Candidate Statements | President-Elect
Select one from the two candidates for President-Elect.
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Vote for One of Two Candidates Below
Questions Posed to the Candidates
- What do you think is the most important issue that our Academy is currently facing?
- What are the strengths of the Academy that will lead us forward in our specialty and how will you capitalize on those strengths?
Richard M. Rosenfeld, MD, MPH, MBA
The most important issue facing our Academy can be summed up in one word: relevance. There is intense competition among specialty, subspecialty, and other nonprofit associations for relevance and member dues, which can no longer be taken for granted as an automatic renewal. Our Academy’s success rests with helping members succeed. Sustaining relevance means giving members the tools to be efficient, overcome challenges, and find joy in their work.
We can sustain relevance through value, diversity, and wellness. Value means a spectacular return on dues and volunteerism, with access to unique opportunities for personal and professional growth. Diversity and inclusivity are more essential than ever and can build upon existing committee efforts to address health disparities, improve workforce diversity, and promote equity and pipeline programs. Wellness initiatives, which at present focus largely on reducing stress and burnout, can be enhanced with lifestyle medicine, a new specialty that advocates for healthy eating, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, positive social connection, and avoiding risky substances.
The strengths of our Academy that will lead us forward are our diverse members, our incredible staff, and the synergy that flows from specialty unity. Now celebrating its 125th anniversary, the Academy is more unified than ever. As Past Chair of the ENT Political Action Committee (PAC), I coined the byline “10,000 ENTs, 1 PAC, 1 Voice” to highlight the power of unity for political advocacy. Similarly, our unified voice in quality, education, research, communication, practice management, and international affairs transcends the efforts of smaller societies and empowers our members.
My qualifications to enhance relevance and unity stem from over three decades of Academy engagement, uniquely recognized with five Distinguished Service Awards. During this time, I attended every Annual Meeting and Leadership Forum, served on the Board of Directors for 10 years, and have generously supported the Hal Foster Endowment, Millennium Society, ENT PAC Leadership Club, Women in Otolaryngology (WIO) Endowment, Diversity Endowment, and many other causes.
I have seen firsthand the power of specialty unity in my roles as Journal Editor, Senior Advisor for Quality and Guidelines, and Chair of the Research Committee (now CORE), Guidelines Task Force (GTF), Science and Education Council (SEC), Cochrane Scholars Program, and the Subspecialty Advisory Council (SSAC). My degrees in public health and business administration, plus recent board certification in lifestyle medicine, set the stage for ongoing collaboration, innovation, and accomplishment.
Through member relevance and specialty unity we can achieve the unachievable and will continue to grow and shine as a specialty. I know what a gem our Academy is and how fulfilling participation can be; I want all members to benefit as much as I have.
Kathleen Yaremchuk, MD, MSA
The most important issue facing the Academy is maintaining relevance to otolaryngologists in a time of increasing sub-specialization. Otolaryngology has grown in knowledge that benefits our patients in the ability to diagnose and treat many conditions with superior outcomes than previously imagined. The increase in specialization, however, has resulted in fragmentation within our specialty. Our specialty societies successfully promote scholarly activities and provide a home for their members. Often individuals have to choose between submitting presentations to their society or the Academy for purposes of career development.
We must make sure the Academy must maintain relevance. A definition of “relevance” is to maintain the ability to supply material that satisfies the needs of the user much like an information retrieval system. There are few of us who go a day without the use of Google, and much like that resource, the Academy needs to supply information to our members and be the go-to source for necessary materials. It needs to serve as the home for all otolaryngologists and will work on issues that are common and supply answers that are relevant. The pandemic was an example where the Academy served as a conduit for critical information, government policies, and advice on providing care while protecting ourselves, our patients, and our families.
Aristotle observed, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” That is true for our specialty and for the Academy, but we need to remain vigilant and continue to prove our value to all practicing otolaryngologists if we are to thrive going forward.
Otolaryngology has been exceptional in its ability to recruit the most talented medical students for residency. Because of this, we enjoy the opportunity to train exceptional residents who become leaders in the field of medicine, not just in otolaryngology. I am always amazed at the individuals in our field who go on to become deans of medical schools, CEOs of their health systems, and medical directors or chiefs of surgical service lines. We all have watched as the “best of the best of the best” from our specialty have grown and ascended in their careers to leadership positions at national levels.
This talent is what sustains the Academy and allows it to flourish. The membership is involved, articulate, and motivated. Academy members gain value from those who lead the way and are routinely ahead of the curve. We are learners, and the strengths of the Academy are its members who continue to give of their time, knowledge, and passion for each other.