The American Medical Association (AMA) has announced the appointments of new chairs to lead two AMA-convened committees charged with ensuring direct physician input into critical efforts that serve in many ways to advance science, improve health, and strengthen the patient-physician relationship.
Dr. Kenneth P. Brin, a practicing cardiologist as well as vice president of medical informatics at Advocate Medical Group, a multispecialty medical group in the Chicago area, has been selected by the AMA Board of Trustees to chair the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Editorial Panel. This 17 member panel manages an open, transparent process for practicing physicians, allied health professionals and advisors from more than 100 medical specialty societies to provide direct input into the maintenance of a code set for efficiently communicating vital information across all levels of the health care system.
Dr. Peter Smith, a professor and chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Duke University, has been selected by the AMA Board of Trustees to chair the AMA/Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC). This group of 31 physicians and 300 medical advisors volunteer their highly technical expertise on complex medical procedures and make recommendations to the government on the resources required to provide a medical service.
