American Society For Dermatologic Surgery Association

TO PROMOTE THE EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS OF DERMATOLOGIC SURGEONS, TO PROVIDE A VEHICLE FOR ADVOCACY AND PUBLIC EDUCATION EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF DERMATOLOGIC SURGEONS AND THEIR PATIENTS, AND TO ADDRESS SOCIO-ECONOMIC ISSUES THAT IMPACT THE PRACTICE OF DERMATOLOGIC SURGERY AS A SPECIALTY.

ADVOCACYTHE ASSOCIATION IS COMMITTED:A) TO PROMOTE THE EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS OF DERMATOLOGIC SURGEONSB) TO PROVIDE A VEHICLE FOR ADVOCACY AND PUBLIC EDUCATION EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF DERMATOLOGIC SURGEONS AND THEIR PATIENTSC) TO ADDRESS SOCIO-ECONOMIC ISSUES THAT IMPACT THE PRACTICE OF DERMATOLOGIC SURGERY AS A SPECIALTYPOSITION STATEMENTS AND WHITE PAPERS:ASDSA POSITION STATEMENTS AND WHITE PAPERS ARE ADOPTED BY THE ASDSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO STATE THE ASSOCIATION'S POSITION AND PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON ISSUES RELATED TO DERMATOLOGIC SURGERY. POSITION STATEMENTS ARE DEVELOPED THROUGH A CONSENSUS-BUILDING APPROACH THAT SEEKS TO CONVENE DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES AND AREAS OF EXPERTISE RELATED TO THE ISSUE. ALL POSITION STATEMENTS ARE UPDATED EVERY THREE YEARS. HTTPS://WWW.ASDS.NET/ASDSA-ADVOCACY/POLICIES-POSITIONS/POSITION-STATEMENTS PATIENT SAFETY HERO AWARDS:EACH YEAR, THE ASDSA RECOGNIZES FOUR INDIVIDUALS OR ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE TAKEN A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN PROMOTING PATIENT SAFETY FOR COSMETIC MEDICAL PROCEDURES. NOMINEES SHOULD HOLD A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN A SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN CENTERED ON PATIENT SAFETY THAT RAISES AWARENESS OF ASDSA AND DEMONSTRATES A MODEL FOR SUCCESS. PATIENT SAFETY HEROES ARE NOMINATED BY ASDSA MEMBERS AND WINNERS ARE ANNOUNCED AT THE ASDS ANNUAL MEETING IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:STATE/FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PATIENT SAFETY HERO: PRESENTED TO A STATE LEGISLATOR WHO HAS TAKEN A LEADERSHIP POSITION IN CREATING, SUPPORTING OR PASSING LEGISLATION THAT PROTECTS PATIENT SAFETY FOR COSMETIC MEDICAL PROCEDURES. STATE/FEDERAL REGULATORY PATIENT SAFETY HERO: PRESENTED TO A REGULATORY INDIVIDUAL OR AGENCY THAT HAS TAKEN A LEADERSHIP POSITION IN THE CREATION OR ENFORCEMENT OF REGULATIONS THAT PROTECT PATIENT SAFETY FOR COSMETIC MEDICAL PROCEDURES. STATE DERMATOLOGICAL SOCIETY PATIENT SAFETY HERO: PRESENTED TO A STATE DERMATOLOGICAL SOCIETY THAT HAS WORKED INNOVATIVELY AND EFFECTIVELY ON BEHALF OF PROTECTING PATIENT SAFETY FOR COSMETIC MEDICAL PROCEDURES.PHYSICIAN PATIENT SAFETY HERO: PRESENTED TO AN ASDSA MEMBER WHO HAS LED OR CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO A SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN CENTERED ON PATIENT SAFETY, RAISED PUBLIC AWARENESS OF ASDSA PATIENT SAFETY GOALS, AND/OR CREATED A MODEL FOR SUCCESS THAT CAN BE EMULATED BY OTHER MEMBERS.IGNITE GRANTS:IGNITE GRANTS ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE BOTH THE HANDS-ON ASSISTANCE AND FUNDING CRITICAL TO SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATE FOR STATE LEGISLATION WHICH WILL IMPROVE PATIENT SAFETY. THE IGNITE GRANTS WILL BE AWARDED TO STATE DERMATOLOGICAL SOCIETIES WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADVANCE POLICY-MAKING IN THEIR STATE WHICH SUPPORTS THE ADVOCACY GOALS OF ASDSA.THE GRANT IS NOT A "NO STRINGS ATTACHED" PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM IS FOR STATE SOCIETIES THAT DESIRE ASSISTANCE FROM ASDSA IN NAVIGATING THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. THIS MAY INCLUDE DEVELOPING AN ADVOCACY STRATEGY, HIRING A LOBBYIST, AND DETERMINING WHEN COMPROMISE IS APPROPRIATE. GRANTS ARE MADE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS; STATES MAY RE-APPLY EACH YEAR FOR MULTI-YEAR EFFORTS.EXTERNAL OUTREACH ACTIVITIES:ASDSA PARTNERS WITH EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS AND COALITIONS TO STRENGTHEN OUR ADVOCACY REACH AND ADVOCATE FOR THE DERMATOLOGIC SURGEON AND THEIR PATIENTS. IN ADDITION TO OUR WORK WITH OTHER DERMATOLOGY ASSOCIATION PARTNERS AND THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, ASDSA IS ACTIVE WITH THE FOLLOWING GROUPS:ALLIANCE OF SPECIALTY MEDICINE (ASM) - ASM IS COMMITTED TO PROTECTING PATIENT ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY SPECIALTY CARE. ASDSA JOINS THIS COALITION OF NATIONAL MEDICAL SPECIALTY SOCIETIES TO ADD THE COLLECTIVE VOICE OF DERMATOLOGIC SURGEONS IN ADVOCATING FOR SOUND FEDERAL HEALTH CARE POLICY. ASM MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS COLLECTIVELY REPRESENT OVER 100,000 PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS AND IMPACT DECISIONS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL REGARDING EACH AND EVERY MEDICAL PRACTICE. NATIONAL COUNCIL ON SKIN CANCER PREVENTION (NCSCP) - THE MISSION OF NCSCP IS TO BE A UNITED VOICE ON SKIN CANCER. ASDSA JOINS THE COUNCIL TO ADVOCATE THE IMPORTANCE OF SKIN CANCER PREVENTION AND TO RAISE AWARENESS ON PREVENTION BEHAVIORS. IT IS A TRUSTED SKIN CANCER PREVENTION RESOURCE FOR OVER TEN YEARS THAT SERVES AS UNIFYING VOICE FOR ADVOCACY AND AWARENESS.FDA EXPERT PROGRAM:ASDSA IS AN APPROVED SOCIETY MEMBER OF THE FDA NETWORK OF EXPERTS, WHICH WILL ALLOW ASDSA TO ALERT MEMBERS TO CALLS FOR EXPERTISE BY THE FDA. ASDSA'S 2 MODEL BILLS:HTTPS://WWW.ASDS.NET/ASDSA-ADVOCACY/POLICIES-POSITIONS/MODEL-LEGISLATIONSUNUCATE:WORKING TO LESSEN THE IMPACT OF SUN EXPOSURE AT SCHOOLS AND YOUTH CAMPS, ASDSA PROUDLY LAUNCHED THE SUNUCATE MODEL BILL WHICH IS DESIGNED TO ELIMINATE BARRIERS TO THE USE OF IMPORTANT SUN PROTECTION METHODS. ALSO TITLED AS THE "REDUCING THE RISK OF SKIN CANCER AND EXCESSIVE UV EXPOSURE IN CHILDREN ACT," THE MODEL LEGISLATION WOULD ALLOW STUDENTS AND PARTICIPANTS IN YOUTH CAMPS TO POSSESS AND USE A TOPICAL SUNSCREEN PRODUCT WHILE ON SCHOOL OR CAMP PROPERTY OR AT AN EVENT OR ACTIVITY SPONSORED BY THE SCHOOL OR CAMP WITHOUT A PHYSICIAN'S NOTE OR PRESCRIPTION. IN ADDITION TO GRANTING PERMISSION TO POSSESS FDA-APPROVED OVER-THE-COUNTER SUNSCREEN, THE MODEL BILL CONTAINS A PROVISION THAT CALLS FOR EACH SCHOOL OR CAMP TO ALLOW THE USE OF SUN-PROTECTIVE CLOTHING, INCLUDING HATS, WHILE OUTDOORS. STATES MAY ALSO CHOOSE TO INCORPORATE AN OPTIONAL SECTION REGARDING THE INSTRUCTION OF SUN-SAFE CURRICULA. ASDSA IS WORKING WITH INTERESTED STAKEHOLDERS TO PROACTIVELY IMPLEMENT THE MODEL BILL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THIS INITIATIVE IS NOW LAW IN 24 STATES.MEDICAL SPA SAFETY ACT:ASDSA'S NEWEST MODEL LEGISLATION THAT DEFINES BOTH "MEDICAL SPA AND "MEDICAL DIRECTOR AND PROVIDES LANGUAGE REQUIRING ON-SITE SUPERVISION OF ANY NON-PHYSICIAN PROVIDERS. OPTIONAL ENABLING CLAUSES INCLUDE ADDITIONAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS; NOTIFICATION OF PATIENTS IF A PHYSICIAN IS NOT ON-SITE; AND MANDATORY ADVERSE EVENT REPORTING TO THE FDA.PULSE:CONTINUING IN ITS EFFORTS TO PROMOTE SAFE LASER USE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, ASDSA RECENTLY LAUNCHED THE PATIENTS/PHYSICIANS UNITED FOR LASER SAFETY AND EFFICACY (PULSE) COALITION. PULSE WAS CREATED TO PROTECT THE SAFETY OF PATIENTS WHO UNDERGO PROCEDURES THAT UTILIZE LASER AND ENERGY-BASED DEVICES. PULSE, REPRESENTING A WIDE RANGE OF HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONS AND AFFECTED PATIENT GROUPS, IS A COALITION DEDICATED TO ADVOCATING FOR STANDARDS WHICH ADDRESS THE SAFE PERFORMANCE OF LASER AND ENERGY-BASED DEVICE PROCEDURES. PULSE WILL WORK TO EDUCATE LEGISLATORS AND REGULATORS WHILE RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT THE DANGERS OF LASER AND ENERGY-BASED PROCEDURES WHEN PERFORMED INAPPROPRIATELY OR AT THE HANDS OF INADEQUATELY TRAINED PERSONNEL.NO STATE HAS YET TO ADOPT THIS MODEL.