International Outreach Supports Academy’s Core Mission
By M. Steele Brown “Through collaboration with otolaryngologists around the world, the AAO-HNS reaches out to regions of every economic level,” said Gregory W. Randolph, MD, AAO-HNSF Coordinator for International Affairs, “It’s part of the Academy’s core mission to further the specialty.” According to AAO-HNS/F past president David W. Kennedy, MD, the Academy works to empower its members by providing or supporting the highest possible level of professional and public education, research, and health policy advocacy. But to sustain or improve its offerings, the Academy must remain healthy. The international arena, he noted, offers the most opportunity for growth. At present, the Academy has 1,205 international members (10 percent of the total membership), hailing from 88 countries on six continents. J. Pablo Stolovitzky, MD, a past chair of the AAO-HNS Board of Governors, said the growing demand for knowledge that exists in many emerging countries—coupled with their often limited capacity to adequately fill that gap—offers the Academy an opportunity to do what it does best. “The Academy is the world leader in otolaryngology and it has done that through education and through the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPOSM, which is the largest gathering of otolaryngologists in the world,” he said. “As a result, the meeting is the center of attention for the international otolaryngologic community due to the excellence of the activities—particularly educational and research—that it has presented over the last several decades.” Dr. Stolovitzky affirmed that besides the tangible benefits generated through revenues from the Academy’s growing international membership, there are other positives that are gleaned from international outreach. “Revenues come in and allow the Academy to proceed with our national strategic planning activities, which definitely benefits both our U.S. and international members,” he said. “But the intangible benefit is the enrichment of the academic activity through collaboration with international members, which in turn develops research at the academic level in America by U.S. members.” “For example, research and education activities are enhanced by the participation of the international community through the Academy and that is done through the Annual Meeting & OTO EXPOSM, through publications submitted to our journal, and collaboration at the committee level,” he added. “Numerous Academy committees have international members and/or participation.” Dr. Kennedy stressed, “I see our international efforts as particularly vital because the number of otolaryngologists in the U.S. is not likely to increase dramatically in the foreseeable future, while the potential for people to attend our Annual Meeting & OTO EXPOSM from overseas and enroll as members is almost unlimited, So there exists a potential opportunity for both membership and revenue growth to help with our different missions.” Growing Our International Corresponding Societies Network The Academy’s growing network of 54-member International Corresponding Societies (ICS) is the mechanism through which the organization targets and reaches the otolaryngologists and their patients, Dr. Randolph said. These national and, in some cases, regional societies affiliate with the Academy informally—there are no fiscal or legal ties—so leaders get to know one another to build trust and work together on issues of concern. Our International Steering Committee, with its 22 regional advisors and advisors-at-large, is the architecture that underpins that global effort, Dr. Randolph observed. “We live in a big world, and because the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery represents one of the foremost centers of otolaryngologic expertise on the planet, we have many global and international responsibilities,” he said. “Given the number and wide distribution of the ICS network, I crafted this system of Regional Advisors and appointed Academy leaders with deep experience in certain regions to mediate a particular area and keep up to date with the various International Corresponding Societies in their region. Because the advisors are familiar with all the leaders of these societies…it has been helpful to deepen our international relationships.” Catherine Lincoln, CAE, MA, the Academy’s senior manager of international affairs, reported that joint meetings, generally occurring during the national congress or annual meeting of an ICS, represent a significant opening for the Academy. She said the joint events might take the form of pre-congress workshops, miniseminar-style panels, or one- or two-day standalone courses. “The host society selects the topics and ideally there will be equal numbers of American and host country speakers,” she added. “Some otolaryngology societies like the Mexican, Turkish, and Venezuelan Societies hold a joint meeting every year.” Reaching Out to the Developing World Besides the practical, self-sustaining benefits gained through international collaboration, AAO-HNS/F President James L. Netterville, MD, said the Academy focuses on humanitarian outreach. Dr. Netterville, who serves as one of two regional advisors for Africa, revealed the AAO-HNS/F places a high value on developing outreach efforts in the areas of international medical missions, education and meeting support, as well as collaborative research and outcomes studies. “It is not surprising that we gain as much from these interactions with our international colleagues as they do,” he said. “Those of us in the Academy leadership actively look for ways to support our members in their efforts toward creative outreach activities.” G. Richard Holt, MD, D-BE, MSE, MPH, past Academy president and Regional Advisor for the Middle East, said it is critical to look at how American otolaryngology can boost or bolster research and clinical care in developing and emerging countries. “We have—through our Academy and Foundation—probably the largest clinical and educational support group for otolaryngologists across the world, and that brings with it a responsibility to do everything we can to include our (international) colleagues in terms of making available what we have to offer,” he said. “We have a really strong obligation to give otolaryngologists in those countries the knowledge and tools to begin outcome studies and care for their patients at the highest level of care possible within the constraints of their country, and to show them that they are really not cut off. In countries like Iraq, where they have been both educationally and clinically isolated for some time, we have a real responsibility to help.” Exchanging Ideas through Research, Scholarships, and Journals Dr. Stolovitzky, who serves as the Regional Advisor for Latin America, said he believes that because the Academy serves as a global forum, it has a duty to foster worldwide research communication. “We are living in a global world and isolation does no good, particularly in science and more specifically in medicine,” he said. “We need the collaboration and the participation to advance our knowledge base, and that is achieved if we have a world forum to do that.” Dr. Randolph said the Academy’s International Visiting Scholarships (IVS) and International Travel Grants strengthen idea exchange. “The IVS program funds individuals from abroad to help them attend the meeting and mediate an observership in the U.S., while travel grants enable foreign otolaryngologists to come to the meeting,” he said. “I think that the denominator for all of these programs is this: As we meet, so we become friends, and as we become friends, so we develop an ongoing relationship that aids in networking and building other relationships.” Dr. Holt, who formerly served as the editor-in-chief of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, said the journal’s strong international section now allows Academy members to share information online. “It’s even easier to share that information now, so somebody working in Germany knows what researchers in the U.S. are doing. If they have similar or complementary ideas, they can directly contact the U.S. researchers with the purpose of collaborating,” he added. “The same thing happens when you are at the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPOSM. So many ideas are exchanged, both clinical and research. You make contacts with people from other countries with the purpose of continuing to share ideas.” Dr. Kennedy, one of two Regional Advisors for Europe, said a good portion of the technology that U.S. otolaryngologists use frequently today came from overseas. “Endoscopic sinus surgery was initially started in Europe, where I picked it up at a meeting,” he recalled. “Since that time it has become one of the most frequently used procedures—and one of the major changes—within the specialty in the U.S. Within rhinology, the rigid optic telescope or rigid optic endoscope came from England.” Dr. Kennedy said in recent years, innovation has slowed in Europe, in part due to changes in the healthcare system and a growing emphasis on cost controls. “Of course we are—to some extent—entering the same sort of period here in the U.S.,” he said. “So I think it’s critical that we keep this same kind of interchange going globally, because you never know where the next innovations will come from.” What Is Our Return on Investment? According to Dr. Stolovitzky, it is not uncommon or unreasonable for U.S. Academy members to question the efficacy of investing in international outreach. “We have limited resources, like any institution, and the pink elephant in the room is whether or not these international efforts are actually taking away from our own agenda here in the U.S.,” he said. “The expectation is for the Academy to concentrate on core activities like education and advocacy. Our U.S. members are definitely concerned about their medical practices and the socioeconomic and legislative issues affecting those practices.” “Members will ask themselves what the Academy can do to produce revenue through international outreach. We know for a fact that there has been a decline in corporate support for the specialty and our Academy needs to rely on additional sources of revenue to fund our core activities. Increased international membership and attendance to the Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO are critical to accomplishing this goal.”
By M. Steele Brown
According to AAO-HNS/F past president David W. Kennedy, MD, the Academy works to empower its members by providing or supporting the highest possible level of professional and public education, research, and health policy advocacy.
But to sustain or improve its offerings, the Academy must remain healthy. The international arena, he noted, offers the most opportunity for growth. At present, the Academy has 1,205 international members (10 percent of the total membership), hailing from 88 countries on six continents.
J. Pablo Stolovitzky, MD, a past chair of the AAO-HNS Board of Governors, said the growing demand for knowledge that exists in many emerging countries—coupled with their often limited capacity to adequately fill that gap—offers the Academy an opportunity to do what it does best.
“The Academy is the world leader in otolaryngology and it has done that through education and through the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPOSM, which is the largest gathering of otolaryngologists in the world,” he said.
“As a result, the meeting is the center of attention for the international otolaryngologic community due to the excellence of the activities—particularly educational and research—that it has presented over the last several decades.”
Dr. Stolovitzky affirmed that besides the tangible benefits generated through revenues from the Academy’s growing international membership, there are other positives that are gleaned from international outreach.
“Revenues come in and allow the Academy to proceed with our national strategic planning activities, which definitely benefits both our U.S. and international members,” he said.
“But the intangible benefit is the enrichment of the academic activity through collaboration with international members, which in turn develops research at the academic level in America by U.S. members.”
“For example, research and education activities are enhanced by the participation of the international community through the Academy and that is done through the Annual Meeting & OTO EXPOSM, through publications submitted to our journal, and collaboration at the committee level,” he added. “Numerous Academy committees have international members and/or participation.”
Dr. Kennedy stressed, “I see our international efforts as particularly vital because the number of otolaryngologists in the U.S. is not likely to increase dramatically in the foreseeable future, while the potential for people to attend our Annual Meeting & OTO EXPOSM from overseas and enroll as members is almost unlimited, So there exists a potential opportunity for both membership and revenue growth to help with our different missions.”
Growing Our International Corresponding Societies Network
The Academy’s growing network of 54-member International Corresponding Societies (ICS) is the mechanism through which the organization targets and reaches the otolaryngologists and their patients, Dr. Randolph said.
These national and, in some cases, regional societies affiliate with the Academy informally—there are no fiscal or legal ties—so leaders get to know one another to build trust and work together on issues of concern. Our International Steering Committee, with its 22 regional advisors and advisors-at-large, is the architecture that underpins that global effort, Dr. Randolph observed.
“We live in a big world, and because the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery represents one of the foremost centers of otolaryngologic expertise on the planet, we have many global and international responsibilities,” he said.
“Given the number and wide distribution of the ICS network, I crafted this system of Regional Advisors and appointed Academy leaders with deep experience in certain regions to mediate a particular area and keep up to date with the various International Corresponding Societies in their region. Because the advisors are familiar with all the leaders of these societies…it has been helpful to deepen our international relationships.”
Catherine Lincoln, CAE, MA, the Academy’s senior manager of international affairs, reported that joint meetings, generally occurring during the national congress or annual meeting of an ICS, represent a significant opening for the Academy. She said the joint events might take the form of pre-congress workshops, miniseminar-style panels, or one- or two-day standalone courses.
“The host society selects the topics and ideally there will be equal numbers of American and host country speakers,” she added. “Some otolaryngology societies like the Mexican, Turkish, and Venezuelan Societies hold a joint meeting every year.”
Reaching Out to the Developing World
Besides the practical, self-sustaining benefits gained through international collaboration, AAO-HNS/F President James L. Netterville, MD, said the Academy focuses on humanitarian outreach.
Dr. Netterville, who serves as one of two regional advisors for Africa, revealed the AAO-HNS/F places a high value on developing outreach efforts in the areas of international medical missions, education and meeting support, as well as collaborative research and outcomes studies.
“It is not surprising that we gain as much from these interactions with our international colleagues as they do,” he said. “Those of us in the Academy leadership actively look for ways to support our members in their efforts toward creative outreach activities.”
G. Richard Holt, MD, D-BE, MSE, MPH, past Academy president and Regional Advisor for the Middle East, said it is critical to look at how American otolaryngology can boost or bolster research and clinical care in developing and emerging countries.
“We have—through our Academy and Foundation—probably the largest clinical and educational support group for otolaryngologists across the world, and that brings with it a responsibility to do everything we can to include our (international) colleagues in terms of making available what we have to offer,” he said.
“We have a really strong obligation to give otolaryngologists in those countries the knowledge and tools to begin outcome studies and care for their patients at the highest level of care possible within the constraints of their country, and to show them that they are really not cut off. In countries like Iraq, where they have been both educationally and clinically isolated for some time, we have a real responsibility to help.”
Exchanging Ideas through Research, Scholarships, and Journals
Dr. Stolovitzky, who serves as the Regional Advisor for Latin America, said he believes that because the Academy serves as a global forum, it has a duty to foster worldwide research communication.
“We are living in a global world and isolation does no good, particularly in science and more specifically in medicine,” he said. “We need the collaboration and the participation to advance our knowledge base, and that is achieved if we have a world forum to do that.”
Dr. Randolph said the Academy’s International Visiting Scholarships (IVS) and International Travel Grants strengthen idea exchange.
“The IVS program funds individuals from abroad to help them attend the meeting and mediate an observership in the U.S., while travel grants enable foreign otolaryngologists to come to the meeting,” he said.
“I think that the denominator for all of these programs is this: As we meet, so we become friends, and as we become friends, so we develop an ongoing relationship that aids in networking and building other relationships.”
Dr. Holt, who formerly served as the editor-in-chief of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, said the journal’s strong international section now allows Academy members to share information online.
“It’s even easier to share that information now, so somebody working in Germany knows what researchers in the U.S. are doing. If they have similar or complementary ideas, they can directly contact the U.S. researchers with the purpose of collaborating,” he added.
“The same thing happens when you are at the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPOSM. So many ideas are exchanged, both clinical and research. You make contacts with people from other countries with the purpose of continuing to share ideas.”
Dr. Kennedy, one of two Regional Advisors for Europe, said a good portion of the technology that U.S. otolaryngologists use frequently today came from overseas.
“Endoscopic sinus surgery was initially started in Europe, where I picked it up at a meeting,” he recalled. “Since that time it has become one of the most frequently used procedures—and one of the major changes—within the specialty in the U.S. Within rhinology, the rigid optic telescope or rigid optic endoscope came from England.”
Dr. Kennedy said in recent years, innovation has slowed in Europe, in part due to changes in the healthcare system and a growing emphasis on cost controls.
“Of course we are—to some extent—entering the same sort of period here in the U.S.,” he said. “So I think it’s critical that we keep this same kind of interchange going globally, because you never know where the next innovations will come from.”
What Is Our Return on Investment?
According to Dr. Stolovitzky, it is not uncommon or unreasonable for U.S. Academy members to question the efficacy of investing in international outreach.
“We have limited resources, like any institution, and the pink elephant in the room is whether or not these international efforts are actually taking away from our own agenda here in the U.S.,” he said.
“The expectation is for the Academy to concentrate on core activities like education and advocacy. Our U.S. members are definitely concerned about their medical practices and the socioeconomic and legislative issues affecting those practices.”
“Members will ask themselves what the Academy can do to produce revenue through international outreach. We know for a fact that there has been a decline in corporate support for the specialty and our Academy needs to rely on additional sources of revenue to fund our core activities. Increased international membership and attendance to the Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO are critical to accomplishing this goal.”