advocates for our specialty while strengthening ties to colleagues from multiple areas of the CAP. Full immersion is the way to go—all members are encouraged to attend the HOD meeting and stay for the Pathologists Leadership Summit.
This is an ambitious meeting, long in the making. We’re talking about moving from reacting to what happens to driving positive change by giving our members the tools to make things happen. Part of that is education—we’re aiming to take an in-depth look at artificial intelligence in laboratories. Another part is brainstorming—how to best support grassroots efforts and our state pathology societies. We’ll also dig deep on practice leadership and evolution—how to foster supportive and economically sustainable practice environments. And we’ll build your leadership and communication skills so you’ll become more effective advocates in the bargain. Then we’ll head to the Hill to lobby for positive change.
If you’re not convinced that the Pathologists Leadership Summit will be a good investment of your time, I have three words for you: Pathologists Quality Registry. The CAP lobbies for laws that protect the pathologist’s ability to provide high-quality services in a fair, competitive environment. We believe that getting paid fairly for the value your practice provides is essential to the future of providing outstanding patient care. That’s why we created the Pathologists Quality Registry. One reason the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services continually approves our registry, now with 28 quality measures, is because our member volunteers and advocacy staff had long since established our credibility. Pathologists who use the registry can readily demonstrate the quality of their work, thereby avoiding MIPS penalties and potentially earning positive payment adjustments. So, yes, I think the Pathologists Leadership Summit is a good place to invest your time.
The second new event I’d like you to know about is Pathology in the Park, June 22–25, 2020, an opportunity for amazing learning in an incredible setting: Yosemite National Park. Education in the morning will feature top speakers in breast pathology, gastrointestinal pathology, and hematopathology; afternoons will be set aside to explore the park with your family, other attendees, or both. Rooms can be reserved at the legendary Tenaya Lodge and registration is open now. If you have been to Yosemite, I need not say more. If you have not been there, this is the time. Bring the family if you can and expect an unforgettable experience.