The Music of St. Louis

Every Friday AAMSE's Gateway to Discovery will be featuring interesting information about the 

2013 Annual Conference host city: St. Louis.

St. Louis' rich musical culture spans both decades and genres; from blues to rock and roll to rap. Here are just a few of the city's contributions to the history of American music:

Scott Joplin

Known as the "King of Ragtime," Scott Joplin lived in St. Louis from 1901 until 1907.  During this time period he wrote and published some of his most popular ragtime pieces; including The Entertainer, a composition that would go on to be featured in the 1973 movie The Sting and introduced Scott Joplin and ragtime to a new generation. 

While in St. Louis you can visit the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site. 

Chuck Berry

Born in St. Louis on October 18, 1926, Chuck Berry recorded Maybellene in 1955. This first recording eventually climbed to the number five spot on the music charts, leading the way for other hits such as Johnnie B. Goode, Roll Over Beethoven and Rock and Roll Music.  He was one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's first inductees in 1986.  

St. Louis Blues
Blues music has long been a staple in the St. Louis music scene. As home to many world renowned blues musicians, St. Louis has inspired numerous blues songs, including W.C. Handy's classic, St. Louis Blues, and Henry "Mule" Townsend's Henry's Worried Blues. Every year St. Louis hosts the Big Muddy Blues Festival, a two-day blues festival with three outdoor stages, over Labor Day weekend. St. Louis is also the future home of the National Blues Museum, opening in late 2014 in the heart of downtown. This museum will be dedicated to the celebrating this groundbreaking genre.  

   

If you want to hear some great music while in St. Louis, you can catch a live blues show at one of many local venues such as Jazz St. Louis, BB's Jazz, Blues, and Soups or Broadway Oyster Bar.   
 

 photo courtesy of Christophe Losberger (sitatof)'s photostream

National Volunteer/Administrative Professionals Week

Happy National Volunteer &

Administrative Professionals Weeks! 

National Volunteer Week honors those who dedicate themselves to serving others. It is about inspiring people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities.

As a member of the AAMSE community, your involvement is central to achieving the mission we put forth. We would like to thank the many volunteers who make AAMSE the strong and vibrant community it is.

AAMSE would also like to take this time to remind you to thank your volunteers for the work they do. With the historic changes taking place, it is more important than ever for both you and your physician volunteers to get involved and take an active role in the future of organized medicine.

AAMSE is always looking for new members to get involved. Whether your interests lie in membership, leadership, marketing or education, there’s a volunteer opportunity for you with AAMSE. Visit aamse.org/volunteer and check out the rewarding volunteer opportunities AAMSE has to offer. Please note: the next term for most volunteer opportunities does not begin until after the 2013 Annual Conference in July.

National Administrative Professionals Week honors the millions of professionals who provide administrative services and support in all industries.

The International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) defines administrative professionals as “individuals who are responsible for administrative tasks and coordination of information in support of an office-related environment and who are dedicated to furthering their personal and professional growth in their chosen profession.”

The many AAMSE members who serve as administrative professionals deserve recognition this week for their contributions toward advancing the field of organized medicine and supporting physicians across the country.  

Thank you administrative professionals and volunteers for all you do!

Great Ideas: TMA ROI Calculator

AAMSE is committed to sharing the innovative and effective work of its members in all areas of medical society management as part of its “Great Ideas” series. These case studies not only recognize member organizations’ creative and successful projects, but serve to inspire new ideas for the entire medical society community, helping AAMSE meet its mission of advancing the industry through communication of knowledge. 

 

Great Idea: TMA Return on Investment (ROI) Calculator

Category: Membership

Organization: Texas Medical Association 

The Situation:
Illustrating clear return on investment (ROI) of membership dues is a challenge all medical associations face– a challenge that is only growing with increased competition for dues dollars and the changing landscape of physician employment. Without demonstrating the value of membership, medical associations run the risk of seeing costly declines in their retention rates and losing out on potential new members who may not see the worth in joining.

The Idea:
Texas Medical Association (TMA) was looking for a way to demonstrate the real-dollar value of membership to physicians across the state. Their idea? The TMA Return on Investment (ROI) Calculator– an online tool developed to help Texas physicians learn more about the true value of TMA membership and the benefits offered by the association.

The ROI Calculator provides a list of member benefits and services with assigned dollar values and allows users to customize the tool to their personal use and experience. The user can see how the values were calculated for each item, learn more about the individual products and services (each benefit listed is linked to the web page featuring that service), and find out how to access benefits and services to get the most of their membership (i.e., increasing their ROI).

All members see a value higher than their dues paid when accessing the tool as selected benefit values have been “hard coded” to reflect the benefit all physicians have received (e.g., Tort Reform). Therefore, users of the calculator will see value in TMA membership even before they customize the app based on their use.

The calculator tool is updated at least annually and is featured in TMA renewal and recruitment campaigns to ensure current and prospective members see the value the association provides. The calculator is also a valuable tool to assist TMA and county staff when speaking about the value proposition of membership.

To broaden the reach of the ROI Calculator, TMA worked with county medical societies throughout the state to help promote the tool. The calculator is featured in county society newsletters, publications (via TMA created copy-ready ads), emails and websites. 

To keep up with the growing population of mobile device users, Texas Medical Association is planning to launch a mobile-friendly version of the ROI Calculator in May 2013.

The Means:
TMA’s ROI Calculator was developed in-house by an internal team including Robert Hamilton, Internet Developer, TMA Business Intelligence and Software Development; Claire Duncan, Director, TMA Knowledge Center; and Sylvia Salazar, Director, TMA Membership Development.
TMA’s Internet Developer spent about 40 hours on the project, including planning, development and revisions. Other staff spent approximately 45 hours researching similar ROI calculators, gathering data on the value of each benefit featured, testing the site, and working with the developer to finalize the tool.

The Impact:  
TMA uses Google Analytics to track calculator web page activity. Since the launch of the ROI Calculator on August 2, 2011, the following results have been measured:

• 3,657 pageviews including 1,329 unique pageviews
• 82% of users stayed on the TMA website after visiting the ROI Calculator
• After viewing the calculator, 9.43% of users navigated to TMA's join/renew page and 10.58% navigated to the member login and dues invoice page 

TMA's retention rate remains a healthy 95 percent. 

"I was surprised to learn just how much value TMA offers me. Even the services I take for granted are worth a lot more than I realized."
-N. Keith Robinson, Jr., MD, Internal Medicine, TMA member

The Lesson:
Putting real-dollar values on your member benefits can go a long way in retaining and recruiting members– and providing a tool by which members can see the true value of their membership is critical. While there will be some legwork in the development and launch process, demonstrating the ROI of your association’s services is sure to result in ROI of your own.

A Closer Look:

Check out the TMA ROI Calculator at https://www.texmed.org/ROI.aspx

For more information, contact TMA Director of Membership Development Sylvia Salazar at sylvia.salazar@texmed.org.

All items in this series will be uploaded to the “Great Ideas” section of the AAMSE Management Library. To have your project featured as a Great Idea, contact Tristan Johnson at tjohnson@aamse.org. 

InReach - Exhibitor Announcement

We’d like to thank InReach for their continued commitment to AAMSE and the 2013 Annual Conference.

InReach provides the technology, services and experience required for best-in-class continuing education programs.  InReach enables the leaders in health care, finance and legal continuing education to deliver educational programs to millions of participants each month.  CME providers choose InReach to minimize the cost, effort and risk associated with bringing CME online and to maximize the success of their CME programs. 

Registration is Now Open

 Registration is Now Open 

For the 2013 Annual Conference

Registration is now open for the 2013 Annual Conference in St. Louis: the only conference planned for and by medical society professionals. This year, we took a strategic approach to selecting topics that are relevant to our members. As you browse through the preliminary program, we are sure you will find an array of high quality educational sessions that are both engaging and relevant to your work.

Download the 2013 Annual Conference Preliminary Program

Registration Rates

Early Bird Rate:  Received before May 15

Members: $425 ~ Non-Members: $500

Regular Rate:  Received after May 15

Member: $500 ~ Non-Member: $575

Opening Session
Emerging Health Care Trends: What it Means for Physicians and Your Organization
Timothy Norbeck, Louis Goodman, PhD, Walker Ray, MD
The Physicians Foundation makes significant investments in conducting comprehensive, timely research that examines the issues affecting doctors, patients and the future of the U.S. healthcare delivery system. In 2012, they conducted one of the largest physician surveys ever undertaken in the U.S. Their goal was to provide doctors with a clear voice on the most pressing issues facing our nation regarding the delivery of health care. The research examined physician morale, practice patterns, patient accessibility and career plans – all issues that deeply affect physicians and their patients. The Physicians Foundation will discuss its compelling findings and explain what you need to do to remain relevant in these changing times.

For more session information, view the 2013 Annual Conference Schedule at a Glance.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Every Friday AAMSE's Gateway to Discovery will be featuring interesting information about the 

2013 Annual Conference host city: St. Louis.

In recognition of the St. Louis Cardinals' Opening Week and to get everyone excited to visit Busch Stadium and watch the Cardinals face off against the San Diego Padres - an optional outing during the Annual Conference – here is a quick overview of Cardinals' Baseball.

 

A Brief History 

Founded in 1875, the Cardinals were first known as the St. Louis Brown Stockings and later the Browns.  They officially changed their name to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1900. 

The franchise has won 11 World Series Championships, the second most after the New York Yankees.  The Cardinals have also won 11 division titles and 18 National League Pennants.  Throughout the team’s history, St. Louis Cardinal players have been named MVP 20 times. 

Players

The Cardinals have seen their fair share of great baseball players, but here are a few notable Hall of Famers:

Stan Musial:  Stan “The Man” Musial is the franchise's career leader in nearly every category including games, at-bats, runs, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI and walks. His number, #6, was the first number retired by the St. Louis Cardinals.  He was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 1969.

Ozzie Smith: Winner of 13 consecutive Golden Gloves, the most of any shortstop, he was elected to the All-Time Golden Glove Team in 2007, on the 50th Anniversary of the Golden Glove Award. His number, #1, was retired by the Cardinals in 1996 and he was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 2002. 

Bob Gibson:  Regarded as the greatest pitcher in Cardinals' history.  In 1968, he pitched the greatest season in modern baseball with an ERA of 1.12. Winner of 9 Golden Gloves, two World Series MVPs and 2 Cy Young Awards, his number, #45, was retired in 1975 and he was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.

Busch Stadium

In 2006, the Cardinals moved from their old ballpark to the new Busch Stadium.  This downtown stadium has the capacity for 46,000 fans and sells an average of 540,000 hot dogs a year! 

Already excited to see the Cardinals play? Get a preview as they battle the Milwaukee Brewers tonight at 7:15 p.m. CST

  

Blue Sky Broadcast - Sponsor Announcement

We’d like to thank Blue Sky Broadcast for their continued commitment to AAMSE and the 2013 Annual Conference.

Blue Sky Broadcast is a full service provider that specializes in delivering superior and on–demand web-based presentations.  Blue Sky is a leading developer of customized web-based learning solutions for medical, technical and scientific societies and throughout the life science industry.  As a full-service provider, Blue Sky has organized, produced and delivered webcasts and web conferences that are viewed by tens of thousands of participants each year. 

Tastes of St. Louis

Every Friday AAMSE's Gateway to Discovery will be featuring interesting information about the 

2013 Annual Conference host city: St. Louis.

While you are in St. Louis for the 2013 Annual Conference make sure to try some of the delicious local favorites and unique eats that the city is known for:

Gooey Butter Cake:  
     A decadent delight, this treat was first created by happy accident at a St. Louis bakery in the 1930s. Now gooey butter cake can be found in bakeries throughout St. Louis and is available in a variety of different flavors. Gooey Louie

Toasted Ravioli:  
    Originating in St. Louis' Italian neighborhood, The Hill, this ravioli is breaded then deep fried and served with marinara sauce - it doesn't get much better than that. Mama's on The Hill

St. Louis-Style Pizza:  
     Known for its cracker thin crust, Provel Cheese (a combination of provolone, swiss and white cheddar) and generous amount of toppings. This St. Louis tradition is usually cut into squares, making it perfect for sharing. Imo's Pizza

St. Louis Barbecue:  
     Smothered in rich, tangy sauce (often St. Louis' own Maull's brand), this style of barbecue is grilled then drenched in sauce rather than dry-rubbed and slow-smoked. Maull's

HEALTHeCAREERS Network - Sponsor Annoucement

We’d like to thank HEALTHeCAREERS Network for their continued commitment to AAMSE and the 2013 Annual Conference.

HEALTHeCAREERS Network is the first and only true healthcare careers and recruitment network.  Joining the Network is risk-free, bringing more jobs and career content to your online career center, more benefits to members and more non-dues revenue to your organization.  Stop by our table at the conference or visit HEALTHeCAREERS.COM

GNP - Meeting Sponsor Announced

We’d like to thank GNP for their continued commitment to AAMSE and the 2013 Annual Conference.

GNP is a leading supplier of conference bags, eco-friendly branded gear, lanyards, promotional products and other meeting supplies. Our Factory Direct Programs and Exclusive Products provide exceptional values not available from our competitors.  26 years of experience assisting associations nationwide.  Visit brandedgear.com or call (800) 401-6000 for a FREE catalog. 

UnitedHealthcare - Sponsor Announced

We’d like to thank UnitedHealthcare for their continued commitment to AAMSE and the 2013 Annual Conference.

 

UnitedHealthcare, a national health and well-being company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives, is committed to earning and sustaining a trusted relationship with physicians and your office staff.  Learn more at their table at the conference or at UnitedHealthcareOnline.com.