Published: April 1, 2019

Candidate Statements – Director-At-Large: Private Practice

What do you see as the essential task of the Directors and in what ways are you well suited to the role? What do you think is the most important item in the Academy’s strategic plan?

Q: What do you see as the essential task of the Directors and in what ways are you well suited to the role?
What do you think is the most important item in the Academy’s strategic plan?

VOTE
FOR ONE
EACH TYPE
OF TWO

Eugen Brown At Large Private

Eugene G. Brown III, MD, RPh

I  am honored to be a candidate for Director At-Large Private Practice. I am a private practice otolaryngologist in Charleston, SC, and I have been very involved in the management of our group. Our frustration mounted with the demands for increasingly stringent reporting standards and seemingly meaningless data collection. We were frustrated with watching colleagues become employees, so we took action and launched OASIS (Otolaryngology and Allergy Specialists–Integrated Solutions), a grassroots organization whose mission is to promote collaboration among otolaryngologists in our region. We have been successful, and this achievement has created opportunities along the way to better share a simple message: Together we are stronger.

I was identified as a stakeholder and participated in the creation of the new strategic plan. From my perspective, the most important items involve future practice needs and workforce challenges. Predicting what our specialty will be and what we will need in the future is difficult but paramount in positioning otolaryngology for long-term success. Including advanced practice providers in otolaryngology is complicated, and we must be sensitive to the needs of providers and patients as we build new practice paradigms. Also, the mix of generalists and sub-specialists in our workforce is a particularly challenging topic for me. We must continually analyze and be willing to adapt if we are to best meet future needs.

The essential task of the directors is to conduct the business and affairs of the Academy. Leadership must be balanced and committed to our membership so that we may continually provide quality care for our patients. My experiences in both private practice and in leadership have prepared me to do well in this role. My passion to represent private practice and my willingness to take action to create positive change for the future distinguish my candidacy.

La Keisha Henry At Large Private

LaKeisha R. Henry, MD

The essential task of the directors is to maintain the perspectives and expectations of Academy members. This is key to ensure diverse, responsive, and dedicated representation of member concerns and interests. Throughout my various leadership roles in different environments locally and abroad, I employed transformational and servant-leadership. This has successfully shaped my ability to bring diversity, foresight, teamwork, accountability, dedication, and compassion to my practice, patients, and our community. These qualities fuel my commitment to excellence, lifelong learning, and our Academy’s vision. For these reasons, I am well suited for this role. I will listen, care, serve, and help ensure broad representations of your interests and concerns are conveyed to Academy leadership.

The most important item in the Academy’s strategic plan is its vision. The vision guides the enduring principles which frame the continued relevance of our Academy. I believe it provides a purpose that we hopefully believe in and is the most concise representation of the entire strategic plan. We should all strive for excellence in what we do every day and to always provide the best patient care possible.  Though our goals and objectives may change and the particular wording of the vision may evolve, the tenants of the vision embody why our Academy exists and why we should be members. The vision allows the strategic plan to be sustainable, realistic, and obtainable. It represents what we should expect of ourselves as surgeons and members. It is a focal statement of adaptation, growth, innovation, and improvement that continuously represents the expectations of our members, patients, and our specialty community. We must strive for, achieve, sustain, and improve ourselves and the care we provide, truly pursuing excellence. I believe the vision guides our leadership and members to ensure that our Academy is timeless, current, and accountable.

More from April 2019 – Vol. 38, No. 3
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Candidate Statements – Audit Committee
What is your particular experience or interest that would make you an affective member of the Audit Committee of the Academy?
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Candidate Statements – Nominating Committee: Academic
How will you select candidates for Academy leadership that best represent our diverse membership? What experience do you have that will aid in selecting leaders that will advance the mission of the Academy?
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Candidate Statements – Nominating Committee: Private Practice
How will you select candidates for Academy leadership that best represent our diverse membership? What experience do you have that will aid in selecting leaders that will advance the mission of the Academy?
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Candidate Statements – Director-At-Large: Academic Practice
What do you see as the essential task of the Directors and in what ways are you well suited to the role? What do you think is the most important item in the Academy’s strategic plan?
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Candidate Statements – President-Elect
What are the strengths of the Academy that will lead us forward in our specialty and how will you capitalize on those strengths? What do you think is the most important item in the Academy’s strategic plan?
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Humanitarian Service: Facial reconstructive surgery in Belize
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Physician safety is patient safety: Good surgical ergonomics to optimize patient care
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What you need to know about MIPS Year Three (Y3)
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Your Academy around the world
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Just what the doctor ordered
The Administrator Support Community for ENT (ASCENT) is the only association dedicated to supporting the leaders in the unique specialty of otolaryngology practice management. Formerly known as the Association of Otolaryngology Administrators (AOA), ASCENT has a long history of providing resources, networking, and education to administrators, managers, supervisors, and coders in otolaryngology practices that helps the practice, physicians, and ultimately the patient.
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Advocacy in action: An overview of federal and state legislative priorities
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Medical training has shifted over recent years to a focus on developing trainee competence and proficiency according to predetermined approved standards. A challenge has been to deliver this training paradigm within a time-restricted program, which has had a significant impact, especially on surgical specialities where developing expertise relies heavily on appropriate clinical exposure.
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Your vote, your future
This month’s edition of the Bulletin features statements from our candidates for AAO-HNS/F leadership positions. Please read and consider them as we approach our annual election, which opens in May. I would like to thank our AAO-HNS Nominating Committee for presenting all of us a superb slate of candidates.