What Is the BOG and What Can It Do for Me?
Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD Immediate Past Chair, BOG This is the 31st year of the Board of Governors (BOG), but many of the 12,000-plus members of our Academy don’t understand what it is, what it does, or how they can interact with it and benefit from it. So, here’s a primer. WHO: The Board of Governors represents each member of the AAO-HNS. Its mission is to function as the representative of member otolaryngologists’ grassroots and socioeconomic concerns, and to bring those concerns to the Board of Directors (BOD) of the Academy. As such, the interface between the BOG and Academy activities occurs at committee meetings and in the development of educational offerings; at task forces (TF) such as the Guidelines Task Force and TFs that select coordinators and journal editors for the Academy; and directly at the Executive Committee (EC) and BOD of the Academy. HOW: Your concerns are represented at the BOG. There are local, state, regional, and/or national and international ENT society members of the BOG. These include the state otolaryngology societies, the national subspecialty societies, and either region-based or subspecialty-based societies. There are currently more than 60 local/state/regional societies, 17 national societies, two sections, two committees, and 54 International Corresponding Societies (ISC) that belong to the BOG. Each member society has three representatives to the BOG. There is a governor, a legislative representative, and a public relations representative. These individuals are appointed by their societies, and are expected to attend the BOG Spring Meeting in Alexandria, VA, the Fall BOG meeting the Saturday before the start of the Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, and the BOG General Assembly (GA) the Monday afternoon of the annual meeting. All Academy members are welcome to attend the GA, but only a member society’s governor may vote. If the governor cannot attend the GA, then one of the other two representatives may vote. WHAT: The structure of the BOG is as follows. Every year, there is a new chair-elect, who is elected at the Fall GA meeting. Every other year, there is a new secretary and a new member-at-large, whose elections are staggered, and who serve two-year terms. Their candidate statements are published in the Bulletin, and you can get to know them at the BOG Spring Meeting and during committee meetings. There are three major BOG committees: the Legislative Representatives Committee; the Socioeconomic and Grassroots Committee; and the Rules and Regulations Committee. Any member of the Academy in good standing can apply for membership to any of these committees through the normal Academy committee process, which ends every February. There is also a Nominating Committee, chaired by the immediate past chair of the BOG (me, this year) and has members elected at the GA. When needed, BOG task forces with a shorter shelf life are created. An example of a successful TF was the BOG Development TF, which helped launch the Millennium Society and has been folded into the Foundation’s Development Committee. The Executive Committee of the BOG consists of the chair, chair-elect, immediate past chair, secretary, member-at-large, and committee chairs and vice chairs. The BOG Executive Committee meets regularly to deliberate on matters of importance to practicing otolaryngologists in all types of work environments. We are an excellent first-line access point for practice and legislative matters that need to get to the attention of the Academy leadership and staff. The chair and chair-elect of the BOG sit on the Academy’s Executive Committee, with the chair having a voting position. The chair, chair-elect, and immediate past chair are all voting members of the Academy’s BOD. There is BOG representation on all Academy taskforces. WHEN: Plan to attend the BOG Spring Meeting & OTO Advocacy Summit May 5-7, 2013, in Alexandria, VA, and plan to storm Capitol Hill and meet with your legislators on May 7. This is a free member benefit open to all Academy members, and it is a lot of fun. Please try to bring a resident or two with you so they can be mentored as well. Arrive in Vancouver a day early this year and attend the BOG committee meetings on Saturday, September 28, 2013. You will love the camaraderie, the give-and-take, and the opportunity to make your perspective heard. Monday, September 30, plan to attend the BOG General Assembly beginning at 5 pm. Encourage your society’s representatives to attend and vote. Also be sure to attend the BOG-sponsored miniseminar, “Hot Topics in ENT.” You’ll be amazed at what you’ll learn about your own practice. WHY: The BOG is a remarkable group within our Academy that offers every otolaryngologist an opportunity to have his or her voice heard. It is a wonderful place to learn more about the practice and legislative aspects of ENT, and to learn and build your own leadership skills. As the healthcare landscape changes, we can’t keep our heads buried in the sand or hidden in the ivory tower. It is up to us, the otolaryngologists, to guide our citizens and legislators on the right path, and the BOG affords us that ability. You can always reach the BOG at bog@entnet.org, or contact any of us on the Executive Committee directly. I look forward to seeing you at future BOG events.
Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD
Immediate Past Chair, BOG
This is the 31st year of the Board of Governors (BOG), but many of the 12,000-plus members of our Academy don’t understand what it is, what it does, or how they can interact with it and benefit from it. So, here’s a primer.
WHO: The Board of Governors represents each member of the AAO-HNS. Its mission is to function as the representative of member otolaryngologists’ grassroots and socioeconomic concerns, and to bring those concerns to the Board of Directors (BOD) of the Academy. As such, the interface between the BOG and Academy activities occurs at committee meetings and in the development of educational offerings; at task forces (TF) such as the Guidelines Task Force and TFs that select coordinators and journal editors for the Academy; and directly at the Executive Committee (EC) and BOD of the Academy.
HOW: Your concerns are represented at the BOG. There are local, state, regional, and/or national and international ENT society members of the BOG. These include the state otolaryngology societies, the national subspecialty societies, and either region-based or subspecialty-based societies. There are currently more than 60 local/state/regional societies, 17 national societies, two sections, two committees, and 54 International Corresponding Societies (ISC) that belong to the BOG.
Each member society has three representatives to the BOG. There is a governor, a legislative representative, and a public relations representative. These individuals are appointed by their societies, and are expected to attend the BOG Spring Meeting in Alexandria, VA, the Fall BOG meeting the Saturday before the start of the Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, and the BOG General Assembly (GA) the Monday afternoon of the annual meeting. All Academy members are welcome to attend the GA, but only a member society’s governor may vote. If the governor cannot attend the GA, then one of the other two representatives may vote.
WHAT: The structure of the BOG is as follows. Every year, there is a new chair-elect, who is elected at the Fall GA meeting. Every other year, there is a new secretary and a new member-at-large, whose elections are staggered, and who serve two-year terms. Their candidate statements are published in the Bulletin, and you can get to know them at the BOG Spring Meeting and during committee meetings. There are three major BOG committees: the Legislative Representatives Committee; the Socioeconomic and Grassroots Committee; and the Rules and Regulations Committee. Any member of the Academy in good standing can apply for membership to any of these committees through the normal Academy committee process, which ends every February. There is also a Nominating Committee, chaired by the immediate past chair of the BOG (me, this year) and has members elected at the GA. When needed, BOG task forces with a shorter shelf life are created. An example of a successful TF was the BOG Development TF, which helped launch the Millennium Society and has been folded into the Foundation’s Development Committee. The Executive Committee of the BOG consists of the chair, chair-elect, immediate past chair, secretary, member-at-large, and committee chairs and vice chairs.
The BOG Executive Committee meets regularly to deliberate on matters of importance to practicing otolaryngologists in all types of work environments. We are an excellent first-line access point for practice and legislative matters that need to get to the attention of the Academy leadership and staff. The chair and chair-elect of the BOG sit on the Academy’s Executive Committee, with the chair having a voting position. The chair, chair-elect, and immediate past chair are all voting members of the Academy’s BOD. There is BOG representation on all Academy taskforces.
WHEN: Plan to attend the BOG Spring Meeting & OTO Advocacy Summit May 5-7, 2013, in Alexandria, VA, and plan to storm Capitol Hill and meet with your legislators on May 7. This is a free member benefit open to all Academy members, and it is a lot of fun. Please try to bring a resident or two with you so they can be mentored as well.
Arrive in Vancouver a day early this year and attend the BOG committee meetings on Saturday, September 28, 2013. You will love the camaraderie, the give-and-take, and the opportunity to make your perspective heard. Monday, September 30, plan to attend the BOG General Assembly beginning at 5 pm. Encourage your society’s representatives to attend and vote. Also be sure to attend the BOG-sponsored miniseminar, “Hot Topics in ENT.” You’ll be amazed at what you’ll learn about your own practice.
WHY: The BOG is a remarkable group within our Academy that offers every otolaryngologist an opportunity to have his or her voice heard. It is a wonderful place to learn more about the practice and legislative aspects of ENT, and to learn and build your own leadership skills. As the healthcare landscape changes, we can’t keep our heads buried in the sand or hidden in the ivory tower. It is up to us, the otolaryngologists, to guide our citizens and legislators on the right path, and the BOG affords us that ability.
You can always reach the BOG at bog@entnet.org, or contact any of us on the Executive Committee directly. I look forward to seeing you at future BOG events.