Legacy of Excellence Digital Flipbook

LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE

Dr. Denneny was instrumental in the “Bringing Together the World of Otolaryngology Community,” which was the theme of the 2020 Annual Meeting. The International Program grew in strides, from the remodeling of the International Program at the Annual Meeting to increasing the number of International Corresponding Societies and Joint Meetings, when travel allowed. This was an important area of focus as he noted, “We’re learning from everyone around the world as they are learning from us.” Expanding the global program has been a primary focus from the beginning, and the leadership from each president, starting with Dr. Woodson who formed and chaired the initial International Task Force charged with planning, and the International Coordinators, particularly J. Pablo Stolovitzky, MD, has resulted in unprecedented growth. Honoring Our Rich History Through multiple avenues during his tenure, Dr. Denneny demonstrated his respect for the history of the organization and the specialty. In 2016, he led the development of the renovated Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery History exhibit at the Academy’s headquarters with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held during the AAO-HNS/F 2016 Leadership Forum & BOG Spring Meeting. As the WIO celebrated the 10th anniversary of the founding of their endowment fund with their “Four Days in Boston” movie, the Academy surprised the WIO with the “History of Women in Otolaryngology” production later placed in the museum. In 2019 he initiated a project to update Century of Excellence that published in 1996 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the AAO-HNS/F and its predecessor organizations. This comprehensive tome detailed the growth of the specialty and the people who positively influenced its course. With the AAO-HNS/F 125th anniversary on the horizon in 2021, Dr. Denneny sought to keep the history alive by providing the next installment of the AAO-HNS/F history to the members with Legacy of Excellence . Dr. Denneny wanted to further the special recognition of this milestone marker in a number of ways. He received Board approval for a special edition of the Bulletin , a gift to members to commemorate 125 years. He also laid the foundation for a new fundraising campaign—125 Strong Campaign. This was a fundraising effort designed and driven by practicing

Other advancements in technology also included Dr. Denneny’s understanding of the need for investment in the infrastructure for the operations of the Academy. This proved invaluable when the AAO-HNS/F was able to seamlessly transition to a 100% telework situation when the global pandemic impacted workspaces around the world. Not only was staff able to continue to provide programs and service to members, but the Boards of Directors and all other volunteer committees, workgroups, and task forces were able to continue to meet and move forward with the progress of their scopes of work. Another impact of the pandemic that also called for an innovative approach was the AAO-HNSF 2020 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience. Rather than cancel this yearly tradition, the AAO-HNSF launched into the planning for a 100% Virtual Annual Meeting, the first-ever for the organization. And in 2021 when the world was just starting to realize a post-pandemic world with some normalcy, the Academy produced a hybrid meeting, which allowed the option to attend in person or via a virtual platform. Part of the rationale for this was to open participation internationally to the global otolaryngology community as there were still travel restrictions and travel mandates in place. James C. Denneny III, MD, AAO-HNS/F EVP/CEO (left), welcomes John Q. Adams (right), to the AAO-HNS/F offices in Alexandria, VA, on February 12, 2020. The History and Archives Department of the AAO-HNSF was renamed the John Q. Adams Center for the History of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in 1996. Mr. Adams is a major donor and supporter of the AAO-HNSF who generously donated $1 million as part of the Foundation’s Greater Academy Campaign.

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