Legacy of Excellence Digital Flipbook

LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE

was contacted by Academy Deputy Executive Vice President, Neil O. Ward, MD, who stated the company offered to broadcast interviews online from the Annual Meeting for $30,000 using Dr. Kuppersmith’s name to promote their proposal. Dr. Kuppersmith made it clear to Dr. Ward he never intended to take advantage of the Academy and he would prefer to work together. Dr. Ward responded, “Well, let’s sit down and talk. How soon can you get here?” Arriving on a red-eye flight several days later, Dr. Kuppersmith met with Academy staff for eight hours. On the flight home he produced a plan that eventually became AcademyU®. He presented this plan at the Academy Strategic Planning meeting in June 2000 where it was well received. At dinner he was seated with Jonas T. Johnson, MD, Jack L. Gluckman, MD, and Paul J. Donald, MD, who “took him under their wings.” They helped him get involved at a high level, and he helped the staff develop the Academy’s online presence. In September 2000, the Board of Directors (BOD) created the Coordinator for Internet and Information Technology and selected Dr. Kuppersmith for this inaugural position to support technology requirements and initiatives across AAO-HNS/F committees. After serving on the Board and helped by the wisdom and understanding of Dr. Ward, Dr. Kuppersmith was elected Secretary-Treasurer in 2005 and that gave him entre to the Executive Committee, yet another learning opportunity. While Secretary-Treasurer, he met Duane J. Taylor, MD, future AAO-HNS/F President. Together they approached President Richard T. Miyamoto, MD, who in 2007 appointed Dr. Kuppersmith to be the Chair of a Task Force on Diversity. The Task Force became a permanent committee in 2008 with Dr. Taylor appointed as the Chair. With significant guidance from Dr. Taylor and Lisa Perry-Gilkes, MD, the task force drafted the initial AAO-HNS/F Statement on Diversity. The Nominating Committee recognized Dr. Kuppersmith’s many contributions, and he ran for President at age 38. He won, becoming the youngest President-elect and subsequently President of the then 114-year-old Academy from 2009-2010. As a candidate, Dr. Kuppersmith believed he would work on specialty unity and development. But, with the election of a new U.S. president with a healthcare agenda, he found health policy dominated the conversation. Medical societies were desperate

to be heard and division in the medical community developed. A surgical coalition was organized by the American College of Surgeons, and positions were drafted and pushed out with each turn and twist of the government’s proposals. Dr. Kuppersmith found himself in an entirely new environment of health policy that while interesting, was relentless and demanding. “We’re trying to represent the physicians within our specialty and to have a bigger voice by coming into this coalition, while also uniting our own specialty,” Dr. Kuppersmith recalled. He described the incredible benefit of working with EVP/CEO, David R. Nielsen, MD, noting his amazing “energy and great understanding.” With Executive Committee members John W. House, MD, David W. Kennedy, MD, and J. Regan Thomas, MD, Dr. Kuppersmith felt he was able to address members’ needs. The accelerated use of electronic media triggered him to say in the January 2010 Bulletin , “The key to safely navigating this new media is to strike a balance between our current ability to connect rapidly, with the old paradigm of limited and thoughtful discourse.” The Physician Resource Committee released its report causing him to ask the members, “What is the best role for physician extenders in otolaryngology in office-based clinical otolaryngology?” in the August 2010 Bulletin . Dr. Kuppersmith appreciated the strategic planning process that was in place. Clinical practice guideline development had growing pains early but led to a more efficient process. New medical devices were being developed at a pace that challenged society’s ability to ascertain quality and questioned industry motives. The use of the balloon for sinuplasty and its coding issues, for instance, bedeviled the Academy at the time. Dr. Kuppersmith also noted that development was “humming” with members contributing $3 million to the inaugural Hal Foster, MD Endowment that debuted at the 2010 Annual Meeting. One personal highlight of his was helping to create the AAO-HNS/F Bobby R. Alford Endowed Research Grant and unveiling it at the Opening Ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, with Dr. Alford present. Dr. Kuppersmith felt the organization was functioning well and his experience was very positive. “It was a great experience. Once you become President your job isn’t to impose your vision on the organization. The organization represents a lot of different visions…the job is really to help prioritize the agenda for the organization and help develop future leaders,” he concluded.

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