Published: June 25, 2019

Collaboration elevates all

Perhaps my favorite part of my job as your EVP/CEO is meeting and interacting with all members of the otolaryngology team who allow us to deliver the best and safest care to our patients. I uniformly learn as much or more through those interactions than from any other source.

James C. Denneny III, MD, AAO-HNS/F Executive Vice President and CEO

James C. Denneny III, MD AAO-HNS/F EVP/CEOJames C. Denneny III, MD
AAO-HNS/F EVP/CEOPerhaps my favorite part of my job as your EVP/CEO is meeting and interacting with all members of the otolaryngology team who allow us to deliver the best and safest care to our patients. I uniformly learn as much or more through those interactions than from any other source.

I recently had the pleasure of attending a meeting of the academic administrators at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. In addition to getting a much clearer picture of the challenges facing academic departments as healthcare delivery evolves, I had the privilege of hearing Mark E. Prince, MD, (Chair) give an overview of his department, which includes 68 physicians and 227 support staff members. What impressed me the most was not the multiple accolades his department has garnered over the last several years, but his commitment to people. He described a process of identifying and selecting “decent people” as residents, faculty, and staff, people who will “do the right thing.” Hearing this, I immediately got a flashback to my residency four decades ago when my Chair, James B. Snow, Jr., MD, would always ask us at key decision points, “Is it the right thing to do?”

It is encouraging to me that there is considerable interest and progress in developing optimally functioning healthcare teams in otolaryngology. That will only succeed if the members of the teams value each other’s contributions and work under an umbrella of mutual respect, trust, and congeniality to accomplish shared goals. We cannot follow the pathway currently hallmarked by political discourse in this country. Presumably, we all entered medicine to care for those mired in infirmity caused by suboptimal health, and we are fortunate to be trusted by society to do so. If we can focus on doing the right thing by our colleagues and for our patients, we will have a chance to positively influence the forthcoming changes and ensure patients will get the care they deserve.

This month’s Bulletin highlights research, often the most undervalued of our three operational pillars of advocacy, education, and research. Our Research and Quality Business Unit, headed by Jean Brereton, MBA, and Coordinator for Research and Quality, Cecelia E. Schmalbach, MD, continues to produce the quality and performance measures otolaryngology needs to advance care across our broad specialty. The Guideline Task Force continues to produce the valuable Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) and Clinical Consensus Statements (CCS) that are critical in determining appropriate care and advocating for appropriate reimbursement for this care. The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Committee has played an active role in several important initiatives over the past year, highlighted by our successful interaction with the Joint Commission relating to endoscope sterilization, surgical attire, pediatric airway cart regulations, and other issues negatively affecting our practices. The performance measures needed by our members for MIPS reporting continue to increase, and we now have 22 specialty-specific measures in our QCDR. Our CORE grant review process continues to improve every year, and record amounts of grants were given out through this process this year. This collaborative effort, involving many of our specialty societies partnering with the AAO-HNS/F, is a prime example of how working together can elevate a program. The Guideline Task Force is another great example of how specialty societies working together can help to target clinical guidelines and consensus statements and subsequently produce excellent products.

No report on quality and research would be complete without updating you on our clinical data registry, Reg-entSM. Reg-ent is moving into Phase II of operations, which will include additional data types, such as patient reported outcome measures (PROMs), additional diagnostic data, inpatient data, and utilization/cost data. We will have access to a broad-based analytic platform soon and hope to be partnering with entities that will ensure the long-term financial viability of this critical project. We are in the process of onboarding many academic practices as Epic and Cerner users now have a mechanism to participate.

Our future is much brighter due to the exceptional work of all involved in our research and quality teams.

 

 

More from July 2019 - Vol. 38, No. 6
Core
Centralized Otolaryngology Research Efforts (CORE) update
The Centralized Otolaryngology Research Efforts (CORE) grants program plays a critical role in advancing the field of otolaryngology by providing support to research projects, research training, and career development.
Ramanathan
CORE spotlights
The CORE grants program has had a tremendous impact on my career as a surgeon-scientist. As a second-year resident, I received my first CORE grant from the American Rhinologic Society (ARS).
Guidelines 02
AAO-HNSF Consensus Statements and Guidelines support payment efforts
While Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) are based on high-quality evidence, Clinical Consensus Statements (CCSs) reflect the views of an expert panel that has examined the scientific data available and experienced the procedure through research and/or clinical practice.
ANNE
G-I-N and Cochrane Scholars Spotlight
The AAO-HNSF is committed to developing and disseminating evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and has partnered with the Guidelines International Network (G-I-N) and the Cochrane Collaboration to further this goal.
Guidelines
Clinical Consensus Statement: Balloon Dilation of the Eustachian Tube
Our Guidelines Task Force, chaired by David E. Tunkel, MD, continues to produce timely, critical, evidence-based publications essential to defining and improving quality in otolaryngology care.
Researchandquality
RESEARCH & QUALITY: Quality resources for your patients and practice
The Research and Quality Business Unit works to remain at the forefront of all aspects of a data-driven environment. Our daily work involves being comfortable operating within numerous highly technical areas: data analytics, decision support, clinical data registry development and operations, and clinical practice guideline and quality measure development.
Committees All
OREBM and PSQI presenting at #OTOMTG19
Updates from the PSQI Committee The AAO-HNS Patient Safety and Quality Improvement (PSQI) Committee, under the leadership of Emily F. Boss, MD, MPH, and C.W. David Chang, MD, continues on multiple fronts to raise awareness of patient safety and quality improvement issues within the specialty.
OREBMsleepapnea
Upper Airway Stimulation to treat Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea
In this Bulletin segment, the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Outcomes Research and Evidence-Based Medicine (OREBM) Committee shares highlights from a 2017 study, “Upper Airway Stimulation for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Patient-Reported Outcomes after 48 Months of Follow-up.”
Peru Flag
The hearing disability status in Peru
As President of the AAO-HNS/F, it is my great honor to welcome the delegation from the Peruvian Society of Otolaryngology and Facial Surgery to our Annual Meeting in New Orleans. We look forward to our societies working together for the care of patients worldwide through collaboration and friendship now in New Orleans and into the future.
Why-Book
Why book in the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting hotel block?
Preparing for the 2019 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience, the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation has secured hotel blocks at 24 properties within a mile radius of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA.
May_Bulletin_Cover
Experts to present groundbreaking science at #OTOMTG19
Experts and science converge at the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO Experience, September 15-18, in New Orleans, LA. This year’s education program features a world-renowned faculty discussing state-of-the-art treatment modalities, new therapies, and ongoing controversies in the field.
Aao Hns2018 Annualmtg
Career development
You already know the 2019 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience is where experts and science converge, but did you also know that the Annual Meeting provides a pathway to navigate your career?
Meyer
Presidential Citations 2019
The Presidential Citations are given to individuals who have had a profound influence on the AAO-HNS/F President’s life and otolaryngology. President Albert L. Merati, MD, has selected these individuals for their outstanding contributions.
aosl
Otology: What’s new in 2019?
We are entering the golden age of inner ear biology as scientists untangle the regulatory pathways that control the development and maintenance of hair cells and neurons. Tremendous advances have been made possible by chips that assay for hundreds or thousands of genes or proteins and by parallel advances in big data analytics that link molecules into networks.
SRF_LeadershipForumRecap
Past, present, and future
The Section for Residents and Fellows-in-Training (SRF) is composed of all residents and fellows who are currently training in an accredited program in the United States. The SRF was created in 2000 to increase trainee participation in the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery.
Humanitarian-Travel-Grant
Peruvian children receive surgeries, education
From July 28 to August 4, 2018, I travelled with a group of volunteers from across the country composed of translators, dentists, audiologist, operating room staff, anesthesiologists, and physicians to Cusco, Peru, to partake in a surgical mission at EsSalud Hospital sponsored by Medical Mission for Children (MMFC).
SMORL-Joint-Meeting
Your Academy around the world: 69th National Congress of the SMORLCCC
The 69th National Congress of the Mexican Society of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (SMORLCCC) was held April 30-May 5 in Mazatlán, Mexico.
foundation
Making a positive impact on patient care and physician education around the world
The AAO-HNS foundation’s International Visiting Scholarship (IVS) Grant Program advances health education and seeks to improve the quality of patient care around the world in developing countries. Since its inception in 2009, more than 200 IVS grants have been awarded to 101 recipients in 29 countries.
IVSScholarship_Hashmi
AAO-HNSF International Visiting Scholarship Report (2018)
It’s an extreme pleasure and great honor for me to write this post scholarship report. In fact, it was a dream to write this report from the day I first discovered the possibility of this scholarship four years back. I never expected to be selected for such a prestigious program.
Albert L. Merati, MD AAO-HNS/F Past President
Ringing the bell for quality and evidence
The AAO-HNSF 2005 Annual Meeting was held in Los Angeles, CA, (where we will return in 2021). Even early in my career, I recognized the unparalleled opportunities available by getting involved in AAO-HNSF courses and panels.