Re-imagine the future

I am confident in assuring you, every member of this esteemed Academy, that the future of otolaryngology is bright and strong!

Shifting the healthcare debate

As the political season here in Washington, DC, winds down, it looks more and more like there will be no significant federal legislation advanced this year that might put us on the road to viable system reforms that will facilitate affordable access to care for our citizens at a price that will not bankrupt the country. Partisanship has dominated the healthcare reform debate or, as some might say, lack of debate for too long in [...]

BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Otolaryngology: Are we a unified specialty?

At our recent Washington state society meeting, I bumped into a friend who works as a solo private practitioner in the community. She feels burned out by her administrative burdens and worries that her practice is not sustainable. She also fears that solo general practice is dying due to trends toward subspecialization and practice mergers.

2018 Call for Science

Want to be a part of the 2018 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience?

Call for 2018 AAO-HNS candidates

The Nominating Committee of the Academy is calling for recommendations of individuals to be considered for an AAO-HNS elective office.

AMA HOUSE OF DELEGATES
Issues impacting otolaryngology

The American Medical Association (AMA) held its 2017 Annual House of Delegates (HOD) meeting June 10-14, in Chicago, IL. Several otolaryngologists represented the Academy: I currently serve as delegation chair; Robert Puchalski, MD, delegate and otolaryngology section council chair; Douglas R. Myers, MD, delegate; Craig S. Derkay, MD, alternate delegate; and James C. Denneny III, MD, Academy EVP/CEO, alternate delegate.

Proposed rule for MPFS payments

On July 13, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted the proposed rule for payments in the Medicare physician fee schedule (MPFS) for calendar year (CY) 2018. In addition to payment and policy updates, the MPFS addresses a number of issues affecting otolaryngologist – head and neck surgeons.

The benefits of participating in the Reg-ent℠ registry

We enjoyed seeing so many of you at last month’s Annual Meeting in  Chicago, IL. We hope that you were able to attend the Reg-ent Miniseminar, The Evolution of Measurement, and stop by the Reg-ent booth. We’d like to take this opportunity to share with all of our members the  many benefits of participation in Reg-ent, the Foundation’s otolaryngology clinical data registry.

Why your participation in Reg-ent℠ matters

I am passionate about Reg-ent because it is one of the most important quality initiatives launched by the Foundation to date. It is the first national clinical data repository for otolaryngology  head and neck data. I would like to see every member involved and part of the Reg-ent registry.

Academy maintains clinically appropriate coding edits

The National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI), a division of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), periodically reaches out to the Academy to request feedback on proposed changes to various Current Procedure Terminology (CPT) codes.

You care for patients. We care for YOU.

AAO-HNS offers value-added benefits and enhanced resources that help you achieve excellence and provide the best ear, nose, and throat care to your patients. While you have been busy caring for your patients, we have been busy caring for you.

AAO-HNS 2017 Socioeconomic Survey

This summer, the Academy partnered with the Association of Otolaryngology Administrators (AOA) to conduct the 2017 socioeconomic survey. This new partnership afforded members more detailed practice data to help them navigate the ever-changing healthcare environment. The survey was distributed to all members, excluding Residents, Associate Members, Affiliate Members, Scientific Fellows, and Non-Domestic Otolaryngologists.

CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINE
Evaluation of neck mass in adults

The primary purpose of the Clinical Practice Guideline: Evaluation of the Neck Mass in Adults is to promote the efficient, effective, and accurate diagnostic work-up of neck masses to ensure that adults with potentially malignant disease receive prompt diagnosis and intervention to optimize outcomes. This guideline does not apply to children. Instead, this guideline is restricted to addressing the appropriate work-up of an adult patient with a neck mass that may be malignant in order [...]

CHOOSING WISELY^® UPDATE: Strategies to avoid patient harm when prescribing liquid medication

Liquid medications are frequently used in otolaryngology, whether for pediatric patients after common operations such as adenotonsillectomy, or for adult patients recovering from head and neck operations. Unlike other forms of medication, liquid medications are usually measured out each time a dose is administered, creating recurring opportunities for dosing errors.

SRF Report on AMA RFS Meeting

Each year, the largest (and arguably most diverse) physician’s group in the nation converges in Chicago, IL, on the first weekend of June to discuss the state and direction of U.S. healthcare. Education and debate leads to an eventual group consensus on a large number of resolutions, which go on to become AMA policy and are later used to help better serve the nation’s physicians and their patients.

AMA-YPS: Annual Assembly 2017

Raja Sawhney MD, MFA AAO-HNS YPS Delegate to the AMA-YPS Young physicians from across the nation met June 8-10 in Chicago, IL, to discuss and shape AMA policy. I attended my first AMA-YPS meeting in November 2016 in conjunction with the interim meeting of the AMA House of Delegates (HOD), immediately after the presidential election. Concerns regarding the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) were foremost on people’s minds. As a result, resolutions attempting [...]

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