Legacy of Excellence Digital Flipbook

LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE

Integration of quality, education, research, and advocacy is not just an essential structural, governance, and operational concern; it is the natural consequence of

addressing better patient care.”

– David R. Nielsen, MD, EVP/CEO, December 2011 Bulletin

INTEGRATING RESEARCH, ADVOCACY, HEALTH POLICY AND EDUCATION A recurrent theme over the years had been quality healthcare. The Academy’s focus remained steady throughout its history on the patient’s best interest and needs. One of the most critical aspects of the quality movement was the Academy’s approach to quality improvement, which ultimately led to positive improvements and the integration in all programs and services including advocacy, health policy, and government affairs; research; education offerings; and the Annual Meeting program. “As an Academy, our agenda is quite broad, and I want you to understand how each piece of the puzzle forms the bigger picture. As a member, you might only be interested in research, or only in education, or advocacy. And that’s great—we encourage people to participate in the aspects that they feel they need and benefit from. But the reality is they all fit together. They’re all important,” shared Dr. Kuppersmith in the October 2010 Bulletin . ADVOCACY AND HEALTH POLICY

not just for otolaryngology, but on behalf of our patients, their families, and other parts of the healthcare team with whom we collaborate,” said David W. Kennedy, MD, 2008-2009 President, in the February 2009 Bulletin . By 2010, the SSAC was fully represented on the AAO-HNS/F Boards, with two voting seats on the Boards of Directors—a bylaws amendment approved by the members—and in the Guideline Development Task Force. Each guideline and consensus work group included an appropriate SSAC representative. Dr. Nielsen noted in the 2010 Annual Report in reference to the work of the SSAC, “We now have established mechanisms for all otolaryngology societies to participate in governance within the AAO-HNS/F and communicate back to each society. This flow of information and activity is essential, because in the absence of practicing physicians who are the clinical experts, government and regulatory agencies will implement reform measures for otolaryngologists to comply with administrative, cost, capacity, and structural regulations that are not linked to patient outcomes. With unity, we stand a better chance of ensuring that all we do is patient-centered, not just an excuse to manipulate physician payment.” In 2011, the SSAC continued to hold discussions to find ways to collaborate among the societies to ultimately strengthen the specialty, which included engaging the American Board of Otolaryngology (ABOto) on its resident education initiatives in addition to its continued work on the clinical practice guidelines and within the education program and Annual Meeting. “Within our specialty, we frequently forget that we represent less than one percent of practicing physicians. This makes unity of our specialty even more essential when confronting the challenges we face as physicians and recognizing the importance and views of subspecialties within otolaryngology-head and neck surgery,” noted Dr. Kuppersmith in the February 2010 Bulletin .

David W. Kennedy, MD, Coordinator for Government Relations, 2003-2007 Lee D. Eisenberg, MD, MPH, Coordinator, Government Relations, 2007-2011

James C. Denneny III, MD, Coordinator for Socioeconomic Affairs, 2002-2007 Richard W. Waguespack, MD, Coordinator for Socioeconomic Affairs, 2007-2012 Charles F. Koopmann, Jr., MD, MHSA, Coordinator

for Practice Affairs, 2003-2009 Michael Setzen, MD, Coordinator for Practice Affairs, 2009-2013

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