Legacy of Excellence Digital Flipbook

LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE

which also included the American Rhinological Society, the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy, and industry; and the Coalition for Hearing and Balance. That latter two, he noted, were done in tandem with James C. Denneny III, MD, Chair of the Board of Governors in response to disparate industry treatment of otolaryngologists in allergy and to promote better hearing healthcare. Dr. Denneny chaired both for almost five years. “He’s a guy who gets things done,” Dr. Pillsbury said. Another AAO-HNS activity during Dr. Pillsbury’s term stood out to him as foreshadowing what came to pass, a workforce study was deemed necessary and appropriate to initiate. This led to the formation of the Workforce Committee that continued until 2016. Although the findings were not published until 2001, Dr. Pillsbury, as a physician educator, found the findings quite remarkable noting, “It predicted where there was going to be an impending shortage of otolaryngologists in the United States, and that really has come to pass… and so we have a shortage of people and even to this day.” To address this issue, Dr. Pillsbury noted. “We need to support otolaryngologists as the leader of the healthcare team treating our patients and provide them the tools they need to succeed.” Dr. Pillsbury recalled that as he left the Academy presidency one thing that he felt good about was having C. Everett Koop, MD, give the John Conley, MD Lecture on Medical Ethics at the Annual Meeting. Dr. Koop talked about the cigarette companies conspiring to promote smoking to the American public and subsequently this had an effect. Dr. Pillsbury also chaired the Search Committee that selected G. Richard Holt, MD, MPH, as the Executive Vice President of the Academy. On summarizing his year in office and engagement in the Academy, Dr. Pillsbury said, “Overall, I saw myself as a person who could bring other people along, and I felt very good about doing that.” Dr. Pillsbury brought enthusiasm and a “can do” attitude that allowed a great deal to be accomplished during his term, of which he reflected, “It was a great time to be President.”

I had become a director in American Board of

very well. I was Chair of the BOG Socioeconomic Committee for three years. And then they just asked me if I wanted to run for President. I said, yes. And I ran.” “I had become a director in American Board of Otolaryngology and then I became President of the Academy, which was a real steppingstone for me in terms of my career because I was able to influence both AAO-HNS and the ABO simultaneously.” He later became president of the American Board of Otolaryngology and the Triologic Society. “So, I had leadership in two important organizations at similar times,” he said. Dr. Pillsbury described the environment and challenges in medicine during the late 1990s as the managed care bubble was bursting. “It was a time when the physicians were able to exert a lot of influence on what happened and how the directives, the course of healthcare was being managed,” he said. The medical community was influential in a recovery of fee for service payment models and a return to the single conversion factor for Medicare. Over the years, the insurance industry and hospitals were able to reduce physician influence and result in a lessening of physicians in general. Dr. Pillsbury credits his experience with continuing education and the Board of Governors with allowing him to start support key initiatives as President. These included the official Academy standing for women in otolaryngology; the Centralized Otolaryngology Research Efforts (CORE) program to administer specialty organization and Foundation research grants; the Sinus and Allergy Health Partnership (SAHP), Otolaryngology and then I became president of the Academy, which was a real steppingstone for me in terms of my career because I was able to influence both AAO-HNS and the ABO simultaneously.”

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