Published: May 29, 2019

Our town: The Big Easy

What do you love most about New Orleans?

Arriaga

Moises A. Arriaga, MD

What do you love most about New Orleans?

New Orleans is a unique juxtaposition of cultures and traditions, which shows itself in the food, music, and joy in living.

What is New Orleans’ best-kept secret?

  • City Park: Music during Thursdays at Twilight; the Sculpture Garden; walking/biking trails; New Orleans Museum of Art
  • The lakefront for picture-perfect sunsets and great seafood restaurants

What is your go-to New Orleans food?

Shrimp po’boy—DRESSED!—on the correct French bread

What tips do you have for first-timers in New Orleans?

  • Get beyond the French Quarter.
  • Take a streetcar ride to see the neighborhoods.
  • Try sno-balls and decide if you’re a Plum Street or Hansen’s person.
  • See if you can tell the difference between a shotgun house and a camelback.
Gary

Celeste C. Gary, MD

What do you love most about New Orleans?

Festival season. There is always something going on outside in the city, and people really enjoy being out and about.

What is New Orleans’ best-kept secret?

The music. There is live music all over the city every night of the week. You can see incredible talent for very little money in intimate settings.

What is your go-to New Orleans food?

All of it. But if I have to choose, it’s boiled seafood (crawfish, crabs, and shrimp) or po’boys.

What tips do you have for first-timers in New Orleans?

Don’t spend all of your time in the French Quarter. There are so many neighborhoods in New Orleans with beautiful parks and great restaurants; venture out and get a true flavor of NOLA.

Friedlander

Paul L. Friedlander, MD

What do you love most about New Orleans?

The beauty and grace of the city that is embedded in its architecture, residents, and restaurants. The experience is truly unique.

What is New Orleans’ best-kept secret?

Snug Harbor. This is a wonderful place to listen to jazz.

What is your go-to New Orleans food?

My go-to New Orleans food is Oysters Bienville—a must if you haven’t tried it before.

What tips do you have for first-timers in New Orleans?

Take one day and stray out of the French Quarter. I would recommend a Garden District Walking Tour where you can see our Antebellum mansions and hear about the history of the city.

Vaitaitis

Vilija J. Vaitaitis, MD

What do you love most about New Orleans?

I love that there is always something going on in New Orleans—from live music to a festival, parade, or race. You can always find something to do. And I love that the city is incredibly friendly! We love welcoming tourists and giving our advice on places to go.

What is New Orleans’ best-kept secret?

New Orleans is actually quite the melting pot full of transplants from all over who have happily taken New Orleans on as their new home.

What is your go-to New Orleans food?

While in New Orleans you definitely need to try the local cuisine—po’boys, gumbo, shrimp and grits; no one should leave New Orleans hungry!

What tips do you have for first-timers in New Orleans?

Definitely take some time to explore outside of the French Quarter. Take the St. Charles streetcar down through the Garden District and Uptown to see some of the beautiful homes and local hangouts. We also have a great World War II museum worth checking out!

Lunch with the Experts

Take advantage of the opportunity to interact with otolaryngology legends in an intimate setting ideal for peer-to-peer exchange and discussion about the many facets of patient care. See schedule at www.entannualmeeting.org.

More from June 2019 – Vol. 38, No. 5
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Advocacy highlights from the AAO-HNS/F 2019 Leadership Forum & BOG Spring Meeting
Following the success of the third annual State OTO Society Roundtable, the AAO-HNS/F 2019 Leadership Forum & BOG Spring Meeting, held April 26-28 in Alexandria, VA, included several advocacy-related sessions in which attendees learned about the importance of making their voices heard at the state and federal levels.
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Making connections through coalitions
One of the most effective ways the Academy advocates on behalf of the specialty is through ongoing participation in a number of coalitions. The collective advocacy from organizations on shared issues further strengthens the Academy’s ability to advance federal and state legislative policy and regulatory priorities.
I-go
What I-GO is all about
As an otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon, you know all too well the challenges faced in the day-to-day practice of medicine. Increased liability premiums, a challenging reimbursement environment, and burdensome government regulations continue to threaten the viability of your practice and can hinder your ability to provide patients with the highest quality care.
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ENT PAC launches “ResidenTen” program for resident physicians
Did you know that ENT PAC, the Academy’s nonpartisan, issue-driven, political action committee, recently launched a new campaign for AAO-HNS physician residents? The “ResidenTen” initative aims to underscore the importance of the Academy’s political programs with the next generation of Academy members.
Increased payer coverage
Advocacy staff constantly monitors improvements and updates to private payer policy decisions. We are happy to announce the following increases in coverage:
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Tackling private payer denials
The Academy diligently advocates for full and appropriate reimbursement for procedures performed by otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons and the patients they treat. Since last June’s annual Advocacy issue of the Bulletin, the Health Policy Advocacy Team tackled detrimental national policies and local payer denials and gaps in coverage.
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Get to know New Orleans
Imagine meeting in a city where cultures collide in a brilliant explosion of flavors, emotions, and sounds. New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz, home to Creole cuisine, and rich with history and culture. It is centrally located with a walkable downtown and world-class convention facilities.
Am19 New Orleans Experts Science
10 Tips for converging with the specialty’s leading experts at #OTOMTG19
New Orleans serves as the intersection where there’s no wrong turn, from groundbreaking education sessions to networking events with the global ENT community to the OTO Experience. While you’re absorbing the latest science and new clinical approaches, take advantage of the many events available to expand your professional network and tap the minds of leaders.
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Trauma Symposium: On eve of Annual Meeting
The AAO-HNS Trauma Committee and the Society of Military Otolaryngologists’ Trauma Symposium will present “Modern Management of H&N Trauma: Nonvascularized Grafts and Trauma Care in the Developing World” at 5:00 pm, Saturday, September 14, at the AAO-HNSF 2019 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience in New Orleans, LA.
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Preconference Workshops
This one-day course addresses current advances in minimally invasive salivary gland surgery. The morning features didactic lectures by leaders in this cutting-edge field.
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Annual Meeting Program Spotlight: How to thrive in otolaryngology practice
Learn about alternatives and opportunities to enhance your ability to participate in evolving payment models through advanced practice structure and networking, adopting state-of-the-art office-based diagnostic and therapeutic technology, and validating treatment outcomes.
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#OTOMTG19 honorary guest lecturers
Presented in order of appearance.
P. Daniel Ward, MD.
PRACTICE PROFILE: Face-to-face with patients
Prior to starting his private practice, Dr. Ward was a full-time faculty member at the University of Utah. This was the starting point of his career after completing his fellowship and residency at the University of Michigan.
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Proposed fiscal year 2020 (FY20) combined budget
The Executive Committees (ECs) of the AAO-HNS/F Boards of Directors (BODs) were presented with the Financial and Investment Subcommittee (FISC) proposed budget for the next fiscal year, July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020 (FY20), and endorsed it for approval by the BODs. During their April meeting, the BODs reviewed and conditionally approved the FY20 budget that is presented here to the membership.
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American Neurotology Society Report: ANS on the move
Barry Hirsch, MD, President of the American Neurotology Society (ANS), Craig A. Buchman, MD, Education Director, and Howard W. Francis, MD, Education Director-Elect, along with the ANS Scientific Program Committee, assembled a lively, up-to-the-minute program at this year’s Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meetings (COSM).
Sheng Po Hao
International Advisory Board (IAB) Chair-Elect election
The AAO-HNS call for nominees for Chair-Elect of the International Advisory Board (IAB) was highly successful and resulted in the submission of several highly qualified candidates for the position. The IAB Executive Committee selected Sheng-Po Hao, MD, Taipei, Taiwan, and Karl Hoermann, MD, Mannheim, Germany, as the candidates for Chair-Elect. The election will be held at the AAO-HNSF 2019 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience in New Orleans, Louisiana.
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NIH names AAO-HNS Member, Debara L. Tucci, MD, MS, MBA, director of the NIDCD
Debara L. Tucci, MD, MS, MBA, has been selected to lead the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) as its new director. Dr. Tucci is currently the professor of surgery and director of the cochlear implant program in the Division of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences at Duke University in Durham, NC.
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Board of Governors: TEAM = Together Everyone Achieves More
I am often asked why I love being a member of the Board of Governors (BOG). The BOG is a grassroots network within the Academy that is composed of local, state, regional, and specialty societies from around the United States.
James C. Denneny III, MD AAO-HNS/F EVP/CEO
Healthcare’s crushing storm
Meaningful healthcare reform at the federal level may be on the way. After treading water while the Affordable Care Act has been debated, public intolerance has forced both political parties to address a worsening situation.
Albert L. Merati, MD AAO-HNS/F Past President
“I am an otolaryngologist”
On April 27, 2019, I had the great privilege of presiding over the annual Specialty Unity Summit convened by the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and comprised of all the major organizations in our field. Physician and administrative leaders from an otolaryngology alphabet soup were in attendance.