Published: October 24, 2013

Partners for Progress: Defining Meaningful Partnerships

As attendees made their way down the large escalators to the 2011 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO exhibit hall, they couldn’t help but notice the tremendous banners hanging from the ceiling overhead that promoted AAO-HNSF Partners. And, something was different from past years. Instead of traditional pharma and device manufacturer logos, the AAO-HNSF meeting corporate recognition banners included 23 logos and names of the AAO-HNSF’s Partners for Progress. These Partners for Progress represent ENT group practices and academic centers that have made annual philanthropic donations in support of the AAO-HNSF’s work. Specifically, these groups help address the challenges faced by our specialty through partnership and leveraged resources working together for improved patient care. New this year, Partners for Progress participated in a specially designed form of communication between the AAO-HNS/F and partnering groups: the annual Partners for Progress Forum. The inaugural event, held Tuesday, September 13, brought together Partner representatives, members of the AAO-HNS/F Board of Directors, and executive staff. The 2011 Forum opened with introductions from David R. Nielsen, MD, AAO-HNS/F EVP and CEO. He remarked about the importance of having such a great group gathered for this first meeting, and at his pleasure of the group’s representation from solo, mid-sized, and large groups. The Forum is an important effort for the AAO-HNS/F as demonstrated by the participation of several key AAO-HNS/F Board members, including: James L. Netterville, MD, J. Regan Thomas, MD, and Shannon P. Pryor, MD. The Board of Governors was represented by Jay S. Youngerman, MD, whose group is also a Founding Partner. The Forum included a presentation about ways to become more engaged in the specialty’s success through volunteerism, sharing of intellect, and becoming an advocate. A second presentation highlighted the impact that generous donations have on the AAO-HNSF mission. Both of these presentations were of interest to Partners. Better still, as the group was walked through the AMA/Specialty Society Relative Value Update Committee (RUC) process, presented by Jenna Kappel, director of Health Policy, you could feel the energy in the room change. It became evident that this was an immediate and powerful connection to their interests. People asked questions, thought out loud, and shared insights about wanting to be more involved but just not having all the tools necessary. So, Ms. Kappel shared tips with them, simple things they could do like reading the Bulletin articles on the survey process, completing the surveys if selected as part of sample, and checking The News for solicitation of survey participation. Equally important, Ms. Kappel urged members to provide expertise for presentation for codes, to maintain a volunteer list for survey completion, and to notify the AAO-HNS if there are problems with payment or gaps in coding. As a result of the Forum, it was clear there was great interest in this area, and so the Partners for Progress will receive announcements about surveys for which participation is invited. The “Open Forum,” which offered an opportunity for Partner-driven conversations about trends and challenges faced in the day-to-day practice of otolaryngology, was facilitated by David R. Nielsen, MD, and Louise Eddy, MS CCC/A, FAAA, Texas Ear, Nose, & Throat Specialists, P.A., administrator and director of audiology. The Forum provided the chance for real dialogue about payer advocacy, issues being faced by the group, quality measures being undertaken, and the changing role of the single-specialty group. Of course, there is never enough time for such important conversations. The group agreed that there was a need for continued dialogue and that they would use all avenues available to Partners for continued collaboration (email, digest newsletters for Partners, and several planned face-to-face meetings throughout the year). As several of the Partners’ CEOs are members of the Association of Otolaryngology Administrators’ Large Groups Executives Forum, an invitation was extended to the AAO-HNSF  to participate in the spring meeting and to continue the exciting discussions and present on the AAO-HNS/F’s progress. This is what Partners for Progress is all about—shared knowledge, dialogue, collaboration, and leveraged resources toward a stronger specialty. The AAO-HNS/F believes the program is key to the future and will serve as a vital communication tool between the AAO-HNS/F, otolaryngologists, and their staff. And, through the fundamental mission support, Partners for Progress will continue to open doors for young physicians, facilitate research, and foster innovative programs and services that support otolaryngologists—head and neck surgeons in providing the best patient care. For more information about Partners for Progress, please visit www.entnet.org/partners. “After attending the Forum for the Partners for Progress, I am more convinced than ever that our AAO-HNS/F is dedicated to the progress of our specialty through research, education, and standard setting. I am encouraged by the Academy’s willingness to advocate on behalf of both academic and private practice otolaryngologists for improved quality measures, coding standards, and payer guidelines. This partnership has the potential to transform our specialty.”– Rance W. Raney, MD, President, Texas Ear, Nose & Throat Specialists, PA

2011 Partners for Progress. Pictured left to right, front row: Ira D. Uretzky, MD, (Peoria ENT); Todd Blum, MHA, MBA, CMPE (Ear, Nose, and Throat Associates of South Florida, PA); John R. Gross, FHFMA, and John R. Emmett, MD, (Shea Ear Clinic); Keith Lynn (Augusta ENT); J. Noble Anderson, Jr., MD, (ENT Associates of Alabama). Back row: Rance W. Raney, MD, and H. Louise Eddy, MS, CCC/A, (Texas Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialists); Robert A. Glazer, MPA, (ENT & Allergy Associates LLP); Pell Ann Wardrop, MD, (Otosleep); Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD, (New York Otology); Jay S. Youngerman, MD, and John J. Grosso, MD, (Long Island ENT Associates PC). Not pictured: representatives of Advanced ENT & Allergy; Arkansas Otolaryngology Center; Boys Town Ear, Nose & Throat Institute; Charlestown ENT; Houston Ear, Nose and Throat; Ohio ENT; Sacramento ENT; South Florida ENT Associates; Chicago Otolaryngology Associates; Island ENT/NY Facial Plastics; Michael A. Rothschild, MD; Michael Setzen, MD, Otolaryngology PC; and Richard W. Waguespack, MD, Ear, Nose, and Throat.2011 Partners for Progress. Pictured left to right, front row: Ira D. Uretzky, MD, (Peoria ENT); Todd Blum, MHA, MBA, CMPE (Ear, Nose, and Throat Associates of South Florida, PA); John R. Gross, FHFMA, and John R. Emmett, MD, (Shea Ear Clinic); Keith Lynn (Augusta ENT); J. Noble Anderson, Jr., MD, (ENT Associates of Alabama). Back row: Rance W. Raney, MD, and H. Louise Eddy, MS, CCC/A, (Texas Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialists); Robert A. Glazer, MPA, (ENT & Allergy Associates LLP); Pell Ann Wardrop, MD, (Otosleep); Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD, (New York Otology); Jay S. Youngerman, MD, and John J. Grosso, MD, (Long Island ENT Associates PC). Not pictured: representatives of Advanced ENT & Allergy; Arkansas Otolaryngology Center; Boys Town Ear, Nose & Throat Institute; Charlestown ENT; Houston Ear, Nose and Throat; Ohio ENT; Sacramento ENT; South Florida ENT Associates; Chicago Otolaryngology Associates; Island ENT/NY Facial Plastics; Michael A. Rothschild, MD; Michael Setzen, MD, Otolaryngology PC; and Richard W. Waguespack, MD, Ear, Nose, and Throat.

As attendees made their way down the large escalators to the 2011 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO exhibit hall, they couldn’t help but notice the tremendous banners hanging from the ceiling overhead that promoted AAO-HNSF Partners. And, something was different from past years. Instead of traditional pharma and device manufacturer logos, the AAO-HNSF meeting corporate recognition banners included 23 logos and names of the AAO-HNSF’s Partners for Progress. These Partners for Progress represent ENT group practices and academic centers that have made annual philanthropic donations in support of the AAO-HNSF’s work. Specifically, these groups help address the challenges faced by our specialty through partnership and leveraged resources working together for improved patient care.

New this year, Partners for Progress participated in a specially designed form of communication between the AAO-HNS/F and partnering groups: the annual Partners for Progress Forum. The inaugural event, held Tuesday, September 13, brought together Partner representatives, members of the AAO-HNS/F Board of Directors, and executive staff. The 2011 Forum opened with introductions from David R. Nielsen, MD, AAO-HNS/F EVP and CEO. He remarked about the importance of having such a great group gathered for this first meeting, and at his pleasure of the group’s representation from solo, mid-sized, and large groups. The Forum is an important effort for the AAO-HNS/F as demonstrated by the participation of several key AAO-HNS/F Board members, including: James L. Netterville, MD, J. Regan Thomas, MD, and Shannon P. Pryor, MD. The Board of Governors was represented by Jay S. Youngerman, MD, whose group is also a Founding Partner.

The Forum included a presentation about ways to become more engaged in the specialty’s success through volunteerism, sharing of intellect, and becoming an advocate. A second presentation highlighted the impact that generous donations have on the AAO-HNSF mission. Both of these presentations were of interest to Partners. Better still, as the group was walked through the AMA/Specialty Society Relative Value Update Committee (RUC) process, presented by Jenna Kappel, director of Health Policy, you could feel the energy in the room change. It became evident that this was an immediate and powerful connection to their interests. People asked questions, thought out loud, and shared insights about wanting to be more involved but just not having all the tools necessary. So, Ms. Kappel shared tips with them, simple things they could do like reading the Bulletin articles on the survey process, completing the surveys if selected as part of sample, and checking The News for solicitation of survey participation.

Equally important, Ms. Kappel urged members to provide expertise for presentation for codes, to maintain a volunteer list for survey completion, and to notify the AAO-HNS if there are problems with payment or gaps in coding. As a result of the Forum, it was clear there was great interest in this area, and so the Partners for Progress will receive announcements about surveys for which participation is invited.

The “Open Forum,” which offered an opportunity for Partner-driven conversations about trends and challenges faced in the day-to-day practice of otolaryngology, was facilitated by David R. Nielsen, MD, and Louise Eddy, MS CCC/A, FAAA, Texas Ear, Nose, & Throat Specialists, P.A., administrator and director of audiology. The Forum provided the chance for real dialogue about payer advocacy, issues being faced by the group, quality measures being undertaken, and the changing role of the single-specialty group. Of course, there is never enough time for such important conversations. The group agreed that there was a need for continued dialogue and that they would use all avenues available to Partners for continued collaboration (email, digest newsletters for Partners, and several planned face-to-face meetings throughout the year). As several of the Partners’ CEOs are members of the Association of Otolaryngology Administrators’ Large Groups Executives Forum, an invitation was extended to the AAO-HNSF  to participate in the spring meeting and to continue the exciting discussions and present on the AAO-HNS/F’s progress.

This is what Partners for Progress is all about—shared knowledge, dialogue, collaboration, and leveraged resources toward a stronger specialty. The AAO-HNS/F believes the program is key to the future and will serve as a vital communication tool between the AAO-HNS/F, otolaryngologists, and their staff. And, through the fundamental mission support, Partners for Progress will continue to open doors for young physicians, facilitate research, and foster innovative programs and services that support otolaryngologists—head and neck surgeons in providing the best patient care.

For more information about Partners for Progress, please visit www.entnet.org/partners.

“After attending the Forum for the Partners for Progress, I am more convinced than ever that our AAO-HNS/F is dedicated to the progress of our specialty through research, education, and standard setting. I am encouraged by the Academy’s willingness to advocate on behalf of both academic and private practice otolaryngologists for improved quality measures, coding standards, and payer guidelines. This partnership has the potential to transform our specialty.”– Rance W. Raney, MD, President, Texas Ear, Nose & Throat Specialists, PA

More from November 2011 - Vol. 30 No. 11
ABFPRS Elects New Officers
Daniel S. Alam, MD, of Cleveland, OH, and Scott A. Tatum, MD, of Syracuse, NY, were elected to six-year terms as directors of the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ABFPRS) at the recent meeting of the ABFPRS in San Francisco.  Mary Lynn Moran, MD, of Woodside, CA, and William H. Truswell, MD, of Northampton, MA, were elected to the ABFPRS Senior Advisory Council.  Re-elected to one-year terms as ABFPRS officers were: Ira D. Papel, MD, of Baltimore, as president; Mark V. Connelly, MD, of LaCrosse, WI, as vice president; Lee E. Smith, MD, of Princeton, WV, as secretary; and Harrison C. Putman, MD, of Peoria, IL, as treasurer.  Shan R. Baker, MD, of Livonia, MI, continues as immediate past president. Late Application Deadline and Fee Notice  Applications for ABFPRS certification will be accepted through February 15, 2012, if accompanied by the late fee of $300. Call the ABFPRS office for information at 1-703-549-3223. ABFPRS Requirements for Certification ABFPRS certification is open to all surgeons who meet the following requirements: Completion of an otolaryngology and/or plastic surgery residency approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Canada; Prior certification in one of those specialties through the American Board of Medical Specialties or the RCPSC; Two years in practice; Submission of 100 acceptable, peer-reviewed cases; Passing score on the ABFPRS examination; Operate in an accredited facility; and Appropriate licensure and adherence to the ABFPRS Code of Ethics. Applications for the June 2012 examination are available online only at www.abfprs.org or contact the ABFPRS office, 115C S. Saint Asaph St., Alexandria, VA 22314; call 1-703-549-3223; fax 1-703-549-3357; email information@abfprs.org. ABFPRS Certifies  18 Surgeons At its September 10, 2011, meeting, the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (abfprs)Board of Directors determined that the following 18 surgeons had met all of the requirements to become ABFPRS diplomates. The action brings the total number of diplomates to 1,045.Amit D. Bhrany, MD Michael Keith Bowman, MD Ryan M. Greene, MD Jeffrey D. Hoefflin, MD Dilip D. Madnani, MD Michael  J. Nuara, MD Amit B. Patel, MD James Michael Pearson, MD Michael J. Reilly, MD David T. Rouse, Jr., MD Travis L. Shaw, MD Oliver P. Simmons, MD Amar C. Suryadevara, MD Konstantin Tarashansky, MD Emre  A. Vural, MD Jeremy P. Warner, MD Stephen M. Weber, MD Neena Agarwal Will, MD
2011 Annual Report from ABFPRS
Ira D. Papel, MD ABFPRS President The American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ABFPRS) provides a mechanism through which surgeons who specialize in otolaryngology’s largest subspecialty can earn additional recognition for their knowledge and skills. The following report summarizes ABFPRS activity during the past 12 months. Annual Examination The ABFPRS held its annual examination June 18-19, 2011, in Washington, DC. Sixty-nine surgeons sat for the test, bringing to 1,400 the total number of examinees to date. This test was the 27th since the ABFPRS was established in 1986. The examination has two parts — the written test, which consists of 300 multiple-choice items, and the oral test, which consists of 12 protocols. This year, both the written and oral tests again earned high reliability ratings during independent analysis of exam results. The reliability rating is the degree to which test scores are consistent and dependable. The failure rate was within the acceptable range for an examination at the subspecialty level. Diplomate Profile Of the 1,400 examinees to date, 1,027 have completed all requirements for certification. (See “ABFPRS Requirements” below). Counting the 2011 class of diplomates, ABFPRS certificants reside in 47 states, six Canadian provinces, one U.S. territory and two other countries. ABFPRS diplomates focus their practices in a variety of ways. This year, 96 percent of ABFPRS diplomates report spending some practice time performing cosmetic surgery, while 82 percent perform some reconstructive surgery. They spend the balance of their practice time performing other otolaryngologic procedures, including allergy and sinus, burn surgery, cleft lip/palate and craniofacial/skull-base surgery, diving and hyperbaric medicine, drug study and research, facial dermatologic skin care, head and neck surgery, laser treatments, oral surgery, otology, rhinology, sleep apnea, and TMJ. ABFPRS diplomates also practice in a variety of settings. This year, 30 percent report spending some time in an academic practice, with the median amount of time spent being 30 percent. Also, 50 percent spend some time in a private solo practice, 26 percent in a private single-specialty group, and 10 percent in a private, multi-specialty group — with the median amount of time spent being 100 percent in each of these settings. Further, 2 percent spend a median of 100 percent of their time in other settings, ranging from the armed services and the Veterans Administration to HMOs, hospitals, and medical foundations. Maintenance of Certification in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery® Program On June 19, 25 more ABFPRS diplomates took the ABFPRS Maintenance of Certification in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery® examination to complete ABFPRS recertification requirements. This brings the total number of surgeons who have completed all ABFPRS Maintenance of Certification in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery® requirements to 67. Support for the ABFPRS Twenty-six state and national medical societies sponsor the ABFPRS, including the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery. Further, the ABFPRS credential has been found to be equivalent to the primary boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties in every state that has set standards for such equivalence, so that the credential continues to be recognized in all 50 states, U.S. territories, and Canadian provinces. ABFPRS Requirements for Maintenance of Certification in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery® Four components necessary to complete recertification requirements: Professional Standing Prior, earned ABFPRS certificate Possession of current, earned certificate from ABOto or ABPS or RCPSC in otolaryngology—head and neck surgery or plastic surgery Possession of an unrestricted U.S. or Canadian medical license Acceptable responses to questionnaire regarding past or pending adverse action Satisfactory status with the FSMB and NPDB Documentation of privileges to practice facial plastic surgery in an accredited institution or facility Compliance with the ABFPRS Code of Ethics Continuing Medical Education Documentation of 50 hours of CME credits every two years Cognitive Expertise Candidates must achieve a passing score on a one-day examination and may choose from three exam modules: -100 percent cosmetic surgery -100 percent reconstructive surgery or -50 percent cosmetic and 50 percent  reconstructive Practice Performance Submission of a 12-month sequential operative log of eligible procedures performed during the year preceding submission of the application, with a minimum of 50 procedures Operative reports for the last 35 consecutive cases on the operative log Applications for the June 2012 examination are available online only at www.abfprs.org or contact the ABFPRS office, 115C S. Saint Asaph St., Alexandria, VA 22314;  call 1-703-549-3223; fax 1-703-549-3357; email information@abfprs.org.
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Resources for Members: S0PE
Innovation Scholar Program for Otolaryngology Society of Physician Entrepreneurs (SoPE), a physician-led, non-profit member organization, and Acclarent, a subsidiary of Ethicon, Inc., have introduced of the Innovation Scholar Program for Otolaryngology.  The Innovation Scholar Program is a six-month work/study program for otolaryngologists who have an interest in learning more about a biomedical company’s life cycle processes for products and services. The Innovation Scholar Program offers a unique opportunity to experience first-hand the major functions performed by a top-tier biomedical company. This program is similar in nature to new MBA programs developed by major banks. The Innovation Scholar will be rotated through work assignments in several departments, such as research, product development, manufacturing, and distribution. During the program, the Scholar will become a temporary full-time Acclarent employee with benefits, including heath insurance. This is a great opportunity for entrepreneurial physicians to learn about the healthcare innovation commercialization process and the types of employment opportunities for physicians in a biomedical company, while gaining practical work experience. To find out more about this new program, visit the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs website, www.SoPEnet.org, and review the Innovation Scholar Program description. SoPE and Acclarent are accepting applications now for either a January or July 2012 program start at Acclarent headquarters in Menlo Park, CA. Acclarent is a subsidiary of Ethicon, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company, the world’s largest diversified healthcare company.  Applications can be obtained from the SoPE website and faxed back to SoPE at 1-703-879-7710. For more information about the program and how to apply, contact Jim Blakely, SoPE EVP & COO, at  EVP@SoPEnet.org or 1-703-879-7711.
Doreen Nakku, MD, MUST Otolaryngology Resident
Developing an Otolaryngology­—Head and Neck Residency Training Program in Rural Uganda
Jo A. Shapiro, MD, Chief, Division of Otolaryngology, Brigham and  Women’s Hospital This year I had the honor of being asked to develop and academically support a nascent residency training program in otolaryngology—head and neck surgery at the Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), located in Southwestern Uganda. David Bangsberg, MD, MPH, the director of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Global Health, told me in his gentle and wise way, “Just go to Mbarara and shake their hands.  You cannot know in advance what their needs will be.  You need to go there and find out for yourself.” And so I did. MGH has a long-standing collaboration with MUST through its Center for Global Health. The collaboration has focused on HIV research and treatment, and they are beginning to widen the collaboration efforts. The leaders of MUST placed as their current clinical priority the training of an otolaryngologist who will practice locally and train others in the future. Their first resident, Doreen Nakku, MD, had just started her PGY-2 year. She was working with the sole ORL faculty member, a Cuban otolaryngologist, who was there for only a limited time. I traveled there in mid-February 2011 for two weeks.  My first order of business was to meet the relevant stakeholders, including the associate dean of the medical school, the chiefs of anesthesia and surgery, and  Dr. Nakku. After many conversations, I learned that the two most pressing needs were to rewrite the entire curriculum and get Dr. Nakku academic support.  The curriculum she and I wrote was subsequently approved, and I have developed what I hope will be a long-standing relationship with her.  The AAO-HNSF has generously allowed Dr. Nakku to access many of our teaching materials. Several of our residents have expressed interest in becoming involved in the program, and I am looking forward to continuing our collaboration with MUST well into the future.
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Coding Edits: A Review of How to Decipher NCCI & MUEs and How Your Academy Is Involved in Advocacy for Appropriate Edits
Udo Kaja Program Manager, Payer Advocacy Your Medicare and/or Medicaid contractor or private payer may have denied payment for a procedure you performed on the same patient and same date of service as another procedure because of prepayment claims systems processing edits. These automated prepayment edits allow payers to scrutinize your submitted claims to determine whether separate reimbursement is warranted for certain combinations of services you perform on each patient per day. It is important that you are aware how these edits function so you may avoid unnecessary denials and help to optimize your billing operations. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) developed the National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) to eliminate improper coding for Medicare Part B claims. Although created by CMS, many private payers and Medicaid providers have adopted NCCI edits within their claims processing systems. These edits are based on coding conventions defined by the American Medical Association’s CPT Coding Manual, analysis of current standards of coding practice, and input from specialty societies like your Academy. Medicare Claims processing contractors first adopted these edits for claims with dates of service on or after January 1, 1996.  CMS updates these edits quarterly. There are two types of edits that fall under the NCCI: they are Column 1/Column 2 Correct Coding Edits (CCI) and Mutually Exclusive Edits (MEE). The CCI edits show code pairs that you should not report together when performed on the same day because one procedure is integral to the other. For example, if you removed impacted cerumen (69210) – column 2 on the same day as a tympanometry (92550) – column 1, the 69210 would be denied. (For Medicare patients, you may report the removal of the impacted cerumen with the HCPCS Level II G0268 code). MEE identifies code pairs that (for clinical reasons) are unlikely to be performed on the same patient on the same day. The MEEs and CCIs are arranged in two columns – columns 1 and 2. For the CCIs, column 1 represents the primary procedure (which is paid) while column 2 (denied service) represents the procedure which the column 1 code encompasses. For the MEEs, the column 2 code typically represents the procedure with the higher work Relative Value Unit (RVU) and will be denied when reported with the column 1 code. If you submit a code-pair that Medicare does not reimburse separately for, you are prohibited from asking the patient to sign an Advanced Beneficiary Notice (ABN)  and/or a Notice of Exclusions from Medicare Benefits form to obtain payment. Associated with these NCCI edits are modifier indicators (0, 1, and 9). These modifiers will allow you to determine whether you may override the MEE and/or CCI so you may obtain separate payment for each service. If the code pair has a modifier indicator of “0”, you are barred from overriding the edit. If “1”, you may override the edit with an appropriate modifier. An indicator of “9” signals the edits do not apply to the code pair. Another type of automated prepayment review edit is the Medically Unlikely Edit (MUE), which CMS established on January 1, 2007, to lower the Medicare Fee for Service paid claims error rate. Also updated quarterly, MUEs signify the maximum number of units for a CPT/HCPCS code you may report for each patient per day on your claims. CMS develops these edits from anatomic considerations, HCPCS/CPT code descriptors, CPT coding instructions, established CMS policies, nature of service/procedure, nature of equipment and clinical judgment. The agency validates these edits against 100 percent submitted claims data within a 6-month period. For CPT/HCPCS codes you submit that have MUEs, your payer’s claims system would review the claim to ensure you did not exceed the number of units of service allowed per day. If you did, the payer would automatically deny the line item on your claim. CMS publishes most MUE values on its website. For those MUEs that are unpublished, the Academy Health Policy Team as well as your Medicare contractor can disclose to you a typical range of units you may bill for the service or procedure. In addition, Medicaid plans have been mandated to incorporate the CCIs and MUEs as of October 1, 2010. Academy’s Involvement in the Development and Review Process for CCIs and MUEs Generally, when CMS proposes new CCI and MUE edits, the agency offers your Academy the opportunity to review and ensure they reflect current coding guidance and medical practice. First, the Health Policy Team reviews the proposed edits to check whether there are any that affect CPT/HCPCS codes typically performed by otolaryngologist – head and neck surgeons. After compiling proposed edits relevant to the specialty, the Physician Payment Policy workgroup (3P) thoroughly reviews them to determine whether they are appropriate.  If 3P disagrees with any edits, they will provide solid medical rationale in support of their position.  The Academy has been successful with many of the disagreements with CMS on the proposed changes to NCCI edits. For example, last year we disagreed with the CMS decision to bundle the middle ear exploration code (69440) and tympanic membrane procedures (69420, 69421, 69424, 69433, 69436, 69610, and 69620) into otologic procedures performed by a transcanal or endaural approach. Due to our advocacy, CMS decided not implement these edits. The whole process of reviewing proposed edits may take up to a month. Another important aspect of reviewing the proposed MUEs and NCCI edits is to prepare you for any changes that may affect the way you report certain procedures. This is done by developing coding guidance on appropriate coding for procedures performed primarily by otolaryngologist – head and neck surgeons.  Visit our website to view all our coding guidance,  http://www.entnet.org/Practice/cptENT.cfm. How to Access the NCCI  and MUE edits You may download a list of all the current CCIs on the Medicare website at https://www.cms.gov/nationalcorrectcodinited/ncciep/list.asp. They are arranged by service type and code range, so you may easily select which particular range of codes you need and download. The most recent MUEs are also available on the Medicare website at https://www.cms.gov/NationalCorrectCodInitEd/08_MUE.asp#TopOfPage (you will want to download the “Practitioner Services MUE Table” file). The most current versions for both edits became effective on October 1, 2011.
Preparing for ICD-10
Kim Reid, Director of ICD-10 Training and Curriculum (www.aapc.com)  The medical industry in the United States has been using the same coding system (ICD-9-CM) for more than 25 years. Because of the ongoing advances in the medical field, we have long since outgrown the capacity of the ICD-9 coding system. Beginning October 1, 2013, a new coding system will be implemented in the United States for all covered entities under HIPAA.  ICD-10-CM will be used to report diagnosis coding and ICD-10-PCS will be used to report procedures performed in the hospital (or facility). Currently, in ICD-9-CM there are approximately 14,000 codes available to choose from to report diagnoses for patients. In ICD-10-CM there are over 70,000 code choices. With such a large increase in available choices, it is inevitable that physician documentation will require more specific details to allow services to be coded to the highest level of specificity. In ICD-9, the codes may be five digits and most of them are all numeric (with the exception of the V and E codes). In ICD-10, the codes may be up to seven characters and always begin with a letter. The additional character may be alpha or numeric, depending on their place in the code. Some of the differences between the code sets include the addition of laterality, specific locations of certain diseases and conditions (inner ear, middle ear, external ear), and episode of care (initial encounter, subsequent encounter, sequela). It will by no means be impossible to learn the new coding system; however, without preparation and training, many services will not be able to be coded without the necessary information being included in the documentation. The appropriate time to begin preparing for the changes largely depends on an individual’s role in the practice. The person who is in charge of the implementation project should already be in the process of outlining a plan for their organization indicating the timelines for each step to be completed. Each person who is assigned to complete a portion of any tasks related to ICD-10 implementation should have a clear understanding of what they are expected to accomplish and when. ICD-10 will be much more than just learning a new set of codes. Computer software and hardware will need to be updated, electronic medical records will need to be assessed for vendor readiness with uploading the codes to the system, integration to all systems used in the office will need to be reviewed, and upgrades may be necessary. Providers will require education to understand what elements are going to be necessary in their documentation to ensure accurate and precise coding. There are aspects of ICD-10 preparation that should be well under way at this time. The conversion to the new electronic format for submitting claims will be implemented as of January 1, 2012. Many offices are relying on their clearinghouse or electronic medical record vendor to ensure compliance with the new format, but it is imperative that a practice understands where the vendor or clearinghouse is in the process of this transition or it could result in delayed claims processing and payment in early 2012. If you have not already had a conversation with your IT team, vendor, or clearinghouse, you may want to contact them right away to see where they are with 5010 testing. The implementation date is only a short time away. While the conversion date for the new electronic format will take place in January 2012, ICD-10 codes cannot be used until October 1, 2013. The transition to the new electronic format in January (one year and 10 months prior to the code set implementation) will allow for the healthcare industry to continue submitting claims using ICD-9 codes, while testing the electronic submission of ICD-10 codes. In addition to 5010 testing and formulating the implementation effort, it is also very important to begin preparing providers for the necessary changes that will be required in their documentation. An ideal plan is to begin looking at current documentation and trying to code for the services in ICD-10-CM. This will optimize the educational effort for the provider so they can easily understand areas of change that will be directly related to them individually. By educating the providers now on the upcoming changes, they can begin to integrate the elements required for accurate ICD-10-CM coding now, and then when the implementation date of October 1, 2013, arrives they will be minimally impacted by the change. There will still be unspecified codes available for use with ICD-10; however, if you choose to use the unspecified codes when more accurate codes are available, the payer may pay the claim initially, but if they were to perform an audit on the medical record, and they find that the service could have been reported to a higher level of specificity they could request the payment be returned. For instance, think of an ear infection. Many times a provider will indicate “OM” as the diagnosis. Depending on the circumstances of the patient, an E & M level 3 or 4 service is provided. If the diagnosis is billed as “H66.90 Otitis media, unspecified, unspecified ear” the payer may not feel that a higher level of service is supported if the ear that the condition exists in cannot be identified. The choices in ICD-10-CM are: H66.90 Otitis media, unspecified, unspecified ear H66.91 Otitis media, unspecified, right ear H66.92 Otitis media, unspecified, left ear H66.93 Otitis media, unspecified, bilateral In addition to laterality in ICD-10-CM there are other elements that are unique to this new coding system. Many conditions are indicated as being recurrent: H65.00 Acute otitis media, unspecified ear H65.01 Acute otitis media, right ear H65.02 Acute otitis media, left ear H65.03 Acute otitis media, bilateral H65.04 Acute otitis media, recurrent, right ear H65.05 Acute otitis media, recurrent, left ear H65.06 Acute otitis media, recurrent, bilateral H65.07 Acute otitis media, recurrent, unspecified The injury section in ICD-10-CM has greatly expanded to include many elements, including the episode of care. For example, foreign body in ear has the following choices available in ICD-10-CM: H16.1xxA   Foreign body in right ear, initial encounter H16.1xxD   Foreign body in right ear, subsequent encounter H16.1xxS   Foreign body in right ear, sequela H16.2xxA   Foreign body in left ear, initial encounter H16.2xxD   Foreign body in left ear, subsequent encounter H16.2xxS   Foreign body in left ear, sequela H16.9xxA   Foreign body in ear, unspecified ear, initial encounter H16.9xxD   Foreign body in ear, unspecified ear, subsequent encounter H16.9xxS   Foreign body in ear, unspecified ear, sequela An initial encounter is used when the patient is receiving active medical treatment for a condition. Some examples of active medical treatment are: surgical treatment, emergency department encounter, and evaluation and treatment by a new provider. A subsequent encounter is defined in ICD-10-CM as encounters after the patient has received active medical treatment of the injury and is receiving routine care for the injury during the healing or recovery phase. Examples of subsequent care are: cast change or removal, removal of external or internal fixation device, medication adjustment, other aftercare and follow-up visits following injury treatment. Sequela is used for complications or conditions that arise as a direct result of an injury, such as scar formation after a burn. The scars are sequelae of the burn. CMS has indicated that this new coding system is being implemented as a result of the provider community working with their specialty societies, and asking for more precise codes in each specialty to more accurately convey the severity of a patient’s illness, and to better represent disease processes as they are researched and new information is obtained. This new code set will also allow the United States to report universally with the rest of the world who are already using ICD-10 to provide more precise information for statistical tracking and research. The transition to ICD-10 will be a large undertaking, and the time to begin preparing is now.
Medical Errors: Back to the Basics
Rahul K. Shah, MD, George Washington University School of Medicine, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC I was fortunate to be able to give a course at our recent annual meeting on errors in otolaryngology. The participants were engaged and I hope learned a little bit about the zones of risk in our practices with errors in otolaryngology. The course began with clarification on the definitions of medical error, adverse events, and near misses. Upon reflection, I determined it would be an opportune time to take a step back from our regular monthly column where we highlight innovative and cutting-edge concepts, programs, etc., with regard to patient safety and medical quality and to instead provide examples on the issue of medical errors. There are myriad definitions of medical error and one can possibly find such that support their viewpoints or their perspectives. I have spent several hours trying to find the perfect definition of medical error. Suffice it to say, there are nuances in many of the definitions. Rather than argue about the precise definitions of medical errors, I will list some examples of situations that may help explain when an event is classified as a medical error, adverse event, or near miss. A commonly accepted definition of medical error is that something occurred that was unintended or was improperly executed. For example, a resident and attending discuss a patient and decide to obtain central access for a critically ill ICU patient. The resident prepares the patient for an attempted internal jugular venous access and after much effort, converts to a subclavian line. There is no error inherent in this decision-making process as the patient needed venous access and was presumably consented for such. The patient with the subclavian line then develops a blood stream infection, perhaps a central-line blood stream infection (CLBSI). This would trigger reporting in many hospitals and would certainly be a metric that the intensive care unit tracks. This is not a medical error, per se, rather an adverse event. An adverse event can be considered an event that occurs as a result of the treatment of the underlying medical condition. A great example is a patient correctly diagnosed with an acute otitis media and  placed on the correct antibiotic, who develops a severe rash necessitating hospitalization and close wound care as a result of the antibiotic. This patient had an adverse event in that the underlying medical treatment resulted in his hospitalization. Similarly, the CLBSI in the previous example is not a medical error, unless the patient was not prepared in a sterile fashion, sterile techniques were not used, post-operative wound care was not the standard, etc. Hence, what seemingly appears to be an adverse event may, upon very close inspection, actually be a medical error. Complicating the situation even more is that the error may be a latent defect in the system—the reason a cohort of patients are having CLBSI may not be related to the institution, but perhaps to the manner in which the company industrial plant sterilized the central line, and so on. You can see how exhausting if not impossible the exercise is in determining the accountable step in such a scenario. Hence the applications of systems-science and continuous quality improvement to approach the outcome of interest in a systematic manner. To build on our rather simplistic example above, a near miss would have been if the attending and the resident discussed that patient Mr. Y needed central access and the resident went into the room of Mr. Z and began prepping the patient and setting up the central access kit. He was caught by the nurse, who told the resident that Mr. Z did not need central access per morning rounds/report and the resident then realized his mistake. Note that the error never reached the patient and there was no harm. Therefore, this would be considered a near miss. As you can see from the above examples, the distinctions between these groups are crystal clear. Actually, not at all! There are many shades of gray when categorizing incidents in hospital settings. Many institutions have super-committees consisting of senior-level executives, risk managers, quality improvement staff, etc., that help adjudicate and decide on the severity of events and the proper classification for such. One can imagine that these classifications not only affect the perceived quality of the hospital, but also significantly affect the liability premiums for the organization. I hope these examples demonstrate how a simple classification scheme can be quite complex when trying to operationalize.  Members of the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Committee, Academy staff, and I will be more than happy to discuss with Academy members the examples above and the nuances of the definitions. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us for such clarification and discussion. We encourage members to write us with any topic of interest, and we will try to research and discuss the issue. Members’ names are published only after they have been contacted directly by Academy staff and have given consent to the use of their names. Please email the Academy at qualityimprovement@entnet.org to engage us in a patient safety and quality discussion that is pertinent to your practice.
Save the Date: May 7-8, 2012
AAO-HNS Announces the 2012 ENT Advocacy Day in Washington, DC. Calling all U.S. Academy members! Help increase our visibility and influence on Capitol Hill by attending the 2012 AAO-HNS Advocacy Day. Planned in conjunction with the Boards of Directors and Board of Governors Spring Meeting, May 6-7, the advocacy activities are scheduled for  May 7 – 8, 2012, in Washington, DC. Attendees will participate in legislative advocacy training sessions and pre-scheduled meetings with Members of Congress and/or their staff. There also will be ample networking opportunities and an ENT PAC fundraiser. Mark your calendar now!
2011 ENT Advocacy Network Recruitment Contest Winners
During the 2011 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in San Francisco, the Government Affairs team highlighted its 2011 ENT Advocacy Network Recruitment Contest. The recruitment drive officially ran from September 1 to October 1, 2011, and current ENT Advocacy Network members were asked to recruit U.S. AAO-HNS members to help strengthen the specialty’s voice and influence in the states and on Capitol Hill. The ENT Advocacy Network is a network of AAO-HNS members that has an active interest in state and federal legislation impacting otolaryngology—head and neck surgery and the surgical community. As part of this free AAO-HNS member benefit, the Academy’s Government Affairs team keeps members informed of developments in healthcare legislation and public policy. ENT Advocacy Network members receive an exclusive legislative e-newsletter, The ENT Advocate, delivered biweekly to their email inboxes, as well as access to time-sensitive “Action Alerts” on key legislative proposals. In total, more than 45 U.S. AAO-HNS members participated as recruiters and recruits in the contest, resulting in 35 new ENT Advocacy Network members. Susan R. Cordes, MD, Board of Governors (BOG) Member-at-Large, was the top recruiter and winner of a $200 American Express gift card. Dr. Cordes and the second highest recruiter, Wendy B. Stern, MD, BOG Secretary, were each awarded one  AAO-HNS “Honor Point” to recognize their special contributions to the membership drive. A list of all contest participants can be viewed by visiting the ENT Advocacy Network portion of the AAO-HNS Legislative and Political Affairs webpage at www.entnet.org/advocacy. The Government Affairs team thanks all our ENT Advocacy Network members—old and new—for their support of our legislative advocacy initiatives.
Be a Legislative Insider
Join the AAO-HNS ENT Advocacy Network Today In addition to periodic updates included in the Bulletin, the Academy’s Government Affairs team provides members with timely updates on key legislative and political initiatives in the U.S. Congress and in the states through the ENT Advocacy Network, a free AAO-HNS member benefit. ENT Advocacy Network members receive The ENT Advocate, a biweekly e-newsletter, informing our membership of the most up-to-date news in the political and legislative arenas. Members are also kept informed through periodic “Action Alert” emails with easy instructions on contacting their legislators. As a member of the ENT Advocacy Network, there is no obligation other than a desire to be educated on the legislative issues impacting your patients, specialty, and  livelihood. Join over 1,500 of your colleagues who have already signed up to receive “insider” legislative and political information faster via the ENT Advocacy Network. Enrollment is easy; simply email govtaffairs@entnet.org or call  1-703-535-3795. You also can sign up online by visiting  www.entnet.org/advocacy.
Government Affairs Highlights from the Annual Meeting
The ENT PAC Booth served as the Government Affairs “hub” during the 2011 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in San Francisco, allowing members to engage in discussions about state and federal legislation and to learn more about the Academy’s legislative priorities and political activities. The Academy’s legislative and political advocacy efforts were highlighted during the Board of Governors (BOG) Legislative Representatives Committee meeting on Saturday, September 10, 2011. The AAO-HNS Government Affairs team provided attendees with timely and informative updates on state and federal legislation impacting the specialty and reported on recent political and grassroots activities. Committee members also heard from guest speaker, A.J. Kennedy, communications director for Californians Allied for Patient Protection (CAPP), who discussed the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act of 1975 (MICRA) and current efforts to protect this iconic medical liability reform law and its applicable programs. The Government Affairs team also stepped up its efforts to engage members in one of our most important federal advocacy tools, ENT PAC, the political action committee of the AAO-HNS.* The fresh look and design of the ENT PAC booth not only featured a Donor Wall to recognize all 2011 PAC donors, but the booth also included an entire section highlighting the PAC’s new programs, namely the Leadership Club Giving Levels and the ENT PAC State Fundraising and Membership Challenge, which were launched earlier this year. Through the generosity of U.S. AAO-HNS members and staff, ENT PAC raised nearly $11,000 at this year’s meeting. On Sunday, September 11, all 2011 ENT PAC investors were invited to attend an exclusive “thank you” reception at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis Hotel. The reception was the perfect opportunity for PAC investors to network with peers and members of the ENT PAC Board of Advisors. ENT PAC Board of Advisors Chair, Marcella R. Bothwell, MD, thanked her fellow contributors and stressed the importance of peer-to-peer fundraising and continued involvement in AAO-HNS advocacy efforts. New in 2011, ENT PAC investors had the opportunity to attend the first “ENT PAC Investors Briefing & Legislative Update” held Monday, September 12. Also new in 2011, the ENT PAC Board of Advisors hosted a casual, special recognition luncheon for members of the ENT PAC Chairman’s Club (annual contribution of $1,000 or more) on Tuesday, September 13. Both events received positive feedback and will likely be offered at future meetings. The ENT PAC Board of Advisors and the Academy’s Government Affairs team sincerely appreciate the investment in and commitment to ENT PAC by AAO-HNS members. We look forward to seeing you at the Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in Washington, DC, in 2012. There’s no better place to get involved in the Academy’s legislative and political initiatives! To learn more about the Academy’s advocacy efforts, please visit www.entnet.org/advocacy or contact the Government Affairs team at govtaffairs@entnet.org. For more information on ENT PAC, visit www.entnet.org/entpac or contact ENT PAC staff at entpac@entnet.org. *Contributions to ENT PAC are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Contributions are voluntary, and all members of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery have the right to refuse to contribute without reprisal. Federal law prohibits ENT PAC from accepting contributions from foreign nationals. By law, if your contributions are made using a personal check or credit card, ENT PAC may use your contribution only to support candidates in federal elections. All corporate contributions to ENT PAC will be used for educational and administrative fees of ENT PAC, and other activities permissible under federal law. Federal law requires ENT PAC to use its best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and the name of the employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in a calendar year.  ENT PAC is a program of the AAO-HNS which is exempt from federal income tax under section 501 (c) (6) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Figure 1. AAMC 2008 numbers of otolarygologists, U.S. race/ethnicity
Diversity in Our Ranks
Duane J. Taylor, MD  Chair, Diversity Committee The charge of the Diversity Committee is as follows: “To educate and promote diversity and inclusion in all its forms including gender, race, religion, socioeconomic status, disability, geographic location, sexual orientation, age, and culture within our membership and especially in our leadership. To promote cultural sensitivity and competence in concert with other Academy committees first to the membership and medical schools and then to the public for the best treatment of ear, nose, throat, head and neck disease…” As a part of our effort, the search for data that looks at the diversity of our specialty in the U.S. was set in place, and the most comprehensive recent information was obtained from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) report “Diversity in the Workforce Facts and Figures 2010.” This article presents some of this extracted data and information as it pertains to our specialty, to encourage our members to review the report, and to consider how this information might enable us as a specialty in preparing and developing our workforce and managing our increasingly diverse patient population. (See Figure 1.) As is clearly indicated in the beginning of the report, “The bulk of the data presented in this publication only covers physicians who graduated from U.S. MD-granting medical schools between 1978 and 2008. Therefore, these data do not reflect all current practicing physicians in the workforce. For example, doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs), international medical school graduates (IMGs), and practicing physicians who graduated prior to 1978, among others, are not included.” Prior to presentation of the report data, several points are discussed and include an introduction on “Diversity, Disparities, and the Data,” which cites several studies that state, “In terms of healthcare delivery, research indicates that physicians from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds are themselves more likely to treat racial and ethnic minority patients, and more likely to set up practice in typically underserved communities.” It also expands upon the idea that a more diverse workforce in healthcare is a key to eliminating healthcare disparities. The second area discussed in the report prior to presentation of the data was “Expanding our Notion of Diversity to Improve Healthcare.” As was indicated in the report, “… diversity continues to embrace race, ethnicity, nationality, and gender, while expanding the concept to encompass sexual orientation, religion, geography, disability, age, language, gender identity, and much more…” The final discussion prior to presentation of the data is “Physician Workforce Diversity: Necessary, But Not Sufficient,” and this segment explores the critical importance of “assembling a workforce that is diverse along many dimensions,” however, also realizing that this alone will not allow us to adequately care for our ever-changing diverse population. The report is extensive and looks at many aspects of the distribution and diversity across all specialties. However, some of the information extracted regarding our specialty has been placed into charts and tables for demonstration and review. Percent of total U.S. physicians in Figure 1. Asian   (1,066) 1.8% Black/African American       (219) 0.7% American Indian/     Alaska Native             (23) 0.9% Hispanic/Latino        (258) 1.0% White  (5,561) 1.6% Total   (7,127) 1.5% Otolaryngology specialty, women by race and ethnicity, 2008 Asian   271 Black/African American       72 American Indian/Alaska Native      5 Hispanic/Latino        49 White  935 Total   1,332 Practice specialty , men by race and ethnicity, 2008 Asian   793 Black/African American       147 American Indian/Alaska Native      18 Hispanic/Latino        209 White  4,625 Total   5,792 Otolaryngology specialty by census size of practice areas, race,  and ethnicity, 2008 1 Million or More 250,000-999,999 100,000 -249,999 < 100,000 Asian 893 94 35 42 Black/African American 185 18 4 12 American Indian/Native Alaska 17 2 1 3 Hispanic/Latino 201 32 9 16 White 3,527 980 494 559 Total 4,823 1,126 543 632 Practice specialty by census size of practice areas and sex, 2008 1 Million or More 250,000 – 999,999 100,000 – 249,999 < 100,000 Women 1,010 167 79 76 Men 3,813 959 464 556 The information and data compiled and accumulated above is to be a source for stimulation of discussion, understanding, and consideration of how we as individuals, an organization, and a specialty might better look at the future of our specialty, the workforce, and our preparations to serve our patient population. It also motivates us to review this information and see how it aligns with any current information that our Academy has compiled. Reference Diversity in the Physician Workforce Facts & Figures 2010. Laura Castillo-Page, PhD, Director of Research, Diversity Policy and Programs. Published by the Association of American Medical Colleges, Diversity Policy and Programs. Summer 2010.
Dr. Nancy L. Snyderman’s keynote speech encouraged the WIO to continue to pursue gender equality in the profession.
Wow, What a Year for WIO
Pell Ann Wardrop, MD,  Chair, WIO Section Endowment Committee The annual meeting in San Francisco marked the inaugural year for the Women in Otolaryngology (WIO) Section. At the December 2010 meeting, the AAO-HNS Board of Directors granted the request of the Women in Otolaryngology Committee to become a Section within the AAO-HNS/F. A number of activities were sponsored by the WIO at this year’s annual meeting. Many of these WIO activities were clustered on Monday, September 12. The 8:00 am miniseminar, “Mentor and Mentee Skills: Tools from Residency to Practice and Beyond,” explored the important roles that mentors play in the professional development of physicians. The panelists, Marvin P. Fried, MD, Chandra M. Ivey, MD, Mark K. Wax, MD, Ronald B. Kuppersmith, MD, MBA, and Ayesha N. Khalid, MD, covered the influences of generational needs, varied career stage, and practice type on both mentor and mentee roles. Also at 8:00 am, the miniseminar, “International Healthcare and Women: The Roles and Challenges of Women in Sustainable Humanitarian Outreach,” moderated by Sonya Malekzadeh, MD, and Gregory W. Randolph, MD, focused on the roles of women in the international community as otolaryngologists, educators, community leaders, and patients.  On Tuesday, September 13, the WIO and the Section for Residents and Fellows-in-Training co-sponsored a miniseminar titled, “Practice Considerations and Contracts for New Employment.” At noon on Monday, the WIO Section convened its first General Assembly in conjunction with the annual women’s luncheon. Dr. Nancy L. Snyderman’s keynote speech on “Transitions” deftly dovetailed with the changes being navigated by the WIO as it evolves from a committee into a section. She challenged the WIO to move into more leadership positions within the Academy and to continue the fight for gender equality within our specialty. In pointing out that otolaryngology is behind in this area, she cited a recent study that showed that the average female otolaryngologist has a salary of $175,000, while the average male makes $207,0001 even after correcting for confounding factors, including productivity. The Helen F. Krause, MD, Trailblazer Award, sponsored by the WIO, was presented to Drs. Kuppersmith and Malekzadeh. This annual award recognizes an individual or individuals who, through scholarship, advocacy, leadership, and/or mentorship have furthered the interests of women in the field of otolaryngology. The new committee structure of the Section was unveiled during the assembly, and productive breakout roundtable discussions were held for each of these new committees. The new WIO committees and the interim chairs include: Programs—Lauren S. Zaretsky, MD; Awards—Valerie A. Flanary, MD; Leadership Development and Mentorship—Mona M. Abaza, MD; Communications—Susan R. Cordes, MD; Research and Surveys—Linda S. Brodsky, MD; and Endowment—Pell Ann Wardrop, MD. These women, along with the interim Section chair, chair-elect, and immediate past chair, make up the transitional governing council of the WIO Section. The governing council, composed of Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD, Anna Kristina E. Hart, MD, and Amanda L. Silver, MD, constituted the ad-hoc working group on Governance, which existed prior to the adoption of the WIO Section Rules and Regulations. At the conclusion of the meeting, Dr.  Malekzadeh, who expertly guided the group from committee to Section status, turned over the leadership gavel to Shannon P. Pryor, MD, who will lead the group until the first Section elections in 2012. This year has seen the debut of the WIO quarterly eNewsletter, edited by Dr. Cordes. This newsletter highlights issues of interest to women in otolaryngology, including career development, gender equity, work/life balance, and leadership opportunities. The WIO website is under construction and will serve as a resource for the dissemination of information on the programs and activities of the WIO section. As this website develops, it will have the newsletter archives, information on the purpose of the WIO Section and Section governance, networking and mentoring opportunities, articles on the AAO-HNS/F governance and opportunities for involvement and leadership in the AAO-HNS/F, and other topics that interest and/or support female otolaryngologists both personally and professionally. Another activity of the WIO is the collection of data through surveys and research regarding the status of women in otolaryngology and how we can better serve the needs of women and all members of our specialty. The recent mentorship survey highlighted the needs and desires of young physicians, male and female, for strong coaching and mentor relationships. The WIO is currently exploring mechanisms to meet this need. At the 2011 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, fundraising continued for the WIO Endowment, which was launched last year. During the 2010 annual meeting, in just four days, women otolaryngologists and male friends of WIO raised more than $400,000 in donations and pledges toward this endowment. This broke all previous annual meeting fundraising efforts by the Foundation, and enabled the participation of female members of our Academy in a way and to a degree that had not occurred before. The Endowment has at its core five major areas of interest: Programs to foster WIO career development in all career paths; Socio-anthropological research into the trials, tribulations, and successes of practicing women otolaryngologists; Promoting work/life integration; Leadership development and recognition; and Bringing noted speakers to the Academy’s annual meeting. Overall, this was an extremely productive meeting for the newly established WIO Section. The next year will bring opportunities for participation in the AAO-HNS, which include: service on a WIO committee, election to an office in the WIO, authorship of an article for the Bulletin, or submission of an item for the WIO eNews.  For more information contact wio@entnet.org. Reference 1  Anthony T. Lo Sasso, Michael R. Richards, Chiu-Fang Chou and Susan E. Gerber. “The $16,819 Pay Gap For Newly Trained Physicians: The Unexplained Trend Of Men Earning More Than Women, Health Affairs,” September 2011, Volume 30, Number 9, 193-201.
Jay S. Youngerman, MD Chair, BOG Development Fundraising Task Force
Fundraising Flourishes at the Annual Meeting
The work of the Board of Governors (BOG) Development Fundraising Task Force was visible throughout the 2011 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO. The Friday before the meeting, members of the task force along with members of the WIO Section and Diversity Committee met for dinner to discuss how to best bring about philanthropic awareness and further the goal to create a more sustainable AAO-HNS/F. During the informal gathering, several members had a chance to hear, firsthand, about the lives that are being changed through endowments created to develop and sustain programs that will encourage diversity and inclusion, increase awareness about healthcare disparities, support future leaders, and increase international outreach. The group of attendees came away energized and prepared to speak with others about the important work that is taking place. That discussion was carried over to the BOG Development Fundraising Task Force meeting that took place Saturday prior to the start of this year’s annual meeting. At the BOG Development Fundraising Task Force meeting, you could see the growing excitement about what the annual meeting brings and how everyone participating has a hand in furthering our mission. While discussing the geographical areas that represent highest levels of philanthropic support, many of my colleagues were excited to see their states represented.  (See “Top 10 Millennium Society States.”) What was even more moving was when BOG members were asked to raise their hands if they were current Millennium Society members. In the room of more than 25 people, 90 percent raised their hands proclaiming their support for the AAO-HNSF. The awareness of the importance of giving by members of the BOG has spread and continues to permeate the rest of the membership. Last year, we had 390 Millennium Society members by the end of December. By the start of the annual meeting, we had more than 400 Millennium Society members. So, prior to the annual meeting, we challenged the BOG to help reach the goal of 450 Millennium Society members by December 2011. Of course, task force members were up to the challenge—at the conclusion of the meeting, we boasted a Millennium Society list with 450 members! The BOG Task Force members also learned about “Seizing Today’s Planning Opportunities to Secure Your Tomorrow,” from Brian Duncan, MBA, of the Duncan Financial Group, who has been a resource to several AAO-HNSF donors. As many of us plan for the future, we were fortunate to hear him speak about ways in which we can help make our future, family, and AAO-HNS/F secure in an uncertain tomorrow. The presentation brought to light important considerations related to current tax law, the benefits to donors making gifts of stock, and opportunities to achieve significant giving through gifts of life insurance. This year’s Millennium Society Donor Appreciation Lounge offered unparalleled opportunities for networking, relaxing, and working—all in one place. Many of our donors complimented the lounge’s setup and amenities—appreciating the opportunity for an on-call meeting room, business services, and even luggage check. Brian Duncan also stayed on after Saturday’s presentation to provide complimentary financial consultation to donors—another touch that was valued by donors and lounge visitors. As I made my way from session to session, I noted that many of the task force members who attended the meeting were making the rounds and talking with friends and colleagues about the opportunity to give back to their specialty as well as the benefits that come with it. Our task force brought prospective members to the Millennium Society Donor Appreciation Lounge to show them how they can become more involved in our society, support the areas that they are most passionate about, and to experience “all that is the Millennium Society Donor Appreciation Lounge.” Ensuring the future of our profession by providing essential funding for our mission of empowering otolaryngologist—head and neck surgeons to deliver the best patient care is of vital importance. You can continue this momentous climb toward another record-breaking year by joining the Millennium Society and encouraging your colleagues as well. To join, go to www.entnet.org/donate or contact our Development staff at development@entnet.org or 1-703-535-3718. Top 10 Millennium Society States (2010) 1. New York  $593,951 2. Texas  $317,100 3. North Carolina  $117,847 4. California  $112,216 5. Illinois  $85,350 6. Tennessee  $72,100 7. Washington  $66,600 8. Washington, DC – $61,666 9. Pennsylvania  $56,630 10. Florida  $53,100
David R. Nielsen, MD, AAO-HNS/F EVP/CEO
The Evolution of Giving
When I became a full fellow of the Academy in 1983, my first committee appointment was on the Insurance Advisory Committee. Never heard of it? It doesn’t exist anymore. Our final act as a committee was to recommend that it be permanently retired. It was an anachronism. For years, professional and other membership societies augmented their revenue streams with “affinity programs.” Many still do. These were offerings of benefits or services that members would ordinarily be interested in buying (not necessarily related to the mission of the society) that could be provided by the society with a little markup profit built in to subsidize the real mission. The Academy was no exception. One of the programs we offered was the ability for our members to purchase life and health insurance through an underwriter affiliated with the Academy who would pay us a dividend or commission for every insured. Adverse selection slowly reduced any benefit to the Academy or our members because members could buy less expensively elsewhere, with better local attention and local service, and only those who were unable to obtain affordable insurance opted for the Academy’s product. I remember Dr. John G. Campbell, the chair of that committee wistfully saying, “If every member of the Academy would voluntarily donate 2 or 3 or 5 percent of their net value to the Academy when they died, it wouldn’t harm their retirement or estate, we could get rid of this committee, and we would have the reliable funds we need to keep the Academy going in perpetuity.” He repeated that remark as he later became president of AAO-HNS and had to sign off on the annual budget. Many similar relationships with “endemic” (otolaryngology-related) and “non-endemic” (non-medical) partners have had varying levels of success in supporting the broad and continuously growing Academy and Foundation agendas. For example, it is essential that physicians—and especially surgeons—work closely with the industry and companies that produce the technology and tools we use to advance care for our patients. We have an exhibit hall at the annual meeting where this technology and advancing service can be observed and purchased. Revenue from our exhibit hall and unrestricted grants from our corporate friends help defray the cost of continuing education and improving healthcare. For 10 years, the Academy did not raise dues, while the increasing budget was balanced by increasing outside sources of revenue. The percentage of the Academy’s budget funded by dues dropped from around 37 percent to a low of 19 percent. But several years ago, your Academy and Foundation leaders courageously decided to “take back ownership” of our Academy. We cannot be optimally effective if reliant upon fluctuating, unpredictable, or unsustainable revenue sources, illustrated by the recent economic downturn. Knowing that we need more stability, we committed to the building of an endowment that will sustain the long-term, focused, relevant, and mission-critical activity that we as members expect and deserve. Although it has taken many years of planning, establishing leaders, generating initial large gifts, and creating a culture of giving back to the profession we love, we are experiencing steady growth and increasing strength through this endowment. The dictionary defines an endowment as a “gift, grant, or bequest.” In the financial sense, it implies a charitable contribution associated with an emotional or personal tie to an institution, organization, or entity whose mission is important to the donor. We have been richly blessed over the last several years as we have moved from the “silent phase” of our endowment to openly embracing new donors, to where we have many warm, generous, committed, and passionate otolaryngologists advancing the specialty through their philanthropy. And the support is coming from every segment of our membership. The community-based otolaryngologist, the academician, our residents and fellows, our Diversity Committee and members, the young physicians, those close to retirement, our Women in Otolaryngology Section, many of our international leaders, and even Academy and Foundation staff have all shown inspiring leadership and generosity. Their gifts have been more valuable than the dollar amount they have given. The circumstances of their gifts, the willingness to give in the name of another valued colleague, friend, or mentor, and their willingness to promote the culture of philanthropy have all contributed to a growing pride of ownership of our members in their society and a desire to make a planned gift for the next generation. As a member of the Academy and Foundation Boards of Directors, I am pleased to add my name to the list of Hal Foster, MD, Endowment Society Founding Donors, and to be part of the 100 percent membership of your Board of Directors in the Millennium Society. As we approach the end of the year, I encourage you to consider the great legacy you have inherited from those leaders who have gone before you and decide what level of gift you can leave to those who follow. I add my thanks to that of your dedicated staff for your loyalty, devotion, and dedication to providing the best otolaryngology care in the world.
Rodney P. Lusk, MD AAO-HNS/F President
Philanthropy: Raising the Bar
There is much going on at 1650 Diagonal Road, but with this issue of the Bulletin focusing on philanthropy, it gives me the perfect opportunity to share with you a few recent successes for the AAO-HNSF.  First, I am pleased to share with you that for the first time in the 10-year history of the Millennium Society, we can announce 100 percent Board of Directors participation. Our current leaders understand that financial support is just as critical as their time, energy, and expertise.  You and I as members are sincerely indebted to our Board of Directors. Even more impressively, I am pleased to report to you the inspiring, and ever-growing, number of staff members in the Millennium Society. Our professional staff, who dedicate themselves to helping us achieve our mission goals,  includes 21 who are members of the Millennium Society, providing philanthropic donations directly back to our cause. This Board, staff, and leadership commitment mirrors the philanthropic character of our membership, which continues to add donors to our Foundation. During the opening ceremony of the 2011 Annual Meeting, J. Regan Thomas, MD, formally announced The Changing Face of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Campaign. I was fortunate to be a part of the beginning of this endeavor. As an organization representative of all otolaryngologists, we continue to encourage an atmosphere of inclusion for all. The AAO-HNSF’s commitment to establishing programs that support these goals to build and sustain a culture that will attract the best and brightest physicians to our specialty is second to none. Through the campaign, programs that benefit several segments of constituents will be endowed. (See www.entnet.org/change). These include programs for Women in Otolaryngology (WIO Endowment); those that encourage diversity, inclusion, and greater awareness of healthcare disparities (Diversity Endowment); leadership development and education (Future Leaders Endowment); and international outreach and scholarships (Endowed International Visiting Scholars [IVS] Grants). These endowments support our overall mission, facilitating increased research being conducted by a diverse population of researchers, fostering the best educational exchange, and enhancing patient care. Leaders of each endowment, Duane J. Taylor, MD (Diversity Endowment),  Pell Ann Wardrop, MD (WIO Endowment), Mark E. Zafereo, Jr., MD (Future Leaders Endowment) and Gregory W. Randolph, MD (Endowed IVS Grants), have all worked tirelessly to advance the specialty by empowering other otolaryngologist—head and neck surgeons in delivering the best patient care.  With their help and the help of many of our colleagues, The Changing Face of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery will allow us to “fund” our charge of inclusion and create the financial infrastructure for establishing the programs that support and attract the best and the brightest future otolaryngologists. In appreciation of their efforts, each was presented with a special campaign commemorative to remind them of their roles leading this important initiative. Our success over recent years has been due to the increased awareness about what our specialty is doing to create more meaningful opportunities for others to join. At the annual meeting, our Development team was once again able to join the Board of Governors’ meetings, the Harry Barnes Society meeting, the Section for Residents and Fellows General Assembly, the WIO General Assembly Meeting and Luncheon, the Diversity Committee meeting, meetings with our Partners for Progress practice groups, and take part in meetings with our industry champions. For the first time, the Development staff had the opportunity to attend the Society of Military Otolaryngologists’ (SMO) meeting to speak with military members about the AAO-HNSF and its work with the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), and to invite their participation in the Millennium Society.  The expansion of our specialty into all sectors of society is what makes our specialty extraordinary. We also have been fortunate to have found a new and much deserved Foundation Board of Directors Development Coordinator in Nikhil J. Bhatt, MD. Who better to lead the charge of advancing our specialty in development-related aspects than Dr. Bhatt? A life member of the Millennium Society, a Hal Foster, MD, Endowment Founding Donor, Legacy Circle Member, and 2011 Presidential Citation recipient, Dr. Bhatt is nothing short of amazing for all that he does for our specialty. He will head a soon-to-be-formed Development Committee. It will focus on strategic philanthropy and help us to ensure the vitality of our society well into the future. On behalf of all your patients, thank you for the expert care you provide, and on behalf of the Academy, thank you for your continued support. We are building many new programs that will improve our communications with you and your patients. As outlined above, we are extending our outreach to all members of our specialty and are raising the bar for patient care.
Academy and Foundation Cluster and Committee Rosters
The following are the committees of the Academy and Foundation, grouped by clusters. These are all members, unless otherwise noted who were appointed to terms October 1, 2011 as well as continuing their service. The number following each name indicates end of their term. If you’d like to serve on a committee, submit your application at www.entnet.org/Community/. STANDING and BOARD STEERING COMMITTEES Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws Committee Stephen J. Chadwick, MD, Committee Chair, 12 Bradley F. Marple, MD, Member, 13 James A. Stankiewicz, MD, Member, 13 Estella Laguna, Staff Liaison Audit Committee Peter C. Weber, MD, MBA, Committee Chair, 12 Kenneth W. Altman, MD, PhD, Member, 14 David W. Eisele, MD, Member, 14 Jerry M. Schreibstein, MD, Member, 13 Debara L. Tucci, MD, Member, 12 Carrie Hanlon, Staff Liaison Brenda Hargett, CPA, CAE, Staff Liaison Executive Committee Rodney Lusk, MD, President, 12 J. Regan Thomas, MD, Immediate Past President, 12 James L. Netterville, MD,  President-Elect, 12 Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD,  Chair/BOG, 12 John W. House, MD,  Secretary/Treasurer, 12 Gavin Setzen, MD,  Secretary/Treasurere-Elect, 12 Denis C. Lafreniere, MD,  Chair-Elect/BOG, 12 Debrara L.Tucci, MD, Director At-Large, 12 Stephan J. Chadwick, MD,  Director At-Large, 12 David R. Nielsen, MD,  Executive Vice President & CEO, 12 Finance & Investment Subcommittee John W. House, MD, Committee Chair, 12 Gavin Setzen, MD, Committee  Chair-Elect, 12 Michael G. Stewart, MD, MPH, Member, 13 Jerry M. Schreibstein, MD, Member, 13 J. Pablo Stolovitzky, MD, Member, 12 Pell Ann Wardrop, MD, Member, 12 Brenda Hargett, CPA, CAE, Staff Liaison Ethics Committee Lauren S. Zaretsky, MD,  Committee Chair, 12 Daniel C. Chelius, Jr., MD, Member, 12 Roger D. Cole, MD, Member, 13 Susan R. Cordes, MD, Member, 13 Christopher Discolo, MD, Member, 13 Beth R. Duncan, MD, MBA, Member, 12 John W. Jones, MD, Member, 12 Paul Konowitz, MD, Member, 13 Donald C. Lanza, MD, MS, Member, 12 Susan D. McCammon, MD, Member, 12 Kevin Christopher McMains, MD,  Member, 12 Travis J. Pfannenstiel, MD, Member, 13 Andrew G. Shuman, MD, Member, 13 Timothy J. Siglock, MD, Member, 12 Barry L. Wenig, MD, MPH, Member, 12 Sarah K. Wise, MD, Member, 12 Karen B. Zur, MD, Member, 12 Charles F. Koopmann, Jr., MD, MHSA, Consultant, 12 Veling W. Tsai, MD, JD, Consultant, 13 Noriko Yoshikawa, MD, Consultant, 13 Brenda Hargett, CPA, CAE, Staff Liaison Nominating Committee J. Regan Thomas, MD, Committee Chair, 12 Linda S. Brodsky, MD, Member, 13 Karen J. Doyle, MD, PhD, Member, 13 Christine G. Gourin, MD, Member, 13 Marci Lesperance, MD, Member, 12 Randal A. Otto, MD, Member, 12 Michael A. Rothschild, MD, Member, 13 Peak Woo, MD, Member, 12 Lauren S. Zaretsky, MD, Member, 12 Estella Laguna, Staff Liaison Physician Resources Committee David W. Kennedy, MD,  Committee Chair, 13 Jason L. Acevedo, MD, Member, 12 Ramesh K. Agarwal, MD, Member, 12 Linda S. Brodsky, MD, Member, 12 David W. Eisele, MD, Member, 12 Berrylin J. Ferguson, MD, Member, 12 Bruce J. Gantz, MD, Member, 12 Eric M. Gessler, MD, Member, 13 Marie T. Gilbert, PA-C, Member, 13 Joseph E. Hart, MD, MS, Member, 12 Steven B. Levine, MD, Member, 12 Robert H. Miller, MD, MBA, Member, 12 William P. Potsic, MD, Member, 12 John W. Seibert, MD, Member, 12 Gavin Setzen, MD, Member, 13 Michael Vietti, MD, Member, 13 Lauren S. Zaretsky, MD, Member, 12 Michael M.E. Johns, II, MD, Consultant, 12 Steven J. Pearlman, MD, Consultant, 12 Harold C. Pillsbury, III, MD, Consultant, 13 David Reiter, MD, DMD, MBA, Consultant, 12 Jin-Suk Kim, MD, Non-Voting Guest, 12 Sonya Malekzadeh, MD, Ex-Officio, 13 Duane J. Taylor, MD, Ex-Officio, 12 Jean Brereton, Staff Liaison Science & Educational Committee Sonya Malekzadeh, MD, Committee Chair, 15 John H. Krouse, MD, PhD, Member , 12 Eduardo M. Diaz, Jr., MD, Member, 12 Gregory W. Randolph, MD, Member, 13 John S. Rhee, MD, MPH, Member, 14 Richard M. Rosenfeld, MD, MPH,  Member, 14 Kristine Schulz, MPH, Member Jean Brereton, Member Brenda Hargett, CPA, CAE, Member David R. Nielsen, MD, Ex-Officio Eben L. Rosenthal, MD, Non-Voting Guest Sukgi S. Choi, MD, Non-Voting Guest Mary Pat Cornett, CAE, CMP, Member/Staff Liaison Board of Governors (BOG) Committees BOG Executive Committee Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD, Chair BOG, 12 Denis C. Lafreniere, MD, Chair-Elect BOG, 12 Michael D. Seidman, MD, Immediate Past Chair/BOG, 12 Wendy B. Stern, MD, Secretary/BOG, 13 Susan R. Cordes, MD, Member At Large, 12 Denis C. Lafreniere, MD, Member, 12 Steven B. Levine, MD, Ex-Officio, 12 Richard Carson, Staff Liaison BOG Nominating Committee Michael D. Seidman, MD, Committee Chair, 12 Steven T. Kmucha, MD,JD, Member, 12 Lisa Perry-Gilkes, MD, Member, 12 Robert J. Stachler, MD, Member, 12 Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD,  BOD Liaison, 12 Richard Carson, Staff Liaison BOG Development Fundraising Task Force Committee Jay Youngerman, MD, Chair 12 Seilesh Babu, MD, Member 12 Noel L. Cohen, MD, Member 12 Robert A. Frankenthaler, MD, Member 12 Tamer Abdel-halim Ghanem, MD, PhD Member 12 Margaret A. Kenna, MD, MPH Member 13 Philip L. Massengill, MD, Member 12 Simon C. Parisier, MD, Member 13 Brianne B. Roby, MD, Member 12 Andrew E. Sutton, MD, Member 12 Jesse G. Wardlow, MD, Member 12 Philip E. Zapanta, MD, Member 12 Megan Schagrin, CAE, CFRE, Staff Liaison BOG Legislative Representatives Committee Paul M. Imber, DO, Committee Chair, 12 Stacey L. Ishman, MD, BOG Vice Chair, 12 Christopher F. Baranano, MD, Member, 12 K. Paul Boyev, MD, Member, 12 Soha N. Ghossaini, MD, Member, 13 Joseph E. Hart, MD, MS, Member, 13 J. Scott Magnuson, MD, Member, 12 Brianne B. Roby, MD, Member, 12 Javad A. Sajan, MD, Member, 13 Lawrence M. Simon, MD, Member, 12 Larry N. Smith, MD, Member, 12 Hayes H. Wanamaker, MD, Member, 13 Lee P. Smith, MD, Young Physicians Committee Representative, 12 James H. Benson, IV, MS, Consultant, 12 Rebecca Fraioli, MD, Consultant, 12 Paul C. Frake, MD, Consultant, 12 Drew Franklin, MBA, Consultant, 12 Alice H. Morgan, MD, PhD, Consultant, 12 Kanwar S. Kelley, MD, SRF Committee Representative, 13 Michael D. Seidman, MD, Ex-Officio, 12 Megan Howell, Staff Liaison Richard Carson, Staff Liaison BOG Rules & Regulations Committee Joseph E. Hart, MD, MS,  Committee Chair, 12 Sanford M. Archer, MD, BOG Vice Chair, 12 Robert A. Frankenthaler, MD, Member, 12 Satish Govindaraj, MD, Member, 13 Andrew J. Heller, MD, Member, 12 Paul M. Imber, DO, Member, 13 John Y. Kim, MD, Member, 12 Steven T. Kmucha, MD, JD, Member, 12 H Baltzer LeJeune, MD, Member, 13 Spencer C. Payne, MD, Member, 12 Jesse G. Wardlow, Jr., MD, Member, 13 Jeffrey S. Wolf, MD, Member, 12 H Russell Wright, Jr., MD, Member, 12 Denise Sherman, MD, Young Physicians Committee Representative, 12 Richard Carson, Staff Liaison BOG Socioeconomic & Grassroots Committee Peter Abramson, MD, Committee Chair, 12 David R. Edelstein, MD, BOG Vice Chair, 12 Estelle S. Yoo, MD, Governor/BOG, 12 Andrew J. Heller, MD, Member, 12 Kuang-Chun J. Hsieh, MD, Member, 12 Kevin T. Kavanagh, MD, Member, 12 Eric J. Kezirian, MD, MPH, Member, 12 Charles F. Koopmann, Jr., MD, MHSA, Member, 12 H. Baltzer LeJeune, MD, Member, 13 Brian J. McKinnon, MD, MBA, Member, 12 Anna K. Meyer, MD, Member, 13 Mark E. Prince, MD, Member, 13 Amanda Silver Karcioglu, MD, Member, 13 Robert J. Stachler, MD, Member, 12 Mark J. Syms, MD, Member, 13 Ira D. Uretzky, MD, Member, 13 Jesse G. Wardlow, Jr., MD, Member, 13 Robert T. Standring, Jr., MD, Young Physicians Committee  Representative, 12 Michael Setzen, MD, BOD Liaison, 13 Richard W. Waguespack, MD,  BOD Liaison, 12 Richard T. Crane, MD, Consultant, 12 Nathan A. Deckard, MD, Consultant, 12 Trina E. Espinola, MD, Consultant, 12 Denis C. Lafreniere, MD, Consultant, 12 Steven B. Levine, MD, Consultant, 13 Afser Shariff, MD, Consultant, 12 Brianne B. Roby, MD, SRF Committee Representative, 12 Richard Carson, Staff Liaison ACADEMY/FOUNDATION COMMITTEES Program Advisory Committee John H. Krouse, MD, PhD,  Committee Chair, 12 Dole P. Baker, Jr., MD, Member, 12 Emiro E. Caicedo-Granados, MD,  Member, 12 Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD, Member, 13 Ramon A. Franco, Jr., MD, Member, 13 Daniel J. Lee, MD, Member, 12 Alan G. Micco, MD, Member, 12 John S. Oghalai, MD, Member, 12 Bert W. O’Malley, Jr., MD, Member, 12 Russell B. Smith, MD, Member, 12 Mark J. Syms, MD, Member, 12 Dana M. Thompson, MD, MS, Member, 12 Patrick J. Antonelli, MD, Consultant, 12 Graham Bryce, MD, Consultant, 13 Lawrence P. A. Burgess, MD, Consultant, 12 H. Peter Doble, II, MD, Consultant, 13 Amelia F. Drake, MD, Consultant, 12 Michael R. Holtel, MD, Consultant, 12 Robert C. Kern, MD, Consultant, 13 Christopher H. Rassekh, MD,  Consultant, 12 Eben L. Rosenthal, MD, Consultant, 13 David L. Steward, MD, Consultant, 13 Michael G. Stewart, MD, MPH,  Consultant, 12 Maria C. Veling, MD, Consultant, 13 B. Tucker Woodson, MD, Consultant, 12 Robert P. Zitsch, III, MD, Consultant, 12 John S. Rhee, MD, MPH, Ex-Officio, 14 Tami Burakowski, CMP, CEM, Staff Liaison Instruction Course Advisory Committee Eduardo M. Diaz, Jr., MD,  Committee Chair, 12 Max M. April, MD, Member, 12 Douglas D. Backous, MD, Member, 12 Paolo Campisi, MD, Member, 12 Daniel C. Chelius, Jr., MD, Member, 12 Sukgi S. Choi, MD, Member, 12 Paul W. Gidley, MD, Member, 12 Nazaneen N. Grant, MD, Member, 12 Patrick Joseph Gullane, MD, CM,  Member, 12 Matthew M. Hanasono, MD, Member, 13 Allison M. Holzapfel, MD, Member, 12 Brandon Isaacson, MD, Member, 13 Todd T. Kingdom, MD, Member, 12 Brian A. Moore, MD, Member, 13 Guy J. Petruzzelli, MD, MBA PhD,  Member, 12 William H. Slattery, III, MD, Member, 12 Mark K. Wax, MD, Member, 12 Andrew Blitzer, MD, DDS, Consultant, 12 George S. Goding, Jr., MD, Consultant, 12 Lisa D. Grunebaum, MD, Consultant, 12 Maurice M. Khosh, MD, Consultant, 13 Ronald B. Kuppersmith, MD, MBA, Consultant, 12 Rande H. Lazar, MD, FRCS, Consultant, 12 Robert H. Maisel, MD, Consultant, 12 Phillip Song, MD, Consultant, 13 Tami Burakowski, CMP, CEM, Staff Liaison Head and Neck Steering Committee Bradley F. Marple, MD,  Committee Chair, 14 Douglas B. Chepeha, MD, MSPH,  Member, 12 Donna J. Millay, MD, Member, 12 Lisa A. Orloff, MD, Member, 12 Jeanne McIntyre, CAE, Staff Liaison Endocrine Surgery Committee Lisa A. Orloff, MD, Committee Chair, 12 Jeffrey M. Bumpous, MD, Member, 12 Salvatore M. Caruana, MD, Member, 13 David Goldenberg, MD, Member, 12 F .Christopher Holsinger, MD, Member, 13 Christopher Klem, MD, Member, 13 Miriam N. Lango, MD, Member, 13 Phillip K. Pellitteri, DO, Member, 12 David Rosen, MD, Member, 13 Joseph Scharpf, MD, Member, 13 Merry E. Sebelik, MD, Member, 12 Russell B. Smith, MD, Member, 12 Brendan C. Stack, Jr., MD, Member, 12 Robert C. Wang, MD, Member, 12 Robert L. Witt, MD, Member, 12 Mike Yao, MD, Member, 12 James I. Cohen, MD, PhD, Consultant, 12 Ian K. Mcleod, MD, Consultant, 12 David L. Steward, MD, Consultant, 13 David J. Terris, MD, Consultant, 13 Ralph P. Tufano, MD, Consultant, 13 Adam S. Jacobson, MD, Society Representative, 12 Catherine R. Lincoln, CAE, Staff Liaison Head and Neck Surgery & Oncology Committee Daniel G. Deschler, MD,  Committee Chair, 13 Carol M. Bier-Laning, MD, Member, 12 Neal D. Futran, MD, DMD, Member, 12 Marion B. Gillespie, MD, Member, 12 Douglas A. Girod, MD, Member, 12 Christine G. Gourin, MD, Member, 12 Samir Khariwala, MD, Member, 12 Adam Luginbuhl, MD, Member, 13 Michael G. Moore, MD, Member, 13 Kristen J. Otto, MD, Member, 12 Chan Park, MD, Member, 13 Urjeet Patel, MD, Member, 12 Mark E. Prince, MD, Member, 13 Gregory J. Renner, MD, Member, 12 Cecelia E. Schmalbach, MD, Member, 12 Brendan C. Stack, Jr., MD, Member, 13 Ralph P. Tufano, MD, Member, 13 Elizabeth A. Blair, MD, Consultant, 12 Marion E. Couch, MD, PhD, Consultant, 13 Cherie-Ann O. Nathan, MD, Consultant, 12 Brian Nussenbaum, MD, Consultant, 13 Barry L. Wenig, MD, MPH, Consultant, 12 Dain Oswald, Staff Liaison Microvascular Committee Douglas B. Chepeha, MD, MSPH, Committee Chair, 12 Stephen W. Bayles, MD, Member, 13 D. Gregory Farwell, MD, Member, 12 Thomas J. Gal, Jr., MD, MPH, Member, 12 David P. Goldstein, MD, Member, 12 Matthew M. Hanasono, MD, Member, 12 Joshua D. Hornig, MD, Member, 13 Dev Kamdar, MD, Member, 13 Samir Khariwala, MD, Member, 13 Oleg N. Militsakh, MD, Member, 12 Brian A. Moore, MD, Member, 12 Urjeet Patel, MD, Member, 12 Yelizaveta Shnayder, MD, Member, 12 Paul G. Van der Sloot, MD, Member, 12 J. Trad Wadsworth, MD, Member, 12 Steven J. Wang, MD, Member, 13 Eric M. Genden, MD, Consultant, 13 Brian Nussenbaum, MD, Consultant, 12 Marita S. Teng, MD, Consultant, 12 Terance Tsue, MD, Consultant, 12 Richard O. Wein, MD, Consultant, 12 Adam S. Jacobson, MD, Society Representative, 12 Eileen Cavanaugh, Staff Liaison Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Committee Donna J. Millay, MD, Committee Chair, 13 Michael J. Brenner, MD, Member, 13 Minas Constantinides, MD, Member, 12 Harley S. Dresner, MD, Member, 13 William M. Guy, MD, Member, 13 Grant S. Hamilton, III, MD, Member, 13 Matthew M. Hanasono, MD, Member, 13 Anna P. Hsu, MD, Member, 13 Benjamin D. Liess, MD, Member, 12 Alexander Ovchinsky, MD, Member, 12 Young S. Paik, MD, Member, 13 Krishna G. Patel, MD, PhD, Member, 13 Bradford Patt, MD, Member, 13 John S. Rhee, MD, MPH, Member, 13 Jeremy D. Richmon, MD, Member, 13 Anthony P. Sertich, II, MD, Member, 13 Michael E. Decherd, MD, Consultant, 12 Allison M. Holzapfel, MD, Consultant, 13 Kyle Mannion, MD, Consultant, 12 Gregory J. Renner, MD, Consultant, 12 Scott B. Roofe, MD, Consultant, 12 Anthony P. Sclafani, MD, Consultant, 13 Travis T. Tollefson, MD, Consultant, 12 Heather McGhee, Staff Liaison Skull Base Surgery Committee Gregory J. Artz, MD, Committee Chair, 13 Pete S. Batra, MD, Member, 12 Nathan A. Deckard, MD, Member, 13 Rodney Diaz, MD, Member, 13 Vasu Divi, MD, Member, 13 Ivan H. El-Sayed, MD, Member, 13 Adrien A. Eshraghi, MD, MSc, Member, 13 Rick A. Friedman, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Philip A. Harris, MD, Member, 12 Eric H. Holbrook, MD, Member, 13 Stephanie Joe, MD, Member, 12 Stilianos E. Kountakis, MD, PhD,  Member, 12 J. Walter Kutz, Jr., MD, Member, 13 Mark Brandt Lorenz, MD, Member, 12 Timothy M. McCulloch, MD, Member, 12 Ashkan Monfared, MD, Member, 12 James N. Palmer, MD, Member, 12 B. Todd Schaeffer, MD, Member, 13 Raj Sindwani, MD, Member, 13 Lee A. Zimmer, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Douglas D. Backous, MD, Consultant, 13 Claudio R. Cernea, MD, Consultant, 12 Roberto A. Cueva, MD, Consultant, 12 Sean O. McMenomey, MD, Consultant, 13 Kris S. Moe, MD, Consultant, 13 R. Mark Wiet, MD, Consultant, 13 Michael E. Kupferman, MD, Society Representative, 12 Dain Oswald, Staff Liaison Hearing and Equilibrium Steering Committee Debara L. Tucci, MD, Committee Chair, 12 Robert K. Jackler, MD, Member, 13 Jeffery J. Kuhn, MD, Member, 12 Allan M. Rubin, MD, PhD, Member, 13 Joy Trimmer, JD, Staff Liaison Equilibrium Committee Allan M. Rubin, MD, PhD,  Committee Chair, 13 Joel A. Goebel, MD, Committee  Chair-Elect, 13 Oliver F. Adunka, MD, Member, 12 Syed F. Ahsan, MD, Member, 13 James S. Atkins, Jr., MD, Member, 12 Sanjay Bhansali, MD, Member, 12 Eleanor Y. Chan, MD, Member, 13 Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD, Member, 12 Hamid R. Djalilian, MD, Member, 12 Jeremy Hornibrook, FRACS, Member, 12 Jeffery J. Kuhn, MD, Member, 12 Hamed Sajjadi, MD, Member, 12 Kianoush Sheykholeslami, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Eric E. Smouha, MD, Member, 12 Jack J. Wazen, MD, Member, 13 Judith A. White, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Ana H. Kim, MD, Consultant, 13 Vincent B. Ostrowski, MD, Consultant, 12 Jonathan Y. Ting, MD, Consultant, 13 B Joseph Touma, MD, Consultant, 13 Michael Zoller, MD, Consultant, 12 Peter Robertson, Staff Liaison Hearing Committee Robert K. Jackler, MD, Committee Chair, 13 Alan G. Cheng, MD, Member, 12 James V. Crawford, MD, Member, 12 John L. Dornhoffer, MD, Member, 12 Thomas L. Eby, MD, Member, 12 Jose N. Fayad, MD, Member, 12 Neil A. Giddings, MD, Member, 13 Tina C. Huang, MD, Member, 13 Jon E. Isaacson, MD, Member, 12 Paul R. Kileny, PhD, Member, 12 Brenda L. Lonsbury-Martin, PhD,  Member, 12 Cliff A. Megerian, MD, Member, 13 Ted A. Meyer, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Alan G. Micco, MD, Member, 12 Elias M. Michaelides, MD, Member, 13 Robert C. O’Reilly, MD, Member, 12 Kourosh Parham, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Ryan G. Porter, Sr, MD, Member, 13 Jess C. Roberts, MD, Member, 13 Douglas D. Backous, MD, Consultant, 13 Craig A. Buchman, MD, Consultant, 13 Robert A. Dobie, MD, Consultant, 12 Barry Hirsch, MD, Consultant, 13 James M. Coticchia, MD, Society Representative, 12 Caitlin M. Belford, Staff Liaison Implantable Hearing Devices Subcommittee Jeffery J. Kuhn, MD, Committee Chair, 12 Daniela S. Carvalho, MD, Member, 13 Douglas A. Chen, MD, Member, 13 Jose N. Fayad, MD, Member, 12 Soha N. Ghossaini, MD, Member, 13 Matthew B. Hanson, MD, Member, 13 Michael Hoa, MD, Member, 12 Anita Jeyakumar, MD, MS, Member, 12 Alan J. Johnson, MD, Member, 12 J Walter Kutz, Jr., MD, Member, 13 Samuel C. Levine, MD, Member, 13 Christopher J. Linstrom, MD, Member, 13 Ted A. Meyer, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Alan G. Micco, MD, Member, 12 William H. Slattery, III, MD, Member, 12 Elizabeth H. Toh, MD, Member, 12 Jack J. Wazen, MD, Member, 13 Nancy M. Young, MD, Member, 12 Hilary A. Brodie, MD, PhD, Consultant, 12 Craig A. Buchman, MD, Consultant, 12 Tina C. Huang, MD, Consultant, 12 Michael J. Ruckenstein, MD, MSC, Consultant, 12 Mark J. Syms, MD, Consultant, 12 Joni K. Doherty, MD, PhD, Society Representative, 13 Brian J. McKinnon, MD, MBA, Non-Voting Guest, 13 Ravi N. Samy, MD, Non-Voting Guest, 13 Anders M. R. Tjellstrom, MD, PhD, Non-Voting Guest, 13 Caitlin M. Belford, Staff Liaison International Steering Committee Gregory W. Randolph, MD, Committee Chair, 13 Ramon A. Franco, Jr., MD, Member, 12 Karl Hoermann, MD, Member, 12 Eugene N. Myers, MD, FRCS, Member, 12 Milan Profant, MD, PhD, Member, 13 Hector E. Ruiz, MD, Member, 12 Merry E. Sebelik, MD, Member, 13 Nancy L. Snyderman, MD, Member, 12 J. Pablo Stolovitzky, MD, Member, 12 Ashok R. Shaha, MD, Consultant, 13 Catherine R. Lincoln, CAE, Staff Liaison Humanitarian Efforts Committee Merry E. Sebelik, MD, Committee Chair, 13 Susan R. Cordes, MD, Member, 13 Ronald W. Deskin, MD, Member, 13 Nazaneen N. Grant, MD, Member, 13 Selena E. Heman-Ackah, MD, MBA, Member, 12 John M. Hodges, MD, Member, 13 Clifford R. Hume, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Anya J. Li, MD, Member, 13 James P. Malone, MD, Member, 13 Murray D. Morrison, MD, Member, 13 Peggyann Nowak, MD, Member, 12 Mitchell J. Ramsey, MD, Member, 13 Mark G. Shrime, MD, Member, 13 James D. Sidman, MD, Member, 13 Peter Volsky, MD, Member, 13 Eric P. Wilkinson, MD, Member, 12 Mark E. Zafereo, Jr., MD, Member, 13 Steven L. Goudy, MD, Consultant, 12 John H. Greinwald, Jr., MD, Consultant, 12 William B. Lewis, MD, Consultant, 12 Kevin Christopher McMains, MD, Consultant, 12 James E. Saunders, MD, Consultant, 13 Catherine R. Lincoln, CAE, Staff Liaison International Otolaryngology Committee Nikhil J. Bhatt, MD, Committee Chair, 13 Jay Chavda, MD, Member, 12 Daniel C. Chelius, Jr., MD, Member, 12 W. J. Cornay, III, MD, Member, 12 Anthony F. Jahn, MD, Member, 13 Herman A. Jenkins, MD, Member, 12 Lily Love, MD, Member, 12 Dinesh C. Mehta, MD, Member, 13 Shri Nadig, MD, DLO, Member, 12 Vaclav Pavelec, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Hassan H. Ramadan, MD, MSc, Member, 12 Nikhila Raol, MD, Member, 13 Michael J. Rutter, MD, Member, 13 Said Mustafa Said, MBChB, Member, 12 Samuel H. Selesnick, MD, Member, 12 Carl H. Snyderman, MD, Member, 12 Jesse G. Wardlow, Jr., MD, Member, 13 Jen-Fang Yu, PhD, FE, Member, 12 Roxana Cobo-Sefair, MD, Consultant, 12 Nazaneen N. Grant, MD, Consultant, 12 Jan J. Grote, MD, PhD, Consultant, 12 Hiroshi Moriyama, MD, Consultant, 12 Aristides Sismanis, MD, Consultant, 13 Catherine R. Lincoln, CAE, Staff Liaison Panamerican Committee Hector E. Ruiz, MD, Committee Chair, 12 Jacqueline Alvarado, MD, Member, 12 Hemendra N. Bhatnagar, MD, Member, 13 Emiro E. Caicedo-Granados, MD,  Member, 13 Gabriel Calzada, MD, Member, 12 Alejandra Daza, MD, Member, 12 Juan Manuel Garcia Gomez, MD,  Member, 12 Adam M. Klein, MD, Member, 13 Luis Macias, MD, Member, 12 Kevin D. Pereira, MD, MS(ORL),  Member, 13 Steven Daniel Pletcher, MD, Member, 13 Edmund A. Pribitkin, MD, Member, 12 Hector M. Santini, MD, Member, 13 Giovana R. Thomas, MD, Member, 12 Tulio A. Valdez, MD, Member, 13 Richard L. Voegels, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Ricardo F. Bento, MD, PhD, Consultant, 12 Jose Roberto Castro, MD, Consultant, 13 Roxana Cobo-Sefair, MD, Consultant, 12 Ramon Crespo, MD, Consultant, 12 Fernando Luiz Dias, MD, PhD,  Consultant, 12 Graciela Pepe, MD, PhD, Consultant, 13 Catherine R. Lincoln, CAE, Staff Liaison Laryngology and Sleep Steering Committee Milan R. Amin, MD, Member, 13 Joel H. Blumin, MD, Member 13 Clark A. Rosen, MD, Member, 11 Pell Ann Wardrop, MD, Member, 12 Eve Humphreys, Staff Liaison Airway and Swallowing Committee Milan R. Amin, MD, Committee Chair, 13 Joel H. Blumin, MD, Committee  Chair-Elect, 13 Paul C. Bryson, MD, Member, 13 Dinesh K. Chhetri, MD, Member, 12 Alessandro de Alarcon, MD, Member, 13 Dale C. Ekbom, MD, Member, 12 Mark E. Gerber, MD, Member, 13 Elias Y. Hilal, MD, Member, 13 Alexander T. Hillel, MD, Member, 13 Sid Khosla, MD, Member, 13 Catherine R. Lintzenich, MD, Member, 12 Donna Lundy, PhD, Member, 13 Reza Nouraei, MA, MB, Member, 13 Maya G. Sardesai, MD, Member, 13 James W. Schroeder, Jr., MD, Member, 12 Phillip Song, MD, Member, 12 Robert J. Stachler, MD, Member, 12 Jared M. Wasserman, MD, Member, 13 Karen B. Zur, MD, Member, 12 Ramon A. Franco, Jr., MD, Consultant, 12 Richard Kelley, MD, Consultant, 12 Katherine A. Kendall, MD, Consultant, 12 Albert L. Merati, MD, Consultant, 13 Tanya K. Meyer, MD, Society Representative, 12 Gregory N. Postma, MD, Society Representative, 13 Jenna Dean, Staff Liaison Sleep Disorders Committee Pell Ann Wardrop, MD, Committee Chair, 12 Robson Capasso, MD, Member, 13 Karuna Dewan, MD, Member, 13 Michael Friedman, MD, Member, 12 John Harwick, MD, Member, 12 Tod C. Huntley, MD, Member, 13 Ofer Jacobowitz, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Alan Kominsky, MD, Member, 12 Michael J. Kortbus, MD, Member, 13 Andrea Furr Lewis, MD, Member, 13 Ho-sheng Lin, MD, Member, 12 James J. Ludwick, MD, Member, 12 Stephen C. Maturo, MD, Member, 12 Kevin E. McLaughlin, MD, Member, 13 Caroline T. Messmer, MD, Member, 13 Ryan J. Soose, MD, Member, 12 Gerald D. Suh, MD, Member, 13 Maria V. Suurna, MD, Member, 12 Stacey L. Ishman, MD, Consultant, 13 Eric J. Kezirian, MD, MPH, Consultant, 12 Tapan A. Padhya, MD, Consultant, 12 Jay F. Piccirillo, MD, Consultant, 13 Edward M. Weaver, MD, MPH,  Consultant, 12 Kathleen Yaremchuk, MD, Consultant, 12 Joseph Cody, Staff Liaison Voice Committee Clark A. Rosen, MD, Committee Chair, 13 Kenneth W. Altman, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Milan R. Amin, MD, Member, 13 Patrick C. Barth, MD, Member, 12 Seth M. Cohen, MD, MPH, Member, 12 David O. Francis, MD, Member, 13 Yolanda D. Heman-Ackah, MD, Member, 12 Norman D. Hogikyan, MD, Member, 12 Michael M. Johns, III, MD, Member, 12 Richard Kelley, MD, Member, 12 Adam M. Klein, MD, Member, 12 Catherine R. Lintzenich, MD, Member, 12 I-fan Theodore Mau, MD, PhD, Member, 13 Michael J. Pitman, MD, Member, 13 C Blake Simpson, MD, Member, 13 Lee M. Akst, MD, Consultant, 12 Glendon M. Gardner, MD, Consultant, 12 Brent E. Richardson, MD, Consultant, 12 Mark E. Boseley, MD, Society Representative, 12 Jeanne McIntyre, CAE, Staff Liaison Member Relations Steering Committee Rodney P. Lusk, MD, Chair 12 Jayme R. Dowdall, MD, Member 12 Pierre Lavertu, MD, Member, 11 Shannon Pryor, MD, Member, 13 Wendy Stern, MD, Member, 13 Monica Tadros, MD, Member, 12 Duane J. Taylor, MD, Member, 12 Eve Humphreys, Staff Liaison Credentials and Membership Committee Pierre Lavertu, MD, Committee Chair, 13 Ronda E. Alexander, MD, Member, 12 Matthew T. Brigger, MD, Member, 12 Matthew L. Bush, MD, Member, 12 Cecelia Damask, DO, Member, 13 James A. Duncavage, MD, Member, 12 Brendan Gaylis, MD, Member, 12 Nathan W. Hales, MD, Member, 12 Lily Love, MD, Member, 12 Ellie Maghami, MD, Member, 13 Stephen C. Maturo, MD, Member, 12 Eileen M. Raynor, MD, Member, 13 Louise Davies, MD, MS, Consultant, 12 Neal D. Futran, MD, DMD, Consultant, 13 Lani Cadow, Staff Liaison Diversity Committee Duane J. Taylor, MD, Committee Chair, 12 Lisa Perry-Gilkes, MD, Committee  Chair-Elect, 13 Melynda A. Barnes, MD, Member, 13 Phyllis B. Bouvier, MD, Member, 12 Jimmy J. Brown, DDS, MD,  Member, 12 Candice C. Colby, MD, Member, 13 Opeyemi Daramola, MD, Member, 13 Valerie A. Flanary, MD, Member, 13 Tamer Abdel-Halim Ghanem, MD, PhD, Member, 13 Soha N. Ghossaini, MD, Member, 13 Glenn S. Kanamori, MD, Member, 12 Randal A. Otto, MD, Member, 12 Miriam I. Saadia-Redleaf, MD, Member, 13 Duane Sewell, MD, Member, 12 Dana M. Thompson, MD, MS, Member, 13 Tulio A. Valdez, MD, Member, 13 Betsy Vasquez, MD, Member, 12 Jesse G. Wardlow, Jr., MD, Member, 13 Minka L. Schofield, MD, Consultant, 12 H. Steven Sims, MD, Consultant, 12 Mariel Stroschein, MD, Consultant, 12 Paul Bascomb, Staff Liaison History and Archives Committee Lawrence R. Lustig, MD,  Committee Chair, 13 Jason L. Acevedo, MD, Member, 12 Gregory J. Artz, MD, Member, 12 Joel H. Blumin, MD, Member, 12 Calhoun D. Cunningham, III, MD,  Member, 12 David R. Edelstein, MD, Member, 12 Scott A. Huebsch, MD, Member, 12 John K. Jarboe, MD, Member, 13 Christopher M. Johnson, MD, Member, 12 Kiran Kakarala, MD, Member, 12 Charles Robert Pettit, MD, Member, 12 Christopher P. Poje, MD, Member, 13 Jeremy D. Prager, MD, Member, 12 Eric P. Wilkinson, MD, Member, 12 William A. Wood, MD, Member, 12 Eiji Yanagisawa, MD, Member, 12 Marc D. Eisen, MD, PhD, Consultant, 13 Jerome C. Goldstein, MD, CMP,  Consultant, 12 Robert K. Jackler, MD, Consultant, 13 Robert J. Ruben, MD, Consultant, 12 Aristides Sismanis, MD, Consultant, 13 Andrew Spector, MD, Consultant, 12 Catherine R. Lincoln, Staff Liaison Media and Public Relations Committee Wendy B. Stern, MD, Committee Chair, 13 Christina M. Gillespie, MD, Member, 13 Christopher R. Grindle, MD, Member, 12 Helen F. Krause, MD, Member, 13 Priya D. Krishna, MD, Member, 13 Sonya Malekzadeh, MD, Member, 12 Sachin S. Parikh, MD, Member, 13 James E. Saunders, MD, Member, 13 Gordon J. Siegel, MD, Member, 13 Gordon H. Sun, MD, Member, 13 Duane J. Taylor, MD, Member, 13 Dale A. Tylor, MD, Member, 12 Julie L. Wei, MD, Member, 12 Mary Stewart, Staff Liaison Women in Otolaryngology Section Governing Council Shannon P. Pryor, MD, Section Chair, 12 Sonya Malekzadeh, MD,  Immediate Past Chair, 12 Mona M. Abaza, MD, Member, 12 Linda S. Brodsky, MD, Member, 12 Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD, Member, 12 Susan R. Cordes, MD, Member, 12 Valerie A. Flanary, MD, Member, 12 Anna Kristina E. Hart, MD, Member, 12 Pell Ann Wardrop, MD, Member, 12 Lauren S. Zaretsky, MD, Member, 12 Richard Carson, Staff Liaison Young Physicians Committee Monica Tadros, MD, Committee Chair, 12 Tina P. Elkins, MD, Member, 12 Michael W. Groves, MD, Member, 13 Joshua L. Kessler, MD, Member, 12 Ayesha N. Khalid, MD, Member, 13 Paul R. Krakovitz, MD, Member, 12 Jeffrey C. Liu, MD, Member, 13 Liesl Kaye Nottingham, MD, Member, 12 Alpen A. Patel, MD, Member, 12 Spencer C. Payne, MD, Member, 12 Robert Puchalski, MD, Member, 12 Denise Sherman, MD, Member, 12 Lawrence M. Simon, MD, Member, 13 Lee P. Smith, MD, Member, 12 Michael E. Stadler, MD, Member, 13 Masayoshi Takashima, MD, Member, 12 Marita S. Teng, MD, Member, 12 Neil Bhattacharyya, MD, Consultant, 12 Susan R. Cordes, MD, Consultant, 12 David H. Hiltzik, MD, Consultant, 13 Lily Love, MD, Consultant, 12 Rhoda Wynn, MD, Consultant, 13 Lani Cadow, Staff Liaison Section for Resident and Fellows Governing Council Jayme R. Dowdall, MD, SRF Chair, 12 Nikhila Raol, MD, SRF Chair-Elect, 12 Mark E. Zafereo, MD, SRF Past Chair, 12 Angela K. Strum-O’Brien, MD, Member at-Large, 12 Nathan A. Decker, MD,  Information Officer, 12 Estella S. Yoo, MD, BOG Governor, 12 Kanwar S. Kelly, MD, BOG Legislative Representative, 12 Alba M. Miranda, MD, BOGPublic Relations Representative, 12 Richard Carson, Staff Liaison Patient Groups Steering Committee David E .Eibling, MD, Member, 12 Jane T. Dillon, MD, Member, 13 G. Richard Holt, MD, Member, 13 David E. Tunkel MD, Member, 11 Jeanne McIntyre, CAE, Staff Liaison Geriatric Otolaryngology Committee David E. Eibling, MD, Committee Chair, 12 Allan M. Rubin, MD, PhD, Committee Chair-Elect, 13 Daniel H. Coelho, MD, Member, 12 David R. Edelstein, MD, Member, 13 Gregory K. Hartig, MD, Member, 12 Seth Chalmers Janus, MD, Member, 13 William I. Kuhel, MD, Member, 13 Christopher G. Larsen, MD, Member, 13 Kelly Michele Malloy, MD, Member, 12 Brian J. McKinnon, MD, MBA, Member, 12 Kourosh Parham, MD, PhD, Member, 13 Michael J. Pitman, MD, Member, 12 Elliot Regenbogen, MD, Member, 12 Ozlem E. Tulunay-Ugur, MD, Member, 13 Stephen J. Wetmore, MD, Member, 12 Gregory J. Artz, MD, Consultant, 12 David M. Cognetti, MD, Consultant, 12 Michael M. Johns, III, MD, Consultant, 12 Karen M. Kost, MD, Consultant, 13 Robin B. Lazar-Miller, MD, Consultant, 12 Yael Raz, MD, Consultant, 12 Jeanne McIntyre, CAE, Staff Liaison Pediatric Otolaryngology Committee David E. Tunkel MD, Committee Chair, 13 Matthew T. Brigger, MD, Member, 12 Shelagh A. Cofer, MD, Member, 12 Andrew L. de Jong, MD, Member, 13 Carlos Gonzalez-Aquino, MD, Member, 12 Joshua A. Gottschall, MD, Member, 12 Steven L. Goudy, MD, Member, 12 Ken Kazahaya, MD, MBA, Member, 12 Timothy Lander, MD, Member, 12 Maria T. Pena, MD, Member, 13 James W. Schroeder, Jr., MD, Member, 12 Margaret L .Skinner, MD, Member, 12 Melissa L. Somers, MD, Member, 12 Wasyl Szeremeta, MD, MBA, Member, 12 Alyssa R. Terk, MD, Member, 13 DJ Trigg, MD, Member, 12 David R. White, MD, Member, 12 Patricia J. Yoon, MD, Member, 12 Jeffrey D. Carron, MD, Consultant, 12 Richard G. Karlen, MD, Consultant, 12 Eileen M. Raynor, MD, Consultant, 12 Scott Austin Schraff, MD, Consultant, 13 Jenna Dean, Staff Liaison CPT & Relative Value Committee Jane T. Dillon, MD, Committee Chair, 13 Robert A. Battista, MD, Member, 12 Pryor S. Brenner, MD, Member, 12 Martin J. Citardi, MD, Member, 12 Stephanie Joe, MD, Member, 12 John T. Lanza, MD, Member, 13 Bradley F. Marple, MD, Member, 12 William P. Potsic, MD, Member, 12 Clark A. Rosen, MD, Member, 13 Michael J. Sillers, MD, Member, 13 Lawrence M. Simon, MD, Member, 12 Brendan C. Stack, Jr., MD, Member, 13 Peter C. Weber, MD, MBA, Member, 12 Bevan Yueh, MD, MPH, Member, 13 Hamid R. Djalilian, MD, Consultant, 12 Edward H. Farrior, MD, Consultant, 12 Steven M. Gold, MD, Consultant, 12 Yolanda D. Heman-Ackah, MD,  Consultant, 13 Charles F. Koopmann, Jr., MD, MHSA, Consultant, 13 Joseph E. Leonard, MD, Consultant, 12 Moises A. Arriaga, MD, Society Representative, 13 Pete S. Batra, MD,  Society Representative, 13 Kay W. Chang, MD,  Society Representative, 13 Ian N. Jacobs, MD,  Society Representative, 13 Wayne M. Koch, MD, Society Representative, 13 Bryan D. Leatherman MD, Society Representative, 12 Jenna Kappel, Staff Liaison Trauma Committee Joseph Brennan, MD,  Committee Co-Chair, 13 Anna Pou, MD, Co-Chair 13 Ben Balough, MD, Member, 15 Jose Barrera, MD, Member, 13 Mark Boston, MD, Member, 15 Marion Couch, MD, Member, 15 Jaimie De Rosa, MD, Member, 14 Paul Donald, MD, Member, 15 Robert Eller, MD, Member, 13 Jeffrey Faulkner, MD, Member, 14 David Hayes, MD, Member, 15 G. Richard Holt, MD, Member, 15 Michael Holtel, MD, Member, 13 Robert Kellman, MD, Member, 14 Manuel Lopez, MD, Member, 14 Steven Maturo, MD, Member, 13 Lawrence Marentette, MD, Consultant 13 Eric Moore, MD, Member, 13 Michael Stewart, MD, Consultant, 13 Cecelia Schmalbach, MD, Member, 14 Joseph Sniezek, MD, Member, 13 Christian Stallworth, MD, Member, 13 Rudy Anderson, Staff Liaison Research & Quality Steering Committee John S. Rhee, MD, MPH,  Committee Chair, 14 Jay O. Boyle, MD, Member, 16 Scott E. Brietzke, MD, MPH, Member, 12 David Richard Friedland, MD, PhD, Member, 16 Richard R. Orlandi, MD, Member, 16 Steven D. Rauch, MD, Member, 12 David W. Roberson, MD, Member, 12 Richard M. Rosenfeld, MD, MPH,  Member, 15 Seth R. Schwartz, MD, MPH, Member, 15 Rahul K. Shah, MD, Member, 12 David L. Witsell, MD, MHS, Member, 12 Kathleen Yaremchuk, MD, Member, 13 Marion E. Couch, MD, PhD, Consultant, 12 Michael Gerard Glenn, MD, Consultant, 12 Lawrence R. Lustig, MD, Consultant, 13 Edward M. Weaver, MD, MPH,  Consultant, 12 Jean Brereton, Staff Liaison Research Advisory Board Steven D. Rauch, MD, Committee Chair, 12 Marion E. Couch, MD, PhD, At- Large, Basic Science Representative, 14 Richard J. H. Smith, MD, At-Large, Clinical/Translational Science Representative, 12 John S. Rhee, MD, MPH, Coordinator/Research and Quality, 13 Kristine Schulz, MPH, Member, 12 D. Bradley Welling, MD, PhD, ABOto Representative, 12 Bevan Yueh, MD, MPH, Residency Training Representative, 13 David L. Witsell, MD, MHS, Immediate Past Research Coordinator, 12 Stephanie Jones, Staff Liaison Outcomes Research and EBM Subcommittee Scott E. Brietzke, MD, MPH,  Committee Chair, 12 Timothy L. Clenney, MD, MPH, Member, 12 Seth M. Cohen, MD, MPH, Member, 12 Greg E. Davis, MD, MPH, Member, 13 Lisa Ishii, MD, Member, 13 Eric J. Kezirian, MD, MPH, Member, 13 Charles F. Koopmann, Jr., MD, MHSA, Member, 12 Quang C. Luu, MD, Member, 12 Stephanie Misono, MD, Member, 12 Anh T. Nguyen Huynh, MD, PhD,  Member, 12 Melissa A. Pynnonen, MD, Member, 12 Jeremy T. Reed, MD, Member, 12 Seth R. Schwartz, MD, MPH, Member, 13 Jennifer J. Shin, MD, SM, Member, 13 Marc C. Thorne, MD, Member, 12 Giri Venkatraman, MD, MBA, Member, 12 Julie L. Wei, MD, Member, 12 Debra G. Weinberger, MD, Member, 13 Ron B. Mitchell, MD, Consultant, 13 John S. Rhee, MD, MPH, Consultant, 12 Edward M. Weaver, MD, MPH,  Consultant, 12 Heather Hussey, Staff Liaison Kris Schulz, MPH, Staff Liaison Stephanie Jones, Staff Liaison Patient Safety & Quality Improvement Committee David W. Roberson, MD,  Committee Chair, 13 Rahul K. Shah, MD,  Committee Co-Chair, 13 Michael J. Brenner, MD, Member, 13 Ara A. Chalian, MD, Member, 12 Ellen S. Deutsch, MD, Member, 13 Lee D. Eisenberg, MD, MPH, Member, 12 Berrylin J. Ferguson, MD, Member, 12 Jedidiah J. Grisel, MD, Member, 13 Selena E. Heman-Ackah, MD, MBA, Member, 12 Patrick T. Hennessey, MD, Member, 13 Scharukh Jalisi, MD, Member, 12 Michael E. Mccormick, MD, Member, 13 Brian Nussenbaum, MD, Member, 13 Linnea Peterson, MD, Member, 13 Robert G. Stewart, MD, Member, 12 Masayoshi Takashima, MD, Member, 13 Giri Venkatraman, MD, MBA, Member, 13 John J. Zappia, MD, Member, 13 Julie L. Goldman, MD, Consultant, 13 Joseph E. Hart, MD, MS, Consultant, 12 Matthew A. Kienstra, MD, Consultant, 12 Howard S. Kotler, MD, Consultant, 13 Margaret L. Skinner, MD, Consultant, 13 Robert. J. Stachler, MD, Consultant, 12 Jean Brereton, Staff Liaison Rhinology, Allergy, Immunology & Infectious Disease Steering Committee Stephen J. Chadwick, MD,  Committee Chair, 12 Patrick J. Antonelli, MD, Member, 13 James W. Mims, MD, Member, 13 Scott P. Stringer, MD, Member, 12 Eve Humphreys, Staff Liaison, 12 Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Committee Karen H. Calhoun, MD,  Committee Chair, 13 James W. Mims, MD,  Committee Chair-Elect, 13 Jeffrey M. Braaten, DO, Member, 12 Lars-Olaf Cardell, MD, PhD, Member, 13 Rocco D. Cassone, MD, Member, 13 Cecelia Damask, DO, Member, 12 Nathan A. Deckard, MD, Member, 12 Adil A. Fatakia, MD, MBA, Member, 12 Bradley T. Johnson, MD, Member, 12 Amber U. Luong, MD, PhD, Member, 13 Alpen A. Patel, MD, Member, 13 Jacques C. Peltier, MD, Member, 13 Michael P. Platt, MD, Member, 12 William R. Reisacher, MD, Member, 12 Lyle B. Stillwater, MD, Member, 12 Elina M. Toskala, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Sarah K. Wise, MD, Member, 12 Douglas E. Dawson, MD, Consultant, 12 Joseph Han, MD, Consultant, 12 Maria C. Veling, MD, Consultant, 12 Stephanie Jones, Staff Liaison Infectious Disease Committee Farrel J. Buchinsky, MBChB,  Committee Chair, 13 Fuad M. Baroody, MD, Member, 13 Swapna K. Chandran, MD, Member, 12 William O. Collins, MD, Member, 12 Joseph E. Dohar, MD, Member, 12 Eliav Gov-Ari, MD, Member, 12 Karin S. Hotchkiss, MD, Member, 12 Titus Sunday Ibekwe, MBBS, Member, 12 Ken Kazahaya, MD, MBA, Member, 12 Yosef P. Krespi, MD, Member, 12 Jeremy T. Reed, MD, Member, 12 Matthew W. Ryan, MD, Member, 13 Eric W. Sargent, MD, Member, 12 Vanessa G. Schweitzer, MD, Member, 12 Alan H. Shikani, MD, Member, 12 Elizabeth P. Sundean, MD, Member, 12 Michael P. Underbrink, MD, Member, 12 Tulio A. Valdez, MD, Member, 13 Adam Mikial Zanation, MD, Member, 12 Patrick J. Antonelli, MD, Consultant, 13 Adrien A. Eshraghi, MD, MSc,  Consultant, 13 Arnold D. Rubenfield, MD, Consultant, 12 Peter Robertson, Staff Liaison Rhinology & Paranasal Sinus Committee Scott P. Stringer, MD, Committee Chair, 12 James H. Atkins, Jr., MD, Member, 13 Pete S. Batra, MD, Member, 12 Michael S. Benninger, MD, Member, 12 Jose M. Busquets Ferriol, MD, Member, 12 Alexander G. Chiu, MD, Member, 12 Christine Blanche Franzese, MD,  Member, 12 Satish Govindaraj, MD, Member, 12 Stacey T. Gray, MD, Member, 13 Joseph Han, MD, Member, 12 Ayesha N. Khalid, MD, Member, 12 Yosef P. Krespi, MD, Member, 12 Ronald B. Kuppersmith, MD, MBA,  Member, 13 Kevin W. Lollar, MD, Member, 13 John F. Pallanch, MD, Member, 12 Matthew W. Ryan, MD, Member, 12 Peter John Wormald, MD, FRACS, FRCS, Member, 13 Mark A. Zacharek, MD, Member, 12 Holly Boyer, MD, Consultant, 12 Felix W. K. Chu, MD, Consultant, 12 Martin J. Citardi, MD, Consultant, 12 Peter H. Hwang, MD, Consultant, 12 Elie E. Rebeiz, MD, Consultant, 12 Sanjay R. Parikh, MD, Society Representative, 12 Jenna Kappel, Staff Liaison Treatment Modalities Steering Committee Edward B. Ermini, MD, Member, 12 Udayan K. Shah, MD, Member, 12 Edmund A. Pribitkin, MD,  Committee Chair, 12 Jean Brereton, Staff Liaison Complementary/Integrative Medicine Edmund A. Pribitkin, MD,  Committee Chair, 12 Seth M. Brown, MD, MBA, Member, 12 Ara A. Chalian, MD, Member, 12 Edward S. Cohn, MD, Member, 12 Agnes Czibulka, MD, Member, 13 Hansel M. Debartolo, Jr., MD, JD, Member, 12 Joseph R. Di Bartolomeo, MD, Member, 13 Michael J. Kelleher, MD, Member, 13 Lily Love, MD, Member, 12 John P. Maddalozzo, MD, Member, 12 Tomoko Makishima, MD, PhD, Member, 13 Matthew C. Miller, MD, Member, 12 Jing Shen, MD, Member, 13 Malcolm B. Taw, MD, Member, 12 Marilene B. Wang, MD, Member, 12 Keith M. Wilson, MD, Member, 13 Benjamin F. Asher, MD, Consultant, 13 Daniel Bross-Soriano, MD, Consultant, 12 Melissa G. Kress, DO, Consultant, 12 Fred W. Lindsay, DO, Consultant, 12 Chau T. Nguyen, MD, Consultant, 12 Dain Oswald, Staff Liaison Medical Devices and Drugs Committee Udayan K. Shah, MD, Committee Chair, 12 Anand K. Devaiah, MD,  Committee Chair-Elect, 12 Robert M. Boucher, MD, MPH, Member, 13 Michael Broniatowski, MD, Member, 12 James J. Daniero, MD, Member, 12 Riccardo D’Eredita, MD, Member, 13 Paul C. Frake, MD, Member, 12 Steven M. Gold, MD, Member, 12 Ofer Jacobowitz, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Ramtin R. Kassir, MD, Member, 12 Eric J. Kezirian, MD, MPH, Member, 12 John T. Lanza, MD, Member, 12 Eric A. Mann, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Kevin D. Pereira, MD, MS(ORL), Member, 13 Frank L. Rimell, MD, Member, 13 Scott R. Schoem, MD, Member, 12 Howard D. Stupak, MD, Member, 12 Pankaj Gupta, MD, Consultant, 12 Arjun S. Joshi, MD, Consultant, 12 Gordon J. Siegel, MD, Consultant, 12 Harrison Peery, Staff Liaison Medical Informatics Committee Edward B. Ermini, MD,  Committee Chair, 12 Robert F. Aarstad, MD, MBA, Member, 13 Patrick C. Barth, MD, Member, 12 Patrick J. Byrne MD, Member, 13 Subinoy Das, MD, Member, 13 Joseph E. Hart, MD, MS, Member, 12 Diana H. Henderson, MD, Member, 13 K .J. Lee, MD, Member, 12 Stephen R. Levinson, MD, Member, 13 Lance Anthony Manning, MD, Member, 12 Henry A. Milczuk, MD, Member, 13 Sachin Pawar, MD, Member, 12 R. Arturo Roa, MD, Member, 13 James W. Schroeder, Jr., MD, Member, 13 Afser Shariff, MD, Member, 12 Jayde M. Steckowych, MD, Member, 13 Gordon H. Sun, MD, Member, 12 Shelby G. Topp, MD, Member, 12 Eloy Villasuso, III, MD, Member, 12 Spencer C. Payne, MD, Consultant, 12 Koryn Rubin, Staff Liaison EDUCATION COMMITTEES Education Steering Committee Sonya Malekzadeh, MD,  Committee Chair, 15 Sukgi S. Choi, MD, Member, 12 Fred G. Fedok, MD, Member, 12 James A. Hadley, MD, Member, 12 Bradley W. Kesser, MD, Member, 13 Dennis H. Kraus, MD, Member, 12 Catherine R. Lintzenich, MD, Member, 13 Karen T. Pitman, MD, Member, 12 Brent A. Senior, MD, Member, 12 Brendan C. Stack, Jr., MD, Member, 12 Richard W. Waguespack, MD, Member, 12 Peter A. Weisskopf, MD, Member, 12 Eduardo M. Diaz, Jr., MD, Ex-Officio, 12 John H. Krouse, MD, PhD, Ex-Officio, 12 Mary Pat Cornett, CAE, CMP, Staff Liaison Certificate Program for Otolaryngology Personnel Committee Peter A. Weisskopf, MD,  Committee Chair, 12 Robert Cullen, MD, Member, 13 Calhoun D. Cunningham, III, MD,  Member, 13 James C. Denneny, III, MD, Member, 13 Joni K. Doherty, MD, PhD, Member, 13 J. Walter Kutz, Jr., MD, Member, 13 Steven B. Levine, MD, Member, 13 Eric W. Sargent, MD, Member, 13 Sonya Malekzadeh, MD, BOD Liaison, 15 Kathy J. Harvey-Jones, MsEd CCC-A BC-HIS, Consultant, 13 Robert T. Sataloff, MD, DMA,  Consultant, 13 Stephen J. Wetmore, MD, Consultant, 13 Felicia Price, Staff Liaison Core Otolaryngology & Practice Management Education Committee Richard W. Waguespack, MD,  Committee Chair, 12 Brendan C. Stack, Jr., MD,  Committee Chair-Elect, 12 Karen H. Calhoun, MD, Member, 12 Manali Amin, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 16 Carol A. Bauer, MD, Member, 13 Vasu Divi, MD, Member, 12 Eric M. Gessler, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 16 David Goldenberg, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 14 Kuang-Chun J. Hsieh, MD, Member, 13 David M. Jakubowicz, MD, Member, 13 Paul J. Jones, MD, Member, 12 H. Baltzer LeJeune, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 16 Christopher H. Rassekh, MD, Member, 12 Elie E. Rebeiz, MD, Member, 12 Rahul K. Shah, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 14 Nina L .Shapiro, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 12 Lawrence M. Simon, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 16 Barry L. Wenig, MD, MPH, Member, 12 Mark A. Zacharek, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 14 Sonya Malekzadeh, MD, BOD Liaison, 15 David W. Roberson, MD, Ex-Officio, 13 Audrey Shively, Staff Liaison Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Education Committee Fred G. Fedok, MD, Committee Chair, 12 Patrick C. Angelos, MD, Member, 12 Anthony E. Brissett, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 14 Paul J. Carniol, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 14 Benjamin W. Cilento, MD, Member, 12 Timothy D. Doerr, MD, Member, 12 Robert W. Dolan, MD, Member, 12 Rebecca Fraioli, MD, Member, 12 Grant S. Hamilton, III, MD, Member, 13 Clinton D. Humphrey, MD, Member, 13 Ramtin R. Kassir, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 16 Robert M. Kellman, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 14 Maurice M. Khosh, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 12 Jason H. Kim, MD, Member, 12 Alexander Markarian, MD, Member, 12 Eunice E. Park, MD, MPH, Member, 13 Stephen S. Park, MD, Member, 12 Edmund A. Pribitkin, MD, Member, 12 John S. Rhee, MD, MPH, Member HSC WrkGp, 12 Jonathan M. Sykes, MD, Member, 12 Sherard A. Tatum, III, MD, Member, 12 Travis T. Tollefson, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 16 Ivan Wayne, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 12 Stephen M. Weber, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Sonya Malekzadeh, MD, BOD Liaison, 15 Neal D. Goldman, MD, Member HSC WrkGrp 12 James R. Jordan, MD, Consultant, 13 John B. Lazor, MD, MBA, Consultant, 13 Donna J. Millay, MD, Ex-Officio, 12 Audrey Shively, Staff Liaison General Otolaryngology Education Committee Karen T. Pitman, MD, Committee Chair, 12 Cristina Baldassari, MD, Member, 12 Steven S. Ball, MD, Member, 13 Matthew L. Carlson, MD, Member, 13 James I. Cohen, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Anand K. Devaiah, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 14 Kevin Fung, MD, Member, 12 Amy Clark Hessel, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 16 Gina D. Jefferson, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 14 Alan J. Johnson, MD, Member, 12 Glenn W. Knox, MD, JD, Member, 13 Paul Konowitz, MD, Member, 13 Ian K. Mcleod, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 14 Charles E. Morgan, MD, DMD, Member HSC WrkGp, 14 Kevin L. Potts, MD, Member, 13 Minka L. Schofield, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 16 John W. Seibert, MD, Member, 12 Paul M. Spring, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 12 Rodney J. Taylor, MD, MSPH, Member HSC WrkGp, 16 Shelby G. Topp, MD, Member, 12 Preston D. Ward, MD, Member, 12 Robert A. Weatherly, MD, Member, 12 Philip E. Zapanta, MD, Member, 12 Sonya Malekzadeh, MD, BOD Liaison, 15 Marie T. Gilbert, PA-C, Consultant, 13 Farrel J. Buchinsky, MBChB, Ex-Officio, 13 David E. Eibling, MD, Ex-Officio, 12 Gregory W. Randolph, MD, Ex-Officio, 13 Audrey Shively, Staff Liaison Head and Neck Surgery Education Committee Dennis H. Kraus, MD, Committee Chair, 12 Benoit J. Gosselin, MD, Member, 12 Neil D. Gross, MD, Member, 12 Benjamin L. Judson, MD, Member, 13 Greg Krempl, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 15 Stephen Y. Lai, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Kelly Michele Malloy, MD, Member, 13 Oleg N. Militsakh, MD, Member, 13 Matthew C. Miller, MD, Member, 12 Michael G. Moore, MD, Member, 12 Matthew O. Old, MD, Member, 13 Robert B. Parke, Jr., MD, MBA,  Member, 12 Yash J. Patil, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 15 Mark E. Prince, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 17 Joseph Scharpf, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 15 Alfred A. Simental, Jr., MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 13 Bhuvanesh Singh, MD, PhD, Member HSC WrkGp, 17 Joseph C. Sniezek, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 13 Michael E. Stadler, MD, Member, 13 John W. Werning, MD, DMD, Member, 12 Jeffrey S. Wolf, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 17 Richard Jenshu Wong, MD, Member, 12 Sonya Malekzadeh, MD, BOD Liaison, 15 Elizabeth A. Blair, MD, Consultant, 13 Gregory J. Artz, MD, Ex-Officio, 13 Douglas B. Chepeha, MD, MSPH,  Ex-Officio, 12 Lisa A. Orloff, MD, Ex-Officio, 12 Audrey Shively, Staff Liaison Laryngology & Bronchoesophagology Education Committee Catherine R. Lintzenich, MD, Committee Chair, 13 Mona M. Abaza, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 13 Kenneth W. Altman, MD, PhD, Member HSC WrkGp, 13 Jennifer G. Andrus, MD, Member, 12 James A. Burns, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 15 Thomas L. Carroll, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 17 Neil N. Chheda, MD, Member, 12 Brad W. de Silva, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 17 Ellen S. Deutsch, MD, Member, 13 Kevin Fung, MD, Member, 12 Priya D. Krishna, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 17 Michele P. Morrison, DO, Member, 13 David Myssiorek, MD, Member, 12 Noah P. Parker, MD, Member, 12 Linnea Peterson, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 15 Kristina W. Rosbe, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 15 Chih-Kwang Sung, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 17 Robert F. Ward, MD, Member, 13 Gayle E. Woodson, MD, Member, 12 Sonya Malekzadeh, MD, BOD Liaison, 15 J. Dale Browne, MD, Consultant, 13 James David Garnett, MD, Consultant, 13 C. Michael Haben, MD, MSc, Consultant, 13 Anna M. Pou, MD, Consultant, 13 Audrey Shively, Staff Liaison Otology & Neurotology Education Committee Bradley W. Kesser, MD,  Committee Chair, 13 Simon I. Angeli, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 15 Seilesh Babu, MD, Member, 13 Marc L. Bennett, MD, Member, 13 Daniel H. Coelho, MD, Member, 13 Jennifer Derebery, MD, Member, 12 John C. Goddard, MD, Member, 13 Richard K. Gurgel, MD, Member, 12 David S. Haynes, MD, Member, 12 Brandon Isaacson, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 15 David Kaylie, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 13 John P. Leonetti, MD, Member, 12 Benjamin M. McGrew, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 13 Cliff A. Megerian, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 17 Ted A. Meyer, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Alan G. Micco, MD, Member, 12 Anh T. Nguyen Huynh, MD, PhD, Member HSC WrkGp, 13 Bradley P. Pickett, MD, Member, 13 J. Thomas Roland, Jr., MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 17 Maroun Semaan, MD, Member, 12 Elizabeth H. Toh, MD, Member, 12 Frank Manley Warren, MD, Member, 13 Sonya Malekzadeh, MD, BOD Liaison, 13 Dennis I. Bojrab, MD, Consultant, 13 Craig A. Buchman, MD, Consultant, 13 Lawrence R. Lustig, MD, Consultant, 13 Calhoun D. Cunningham, III, MD, Society Representative, 13 Blake C. Papsin, MD, Society Representative, 12 Audrey Shively, Staff Liaison Pediatric Otolaryngology Education Committee Sukgi S. Choi, MD, Committee Chair, 12 Patrick C. Barth, MD, Member, 12 Matthew T. Brigger, MD, Member, 12 David J. Brown, MD, Member, 12 Lisa M. Buckmiller, MD, Member, 12 Kenny H. Chan, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 12 William O. Collins, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 16 Nira A. Goldstein, MD, Member, 13 Johannes Fredrik Grimmer, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 16 Stacey L. Ishman, MD, Member, 13 Anita Jeyakumar, MD, MS, Member, 13 Liane Barbara Johnson, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 14 Daniel J. Kirse, MD, Member, 12 Jason G. May, MD, Member, 12 R. Christopher Miyamoto, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 14 Albert H. Park, MD, Member, 12 Diego A. Preciado, MD, PhD, Member HSC WrkGp, 14 James W. Schroeder, Jr., MD, Member, 12 Marc C. Thorne, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 16 David R. White, MD, Member, 13 Christopher Wootten, MD, Member, 12 Patricia J. Yoon, MD, Member, 12 Sonya Malekzadeh, MD, BOD Liaison, 15 Michele M. Carr, MD, DDS, PhD,  Consultant, 13 Marci Lesperance, MD, Consultant, 12 Jeffrey P. Simons, MD, Consultant, 13 Anna H. Messner, MD, Society Representative, 13 Audrey Shively, Staff Liaison Rhinology & Allergy Education Committee James A. Hadley, MD, Committee Chair, 12 Brent A. Senior, MD, Committee  Chair-Elect, 12 Fuad M. Baroody, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 15 Pete S. Batra, MD, Member, 13 Benjamin Saul Bleier, MD, Member, 13 Peter C. Bondy, MD, Member, 13 Rakesh K. Chandra, MD, Member, 12 Felix W. K. Chu, MD, Member, 13 Christopher A. Church, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 17 Samer Fakhri, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 15 Adam J. Folbe, MD, Member, 12 Karen J. Fong, MD, Member HSC WrkGp, 13 Oswaldo A. Henriquez, MD, Member, 13 Esther Kim, MD, Member, 13 Devyani Lal, MD, Member, 12 Jivianne Lee, MD, Member, 11 Amber U. Luong, MD, PhD, Member HSC WrkGp, 15 Peter Manes, MD, Member, 13 Maria T. Pena, MD, Member, 13 David Poetker, MD, MA, Member HSC WrkGp, 17 Douglas D. Reh, MD, Member HSC  WrkGp, 13 Sonya Malekzadeh, MD, BOD Liaison, 13 Kevin Christopher McMains, MD, Consultant, 13 Scott P. Stringer, MD, Ex-Officio, 12 Audrey Shively, Staff Liaison ADVISORY/ OTHER GROUPS CORE Study Section Jay O. Boyle, MD, Committee Chair, 14 Richard R. Orlandi, MD,  Committee Chair, 12 Oliver F. Adunka, MD, Member, 12 Roger A. Allcroft, MD, Member, 12 Kenneth W. Altman, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Marc L. Bennett, MD, Member, 12 Brandon G. Bentz, MD, Member, 12 Carol M. Bier-Laning, MD, Member, 12 Farrel J. Buchinsky, MBChB, Member, 12 Trinitia Y. Cannon, MD, Member, 12 Thomas E. Carey, PhD, Member, 12 Dylan K. Chan, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Teresa V. Chan, MD, Member, 12 Rakesh K. Chandra, MD, Member, 12 Alan G. Cheng, MD, Member, 12 Francisco J. Civantos, MD, Member, 12 Noam A. Cohen, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Marion E. Couch, MD, PhD, Member, 14 John M. DelGaudio, MD, Member, 12 Rodney Diaz, MD, Member, 12 Joni K. Doherty, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Jayme R. Dowdall, MD, Member, 12 Carole Fakhry, MD, Member, 12 Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Karen J. Fong, MD, Member, 12 David O. Francis, MD, Member, 12 Susan L. Garetz, MD, Member, 12 George A. Gates, MD, Member, 12 Ann M. Gillenwater, MD, Member, 12 David Goldenberg, MD, Member, 12 Nira A. Goldstein, MD, Member, 12 Christine G. Gourin, MD, Member, 12 John H. Greinwald, Jr., MD, Member, 12 Neil D. Gross, MD, Member, 12 Samuel P. Gubbels, MD, Member, 12 Marlan R. Hansen, MD, Member, 12 Christopher J. Hartnick, MD, Member, 12 Selena E. Heman-Ackah, MD, MBA, Member, 12 Alexander T. Hillel, MD, Member, 12 Keiko Hirose, MD, Member, 12 Michael E. Hoffer, MD, Member, 12 Eric H. Holbrook, MD, Member, 12 F. Christopher Holsinger, MD, Member, 12 Timothy E. Hullar, MD, Member, 12 Lisa Ishii, MD, Member, 12 Akira Ishiyama, MD, Member, 12 Scharukh Jalisi, MD, Member, 12 Mark J. Jameson, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Romaine F. Johnson, MD, Member, 12 Benjamin L. Judson, MD, Member, 12 Eric J. Kezirian, MD, MPH, Member, 12 Seungwon Kim, MD, Member, 12 Young Jun Kim, MD, PhD, Member, 12 William M. Kuzon, Jr., MD, Member, 12 Robert F. Labadie, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Stephen Y. Lai, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Andrew Lane, MD, Member, 12 Rande H. Lazar, MD, Member, 12 Daniel J. Lee, MD, Member, 12 Paul Lenkowski, MD, Member, 12 Paul L. Leong, MD, Member, 12 Judith E. C. Lieu, MD, Member, 12 Charles J. Limb, MD, Member, 12 Philip D. Littlefield, MD, Member, 12 Jeffrey C. Liu, MD, Member, 12 Todd A. Loehrl, MD, Member, 12 Brenda L. Lonsbury-Martin, PhD,  Member, 12 Mark Brandt Lorenz, MD, Member, 12 Donna Lundy, PhD, Member, 12 Carol J. MacArthur, MD, Member, 12 Omid Majdani, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Tomoko Makishima, MD, PhD,  Member, 12 Bradley F. Marple, MD, Member, 12 Kevin Christopher McMains, MD,  Member, 12 Eduardo Mendez, MD, Member, 12 Alan G. Micco, MD, Member, 12 Suzette K. Mikula, MD, Member, 12 Stephanie Misono, MD, Member, 12 Sam P. Most, MD, Member, 12 Jeffrey S. Moyer, MD, Member, 12 Cherie-Ann O. Nathan, MD, Member, 12 Anh T. Nguyen Huynh, MD, PhD,  Member, 12 John S. Oghalai, MD, Member, 12 Kourosh Parham, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Albert H. Park, MD, Member, 12 Alpen A. Patel, MD, Member, 12 Maria T. Pena, MD, Member, 12 Jay F. Piccirillo, MD, Member, 12 Michael P. Platt, MD, Member, 12 David Poetker, MD, MA, Member, 12 Diego A. Preciado, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Liana Puscas, MD, Member, 12 Melissa A. Pynnonen, MD, Member, 12 Vicente A. Resto, MD, PhD, Member, 12 John S. Rhee, MD, MPH, Member, 12 Claus-Peter Richter, MD, PhD, Member, 12 James W. Rocco, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Pamela C. Roehm, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Peter S. Roland, MD, Member, 12 Eben L. Rosenthal, MD, Member, 12 Matthew W. Ryan, MD, Member, 12 Rodney J. Schlosser, MD, Member, 12 Cecelia E. Schmalbach, MD, Member, 12 Duane Sewell, MD, Member, 12 Carol G. Shores, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Andrew Sikora, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Bhuvanesh Singh, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Matthew E. Spector, MD, Member, 12 Jeffrey H. Spiegel, MD, Member, 12 Michael E. Stadler, MD, Member, 12 John B. Sunwoo, MD, Member, 12 Susan L. Thibeault, PhD, CCC/SLP,  Member, 12 Jonathan Y. Ting, MD, Member, 12 Travis T. Tollefson, MD, Member, 12 Ravindra Uppaluri, MD, PhD, Member, 12 Andrea Vambutas, MD, Member, 12 Jeffrey T. Vrabec, MD, Member, 12 Eric W. Wang, MD, Member, 12 Steven J. Wang, MD, Member, 12 Edward M. Weaver, MD, MPH, Member, 12 Debra G. Weinberger, MD, Member, 12 Bradford A. Woodworth, MD, Member, 12 Adam Mikial Zanation, MD, Member, 12 Stephanie Jones, Staff Liaison Physician Payment Policy (3P) Workgroup Michael Setzen, MD, Co-Chair, 12 Richard W. Waguespack, MD,  Co-Chair, 12 David J. Brown, MD Jane T. Dillon, MD Charles F. Koopmann, Jr., MD, MHSA John T. Lanza, MD Lee D. Eisenberg, MD, MPH Joseph E. Leonard, MD Willard B. Moran, Jr., MD Brendan C. Stack, Jr., MD Peter C. Weber, MD, MBA Jenna Kappel, Staff Liaison Specialty Society Advisory Council (SSAC) Samuel H. Selesnick, MD, Chair, 12 Albert L. Merati, MD, Chair-Elect, 12 Stephen P. Cass, MD, MPH,  AOS Member, 14 Sukgi S. Choi, MD, ASPO Member, 14 Marvin P. Fried, MD, ALA Member, 13 Peter H. Hwang, MD, ARS Member, 13 Dennis H. Kraus, MD, AHNS Member, 13 Tom D. Wang, MD, AAFPRS Member, 13 Craig A. Buchman, MD, AOS Alternate, 14 Marci Lesperance, MD, ASPO Alternate, 14 Clark A. Rosen, MD, ABEA Alternate, 14 Daniel E. Rousso, MD, AAFPRS  Alternate, 13 J. Regan Thomas, MD, AAO-HNS  Alternate, 13 Gregory T. Wolf, MD, AHNS Alternate, 14 Sujana Chandrasekhar, MD, MD, Non-voting Guest, 13 Eve Humphreys, Staff Liaison To learn how to serve on a committee, visit www.entnet.org/Community/committeeRoster.cfm
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Academy Advantage Partner OptumInsight Essentials for Procedure Coding
There are many elements required to submit a clean claim. While it should be routine to verify the patient contact information and insurance coverage, the process of selecting and reporting procedure and diagnosis codes is more complex and requires skill and understanding of multiple coding systems. Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) codes are updated yearly, effective January 1. The new CPT codes are published in November in the Federal Register and your Academy will alert you to the codes relating to otolaryngology—head and neck surgery prior to their effective date. In addition, there are interim updates to category III codes. Every provider’s office must review those changes and adjust its billing practices to reflect only the most current codes. One of the more difficult issues with coding is translating CPT language into easily understood descriptions. This is particularly challenging when the CPT code uses specialty-specific terms or eponyms that identify the service after the procedure innovator, e.g., Epley manuever. CPT codes are subject to specific guidelines regarding code combinations, order of reporting, and reduction of multiple procedures. Healthcare providers must submit claims in accordance with these guidelines. The guidelines include verifying that CPT code combinations do not result in a Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) edit, verification of appropriate modifiers, and reporting the highest valued procedure first. It is important to compare code pairs using the CCI edits that are in effect for a specific date of service. Additional guidelines include the appropriateness of an assistant at surgery, identification of procedures not subject to multiple procedure reduction or that are add-on codes, and code-specific instructions. See a related article, “NCCI and MUEs,” (page 44) to read more about how the Academy’s Physician Payment Policy (3P) workgroup reviews proposed edits. The Academy website also provides many resources available on edits and how you can check codes for edits, www.entnet.org/login.cfm. Just as procedure codes have complex rules, so do diagnosis (ICD-9-CM) codes. Incomplete codes that do not contain the appropriate fourth and fifth digits should not be reported. Some ICD-9-CM codes require that additional codes be reported, and often the order of the codes is set by coding guidelines. Diagnosis codes should relate to the procedure codes, and it is important to note that when multiple procedures are reported, the diagnosis codes for each procedure may be the same code or a unique code, for each procedure. ICD-9-CM codes are updated and effective on October 1 of each calendar year. Although the healthcare industry is planning for the adoption of ICD-10-CM in two years, there will still be changes to ICD-9-CM codes. For 2011, these changes were significant as they better align the ICD-9-CM codes with some of the coding conventions found in ICD-10-CM. The Academy published articles in the April and August issues of the Bulletin this year to prepare you for the transition and will continue to inform you of milestones in preparation for the switch. The article  in this month’s Bulletin, “Preparing for ICD-10,” (page 42) by Kim Reid contains further information. The change to ICD-10 will affect the way all of medicine will report visits and procedures beginning in 2013. As a member benefit, the Academy will also publish a crosswalk of the top 200 diagnosis codes from the ICD-9 code to the new ICD-10 coding structure in an upcoming issue of the Bulletin as well as on the website. Please watch for this valuable resource. A helpful tool in bringing all of these coding elements together into a single source is the Ingenix 2012 Coding Companion for ENT/Allergy/Pulmonology. Focusing on the CPT codes most commonly encountered by otolaryngology and head and neck surgery practices, this tool includes lay descriptions of the surgical procedures and coding tips to help in code assignment. The most commonly associated ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes, ICD-9-CM volume 3 procedure codes, terms, Medicare Relative Value Units (RVUs), and modifiers related to specific CPT codes are included. Completing the coding essentials are the CCI edits with quarterly CCI updates available online. OptumInsight, previously Ingenix, specializes in technology services, information, analytics, business services and consulting. OptumInsight may be reached at (800) 464-3649, via email at kelly.armstrong@ingenix.com or online at www.shopingenix.com. The AAO-HNS contracts with Physician Reimbursement Systems, a group of experienced, competent, and courteous coding professionals who will respond to your coding requests within 24 hours.  Dedicated hotline staff can help you in the following coding areas for Medicare and private payers: ICD-9-CM, CPT, and HCPCCS Level II Evaluation and Management services Appropriate modifier use Correct Coding Initiative (bundling) edits Deciphering complex operative reports Call 1-800-584-7773 now to take advantage of this excellent Academy member benefit. Please have your AAO-HNS membership number available when you call.
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Let Our Advantage (Program) Be to Your Advantage
By Supporting the Academy  Advantage Program, you give back to your Academy. As human beings, it’s natural to want to have a sense of belonging. That’s particularly true of accomplished professionals who want to share their knowledge, experiences, and expertise with their peers. That’s how we all learn, grow, and gain from others’ perspectives—and have a chance to give back. Yet, despite the natural yearning to belong, we all have limited time, energy, and resources to channel our sense of belonging. We have to make choices. With that comes the need to assess our priorities for the never-ending demand on our time, personal commitment, and resources. Bottom line, we need to ask, “What is in it for me?” Let’s face it, we are all looking for what value this affiliation or that affiliation will bring to us. As a specialist in otolaryngology—head and neck surgery, your affiliation with the AAO-HNS is no doubt beneficial and rewarding to you professionally, intellectually, and personally as a common thread with your peers. That said, it’s easy to lose sight of the value proposition of membership and take advantage of only a small share of the opportunities and benefits available to you. Most, if not all of you, are aware of the education discounts available through membership in the AAO-HNS. But did you know that savings and value can be found elsewhere among your member benefits? Take, for example, the AAO-HNS Academy Advantage program. You are probably aware that this is the Academy’s affinity program with “non-endemic” companies, those that are not medical device or pharmaceutical companies. But have you ever considered taking a close look at any of the offerings that these partners make available to you, with special pricing or considerations? True, not all the offerings will be of interest to you, but there are practical, direct benefits to be found by all our members. For instance, let’s take medical liability insurance. You need that, right? We’ve got an app for that! Well, OK, we’ve got a solution provider for that. And yes, there are direct and tangible benefits for you. For example, how about premium discounts and dividends when loss ratios are low? Please take a moment to review the offer and consider taking advantage of real savings available through the medical liability insurance provider—The Doctors Company that is an Academy Advantage Premier Partner. For further details, please visit www.thedoctors.com/aaohns. Another Academy Advantage Premier Partner offers technology solutions that could make you a better communicator and educator with your patients. There’s certainly great value in that. Eyemaginations, with its 3-D visual software, now has designed software for easy-to-show (and carry) platforms such as the iPad, so doctors can better describe conditions, show locations of affected areas using 3-D images, and even make drawings showing surgery procedures and target areas to their patients. This state-of-the-art software may not be for everyone, a few patients may be hoping their otolaryngologists will be using this patient education tool with their offices’ new iPads. For more, visit ent.eyemaginations.com. One final example of the Academy Advantage program offerings that may be useful to your practice at some point is in the area of recruitment. Working with Premier Academy Advantage Partner HEALTHeCAREERS, the Academy offers a dynamic, online job board through its ENT Careers brand. Job candidates can search for job openings within the specialty, and employers are able to post positions that target job-seekers based on their specialty requirement needs. These resources are free to AAO-HNS members seeking jobs, and job posting rates are highly competitive, with volume discounts to employers placing job announcements on ENT Careers.  For more, visit www.healthecareers.com/aaohns. There are true advantages to be found by considering those providers within the Academy Advantage program that offer solutions that your practice needs, or may need at some point. Often, there really is strength in numbers, and in this case, it can lead to savings to you through discounts that AAO-HNS has negotiated on your behalf. In other words, why not let the Academy Advantage program work to your advantage? Your participation with these companies also provides direct financial support to our organization. In addition to negotiating discounts on your behalf, each of these companies provides finance support back to the AAO-HNS for each purchase our members make. Visit www.entnet.org/advantage for more information.
Industry Round Table attendees focused on presentations and vital updates about the specialty.
Corporate Supporters Gather at the Industry Round Table
The corporate supporters who make up the Industry Round Table (IRT), held their second annual meeting at the 2011 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO to discuss topics important to the corporate community and to advancing the specialty. Recognition through the IRT program is achieved by giving annual charitable gifts in support of our mission, Continuing Medical Education (CME) grants, and through corporate support for the Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO. There are three levels of participation in the IRT program, and the program year runs from annual meeting to annual meeting. Through these collaborative relationships with industry, the AAO-HNS/F can appropriately leverage their important work to further shared goals and thus better serve and communicate with the otolaryngology specialty, its practitioners, and patients. The Industry Round Table meeting was attended by 15 IRT company representatives, half a dozen members of the AAO-HNS/F Board, and most of the staff executive leadership team. Following a welcome by David R. Nielsen, MD, and introductions, the program kicked off with an AAO-HNS update on membership by Eve Humphreys, Senior Director of Membership. The AAO-HNS membership is vibrant and growing, with total current membership of 11,797. There was also good news reported based upon the results of the 2010 AAO-HNS Voice of the Member Survey that reflected high member satisfaction (85 percent) and retention (96+ percent). In addition, member engagement has been increasing, as reflected in increased voter turnout, more applications to serve on committees, and strong annual meeting attendance numbers, as evidenced by this year’s strong turnout (more than 9,500 at the 2011 annual meeting). Turning to the important matter of guidelines that dictate how the AAO-HNS/F is able to interact with the corporate world, Dr. Nielsen explained to the IRT partners that at the Board of Directors meeting the previous day (Saturday, September 10) they adopted the AAO-HNS/F Code for Interactions with Companies. The Board’s actions were in line with the Council for Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS) task force in developing a “code of conduct” for medical specialty societies to “enhance professionalism and to disclose, manage, and resolve relationships with industry.” It was shared that certain aspects of the AAO-HNS/F Code are more rigorous than the CMSS Code recommendations. Discussion was held about important changes taking place with regard to Continuing Medical Education (CME) and what the implications for these changes are for AAO-HNS members, including quality measurement, changes in training toward learner-centered educational systems and simulation, and decision support systems which are interactive and integrated, just to name a few. An overview of the just-released 2011 Socioeconomic Survey by AAO-HNS’ Director of Health Policy Jenna Kappel, MPH, MA, revealed several interesting findings by respondents, including that 67 percent use an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system and 75.4 percent indicated that they were planning to participate in the Medicare HER Meaningful Use Incentive Program. An interesting trend noted was a 5-percent increase since 2008 in providing in-office imaging services. For more on the survey, contact Jenna Kappel at (703) 535-3724 or jkappel@entnet.org. Mark E. Zafereo, Jr., MD, representative, Section for Residents and Fellows (SRF), led a discussion on enlightening data revealed through the SRF survey. Completed by 341 residents and fellows, 45.5 percent were between the ages of 30 and 33 and a third between 25 and 29 years old. The key trends identified in the survey were: increasing home call responsibilities, popularity in pursuing a subspecialty fellowship (69 percent), slight preference for academic practice setting (46.7 percent), and increasing levels of higher education debt (55.3 percent with debt exceeding $100,000). Also, the most important factors determining choice of practice mentioned were location (64.5 percent) and lifestyle/call schedule (46 percent). The survey confirmed that AAO-HNSF Resident Leadership Grants provide an important resource for resident attendance at meetings (46.5 percent surveyed were not likely to attend the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO without a grant). The meeting closed with an open forum among corporate participants. This lively discussion was insightful and thought provoking. Some of the main areas of discussion included: levels of corporate support at meetings, comments on the educational changes that Dr. Nielsen outlined earlier in the presentation, the process for introducing technology, actions to provide advocacy and support of new technology, and trends with congressional actions pertaining to CT imaging. The consensus was that all should continue to work together to ensure the best patient outcomes through interaction and support. The second annual IRT meeting concluded with thanks for the corporate support of the AAO-HNS/F Industry Round Table companies, and for the active participation of the individuals taking part in the meeting.
Brianne B. Roby, MD
Young Leaders in Philanthropy
Brianne B. Roby, MD, Section for Residents and Fellows Representative, BOG Development Fundraising  Task Force As newcomers to the specialty, we have learned that the AAO-HNS has a responsibility to foster the growth of young physicians and to create an environment with opportunities to nurture us in our goal of providing the best patient care.  In turn, we as residents and young physicians of the AAO-HNS have a responsibility to absorb all there is to learn and give back in meaningful ways to create a stronger AAO-HNS/F in the future. The Section of Residents and Fellows (SRF) has been an essential resource for many to gain the knowledge and leadership development resources necessary to grow in our profession. During the SRF general assembly at the 2011 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, I was so proud to witness standing-room-only attendance—demonstrating that we take our leadership responsibilities to heart. One of the many reasons for such a large turnout was the ability for me and others to attend the meeting through AAO-HNSF Resident Leadership Grants made possible through generous donations. In fact, when David R. Nielsen, MD, presented at the SRF General Assembly and asked how many in the room where able to attend the meeting because of a resident leadership grant, the majority of hands went up. He then asked of those who were attending with a grant, how many would not have been able to attend without the grant. Those with hands raised, kept them up.  In 2011, 131 resident leadership grants were given out. Residents and young physicians rely on the philanthropy of others to help us in our young careers. However, this year there has been a significant acknowledgment that, as young physicians, we can take part in giving back too. So far in 2011, more than 60 young physicians have joined the Millennium Society, more than quadrupling our participation from just two years ago. As illustrated by Mark E. Zafereo, Jr., MD, Daniel C. Chelius, MD,  Angela M. Powell, MD, and Spencer C. Payne, MD, who all played a role in the Opening Ceremony video that highlighted donors to The Changing Face of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Campaign, residents and young physicians are helping to create a sustainable endowment that will safeguard the future of the specialty’s resident programs. Through the leadership of the SRF, young physicians are leading the charge in creating the Future Leaders Endowment www.entnet.org/change, a pool of funds that will ensure Resident Leadership Grants in the future, and to the very people who will some day be the leaders of our organization. Young physicians have also showed their leadership spirit through SRF representation on the Board of Directors, as well as nearly every committee. With our current leadership and the growing number of engaged, informed and supportive residents and young physicians, our specialty’s future is very bright.  As a current resident, SRF representative to the BOG Development Fundraising Task Force, and young physician member of the Millennium Society, I could not be more proud of my young colleagues who have started out on the philanthropic path set forth by current and past leaders and have helped blaze a new trail for all those new to the specialty to follow! Thank You  2011 Young Physician Millennium Society participants  Life Members Mary E. Gorman, MD Stacey L. Ishman, MD Spencer C. Payne, MD Angela M. Powell, MD Mark E. Zafereo, Jr., MD Sustaining Members   Scott M. Kaszuba, MD J. Walter Kutz, Jr., MD Members   R. Tyson Deal, MD Thomas S. Dozier, MD M. Bradley Evans, MD Mark D. Ghegan, MD Eli R. Groppo, MD Gina D. Jefferson, MD James F. Kimbrough, MD James J. Klemens, MD Erik R. Swanson, MD Brian Shih-ning Wang, MD Rhoda Wynn, MD Young Physician Member   Nadir Ahmad, MD Ronda E. Alexander, MD Eric R. Anderson, MD Charles J Ballay, II, MD, PA Margo M. Benoit, MD James T. Brawner, MD Gabriel Calzada, MD Daniel C. Chelius, Jr., MD Steven B. Chinn, MD David M. Cognetti, MD Carleton E. Corrales, MD Vasu Divi, MD Charles S. Ebert, Jr., MD, MPH Jonathan R. George, MD, MPH Tamer Abdel-Halim Ghanem, MD, PhD Rebecca D. Golgert, MD Heather J. Gomes, MD, MPH Selena E. Heman-Ackah,  MD, MBA Brandon Isaacson, MD Suwicha Isaradisaikul, MD Alexis H. Jackman, MD Andreas Kaden, MD Ayesha N. Khalid, MD Oleg V. Kravtchenko, MD Jeffrey C. Liu, MD Amber U. Luong, MD, PhD Kelly Michele Malloy, MD Michael G. Moore, MD Samantha Marie Mucha, MD Daniel I. Plosky, MD Ksenia Prosolovich, MD Liana Puscas, MD Rahmatullah Rahmati, MD Nikhila Raol, MD Scott M. Rickert, MD Brianne B. Roby, MD Sarah L. Rohde, MD Lawrence M. Simon, MD Michael C. Singer, MD Lee P. Smith, MD Angela K. Sturm-O’Brien, MD Jonathan Y. Ting, MD Betty S. Tsai, MD Eric P. Wilkinson, MD Estelle S. Yoo, MD Philip B. Zald, MD
06_OFFICITE
Your Guide to Building a Successful Practice Website
Provided by AAO-HNS Academy Advantage Partner, Officite In an era that relies heavily on the Internet for information, the decision to build a website could very well be one of the most important marketing decisions your practice ever makes. A strong Internet presence is the most powerful source for better communicating, educating, and attracting a new generation of web-savvy patients who increasingly identify the Internet as central to their lives. Find a Website Expert To get started, partner with a company that specializes in websites and online marketing for medical practices. Officite, provider of websites to the healthcare community, understands your industry and has a proven track record of building websites and implementing Internet marketing campaigns, such as social networking and search marketing, tailored to best serve a physician’s needs and goals. Attention-getting Designs and Compelling Content Your website says a lot about you, and it’s often the first impression a new or referred patient will have of your practice before deciding whether or not to make an appointment. With that said, if you’re thinking about investing in a website, you need to make sure it is built with attractive design elements, easy navigation, and valuable patient resources.  More than an online brochure, your site’s content must clearly and concisely communicate your practice’s capabilities and expertise. Give visitors the information they’re looking for, including staff bios, hours, office directions, and service descriptions. Officite websites allow you to incorporate online appointment requests, downloadable patient forms, and click-to-contact features, which allow patients to conveniently access your office 24/7. As an AAO-HNS member, you will also have exclusive access to add trusted patient education from the AAO-HNS to your Officite website. Measure Your ROI How will you determine if your website is driving new patients to your practice? With Officite, you gain access to a wide array of web statistics that quantify your website’s effectiveness. From the Doctor Portal, you can monitor key statistics, such as new patient appointment requests and integrated Google analytics. These web statistics give you a clear picture of how well your website is performing. A website is a powerful lever that you can use to attract and engage existing and referred patients. Combined with attractive design elements, compelling content, and advanced tracking tools, you’ll find that a professional website can lead to increased case acceptance and remarkable growth for your practice. AAO-HNS Academy Advantage Partner Officite offers a new member benefit: premium practice websites and a full, turnkey Internet strategy, including local search engine optimization, pay-per-click advertising, blog management, social networking, and patient reviews management. To learn more, visit www.websitesforents.com or call 1-877-889-4042.
1977: Eiji Yanagisawa, MD, and Howard W. Smith, MD, with the scientific exhibit
Celebrating a Half Century at the Annual Meeting
Megan Schagrin, CAE, CFRE AAO-HNSF Senior Director, Development Philanthropy is a wonderful tool for non-profits to use. Financial support can bring about specific and tangible results to help propel missions. Sometimes overlooked, but equally important, are the longstanding relationships and passion that engaged donors naturally bring to the organizations they choose to support. At the 2011 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, I was fortunate to meet with many of our donors and hear their insights about being an AAO-HNS member. I was truly touched by one in particular. I am honored to share with you my conversations with Eiji Yanagisawa, MD, during which unfolded an incredibly touching story of a lifetime of involvement with the AAO-HNS/F that has resulted in an enriched career for him, and a wealth of knowledge and resources for the specialty. Dr. Yanagisawa received his medical degree from the Nihon University School of Medicine in Tokyo, Japan. After a year of internship at the U.S. Tokyo Army Hospital, he came to the United States in 1956, completing his residency in otolaryngology at the Yale Medical Center in 1959. “When I was a medical student, I suffered from sinusitis and saw a competent and kind otolaryngologist. I liked his manner and method of treatment, and his results. I wanted to be like him. I enjoy caring for the young and the old, both sexes, and the balance of medicine and surgery.” Dr. Yanagisawa began attending the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting in 1958 and has attended the past 46 meetings consecutively, only missing a few early in residency. “I attended my first annual meeting in 1958 in Chicago. I attended as a third-year resident. We held a joint meeting with Ophthalmology (the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology). The ENT portion of the meeting was quite small and unimpressive. I shared a room with the late Dr. John A. Kirchner, my professor, and we actually had to evacuate the headquarter hotel because of a fire in the middle of the night. “While all of the annual meetings have been noteworthy, one of my most significant memories of the annual meeting was the scientific exhibit, ‘Photography and videotaping of microsurgery of the larynx,’ which we displayed in 1977. It was so well received that it was later shown at other major meetings such as the Clinical Congress of American College of Surgeons (San Francisco, 1978), AMA (Las Vegas, 1978), Hospital of St. Raphael (New Haven, 1978), COSM (Palm Beach, 1980), Biological Photographic Association (Boston, 1980  Receiving the Graham Eddy Endoscopic Award).” Many members are familiar with Dr. Yanagisawa’s interest in photography, which led him to donate a vast collection, founding the AAO-HNSF ENT Image Library and popular ENT Image Viewer (visit www.entnet.org/educationandresearch/ yanagisawa.cfm). This library of some of the best of his images has helped us preserve otolaryngology’s history, teach a new generation of otolaryngologists, and display the beauty of the specialty through Dr. Yanagisawa’s keen eye. “I have donated a large collection of digital images of the common and uncommon diseases of the ear, nose, paranasal sinuses, pharynx, and larynx. These images represent the best images I have taken from my practice over the past 50 years. It is my hope that Academy members can benefit from having a bank of digital images that can be used for teaching purposes. For many years, I was appointed Chair of the Television Subcommittee (CETV). I produced many education videotapes for Academy members and in 1998 received a Recognition Plate at the annual meeting for unparalleled contributions to otolaryngologic education as the Chair of the CETV faculty.” In 1999, Dr. Yanagisawa was the recipient of the Presidential Citation Award and in 2003 received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy. “The size of the annual meeting is enormous as compared with 50 years ago.” The annual meeting is the world’s largest annual meeting of otolaryngologist—head and neck surgeons, attracting approximately 9,000 attendees. The percentage of international physicians who attend the meeting averages 35 to 40 percent. The quality of the annual meeting in all sections continues to improve every year. The number of excellent poster presentations has increased dramatically. “I attend the annual meeting because of the educational and learning opportunities, as well as the chance to meet and catch up with colleagues and friends. The meeting is very well organized and I attend every year to give or attend instruction courses, miniseminars, scientific exhibits, or poster presentations, and to attend the Editorial Board Meeting of the Ear, Nose, and Throat Journal. My wife has joined me during the past 10 years or so and enjoys exploring the cities we visit.” Otolaryngology is a family affair for the Yanagisawas “My son, Ken, started attending the annual meeting during his residency at Yale University School of Medicine in the early 1990s. He has presented instruction courses and has been a regular attendee over the past 18 years. This year, Japan was one of the honored countries. Ken and I were asked to be greeters. I enjoyed very much giving a welcome speech to the Japanese delegation and exchanging academic and social views. It is always wonderful to meet and exchange ideas with friends and experts from around the world.” This longtime relationship has cemented a bond between the AAO-HNS/F and the Yanagisawa family. Dr. Yanagisawa relied, for many of his early years, on the AAO-HNSF’s superb annual meeting and educational resources to help him become the successful otolaryngologist—head and neck surgeon that he is today. His career, his AAO-HNS/F leadership roles, and his contributions have earned him many prestigious awards and distinguished honors—of which he is most deserving. Dr. Yanagisawa’s relationship with the AAO-HNSF over the years has enabled our specialty to benefit from his tremendous knowledge—today and in the future. For that we are simply grateful. We salute his lifetime of generosity of intellect and his philanthropic spirit, and acknowledge his indelible footprint on our specialty’s advancement. Dr. Eiji Yanagisawa’s numerous contributions to the Annual Meeting INSTRUCTION  COURSES Radiographic anatomy of paranasal sinuses: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 Radiographic diagnosis of facial fractures: 1976, 1977 How to make blue [diazochrome] slides yourself: 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 Photography of tympanic membrane  and middle ear: 1980, 1981 Laryngeal photography and videography using the Nagashima rigid telescope: 1981 Endoscopic documentation: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1989 Videolaryngoscopy: 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993 Video-otoscopy:  1988 How to make an instructional videotape: 1995, 1996, 1997 Powered dissection- endoscopic anatomy of sinonasal surgery: 1998 Powered endoscopic sinus surgery (PESS):  1999, 2003 SCIENTIFIC PAPERS A simple economical way to make diazochrome slides (blue slides) using a regular x-ray view box: 1976 Tympanic membrane photography: 1981  Digital imaging and photo documentation in endoscopic documentation: 1997 Endoscopic anatomy of the nose and paranasal sinuses: 2002 Powered instrumentation for  nasopharyngeal and laryngeal applications: 2003 How to convert your slide presentation to an effective Power Point presentation: 2003 Mucocilliary transport of the maxillary sinus-an endoscopic observation: 2004 SCIENTIFIC EXHIBITS  Photography and videotaping of microsurgery of the larynx: 1977 This exhibit was so popular and later shown at many major meetings.