Legacy of Excellence Digital Flipbook

LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE

Specifically, Dr. Setzen became involved in the Academy during his second year of residency through the Board of Governors, taking on various roles in the specialty as well as the state of New York where he was practicing. Ultimately, he was elected to serve as Chair of the Board of Governors from 2009 – 2010. “What I enjoy is that otolaryngology is a relatively small field and the meetings and courses I attended were always very reaffirming. When one comes back, the people and faces are familiar, and the ‘family’ grows from there. As an immigrant, I had no built-in support system… the Academy became my extended family and fulfilled many different roles for me, professionally, socially, and otherwise.” That said, becoming AAO-HNS/F President was not something that Dr. Setzen ever visualized or imagined to be possible, particularly early on. But as his involvement and leadership grew, he began seeing opportunities where he could make an impact and help lead the specialty forward. “What was very helpful and important for me was the experience of being Chair of the Board of Governors, working closely with the EVP/CEO and the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors.” Former AAO-HNS/F President Ronald B. Kuppersmith, MD, MBA, also had significant influence on Dr. Setzen’s leadership, convincing him to run for Secretary/Treasurer. After being elected Secretary/Treasurer, he had an extended time of service on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors and helped secure the financial viability and direction of the Academy. As President, Dr. Setzen brought a passion and leadership expertise to the on-going challenges including socioeconomic concerns, advocacy and policy issues, and scope of practice, all while working to improve care for patients as well as members. One specific challenge was addressing physician wellness and resilience to find solutions for combating burnout, depression, and suicide within the field of medicine. In addition to always seeking to improve the delivery, quality, and state of patient care, “the emphasis now is also on physician wellness because if the physician isn’t well, taking care of the patient becomes more problematic and the patient does less well,” he said. During Dr. Setzen’s tenure as President, the Future of Otolaryngology Task Force, which he continues to chair, and the Wellness Task Force conducted their work. Collaborative healthcare teams, including advanced practice providers (APPs), nurse practitioners, and

physician assistants, received a concentrated focus to improve patient access, quality of care and to bolster the workforce. Dr. Setzen also noted that the Future of Education Task Force had an enormous impact on determining how education is delivered to members. Dr. Setzen displayed an amazing ability to interact with both academic and private practitioners as their advocate for “practice of medicine” improvements and his availability and willingness to travel and meet with groups nationally and internationally. “Presidents come and go, but the enduring leadership is the EVP/CEO and the incredible staff of the Academy. We [presidents] each have an opportunity to make a small but meaningful difference during the time that we are there, and to capitalize on the strengths of those who came before us. The EVP and staff help direct longer term plans. We have the most committed staff of any organization I’ve ever worked with and the things we were able to achieve absent the staff would not have happened,” according to Dr. Setzen. “I was glad to have convened a highly successful strategic planning [process], which had not taken place for five years. That was a very diverse and inclusive group and… helped set the tone and direction for the board of directors for the next five years. This is really the roadmap to which we as an organization adhere to.” Dr. Setzen was also proud of the world-class logo and concept of We Are One that was developed by EVP/ CEO James C. Denneny III, MD, and the staff as well as ENThealth, the patient-centered website to provide a trusted, reliable resource for finding an ENT specialist and the information patients seek on ENT conditions and treatments. “I think a lot was done to enhance international relations, the first International Advisory Board (IAB), working with our international colleagues and partners to enhance diversity, and introducing diversity and inclusion concepts for the Annual Meeting for panels, presentations, and submissions,” he elaborated. “There were so many different aspects and facets that cumulatively enhanced the quality of the field, the perception of the Academy, and most importantly what that translates into for patients, patient care globally, and our membership…trying at every step to improve member value and the desire to really want to be a part of this great Academy.”

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