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Cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services have been unable to expand patient access to meet demand for beneficial services due to Section 603, which has been compounded by PHE program closures. The Sustaining Outpatient Services (SOS) Act is highly supported by all the professional cardiac and pulmonary organizations without opposition. The Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act is a new bill to further help reduce barriers to participation and increase revenue. BOTH of these bills are the solution programs and patients need now!

We need your help!

Join fellow practitioners in your state to advocate for CR, ICR and PR services that will be significantly impacted by the following bills:

HR 955 is a bipartisan bill that will allow CR/ICR/PR programs to expand to rural, larger, and more accessible off-campus locations.

HR 1406 is a bipartisan bill that will allow hospital-based cardiac, intensive cardiac, and pulmonary rehabilitation programs to provide virtual, real-time audio-visual sessions in the patient’s home on a permanent basis.

Thank you in advance for your support!

• Why was this decision made?

The decision to move forward with the joint membership was a result of several conference calls, meetings, and discussions evaluating the feasibility of the transition and the additional benefits to our state membership.  This agreement will allow for OSCVPR members to enjoy all of the benefits of the AACVPR along side those already offered by the state affiliate.  The AACVPR will support the growth and vitality of the OSCVPR by providing an administrative infrastructure for membership communications, currently being done by the OSCVPR leadership.  Removing this and other administrative burdens will allow the OSCVPR leaders to focus on tasks related to increasing exposure for cardiac and pulmonary rehab, reimbursement issues, advocacy, and setting the standards for programs across the state of Oregon.

• What benefits will the increased membership fee offer me?

The additional annual fee associated with national membership offers you a very unique opportunity to be a member of two individual organizations with different goals and focuses for one price.  National members are a part of a very strong national organization for advocacy and education related to cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation as well as for national networking of professionals and leaders in the field.  You will receive the JCRP on a regular basis, which is a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation published by the AACVPR.  You will receive direct communications regarding reimbursement, outcomes management, program certification, and other information disseminated by the national office.With your Joint Affiliate Membership you will get the EducationAdvantage Membership at the Professional Membership rate of $205 and receive all the benefits that the Education Advantage and Professional Memberships offer.  In addition, you are automatically enrolled as a member of the OSCVPR.EducationAdvantage members will have free access to up to 10 live Webcasts, each approved for one AACVPR or nursing CEC. Topics that will be presented will likely include:

• Motivational leadership
• Emotional health in the cardiac and pulmonary patient
• Medication compliance and reconciliation
• Staff competencies
• Writing an exercise prescription for cardiac (with and without a stress test)
• CMS update
• Developing the individualized treatment plan
• Quality care of heart failure patients: how and when to include them in cardiac rehab
• Understanding and using outcomes and choosing the appropriate outcomes tool
• Health coaching: helping patients reach their full potential

A stronger OSCVPR will allow your voice to be heard both at the state and federal legislative levels and create opportunities for our state to be leaders among affiliates for our cause.  A members-only web page from the AACVPR provides many of these benefits to national members already and your joint membership will open this door for you.If you are already a national but not an OSCVPR member, you will enjoy added value for your annual dues with membership in both the state and national organizations without additional OSCVPR membership fees.

• Who was involved with making this decision?

This decision was made by the OSCVPR board of directors including the President, President-elect, immediate past-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and all 3 regional board members.  The decision was discussed among a group including past-presidents and officers, national AACVPR board and staff members, and select members with previous service in the society.  After several conference calls, meetings, and discussions the MSCVPR Board voted to proceed with the joint membership agreement between OSCVPR and AACVPR.

• When will I need to make a decision regarding my membership?

The change in status will not go into effect until July 1, 2014.

• If I am not a member of the organization can I still attend the conference?

Although we certainly hope you will remain a member of the organization, we understand your decision.  Non-members will be allowed and encouraged to attend all future OSCVPR conferences at a non-member rate.

• Why will non-OSCVPR members be extended the OSCVPR membership?

Part of the agreement with the AACVPR is to strengthen both the national and affiliate organizations.  There are a fairly large number of individuals who are current and loyal members of the national organization; however, they do not hold concurrent state membership.  These individuals will automatically become OSCVPR members and strengthen our affiliate by having an increase in membership moving forward, without an increase in their membership dues.  These members include those individuals who are national members residing or working in the state of Oregon.Additionally, for those members who are currently members of AACVPR and OSCVPR, they will realize a significant savings with the joint membership agreement.  Beginning on July 1, 2014, membership in the AACVPR national organization will make them an automatic member of OSCVPR.

• Who will be my ‘go-to people’ at the different organizations?

Your state affiliate remains your advocate and contact organization for state-related issues and information.  We will continue to work independently of the AACVPR and your questions and concerns may be addressed by any of the OSCVPR officers and contacts found at www.oscvpr.org Should you have membership-specific questions, the national office staff will handle administrative and payment related issues.  For national information and contacts, you will have direct access to national committee members, board members, and office staff.  You may visit www.aacvpr.org for more information about these and other individuals.

• What are the benefits to the Executive Committee of the OSCVPR?

The OSCVPR Executive Committee feels very strongly that this decision will first and foremost benefit the state members for the reasons outlined in this communication.  There are, however, certain benefits to the OSCVPR that do not directly benefit the OSCVPR membership.  These include insurance for the officers, relieved administrative burden, strengthened relationships with the national board of directors, affiliate marketing opportunities, and increased exposure on the AACVPR website and at national meetings.

• How can I get more involved in the decision-making process?

We welcome your involvement!  If you are interested in serving on the OSCVPR Executive Committee or related committees, please contact any of the officers and express your interest.  We are also including an application to serve on one of the state-level committees at the annual meeting, so please fill this out and turn it in at any time during the conference or with your conference evaluation.  We are working hard to increase the strength of committees of the OSCVPR and this is one of our major strategic plans moving forward.

• Why should I support this decision if it is going to cost me more money?

Ultimately your membership investment is your decision to make; however, we ask that you consider this decision not to increase the cost of your membership, rather to provide you with an exciting opportunity to increase your national exposure, educational opportunities, and networking for a reasonable increase in dues.  We feel this decision is advantageous to everyone involved and should be viewed as an opportunity, rather than a burden.Please bring your questions to the annual conference for an open discussion about the changes or feel free to email anytime.

Please bring your questions to the annual conference for an open discussion about the changes or feel free to email anytime.