Legacy of Excellence Digital Flipbook

LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE: RODNEY P. LUSK, MD PRESIDENT FROM 2011 – 2012

M edicine for me has always been a calling,” said Rodney P. Lusk, MD, in a YouTube video announcing his retirement from Boys Town Ear, Nose and Throat Institute in Omaha, Nebraska, in 2014. “That feeling, or that approach, to medicine has been very fulfilling. I’ve been blessed to have really good people around me throughout my entire career.” Dr. Lusk completed medical school at the University of Missouri in 1989. He was living and practicing otolaryngology in Fort Collins, Colorado, when he was asked in 2004 to become the Director of Boys Town Ear, Nose and Throat Institute, a part of Boys Town National Research Hospital. His specialty was cochlear implant surgery, a practice he felt fortunate for having been involved. “The impact that you have on the family and the child is like nothing else that’s out there that you can do,” he explained. “You really do change lives, and you get to see it over time.” Dr. Lusk revealed a special connection with his younger patients. “I would say that I’m good with kids because I love kids. I really do appreciate the ability and opportunity to help with their care, and just watch them develop. I really try to speak with the kids as much as I can, I try to address the kids first when I walk into the [exam] room and the parents second. It’s just part of who I am, I guess.” With enthusiasm, Dr. Lusk turned an eye toward technology when he became President of the AAO HNS/F in 2011. “None of us could have foreseen the use of tablets and smartphones 10 years ago and the impact these mobile devices would have on our daily lives and the practice of medicine,” he wrote in an early Bulletin column. “Likewise, we cannot predict what we will be using 10 years from now.” “

Specifically, he wanted the AAO-HNS/F website to be a robust and diverse source of ENT-related information for physicians, patients, and the public. “Patients are looking for information regarding symptoms, diseases, and treatments,” he wrote. “Physicians and our members need timely and accurate access to information regarding diseases and therapies on our website as well as other relevant websites and journals. Our content should be a reliable source of information that you and your patients can rely on for accuracy. Members of the Academy also need to connect with each other to do the work of the organization.

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