Thanksgiving and the Academy
Joseph E. Hart, MD Waterloo, IA Member, BOG Executive Committee This is the time of the year we set aside to reflect on our lives. For each of us, Thanksgiving is a personal time to ponder and possibly act on the things we are thankful for. First of all, I would have to be thankful for the life I was given, and the freedoms we hold dear. I have so much to be thankful for. This includes my family, my community (local, state, and national), and my colleagues and staff. We are people who long to relate to one another. We learn this very early in our lives. We are incredibly dependent for years. Our desire for relationships continues as we make our way through our lives. We continue to learn, all along the journey. Our Academy and Board help us with those self-improvement efforts, to be better physicians and healers. Where would we all be, without our education, research, and support from our Academy? I started serving within the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery because one of my state colleagues said it needed me and they thought I could do this. I was hesitant, but asked my former vice-chairman if the AAO-HNS needed someone like me. He almost yelled at me on the phone, “Yes,” was the answer. I am glad he encouraged me. The otolaryngologists and staff I have met over the years are impressive. Their expertise is wide ranging. They are able to make connections with key decision-makers on the state and national level. They are fiscally responsible and give us quite a return on the cost of our annual membership. They have sought out effective partners, sometimes in surprising corners. They have a near and long-term vision of the specialty and seek out new and effective ways to attain these goals. They also have been encouraging to me at every juncture. They give me great pride in my work with the Academy and its Board of Governors. I feel as if I serve my patients and their families better, by “going to bat” for them on a bigger playing field. I would encourage you all to consider volunteering. It has been rewarding. We all have realized how difficult it can be for others in the political or healthcare realm (including insurance) to really hear what we are saying as physician leaders. This is another integral part of being patient advocates. Our Academy staff knows the Congressional offices and the Congressional support staff. Their presence is respected and quite effective. Our support of their activities help them forward our message. We have many ways of supporting the AAO-HNS. Giving to the Academy Foundation through the Millennium Society or Hal Foster, MD Endowment Society, among others, can help sustain the work that began so long ago. Another important and fruitful way to support each other is through the ENT PAC, the Academy’s Political Action Committee. Our PAC has a very high success rate for bipartisan support of candidates who understand and support medicine’s role. Please look into that as an option as you consider how to best help shape the future of medicine. These are some of the ways you can show your thankfulness. We all have many gifts. It is up to each person to determine how to use those gifts. Even a small financial gift can make a difference. Don’t underestimate your personal contribution. We all have very important stories to tell about thankfulness in our lives. One of mine was very specific. On my first day in the operating room as an otolaryngology resident, my chairman stopped before a complicated endoscopy case for a cancer patient, and looked at me. He said we should get down on our knees every night to thank God for a state-of-the-art facility, knowledgeable staff, and patients who trust us with their lives. That set the tone for my residency experience. At many points in my life, I have relied on my education to help with medical and surgical treatment for my extended family. I am very thankful for the help that was given to us at so many points. There is a significant story that stood out for our family. It is a personal one for me. One of my best friends went on to become a pediatric otolaryngologist. Our third daughter was born with a very complicated ear, nose, and throat problem. He, among many other talented people, saved her life. The whole tertiary team has been dedicated to her and our family from the beginning. They have helped my whole family with this journey. She will graduate from high school soon. Where would I be without him, and them? He also doesn’t accept much attention for all that he, the department, and the hospital did for my wife, family, and me. I am thankful for these humble, dutiful, and wonderful people.
Joseph E. Hart, MD
Waterloo, IA
Member, BOG Executive Committee
This is the time of the year we set aside to reflect on our lives. For each of us, Thanksgiving is a personal time to ponder and possibly act on the things we are thankful for. First of all, I would have to be thankful for the life I was given, and the freedoms we hold dear. I have so much to be thankful for. This includes my family, my community (local, state, and national), and my colleagues and staff.
We are people who long to relate to one another. We learn this very early in our lives. We are incredibly dependent for years. Our desire for relationships continues as we make our way through our lives. We continue to learn, all along the journey. Our Academy and Board help us with those self-improvement efforts, to be better physicians and healers.
Where would we all be, without our education, research, and support from our Academy? I started serving within the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery because one of my state colleagues said it needed me and they thought I could do this. I was hesitant, but asked my former vice-chairman if the AAO-HNS needed someone like me. He almost yelled at me on the phone, “Yes,” was the answer. I am glad he encouraged me. The otolaryngologists and staff I have met over the years are impressive. Their expertise is wide ranging. They are able to make connections with key decision-makers on the state and national level. They are fiscally responsible and give us quite a return on the cost of our annual membership. They have sought out effective partners, sometimes in surprising corners. They have a near and long-term vision of the specialty and seek out new and effective ways to attain these goals. They also have been encouraging to me at every juncture. They give me great pride in my work with the Academy and its Board of Governors. I feel as if I serve my patients and their families better, by “going to bat” for them on a bigger playing field. I would encourage you all to consider volunteering. It has been rewarding.
We all have realized how difficult it can be for others in the political or healthcare realm (including insurance) to really hear what we are saying as physician leaders. This is another integral part of being patient advocates. Our Academy staff knows the Congressional offices and the Congressional support staff. Their presence is respected and quite effective. Our support of their activities help them forward our message. We have many ways of supporting the AAO-HNS. Giving to the Academy Foundation through the Millennium Society or Hal Foster, MD Endowment Society, among others, can help sustain the work that began so long ago. Another important and fruitful way to support each other is through the ENT PAC, the Academy’s Political Action Committee. Our PAC has a very high success rate for bipartisan support of candidates who understand and support medicine’s role. Please look into that as an option as you consider how to best help shape the future of medicine. These are some of the ways you can show your thankfulness. We all have many gifts. It is up to each person to determine how to use those gifts. Even a small financial gift can make a difference. Don’t underestimate your personal contribution.
We all have very important stories to tell about thankfulness in our lives. One of mine was very specific. On my first day in the operating room as an otolaryngology resident, my chairman stopped before a complicated endoscopy case for a cancer patient, and looked at me. He said we should get down on our knees every night to thank God for a state-of-the-art facility, knowledgeable staff, and patients who trust us with their lives. That set the tone for my residency experience.
At many points in my life, I have relied on my education to help with medical and surgical treatment for my extended family. I am very thankful for the help that was given to us at so many points. There is a significant story that stood out for our family. It is a personal one for me. One of my best friends went on to become a pediatric otolaryngologist. Our third daughter was born with a very complicated ear, nose, and throat problem. He, among many other talented people, saved her life. The whole tertiary team has been dedicated to her and our family from the beginning. They have helped my whole family with this journey. She will graduate from high school soon. Where would I be without him, and them? He also doesn’t accept much attention for all that he, the department, and the hospital did for my wife, family, and me. I am thankful for these humble, dutiful, and wonderful people.