2020-2021 AAO-HNS/F Committee Highlights

Working through the continuing COVID-19 Pandemic, AAO-HNS Committees continued to advance the otolaryngology specialty. They are the lifeblood of the AAO-HNS/F and a great way for members to contribute meaningfully to the organization and the specialty. Prior to the AAO-HNSF 2021 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience, committees met virtually and discussed achievements during the past year and planned for 2022. To view a list of current 2021-2022 committee members or apply to serve during the 2022-2023 AAO-HNS/F Committee Cycle, go to  www.entnet.org/committees.

Share your efforts and insights by volunteering on a committee.  To apply to join an AAO-HNS/F Committee, visit www.entnet.org/committees and complete the application before December 31.

Below are some of the highlights from 2020-2021 Committee efforts and some initiatives underway in the 2021-2022 governance year. 

STANDING COMMITTEES

Audit Committee
Susan D. McCammon, MD, Chair, 2020-2023

Education Steering Committee
Jeffrey P. Simons, MD, Coordinator for Education

Ethics Committee
Roger D. Cole, MD, Chair, 2018-2022

• Submitted two Panel Presentations accepted for the AAO-HNSF 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting & OTO Experience:
• Counseling, Shared Decision Making, and Palliative Surgery, supported by the Ethics and Head and Neck Surgery Education Committees
• What Matters in the End: Care at the End of Life in Otolaryngology, supported by the Ethics Committee and the Section for Residents and Fellows-in-Training.
•  Reviewed (by chair) AAO-HNS Position Statements on Scope of Practice of Non-Physician Providers and on Patient Physician Covenant
• Served (chair) as advisor to the Ethics Chair Search Committee, as a non-voting ex officio member of the Awards Task Force and on the Nominating Committee

Finance & Investment Subcommittee (FISC)
Kenneth W. Altman, MD, Secretary-Treasurer

International Steering Committee
Mark E. Zafereo, Jr., MD, AAO-HNSF Coordinator for International Affairs

Nominating Committee
Duane J. Taylor, MD, Chair 2020-2021
Carol R. Bradford, MD, Chair 2021-2022

Physician Payment Policy (3P) Work Group
R. Peter Manes, MD, Chair and Coordinator, Advocacy

ACADEMY COMMITTEES

Airway and Swallowing
Gregory A. Grillone, MD, Chair, 2020-2022

• Sponsored/cosponsored 10 Panel Presentations at the AAO-HNSF 2021 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience:
• Pediatric Dysphagia, Drooling, and Aspiration: What the Comprehensive Otolaryngologist Should Know
• Clinical Utility of HRM: How to Integrate into Your Practice
• Surgical Management and Pearls of Geriatric Dysphagia (Cosponsored by the Geriatric Otolaryngology Committee
• Avoiding the Challenging Airway: The Team Approach
• Zenker’s Diverticulum: Do You Have All the Tools?
• Evaluation and Management of Pediatric Dysphagia
• Perioperative Airway Management at Time of Craniofacial Surgery: Otolaryngologists’ Perspective (Cosponsored by the Pediatric Otolaryngology Education Committee)
• Airway Emergencies: How to Avoid the Adrenaline Rush (Cosponsored by the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Committee)
• Creating, Training, and Assessing Difficult Airway Teams: Who Needs It? (Cosponsored by the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Committee)
• Challenging Bronchoscopy: Dos and Don’ts for a Successful Procedure (Cosponsored by the Simulation Education Committee)
• Sponsored two Expert Lectures:
• Pediatric Dysphagia: A Systematic and Multidisciplinary Approach
• What Can We Do to Make Pediatric Tracheostomy Safer?
• Had representation (Shumon Dhar, MD) on the development panel for the Expert Consensus Statement (ECS): Prevention and Management of Dysphagia in Head and Neck Cancer Patients
• Collaborated with the Outcomes, Research, and Evidence-based, Medicine Committee to submit a proposal to the Guideline Task Force for a Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) on Adult Tracheostomy Care, which was accepted and added to the CPG development queue.

Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Committee
Rajesh S. Kakani, MD, Chair, 2019-2021
Cecelia Damask, DO, Chair, 2021-2023

• Participated in the following sessions at the AAO-HNSF 2021 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience
• Allergy - It's Not Just the Nose' by Christopher Brook, MD
• 'Anaphylaxis' with Cecelia Damask, DO, and Matthew Ryan, MD
• Assisted in developing materials for the inaugural World Sinus Health Awareness Day (WSHAD) observation
• Provided recommendations for the Joint Statement by the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) and the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy (AAOA) on Allergic Reactions Related to Covid-19 Vaccinations in Allergic Patients

Complementary/Integrative Medicine Committee
Todd E. Falcone, MD, Chair, 2019-2021
Nathan J. Gonik, MD, Chair, 2021-2023

• Developed and presented the following Panel Presentations at the AAO-HNSF 2021 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience:
• Caring for the Caregiver - with Ilka Naumann, MD; and Noah Siegel, MD
• Integrative Management for Tinnitus – with Ilka Naumann, MD; Brian Blakley, MD, PhD; and Noriko Yoshikawa, MD
• Vestibular Migraine (Equilibrium Committee) – Ilka Naumann, MD; section on treatment
• How to Create a Wellness Curriculum at Your Institution – Todd E. Falcone, MD; Katie Kavanagh, MD; Ashley Agan, MD; Natalie Krane, MD; Noriko Yoshikawa, MD
• Integrative Approaches for Healthy Survivorship in Head and Neck Cancer – Marilene Wang, MD (Cosponsored)
• Introduction to Acupuncture: A Primer for the Otolaryngologist – Marilene Wang, MD
• What Are You Feeding that Baby? Treating Pediatric Reflux with Dietary Modification – Nathan Gonik, MD (Cosponsored)
• Published article in the February Bulletin, How to Create a Wellness Curriculum at Your Institution: Lessons Learned from the Graduate Medical Education Experience

Credentials and Membership Committee
Daniel R. Gold, MD, Chair, 2019-2021
Susan D. McCammon, MD, Chair, 2021-2023

• Launched a successful mentorship program with 198 students and 169 mentors (some mentors interact with more than one student)

Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Erynne A. Faucett, MD, Chair, 2020-2022

• Identified topics, wrote scripts, and reviewed the final product of an engaging and educational on-demand program educating healthcare providers about cultural differences among patient populations, demonstrating how implicit bias impacts patient care

Endocrine Surgery Committee
David Steward, MD, Chair, 2020-2021
Joseph Scharpf, MD, Chair, 2021-2023

• Began development of a draft Position Statement on the topic of radio frequency thyroid treatment

Equilibrium Committee
Michael E. Hoffer, MD, Chair, 2019-2021
Bruce L. Fetterman, MD, Chair, 2021-2023

• 2021-2022 Equilibrium Committee Initiatives include:
• Working on a project to quantify the advantages of having a dizziness clinic from a patient flow as well as clinic workflow standpoint in the current governance year
• Studying the effects of telemedicine in dizziness and vertigo clinics to gauge the access and patient flow

Geriatric Otolaryngology Committee
Selena E. Briggs, MD, MBA, PhD, Chair, 2020-2021
Cameron C. Wick, MD, Chair, 2021-2023

• Published articles in the June and October 2021 Bulletin, including:
• Evaluation and Management of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction in the Geriatric Population, written by David J. Lafferty, DO, and Brian J. McKinnon, MD, MBA, MPH
• Considerations and Accommodations for the Geriatric Patient in Otolaryngologic Clinic, written BYRan Annie Wang, MD, and Brian J. McKinnon, MD, MBA, MPH
• COVID-19 Pandemic and the Elderly, written by Ozlem E. Tulunay-Ugur, MD
• Psychosocial Aspects of Balance Disorders in the Geriatric Population, written by Sean P. Holmes, MD, and Gauri Mankekar, MD, PhD

• Developed and presented the following Panel Presentations at the AAO-HNSF 2021 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience:
• Elderly Head and Neck Cancer Patients: To Operate or Not? Pts. I & II°            
• Surgical Management and Pearls of Geriatric Dysphagia
• Difficult End of Life Discussions with Geriatric Patients
• Balance Problems in the Elderly

• Continued to partner with the American Society of Geriatric Otolaryngology, whose goal it is to have a series of quarterly joint presentations
• Submitted a topic to the Guideline Task Force for an Expert Consensus Statement on hearing loss, which was accepted

Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology Committee
Cherie Ann Nathan, MD, Chair, 2019-2021
Rodney J. Taylor, MD, MSPH, Chair, 2021-2023

Hearing Committee
Oliver F. Adunka, MD, Chair, 2019-2023

• Awarded the Committee of Excellence Award
• Developed and presented the following Panel Presentations at the AAO-HNSF 2021 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience:
• Identifying Cochlear Implant Candidates for the Comprehensive Otolaryngologist
• Hearing Loss & Cognition: What Can We Do About It?
• Otolaryngology Patients with Dementia: What's Our Care Contribution?
• The Spectrum of Implantable Hearing Devices, Part I&II
• Identifying Cochlear Implant Candidates for the Comprehensive Otolaryngologist
• Published Pediatric Bilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Minimum Test Battery and Referral Criteria for Cochlear Implant Candidacy Evaluation in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery July 20, 2021
• Reviewed the Bone Conduction Hearing Devices Position Statement
• Reviewed and endorsed Global Hearing Health Equity: Connecting WHO Policy, Humanitarian Partnerships, and Your Practice            
• Wrote articles for the May Bulletin, which included:
• Single-sided Deafness
• Sound of Metal Commentary
• Wrote the AAO-HNS Position Statement on Hearing Aids, which was approved by the Executive Committee in February 2021
• Provided input on hearing loss and cognitive decline
• Reviewed a draft of the CPT Assistant article, CCS Numbered Letter - Cochlear Implant - Request for Audiology TAC Review Attachments
• Reviewed reporting standard for middle ear surgery           
• Reviewed Clinical Indicator on Acoustic Neuroma
• Reviewed Position Statement: Pediatric Bilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Minimum Test Battery and Referral Criteria for Cochlear Implant Candidacy Evaluation co-endorsed by Implantable Hearing Device Committee

Imaging Committee
Russell B. Smith, MD, Chair, 2018-2022

Implantable Hearing Devices Committee
Fred F. Telischi, MEE, MD, Chair, 2018-2022

• Reviewed Position Statement: Pediatric Bilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Minimum Test Battery and Referral Criteria for Cochlear Implant Candidacy Evaluation with the Peds Hearing Loss SIG and Co-endorsed by Hearing Committee
• Wrote Position Statement for Cochlear Implants in Single-Sided Deafness Needing Insurance Coverage
• Reviewed Clinical Practice Guidelines for Cochlear Implants
• Developed and presented the following Panel Presentations at the AAO-HNSF 2021 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience:
• The Spectrum of Implantable Hearing Devices, Part I & II
• When the Ear Won't Stop Draining: Management of Persistent Otorrhea

Infectious Disease Committee
Ken Kazahaya, MD, MBA, Chair, 2017-2021
Albert H. Park, MD, Chair, 2021-2023

• Developed anosmia tool and initial paper
• Developed and presented the following Panel Presentations at the AAO-HNSF 2021 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience:
• Minimizing Clinician Exposure to SARS-CoV2 during Otologic Surgery (presenter included Pamela Roehm, MD, in conjunction with the Skull Base Surgery Committee)
• Resurgence of Common Vaccine: Preventable Diseases Encountered by the Practicing Otolaryngologist (presenter included former committee member James Ruda, MD, and in conjunction with the Pediatric Otolaryngology Committee)
• Future of Otolaryngology: Practice and PPE discussion (presenter included Dr. Kazahaya)
• 2021-2022 Infectious Disease Committee Initiatives:
• Cross-committee collaboration and submission of two Panel Presentations for the AAO-HNSF 2022 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience on pediatric hearing loss updates and operating during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Development of the Pediatric Hearing Loss Clinical Practice Guideline

Media and Public Relations Committee
Philip G. Chen, MD, Chair, 2018-2021
Erich P. Voigt, MD, Chair, 2021-2023

• Continued work on an update to the document, “Guidance for Use of Online Social Networks,” as member resource for social media engagement
• Contributed to a patient focused webinar for World Sinus Health Awareness Day

Medical Devices and Drugs Committee
Peter Santa Maria, MBBS, Chair, 2020-2023

Medical Informatics Committee
Gregory A. Ator, MD, Chair, 2020-2022

Microvascular Committee
Michael G. Moore, MD, Chair, 2020-2023

• Led a multi-institutional trial looking at the use of oral antisepsis in head and neck free flap patients.
• Continued research that is looking at the impact of sarcopenia on perioperative outcomes in patients receiving salvage laryngectomy

Patient Safety & Quality Improvement Committee
C. W. David Chang, MD, Chair, 2017-2021
Soham Roy, MD, Chair, 2021-2023

• Focused initiatives on the following:
• Discover and educate how diversity, equity, and inclusion issues relate to and impact patient safety quality improvement
• Discover and educate how social determinants of health impact patient safety quality improvement.

Pediatric Otolaryngology Committee
Margo M. McKenna Benoit, MD, Chair, 2019-2021
Heather C. Herrington, MD, Chair, 2021-2022

•  Published an article in the February 2021 Bulletin for Kids ENT Month titled, Incidence and Management of Noise-induced Hearing Loss in Children
• Developed and presented the following Panel Presentations at the AAO-HNSF 2021 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience:
• Shared Decision Making in the Pediatric Population
• ON DEMAND: Management of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Cervical Lymphadenitis: Pearls and Controversies
• ON DEMAND: Upper Lip Tie: Evidence, Controversy, and Shared Decision Making
• ON DEMAND: Pediatric thyroid nodules
• Submitted the following additional topics for consideration of the Annual Meeting Program Committee:
• Pearls and Perils for Management of Aerodigestive Foreign Bodies for the General Otolaryngologist
• Common Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Encountered by the Practicing Otolaryngologist
• T&A, Bleeding Disorders, Jehovas Witnesses, Ethics
• Sponsored the following 2021 Annual Meeting Panel Presentations:
• Panel on Complementary Medicine, Dietary Treatments for Reflux
• Panel on Otolaryngology Parents of Children with Special Needs
• Submitted the following topics for consideration of the Guideline Development Task Force
• Persistent OSA after T&A (accepted/ongoing)
• Update to Tympanostomy Tubes (accepted with publication date in February 2022 – committee provided peer review of draft)
• Laryngomalacia/Stridor
• Dysphagia
• Hoarseness
• Pediatric Sialorrhea
• Provided a response to the CPG certification process
• Updated the Position Statement on Pediatric Otolaryngology and Adenotonsillectomy
• Developed new Position Statements on Laryngeal Papillomatosis and Gardasil and Review on Management of Pediatric Hearing Loss during COVID-19
• Reviewed a Position Statement on CI Candidacy in Young Children under 12 Months
• Reviewed a policy on tonsillectomy by Anthem
• Reviewed a survey on Practices Regarding Removal of Short-term Myringotomy Tubes (MT) in Pediatric Patients

• 2021-2022 Pediatric Committee Initiatives include:
• Write an article for the Bulletin for the February 2022 issue with a focus on Kids ENT Health
• Develop four Expert Consensus Statement topics to propose, five Panel Presentation topics to propose for the AAO-HNSF 2022 Annual Meeting, with an additional seven topics prepared for possible re-submission

Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Committee
Robin W. Lindsay, MD, Chair, 2017-2021
Jon Paul Pepper, MD, Chair, 2021-2023

• Developed a draft Position Statement that recognizes nasal valve repair surgery as a distinct surgical procedure that can improve nasal obstruction symptoms for appropriately selected patients with nasal valve collapse

Rhinology & Paranasal Sinus Committee
Sanford M. Archer, MD, Chair, 2019-2021
Erin K. O'Brien, MD, Chair, 2021-2023

• Developed content and expertise for distribution of patient-related information and resources for the inaugural World Sinus Health Awareness Day, September 29, 2021

Salivary Committee
Gordon J. Siegel, MD, Chair, 2019-2023

• 2021-2022 Salivary Committee Initiatives include:
• Complete and Expert Consensus Statement on surgical management of salivary gland stones
• Investigate the creation of salivary endoscopy codes

Skull Base Surgery Committee
Shirley Y. Su, MBBS, Chair, 2020-2022

Sleep Disorders Committee
Cristina Baldassari, MD, Chair, 2020-2022

• 2021-2022 Sleep Disorders Committee Initiatives include:
• Develop proposal for clinical practice guideline or expert consensus statement
• Write a proposal for a course for American Academy of Sleep Medicine 2023

Telehealth Committee
Douglas M. Hildrew, MD, Chair, 2019-2023

• Contributed the article Tele-otolaryngology: Through the Pandemic, and Beyond: Interim Findings of the Study of Telehealth in Otolaryngology that was published in the May issue of the Bulletin

Trauma Committee
LaKeisha R. Henry, MD, Chair, 2019-2021
Scott Bevans, MD, Chair, 2021-2023

• Produced committee’s second podcast, “Acute Head and Neck Injuries,” moderated by  Allison Slijepcevic, MD, which included a panel of otolaryngologists from Washington University who discussed case-based discussion of airway management in the setting of pan facial fractures as a cause of upper airway obstruction, direct laryngeal injury, and penetrating neck trauma (As of 8-30-2021, it had 908 downloads)
• Presented a Panel Presentation for the AAO-HNSF 2021 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience on “Animal Injuries - Dog Bite and Bear Injuries” by Scott Bevans, MD; Jared M. Theler, MD; Jon Robitschek, MD; and Aurora G. Vincent, MD
• Participated in a virtual Trauma Symposium-related presentation, sponsored by the Trauma Committee and the Society of Military Otolaryngologists on October 8, 2021

Veterans Affairs Committee
Edward M. Weaver, MD, MPH, Chair, 2017-2021
Sonya Malekzadeh, MD, Chair, 2021-2023

• 2021-2022 Veterans Affairs Committee Initiatives include:
• Pursuing various mechanisms for dissemination of information beyond members of the Academy—in particular, the Academy’s clinical practice guideline on opioid prescribing needs dissemination to the greater Veterans Health Administration, not just VA providers who are AAO-HNSF members; a national group on Microsoft Teams for Committee members to distribute such information was set up during the course of the meeting
• Write articles for publication in the Bulletin regarding the MISSION Act. The article will inform readers of the legislation and address how it affects VA-based otolaryngologists and VA patients seeking care

Voice Committee
Julina Ongkasuwan, MD, Chair, 2019-2021
James J. Daniero, MD, Chair, 2021-2023

 2020-2021 Voice Committee Highlights:

• Submitted Clinical Practice Guideline topic on Vocal Cord Paralysis, which was accepted. Karla O'Dell, MD, lead the submission process for the committee.
• Provided review and opinion of UK trach guidance document for endorsement to be considered by 3P.
• Developed the World Voice Day April 16, 2021, theme and content: One World, Many Voices (April 2021 Bulletin) written by Voice Committee member by Sid Khosla, MD, with contributions by Norman D. Hogikyan, MD, Anaïs Rameau, MD, MPhil, Hakan Birkent, MD, Gustavo P. Korn, MD,
• Developed the following content for ENThealth.org:
• Chronic Cough
• Mark A. Fritz, MD
• Grace M. Wandell, MD
• Benign Phonotraumatic Lesions
• William Z. Gao, MD
• Priya D. Krishna, MD
• Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Management and Lifestyle Changes
• James J. Daniero, MD
• Jonathan M. Bock, MD

ANNUAL MEETING PROGRAM COMMITTEE

Daniel C. Chelius, Jr., MD, Annual Meeting Program Coordinator

EDUCATION COMMITTEES

Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Education Committee
Scott B. Roofe, MD, Chair, 2017-2021
Daniel Knott, MD, Chair-Elect, 2021-2023

• Received an AAO-HNS/F 2021 Committee Excellence Award.
• Published the eighth section of FLEX (Year 1) on “Functional Nasal Surgery” that launched May 2021.
• Served as Item Writers for OTO Quest - Knowledge Assessment Tool: Set 2021 (400-new questions)
• Published article in the April Bulletin: Pearls from your Peers: Dermal Filler Complications
• Published article in the November Bulletin: From the Education Committees: Dorsal Preservation Rhinoplasty
• Sponsored/cosponsored three Panel Presentations at the AAO-HNSF 2021 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience

General Otolaryngology and Sleep Education Committee
Jeffrey J. Stanley, MD, Chair, 2019-2023

• Authored a new course in OTO Logic titled, “The Basics of Polysomnography.”
• Published the seventh section of FLEX (Year 1) on “Tracheostomy Management” that launched April 2021.
• Served as Item Writers for OTO Quest - Knowledge Assessment Tool: Set 2021 (400-new questions)
• Published article in the April Bulletin, From the Education Committees: Tracheostomy Care
• Published article in the June Bulletin, From the Education Committee | Sleep Apnea Surgery in the Elderly
• Published article in the September Bulletin, Pearls from your Peers | Post-COVID Smell Loss
• Sponsored/cosponsored three Panel Presentations at the AAO-HNSF 2021 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience

Head and Neck Surgery Education Committee
David M. Cognetti, MD, Chair 2017-2021
Vikas Mehta, MD, MPH, Chair 2021-2023

• Authored the following new courses in OTO Logic titled, “Opioid Epidemic;” “Head and Neck Cancer Survivorship;” and “Familial Paraganglioma Syndrome.”
• Published the third section of FLEX (Year 2) on “Oral Cavity Cancer” that launched November 2021.
• Served as Item Writers for OTO Quest - Knowledge Assessment Tool: Set 2021 (400-new questions)
• Published article in the May Bulletin, From the Education Committees | Sublingual Immunotherapy: Is One Pill All I Need?
• Published article in the July Bulletin, From the Education Committees | Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for Oral Cavity Cancer: Looking Out for What’s Best for Our Patients
• Sponsored/cosponsored seven Panel Presentations at the AAO-HNSF 2021 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience

Laryngology & Bronchoesophagology Education Committee
Paul C. Bryson, MD, Chair, 2020-2022

• Authored a new course in OTO Logic titled, “Laryngeal Manifestations of Rheumatologic Disorders.”
• Published the second section of FLEX (Year 2) on “Oropharyngeal Dysphagia” that launched October 2021.
• Served as Item Writers for OTO Quest - Knowledge Assessment Tool: Set 2021 (400-new questions)
• Published article in the February Bulletin, Pearls from your Peers: Gaining Business Acumen for Practice Development
• Published article in the August Bulletin, From the Education Committees: What Is the Effect of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Its Surgical Management on Voice and Swallowing
• Published article in the November Bulletin: Pearls from your Peers: Building Multispecialty Collaborations
• Sponsored/cosponsored four Panel Presentations at the AAO-HNSF 2021 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience

Otology & Neurotology Education Committee
Marc L. Bennett, MD, Chair, 2017-2021
Maura Cosetti, MD, Chair, 2021-2023

• Published the fourth section of FLEX (Year 1) on “Chronic Otitis Medica and Cholesteatoma” that launched January 2021.
• Served as Item Writers for OTO Quest - Knowledge Assessment Tool: Set 2021 (400-new questions
• Published article in the May Bulletin, Pearls from your Peers: Treatment of Acoustic Neuromas
• Published article in the July Bulletin: Pearls from your Peers: Hearing Loss
• Published article in the October Bulletin: From the Education Committees | Hearing Loss and Cognitive Decline: What Does the Data Say?
• Sponsored/cosponsored 11 Panel Presentations at the AAO-HNSF 2021 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience

Pediatric Otolaryngology Education Committee
Meredith Merz Lind, MD, Chair, 2019-2023

• Published the fifth section of FLEX (Year 1) on “Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea” that launched February 2021.
• Served as Item Writers for OTO Quest - Knowledge Assessment Tool: Set 2021 (400-new questions)
• Published article in the February Bulletin, From the Education Committees: Pediatric Otolaryngology in the Time of COVID-19
• Sponsored/cosponsored three Panel Presentations at the AAO-HNSF 2021 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience

Practice Management Education Committee
Lance A. Manning, MD, Chair, 2018-2022

• Published the sixth section of FLEX (Year 1) on “Hindsight is 2020: Moving Your Practice Forward” that launched March 2021.
• Served as Item Writers for OTO Quest - Knowledge Assessment Tool: Set 2021 (400-new questions)
• Published article in the March Bulletin, From the Education Committees: Otologic and Hearing Issues in the Era of Telehealth and Evolving Online Retail
• Published article in the June Bulletin, Pearls from your Peers: Improving Efficiency in Otolaryngology Practice
• Published article in the September Bulletin, From the Education Committees | Going into Independent Private Practice in a Rapidly Consolidating Practice World
• Sponsored/cosponsored two Panel Presentations at the AAO-HNSF 2021 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience

Rhinology & Allergy Education Committee
Stacey T. Gray, MD, Chair, 2017-2021
Zara M. Patel, MD, Chair, 2021-2023

• Authored a new course in OTO Logic titled, “Indications and techniques for revision endoscopic sinus surgery.”
• Published the first section of FLEX (Year 2) on “Sinonasal Neoplasms” that launched September 2021.
• Served as Item Writers for OTO Quest - Knowledge Assessment Tool: Set 2021 (400-new questions)
• Published article in the October Bulletin, Pearls From Your Peers: Use of Biologics in Our Patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyposis
• Sponsored/cosponsored five Panel Presentations at the AAO-HNSF 2021 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience

Simulation Education Committee
Kelly Michele Malloy, MD, Chair, 2018-2022 

• Published article in the March Bulletin, Pearls from your Peers: Emergency Preparedness in Otolaryngology
• Published the first ever serious game on “Complex Airway Management Simulation” to support surgical training and prepare for similar emergent scenarios.
• Published article in the August Bulletin, Online Simulation and Gamification
• Sponsored/cosponsored a Panel Presentations at the AAO-HNSF 2021 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience
• Held the Worst-Case Scenarios: Managing OTO Emergencies in Practice simulation workshop at Cedars-Sinai Women’s Guild Simulation Center for Advanced Clinical Skills (Los Angeles, Ca.)
• Hosted the fifth annual SIM Tank event in Los Angeles, where finalists presented their simulation projects to a panel of expert judges and a live audience:
• First Place: Alexis Graham-Stephenson, MD, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, Validation of a Novel Surgical Simulator for Thyroidectomy
• Second place: Sadia T. Ahmed, MD, Northwell LIJ Medical Center, Sustainability of an in-situ simulation-based pediatric tracheostomy care quality improvement program
• Third place: Clare Richardson, MD, Seattle Children’s Hospital/University of Washington, A 3D Printed Laryngeal Suturing Simulator for Endoscopic Laryngeal Cleft Repair

FOUNDATION COMMITTEES

History and Archives Committee
Tulio A. Valdez, MD, Chair, 2017-2021
Anaïs Rameau, MD, MPhil, Chair, 2021-2023

Humanitarian Efforts Committee
Mark E. Zafereo, Jr., MD, 2017-2021
Bruce H. Campbell, MD, 2021-2023

Outcomes Research and Evidence-based Medicine Committee
Michael J. Brenner, MD, Chair, 2020-2022

• Received the Pandemic-Related Committee of Excellence
• Submitted 25+ Panel Presentations and Expert Lectures to the AAO-HNSF 2021 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience
• Submitted 10+ manuscripts that were accepted or published in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery by OREBM committee members (Opioid CPG/Companion Article, COVID-19 studies)
• Contributed to Bell’s Palsy/Steroids during COVID-19 Position Statement
• Provided tools and expertise to complete projects and publications that promote evidence-based practice, which has been proven to result in superior patient outcomes
• Contributed countless hours to updating resources relating to conducted of outcomes research, particularly with patient reported outcomes of surgery (PROS) across specialties
• Contributed to the assessment of Opioids after Common Surgical Procedures in Otolaryngology Clinical Practice Guideline, both as sitting members of work group and in critique; results will help understand the current state and prioritize AAO-HNS/F efforts to ensure safe, effective care
• Represented the Academy to external organizations, for example, our members have assisted with AAO-HNSF review of proposed guidance materials as a summation of current knowledge and evidence-based best practice on tracheotomy care, such as the "Guidance for Tracheotomy Care" (done in conjunction with the Airway and Swallowing Committee)
• Led the development of a proposal a Clinical Practice Guideline on Adult Tracheostomy in conjunction with the Airway and Swallowing Committee, PSQI, and Drug and Device Committees and numerous other partners
• Reviewed the following surveys to be distributed to the membership:
• Teaching Surgical Skills in OTO (marked in their attachments as TSSO)
• Factors Surrounding Anxiety Among Surgeons (marked in their attachments as FAAS)
• Perspectives of Telemedicine
• Initial Management of Oral Leukoplakia Questionnaire
• Fertility Survey
• Published articles in the Bulletin highlighting studies with significant findings for clinical or surgical practice:
• February 2021: Absorbable Steroid-Eluting Sinus Implants: What We Do and Don’t Know
• April 2021: Growing the Evidence Base for Healthcare Disparities and Social Determinants of Health Research
• September 2021: COVID-19 Vaccines and Otolaryngology: What Your Patients Should Know
• November 2021: Oropharynx Studies

Pan-American Committee
Esther X. Vivas, MD, Chair, 2018-2022