Published: June 29, 2020Core Grants Program Spotlights: UpdateDownload PDF CORE_ProposedGrantees_BulletinJuly2020_V4 Download PDFMore from July 2020 – Vol. 39, No. 6FLEX – FOCUSED LIFELONG EDUCATION XPERIENCEFor a limited time only, the AAO-HNSF is offering a special package on FLEX and the AAO-HNSF 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting. Register for FLEX by August 31 to automatically receive a complimentary 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting registration through one simple transaction (no need to register for the Annual Meeting).Presidential Citations 2020The Presidential Citations are given to individuals who have had a profound influence on the AAO-HNS/F President’s life and otolaryngology. President Duane J. Taylor, MD, has selected these individuals for their outstanding contributions.Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Implications for the OtolaryngologistEosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a clinicopathological disorder characterized by eosinophil predominant inflammation of the esophagus (>15 eosinophils/hpf) and esophageal dysfunction. The prevalence in children in the United States is 10-50/100,000 and EoE has become increasingly recognized in children and adults over the past two decades.Out of Committee: Outcomes Research Evidence-Based Medicine CommitteeManagement decisions around tracheostomy have been at the forefront of international dialogue in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this Bulletin segment, our committee shares highlights from key developments in this space, with detailed analysis of the largest implementation to date of a prospective multidisciplinary tracheostomy team approach. We provide concise summaries of salient findings from current studies that may inform high-stakes decision making and surgical practice in otolaryngology.Out of CommitteeWith the goal of reducing disease exposure and transmission, telemedicine became an immediate necessity in 2020 due to COVID-19. This enormous and rapid leap forward in the utilization of telemedicine technology also provides an opportunity to address other challenges that physician practices face. As such, it is important to understand the many rapidly changing logistical, legal, regulatory, and financial implications as early as possible.From the Education Committees: Cancer Immunotherapy UpdateImmunotherapy has the capability of restoring a patient’s own anti-tumor immunity as a means to target cancer. The emergence of checkpoint inhibitors in recent years has promoted immunotherapy as a major breakthrough in cancer therapy. Checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized treatment of advanced head and neck cancer (HNC), known to have a poor prognosis and low survival rate.AAO-HNS Clinical Practice Guidelines and Clinical Consensus Statements Focused on Quality ImprovementWith the goal of improving quality of care in otolaryngology, the AAO-HNSF has continued to develop guidance documents, in the form of Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) and Clinical Consensus Statements (CCSs), on a range of topics prioritized by the Guideline Task Force (GTF).What’s New with Reg-entAs announced in May, and published in the June Bulletin, page 32, the AAO-HNSF has formed a partnership with OM1, a real-world outcomes and technology company. This partnership will connect Reg-ent to OM1’s real-world data and evidence platforms, thereby enhancing the value that the data repository will bring to our members.Core Grants Program Spotlights: “An Academic Career Born and Bred in CORE”Congratulations to the 2020 CORE Grantees!Research and QualityThe American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Research and Quality Business Unit goal is to develop products and services to meet the needs of our members, their staff, and their patients in support of the overarching organizational vision to be the global leader in optimizing quality ear, nose, and throat patient care.Complex Pediatric Otolaryngology Update from the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck SurgeryThe American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (ABOHNS) wants to provide an update about the progress toward subcertification in Complex Pediatric Otolaryngology (CPO). This effort started in 1992 with approval of subcertification by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), followed by accreditation of fellowship training programs in pediatric otolaryngology by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).Transition to In-office Treatments: Head and NeckAdvances in technology have propelled the field of in-office diagnostics and minimally invasive surgery and allowed for transition to in-office treatment in head and neck surgery. This decreases lost time from work and costs for patients and allows for more speedy diagnosis and recovery from procedures.American Head & Neck SocietyThe American Head & Neck Society (AHNS) is a vibrant society committed to being patient centric, collaborative, innovative, ethical, value based, and global. To maximize member engagement, AHNS restructured to have sufficient organizational capacity in achieving their mission (as displayed in the graphic). So what are the challenges and opportunities in practice and patient care?Resident Spotlight: Arvind K. Badhey, MD, PGY5, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai in New York CityI started my chief rotation at Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens, NY, with three coresidents. Soon after, news vans, agency nurses, and patients swarmed to the aptly labeled “epicenter of the epicenter,” COVID-19’s new New York City home. In contrast to our ER colleagues, we had a choice of whether to wait for ENT to be called upon or to volunteer.Kijabe, Kenya Humanitarian Surgical TripInternational medical volunteer work has been a passion of mine since my wife and I first traveled to Quito, Ecuador, in 2007 to volunteer at a local children’s hospital and rural adult hospital. We subsequently spent eight months in Mbarara, Uganda, setting up the first children’s hospital in the region, Holy Innocents Children’s Hospital. I returned to Uganda with Chad A. Zender, MD, for a week-long surgical oncology mission trip to Kampala in October 2017.At The ForefrontIntroducing AcademyU’s new self-assessment module: Otolaryngology Patient Scenarios. Explore patient scenarios, such as Patient with Two Months of Hoarseness and Patient with Dizziness and Hyperacusis. Finish the course and evaluation to earn 1.0 CME/MOC credit for each topic. Stay tuned for more courses.Financial WellnessPhysician wellness has taken the stage as a national issue, and rightly so. A recent Medscape survey revealed a 36% burnout rate among otolaryngologists. In response to similarly alarming numbers across medical disciplines, specialty societies have responded with wellness initiatives, the largest push nationally coming from the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) action collaborative on clinician wellness and resilience.Bringing Together the World of Otolaryngology VirtuallyThe AAO-HNS Board of Directors, after considerable thought and discussion, moved the in-person AAO-HNSF 2020 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience in Boston to one of a virtual experience due to safety concerns and unavailability of the facilities to hold the meeting.A Time for LeadershipThe American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) realizes that our country is currently in the midst of a crisis and potentially at a crossroads. The recent current events have placed a spotlight on the racial injustice in our country and made us all question why we as a nation have tolerated the disregard for a human life solely based on our differences.
