Published: December 3, 2013

2013 Annual Report: Millenium Society

Life Members Peter J. Abramson, MD,¹ and Cara Abramson Kenneth W. Altman, MD, PhD, and Courtney Altman American Association of Otolaryngologists of Indian Heritage Vijay K. Anand, MD J. Noble Anderson, Jr., MD Seilesh Babu, MD, and Abbey Crooks-Babu, MD Byron J. Bailey, MD, and Margaret Bailey Robert W. Bastian, MD, and Jan Bastian Neal S. Beckford, MD Leslie Bernstein, MD, DDS Nikhil J. Bhatt, MD,1* and Anjali Bhatt, MD Neil Bhattacharyya, MD, and Anjini Bhattacharyya, MD Andrew Blitzer, MD, DDS Mark E. Boston, MD Marcella R. Bothwell, MD I. David Bough, Jr., MD Linda S. Brodsky, MD Robert E. Butler, MD C. Ron Cannon, MD, and family Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD,* and Krishnan Ramanathan Ajay E. Chitkara, MD Sukgi S. Choi, MD,1 and Charles F. Monk, Jr. Felix W. K. Chu, MD Noel L. Cohen, MD, and Baukje Cohen Robin T. Cotton, MD James Croushore, MD James C. Denneny III, MD1 David R. Edelstein, MD, and Ms. Eve Lesser David E. Eibling, MD Lee D. Eisenberg, MD*, MPH, and Nancy Eisenberg Janelle A. Y. Engel, MD, and E. Rodney Engel, MD Deborah J. Freehling, MD Lisa T. Galati, MD Raghuvir B. Gelot, MD, and Carolyn Gelot Samuel J. Girgis, MD Michael E. Glasscock III, MD Jack L. Gluckman, MD, and Vickie Gluckman Steven M. Gold, MD Barbara Goldstein, PhD Rebecca D. Golgert, MD Mary E. Gorman, MD Thomas A. Graves, MD Anna Kristina Elise Hart, MD, and William Todd Harder Jack V. Hough, MD (decd.) John W. House, MD* Stacey L. Ishman, MD,* and Jim McCarthy Barry Jacobs, MD, and MaryLynn Jacobs Jonas T. Johnson, MD, and Janis Johnson Srinivas R. Kaza, MD David W. Kennedy, MD Darius Kohan, MD Frank C. Koranda, MD Alan David Kornblut, AB, MS, MD, and Alfred Kornblut, CAPT MC USNR-RET (decd.) Jamie Koufman, MD Dennis H. Kraus, MD Helen F. Krause, MD (decd.) Vandana Kumra, MD Ronald B. Kuppersmith, MD, MBA, and Nicole Kuppersmith Rande H. Lazar, MD, FRCS Thomas B. Logan, MD, and Jo Logan Rick G. Love, MD Frank E. Lucente, MD Rodney P. Lusk, MD, and Constance C. Lusk, RN Sonya Malekzadeh, MD1 Martha Entenmann Tinnitus Research Center, Inc. Phillip L. Massengill, MD* Pravina and Dinesh C. Mehta, MD Ralph B. Metson, MD James L. Netterville, MD1 David R. Nielsen, MD,1 and Rebecca C. Nielsen, RN Michael M. Paparella, MD, and Treva Paparella Spencer C. Payne, MD* Angela M. Powell, MD Eileen M. Raynor, MD Richard M. Rosenfeld, MD, MPH¹ Steven H. Sacks, MD Harlene Ginsberg and Jerry M. Schreibstein, MD¹ Michael D. Seidman, MD, and Lynn Seidman Gavin Setzen, MD,¹ and Karen Setzen Donna E. Sharpe, MD Abraham Shulman, MD Herbert Silverstein, MD William H. Slattery III, MD Nancy L. Snyderman, MD James A. Stankiewicz, MD J. Pablo Stolovitzky, MD, and Silvia P. Stolovitzky Krishnamurthi Sundaram, MD Duane J. Taylor, MD¹ Dana M. Thompson, MD, MS Elizabeth H. Toh, MD Betty S. Tsai, MD Ira David Uretzky, MD,* and Beth J. Uretzky P. Ashley Wackym, MD, and Jeremy Wackym Pell Ann Wardrop, MD* Richard Alan Weinstock, DO, and Cheryl Weinstock Leslie K. Williamson, MD Lorraine M. Williams-Smith, MD, MPH, FACS David L. Witsell, MD, MHS Peak Woo, MD Geoffrey L. Wright, MD Ken Yanagisawa, MD,* and Julia Shi, MD Jay S. Youngerman, MD* and Toni Youngerman Mark E. Zafereo, Jr., MD Patron Members Phyllis B. Bouvier, MD Hung J. Kim, MD William M. Luxford, MD Eugene N. Myers, MD, FRCS, Edin (Hon.) Rance W. Raney, MD Sustaining Members Reginald F. Baugh, MD William R. Bond, Jr., MD Peter C. Bondy, MD Amelia F. Drake, MD Marvin P. Fried, MD Michael Friedman, MD Clarence W. Gehris, Jr., MD Carlos Gonzalez Aquino, MD Joseph E. Hart, MD, MS Stephanie Joe, MD Alan J. Johnson, MD Romaine F. Johnson, MD Nedra H. Joyner, MD C. Ramadas Kamath, MD Timothy D. Knudsen, MD Lisa A. Liberatore, MD James A. Manning, MD Edith A. McFadden, MD, MA, Bert W. O’Malley, Jr., MD Robert B. Parke, Jr., MD, MBA Karen T. Pitman, MD¹ Lisa Perry-Gilkes, MD¹ Anna M. Pou, MD* Ravi N. Samy, MD Adam M. Shapiro, MD Carl H. Snyderman, MD, MBA Sanford C. Snyderman, MD Joseph R. Spiegel, MD Jamie Stern, MD Michael G. Stewart, MD, MPH¹ Mariel Stroschein, MD Debara L. Tucci, MD Sunil Ummat, MD, FRCSC Winston C. Vaughan, MD Randal S. Weber, MD Richard Alan Weinstock, DO Daniel L. Wohl, MD Stephen Kenneth Wolfe, MD Rhoda Wynn, MD Lauren S. Zaretsky, MD¹ Members Gregory M. Abbas, MD Daniel P. Akin, MD, PhD Patricia Allen Joel N. Anthis, MD Nancy H. Appelblatt, MD Richard G. Areen, MD Oneida A. Arosarena, MD James E. Arnold, Sr., MD Moises A. Arriaga, MD Jonathan E. Aviv, MD Douglas D. Backous, MD Sean B. Bailey, MD Dole P. Baker, Jr., MD James G. Barlow, MHA David M. Barrs, MD David D. Beal, MD Michael S. Benninger, MD Peter D. Berman, MD Philip Bernstein, MD Todd Blum, MHA, MBA, CMPE James H. Boyd, MD Derald E. Brackmann, MD Jean Brereton, MBA R. Bruce Buechler, MD Lawrence P. A. Burgess, MD Mark E. Carney, MD Eric S. Carter, MD Roy R. Casiano, MD Osmund T. Chan, MD C. Y. Joseph Chang, MD A. Craig Chapman, MD Khalid Chowdhury, MD, MBA Randall A. Clary, MD Donald J. Clutter, MD Stephanie Cordes, MD Susan R. Cordes, MD Anthony J. Cornetta, MD Stephen P. Cragle, MD Donald E. Crawley, MD Roberto A. Cueva, MD Lawrence J. Danna, MD Kent G. Davis, MD John M. DelGaudio, MD Jennifer Derebery, MD Craig S. Derkay, MD Daniel G. Deschler, MD David Devorkin, MD Elizabeth A. Dinces, MD Linda J. Dindzans, MD H. Peter Doble, II, MD Jeff Dudley Jolene Eicher Wayne B. Eisman, MD John R. Emmett, MD Moshe Ephrat, MD Stephanie J. Epperson, PA-C David A. Evans, MD Jose N. Fayad, MD Ilana Feinerman, MD Berrylin J. Ferguson, MD Valerie A. Flanary, MD James W. Forsen, MD Keith D. Forwith, MD Ramon A. Franco, Jr., MD Robert K. Gaughan, MD James Geraghty, MD Marion B. Gillespie, MD Douglas A. Girod, MD Robert A. Glazer, MPA Cameron D. Godfrey, MD David A. Godin, MD Mohammed A. Gomaa, MD Barbara Salmon Grandison, MBBS Iain L. Grant, MB ChB James C. Grant, MD Daniel Grinberg, MD Eli R. Groppo, MD John R. Gross, FHFMA John J. Grosso, MD Benjamin Gruber, MD, PhD Trevor G. Hackman, MD Steven D. Handler, MD, MBE Scott H. Hardeman, MD Brenda Hargett, CPA, CAE Willard C. Harrill, MD James M. Hartman, MD Ronald H. Hirokawa, MD Barry Hirsch, MD Kenneth M. Hodge, MD Richard S. Hodgson, MD G. Richard Holt, MD, MSE, MPH John R. Houck, Jr., MD Paul M. Imber, DO Lisa E. Ishii, MD, MHS¹ Tracy F. Jakob, MD Gina D. Jefferson, MD Garfield Johnson III, MD Daniel L. Jorgensen, MD V. Vasu Kakarlapudi, MD Michael J. Kearns, MD David J. Kiener, MD Haena Kim, MD James F. Kimbrough, MD Matthew T. Kirby, MD James J. Klemens, MD Mimi S. Kokoska, MD Howard S. Kotler, MD Greg Krempl, MD John H. Krouse, MD, PhD¹ Alice L. Kuntz, MD Denis C. Lafreniere, MD¹ Christopher D. Lansford, MD Pierre Lavertu, MD Amy D. Lazar, MD Patty Lee, MD Marc J. Levine, MD Steven B. Levine, MD Craig M. Litman, MD Richard S. Litman, MD James H. Liu, MD Philip G. Liu, MD Long Island Society of Otolaryngology Howard W. Lowery, MD James D. Lowery, MD Keith Lynn Allen Mackley Robert H. Maisel, MD Laurie E. Markowitz Spence, MD Theodore P. Mason, MD Becky McGraw-Wall, MD Benjamin M. McGrew, MD Jeanne McIntyre, CAE Kevin X. McKennan, MD Claude A. McLelland, MD Brian J. McKinnon, MD, MBA Gorden T. McMurry, MD G. Walter McReynolds, MD Alan G. Micco, MD Donna J. Millay, MD Richard T. Miyamoto, MD, MS Walter P. Moore III, MD C. Elliott Morgan, MD, DMD John R. Morris, MD Samantha Marie Mucha, MD J. Gail Neely, MD Donald E. Newland, MD Mark L. Nichols, MD Brian Nussenbaum, MD Rick Odland, MD, PhD Randall A. Ow, MD John F. Pallanch, MD Bradford S. Patt, MD James K. Pitcock, MD Christopher P. Poje, MD Shannon P. Pryor, MD Robert Puchalski, MD Frederic A. Pugliano, MD Gregory W. Randolph, MD John S. Rhee, MD. MPH1 Brent E. Richardson, MD Eben L. Rosenthal, MD1 Michael A. Rothschild, MD Ron Sallerson Thomas A. Salzer, MD Robert T. Sataloff, MD, DMA James E. Saunders, MD¹ B. Todd Schaeffer, MD Cecelia E. Schmalbach, MD Seth R. Schwartz, MD, MPH Merry E. Sebelik, MD Michael Setzen, MD Ryan K. Sewell, MD Rahul K. Shah, MD Lee M. Shangold, MD John J. Shea, Jr., MD Paul F. Shea, MD Clough Shelton, MD William H. Sher, MD Michael R. Shohet Stanford M. Shoss, MD Steven D. Shotts, MD Richard V. Smith, MD Gary M. Snyder, MD Robert J. Stachler, MD J. Gregory Staffel, MD Wendy B. Stern, MD John P. Sugrue, MD Gerald D. Suh, MD Fred F. Telischi, MD David J. Terris, MD Charles B. Tesar, MD Evan J. Tobin, MD James S. Toung, MD Christopher L. Vickery, MD Michael C. Vidas, MD Eugenia M. Vining, MD Richard W. Waguespack, MD¹ Marilene B. Wang, MD Manish K. Wani, MD Mark K. Wax, MD* Julie L. Wei, MD Samuel B. Welch, MD, PhD W. Andrew Wells, MD Donald V. Welsh, MD Steve West, MD Stephen J. Wetmore, MD Gayle E. Woodson, MD Douglas L. Worden, MD¹ Eiji Yanagisawa, MD Stanley Yankelowitz, MD Kathleen Yaremchuk, MD¹ John K. Yoo, MD Bevan Yueh, MD, MPH Lauren S. Zaretsky, MD¹ Karen B. Zur, MD Young Physician Members Meredith E. Adams, MD Nadir Ahmad, MD Kyle P. Allen, MD, MPH Christina Baldassari, MD Margo M. Benoit, MD Nathan A. Deckard, MD Jayme R. Dowdall, MD Charles S. Ebert, Jr., MD, MPH Tamer Abdel-Halim Ghanem, MD, PhD Ayesha N. Khalid, MD Oleg V. Kravtchenko, MD Alf Bjarne R. Lilleaas, MD Jeffrey C. Liu, MD Amber U. Luong, MD, PhD Kelly Michele Malloy, MD Nikhila P. Raol, MD Sarah L. Rohde, MD Marisa A. Ryan, MD Jennifer Setlur, MD Ryan K. Sewell, MD Lawrence M. Simon, MD Michael C. Singer, MD Lee P. Smith, MD Maria V. Suurna, MD Monica Tadros, MD Jonathan Y. Ting, MD Julie L. Wei, MD Eric P. Wilkinson, MD Erika A. Woodson, MD Jay A. Yates, MD Estelle S. Yoo, MD Nina S. Yoshpe, MD Philip B. Zald, MD Staff Members Anonymous Paul Bascomb Jean Brereton, MBA David Buckner Lani Cadow Mary Pat Cornett, CAE, CMP Nancy D’Agostino Brenda Hargett, CPA, CAE Jenna Kappel, MPH, MA Thomas Killam, CAE Estella Laguna Kathy Lewis Catherine R. Lincoln, CAE, MA (Oxon) Heather McGhee Jeanne McIntyre, CAE Mary McMahon, CFRE David R. Nielsen, MD¹ Ross Rollins Ron Sallerson Audrey E. Shively, MSHSE, MCHES, CCMEP Joy L. Trimmer, JD Pamela S. Wood, MBA, SPHR As of October 9, 2013 ¹ designates current Board of Director member * designates Development Committee member

Life Members

Peter J. Abramson, MD,¹ and Cara Abramson

Kenneth W. Altman, MD, PhD, and Courtney Altman

American Association of Otolaryngologists of Indian Heritage

Vijay K. Anand, MD

J. Noble Anderson, Jr., MD

Seilesh Babu, MD, and Abbey Crooks-Babu, MD

Byron J. Bailey, MD, and Margaret Bailey

Robert W. Bastian, MD, and Jan Bastian

Neal S. Beckford, MD

Leslie Bernstein, MD, DDS

Nikhil J. Bhatt, MD,1* and Anjali Bhatt, MD

Neil Bhattacharyya, MD, and Anjini Bhattacharyya, MD

Andrew Blitzer, MD, DDS

Mark E. Boston, MD

Marcella R. Bothwell, MD

I. David Bough, Jr., MD

Linda S. Brodsky, MD

Robert E. Butler, MD

C. Ron Cannon, MD, and family

Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD,* and Krishnan Ramanathan

Ajay E. Chitkara, MD

Sukgi S. Choi, MD,1 and Charles F. Monk, Jr.

Felix W. K. Chu, MD

Noel L. Cohen, MD, and Baukje Cohen

Robin T. Cotton, MD

James Croushore, MD

James C. Denneny III, MD¹

David R. Edelstein, MD, and Ms. Eve Lesser

David E. Eibling, MD

Lee D. Eisenberg, MD*, MPH, and Nancy Eisenberg

Janelle A. Y. Engel, MD, and E. Rodney Engel, MD

Deborah J. Freehling, MD

Lisa T. Galati, MD

Raghuvir B. Gelot, MD, and Carolyn Gelot

Samuel J. Girgis, MD

Michael E. Glasscock III, MD

Jack L. Gluckman, MD, and Vickie Gluckman

Steven M. Gold, MD

Barbara Goldstein, PhD

Rebecca D. Golgert, MD

Mary E. Gorman, MD

Thomas A. Graves, MD

Anna Kristina Elise Hart, MD, and William Todd Harder

Jack V. Hough, MD (decd.)

John W. House, MD*

Stacey L. Ishman, MD,* and Jim McCarthy

Barry Jacobs, MD, and MaryLynn Jacobs

Jonas T. Johnson, MD, and Janis Johnson

Srinivas R. Kaza, MD

David W. Kennedy, MD

Darius Kohan, MD

Frank C. Koranda, MD

Alan David Kornblut, AB, MS, MD, and Alfred Kornblut, CAPT MC USNR-RET (decd.)

Jamie Koufman, MD

Dennis H. Kraus, MD

Helen F. Krause, MD (decd.)

Vandana Kumra, MD

Ronald B. Kuppersmith, MD, MBA, and Nicole Kuppersmith

Rande H. Lazar, MD, FRCS

Thomas B. Logan, MD, and Jo Logan

Rick G. Love, MD

Frank E. Lucente, MD

Rodney P. Lusk, MD, and Constance C. Lusk, RN

Sonya Malekzadeh, MD¹

Martha Entenmann Tinnitus Research Center, Inc.

Phillip L. Massengill, MD*

Pravina and Dinesh C. Mehta, MD

Ralph B. Metson, MD

James L. Netterville, MD¹

David R. Nielsen, MD,¹ and Rebecca C. Nielsen, RN

Michael M. Paparella, MD, and Treva Paparella

Spencer C. Payne, MD*

Angela M. Powell, MD

Eileen M. Raynor, MD

Richard M. Rosenfeld, MD, MPH¹

Steven H. Sacks, MD

Harlene Ginsberg and Jerry M. Schreibstein, MD¹

Michael D. Seidman, MD, and Lynn Seidman

Gavin Setzen, MD,¹ and Karen Setzen

Donna E. Sharpe, MD

Abraham Shulman, MD

Herbert Silverstein, MD

William H. Slattery III, MD

Nancy L. Snyderman, MD

James A. Stankiewicz, MD

J. Pablo Stolovitzky, MD, and Silvia P. Stolovitzky

Krishnamurthi Sundaram, MD

Duane J. Taylor, MD¹

Dana M. Thompson, MD, MS

Elizabeth H. Toh, MD

Betty S. Tsai, MD

Ira David Uretzky, MD,* and Beth J. Uretzky

P. Ashley Wackym, MD, and Jeremy Wackym

Pell Ann Wardrop, MD*

Richard Alan Weinstock, DO, and Cheryl Weinstock

Leslie K. Williamson, MD

Lorraine M. Williams-Smith, MD, MPH, FACS

David L. Witsell, MD, MHS

Peak Woo, MD

Geoffrey L. Wright, MD

Ken Yanagisawa, MD,* and Julia Shi, MD

Jay S. Youngerman, MD* and Toni Youngerman

Mark E. Zafereo, Jr., MD

Patron Members

Phyllis B. Bouvier, MD

Hung J. Kim, MD

William M. Luxford, MD

Eugene N. Myers, MD, FRCS, Edin (Hon.)

Rance W. Raney, MD

Sustaining Members

Reginald F. Baugh, MD

William R. Bond, Jr., MD

Peter C. Bondy, MD

Amelia F. Drake, MD

Marvin P. Fried, MD

Michael Friedman, MD

Clarence W. Gehris, Jr., MD

Carlos Gonzalez Aquino, MD

Joseph E. Hart, MD, MS

Stephanie Joe, MD

Alan J. Johnson, MD

Romaine F. Johnson, MD

Nedra H. Joyner, MD

C. Ramadas Kamath, MD

Timothy D. Knudsen, MD

Lisa A. Liberatore, MD

James A. Manning, MD

Edith A. McFadden, MD, MA,

Bert W. O’Malley, Jr., MD

Robert B. Parke, Jr., MD, MBA

Karen T. Pitman, MD¹

Lisa Perry-Gilkes, MD¹

Anna M. Pou, MD*

Ravi N. Samy, MD

Adam M. Shapiro, MD

Carl H. Snyderman, MD, MBA

Sanford C. Snyderman, MD

Joseph R. Spiegel, MD

Jamie Stern, MD

Michael G. Stewart, MD, MPH¹

Mariel Stroschein, MD

Debara L. Tucci, MD

Sunil Ummat, MD, FRCSC

Winston C. Vaughan, MD

Randal S. Weber, MD

Richard Alan Weinstock, DO

Daniel L. Wohl, MD

Stephen Kenneth Wolfe, MD

Rhoda Wynn, MD

Lauren S. Zaretsky, MD¹

Members

Gregory M. Abbas, MD

Daniel P. Akin, MD, PhD

Patricia Allen

Joel N. Anthis, MD

Nancy H. Appelblatt, MD

Richard G. Areen, MD

Oneida A. Arosarena, MD

James E. Arnold, Sr., MD

Moises A. Arriaga, MD

Jonathan E. Aviv, MD

Douglas D. Backous, MD

Sean B. Bailey, MD

Dole P. Baker, Jr., MD

James G. Barlow, MHA

David M. Barrs, MD

David D. Beal, MD

Michael S. Benninger, MD

Peter D. Berman, MD

Philip Bernstein, MD

Todd Blum, MHA, MBA, CMPE

James H. Boyd, MD

Derald E. Brackmann, MD

Jean Brereton, MBA

R. Bruce Buechler, MD

Lawrence P. A. Burgess, MD

Mark E. Carney, MD

Eric S. Carter, MD

Roy R. Casiano, MD

Osmund T. Chan, MD

C. Y. Joseph Chang, MD

A. Craig Chapman, MD

Khalid Chowdhury, MD, MBA

Randall A. Clary, MD

Donald J. Clutter, MD

Stephanie Cordes, MD

Susan R. Cordes, MD

Anthony J. Cornetta, MD

Stephen P. Cragle, MD

Donald E. Crawley, MD

Roberto A. Cueva, MD

Lawrence J. Danna, MD

Kent G. Davis, MD

John M. DelGaudio, MD

Jennifer Derebery, MD

Craig S. Derkay, MD

Daniel G. Deschler, MD

David Devorkin, MD

Elizabeth A. Dinces, MD

Linda J. Dindzans, MD

H. Peter Doble, II, MD

Jeff Dudley

Jolene Eicher

Wayne B. Eisman, MD

John R. Emmett, MD

Moshe Ephrat, MD

Stephanie J. Epperson, PA-C

David A. Evans, MD

Jose N. Fayad, MD

Ilana Feinerman, MD

Berrylin J. Ferguson, MD

Valerie A. Flanary, MD

James W. Forsen, MD

Keith D. Forwith, MD

Ramon A. Franco, Jr., MD

Robert K. Gaughan, MD

James Geraghty, MD

Marion B. Gillespie, MD

Douglas A. Girod, MD

Robert A. Glazer, MPA

Cameron D. Godfrey, MD

David A. Godin, MD

Mohammed A. Gomaa, MD

Barbara Salmon Grandison, MBBS

Iain L. Grant, MB ChB

James C. Grant, MD

Daniel Grinberg, MD

Eli R. Groppo, MD

John R. Gross, FHFMA

John J. Grosso, MD

Benjamin Gruber, MD, PhD

Trevor G. Hackman, MD

Steven D. Handler, MD, MBE

Scott H. Hardeman, MD

Brenda Hargett, CPA, CAE

Willard C. Harrill, MD

James M. Hartman, MD

Ronald H. Hirokawa, MD

Barry Hirsch, MD

Kenneth M. Hodge, MD

Richard S. Hodgson, MD

G. Richard Holt, MD, MSE, MPH

John R. Houck, Jr., MD

Paul M. Imber, DO

Lisa E. Ishii, MD, MHS¹

Tracy F. Jakob, MD

Gina D. Jefferson, MD

Garfield Johnson III, MD

Daniel L. Jorgensen, MD

V. Vasu Kakarlapudi, MD

Michael J. Kearns, MD

David J. Kiener, MD

Haena Kim, MD

James F. Kimbrough, MD

Matthew T. Kirby, MD

James J. Klemens, MD

Mimi S. Kokoska, MD

Howard S. Kotler, MD

Greg Krempl, MD

John H. Krouse, MD, PhD¹

Alice L. Kuntz, MD

Denis C. Lafreniere, MD¹

Christopher D. Lansford, MD

Pierre Lavertu, MD

Amy D. Lazar, MD

Patty Lee, MD

Marc J. Levine, MD

Steven B. Levine, MD

Craig M. Litman, MD

Richard S. Litman, MD

James H. Liu, MD

Philip G. Liu, MD

Long Island Society of Otolaryngology

Howard W. Lowery, MD

James D. Lowery, MD

Keith Lynn

Allen Mackley

Robert H. Maisel, MD

Laurie E. Markowitz Spence, MD

Theodore P. Mason, MD

Becky McGraw-Wall, MD

Benjamin M. McGrew, MD

Jeanne McIntyre, CAE

Kevin X. McKennan, MD

Claude A. McLelland, MD

Brian J. McKinnon, MD, MBA

Gorden T. McMurry, MD

G. Walter McReynolds, MD

Alan G. Micco, MD

Donna J. Millay, MD

Richard T. Miyamoto, MD, MS

Walter P. Moore III, MD

C. Elliott Morgan, MD, DMD

John R. Morris, MD

Samantha Marie Mucha, MD

J. Gail Neely, MD

Donald E. Newland, MD

Mark L. Nichols, MD

Brian Nussenbaum, MD

Rick Odland, MD, PhD

Randall A. Ow, MD

John F. Pallanch, MD

Bradford S. Patt, MD

James K. Pitcock, MD

Christopher P. Poje, MD

Shannon P. Pryor, MD

Robert Puchalski, MD

Frederic A. Pugliano, MD

Gregory W. Randolph, MD

John S. Rhee, MD. MPH¹

Brent E. Richardson, MD

Eben L. Rosenthal, MD¹

Michael A. Rothschild, MD

Ron Sallerson

Thomas A. Salzer, MD

Robert T. Sataloff, MD, DMA

James E. Saunders, MD¹

B. Todd Schaeffer, MD

Cecelia E. Schmalbach, MD

Seth R. Schwartz, MD, MPH

Merry E. Sebelik, MD

Michael Setzen, MD

Ryan K. Sewell, MD

Rahul K. Shah, MD

Lee M. Shangold, MD

John J. Shea, Jr., MD

Paul F. Shea, MD

Clough Shelton, MD

William H. Sher, MD

Michael R. Shohet

Stanford M. Shoss, MD

Steven D. Shotts, MD

Richard V. Smith, MD

Gary M. Snyder, MD

Robert J. Stachler, MD

J. Gregory Staffel, MD

Wendy B. Stern, MD

John P. Sugrue, MD

Gerald D. Suh, MD

Fred F. Telischi, MD

David J. Terris, MD

Charles B. Tesar, MD

Evan J. Tobin, MD

James S. Toung, MD

Christopher L. Vickery, MD

Michael C. Vidas, MD

Eugenia M. Vining, MD

Richard W. Waguespack, MD¹

Marilene B. Wang, MD

Manish K. Wani, MD

Mark K. Wax, MD*

Julie L. Wei, MD

Samuel B. Welch, MD, PhD

W. Andrew Wells, MD

Donald V. Welsh, MD

Steve West, MD

Stephen J. Wetmore, MD

Gayle E. Woodson, MD

Douglas L. Worden, MD¹

Eiji Yanagisawa, MD

Stanley Yankelowitz, MD

Kathleen Yaremchuk, MD¹

John K. Yoo, MD

Bevan Yueh, MD, MPH

Lauren S. Zaretsky, MD¹

Karen B. Zur, MD

Young Physician Members

Meredith E. Adams, MD

Nadir Ahmad, MD

Kyle P. Allen, MD, MPH

Christina Baldassari, MD

Margo M. Benoit, MD

Nathan A. Deckard, MD

Jayme R. Dowdall, MD

Charles S. Ebert, Jr., MD, MPH

Tamer Abdel-Halim Ghanem, MD, PhD

Ayesha N. Khalid, MD

Oleg V. Kravtchenko, MD

Alf Bjarne R. Lilleaas, MD

Jeffrey C. Liu, MD

Amber U. Luong, MD, PhD

Kelly Michele Malloy, MD

Nikhila P. Raol, MD

Sarah L. Rohde, MD

Marisa A. Ryan, MD

Jennifer Setlur, MD

Ryan K. Sewell, MD

Lawrence M. Simon, MD

Michael C. Singer, MD

Lee P. Smith, MD

Maria V. Suurna, MD

Monica Tadros, MD

Jonathan Y. Ting, MD

Julie L. Wei, MD

Eric P. Wilkinson, MD

Erika A. Woodson, MD

Jay A. Yates, MD

Estelle S. Yoo, MD

Nina S. Yoshpe, MD

Philip B. Zald, MD

Staff Members

Anonymous

Paul Bascomb

Jean Brereton, MBA

David Buckner

Lani Cadow

Mary Pat Cornett, CAE, CMP

Nancy D’Agostino

Brenda Hargett, CPA, CAE

Jenna Kappel, MPH, MA

Thomas Killam, CAE

Estella Laguna

Kathy Lewis

Catherine R. Lincoln, CAE, MA (Oxon)

Heather McGhee

Jeanne McIntyre, CAE

Mary McMahon, CFRE

David R. Nielsen, MD¹

Ross Rollins

Ron Sallerson

Audrey E. Shively, MSHSE, MCHES, CCMEP

Joy L. Trimmer, JD

Pamela S. Wood, MBA, SPHR

As of October 9, 2013

¹ designates current Board of Director member

* designates Development Committee member

The past 12 months have been ones of transition for Information Technology (IT). During the first part of 2013 an outside assessment and evaluation of IT infrastructure resources and staffing requirements was conducted. This study was robust and looked at all aspects of how Members are served through AAO-HNS/F technology. This full IT review resulted in new strategy and implementation plan. Structural Changes Ensure Strength for New Growth and Engagement Two major changes that were of the highest priority included the outsourcing of the helpdesk to free up skilled staffing resources and the move to a cloud-based Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) environment in answer to increased content and storage needs. These two moves enable the remaining technology staff to move from a platform of technology maintenance to that of engaging technology to forward member needs and resources. IT’s new focus on providing information and knowledge management is a much broader charge that sustains and supports AAO-HNS/F activities and collaborates with staff. This tectonic shift resulted in the renaming of the business unit to Information and Knowledge Management (IKM) and a new senior director last June. Improving the Member Experience With the change in the direction for IKM, focus could now be directed to improving the Academy’s online presence. This included two important projects with Member Engagement and Communications, respectively, to provide the vital integration of technology to member ROI. ★ The Member Portal: ENTConnect Based on a “best-of-breed” association-centric web platform, the new Member Engagement Portal, ENTConnect, will serve as a resource bank for chairs and committee members, and will enable Members to work more collaboratively, opening up full participation in online communities. Access to the Member Engagement Portal will be based on existing member login credentials. Since access will be restricted to members, this portal will be a place for dialog and discussion, content development and review, assessment and synthesis. ENTConnect is scheduled to go live in the spring of 2014. ★ A New and Responsive Website It was apparent from the technology assessment that the current website was not what we needed for the future. A new website that will better serve is being constructed and is on track for a roll-out in May 2014. Meanwhile, some improvements to the current site were undertaken. The results are substantive, and the analytics, since these revisions were introduced, reflect an increase in access and usability. Before selecting a partner to assist in the website redesign, there was an exhaustive review of Request for Proposal responses and in-depth candidate capability presentations. The website redesign project kicked off in Vancouver with member interviews. Communications work in both areas adds an intuitive member experience through a visual taxonomy and branding. Two of the main focus areas for the redesign project are: 1) make our content easier to find and use, both on the site and from search engine results; and 2) have content automatically adjust to the screen size of whatever device is used to access our site. Whether you come to the site from a smartphone, tablet, or full size screen, content on the new website will automatically adjust.

2013 Annual Report: Financial Report Fiscal Year 2013

The fiscal year July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2013, (FY13) closed with a positive (unaudited) $1.8 million variance from the break-even budget. Overall, revenues were within 1 percent of budget and operating expenses were approximately 10 percent under budget. With respect to non-operating activities, the return on the managed investment portfolio was nearly 8 percent for the fiscal year. Additionally, a gain of $1.7 million was recorded to adjust for the change in market value of the interest rate swap agreement related to the financing of the headquarters building. In combination, operating and non-operating FY13 activity increased reserves by $4.1 million. As of June 30, 2013, unrestricted and undesignated reserves were $12.5 million or roughly 65 percent of the operating budget, a level considered within best practices. The Hal Foster, MD, Endowment, started only three short years ago, now has net assets, pledged, received or to be received in the form of life insurance proceeds or bequests, of $10.3 million as of June 30, 2013. These funds are permanently restricted as endowment principal, the earnings on which are used as directed by the donor at the time the endowment gift was made. Endowment earnings funded almost $60,000 of AAO-HNS/F FY13 programming. For a copy of the independent audit of AAO-HNS/F’s FY13 financial statements email CHanlon@entnet.org. In May 2013, the Boards of Directors approved a balanced fiscal year 2014 (FY14) budget. The budgeted revenue is approximately the same as FY13, $19.6 million, reflecting realistic expectations about opportunities for revenue growth. Budgeted expenses reflect inflation adjustments for continuing programs and support expenses. Without additional revenue to meet these increases, the Board carefully analyzed how to maximize member benefits with the available resources and made critical decisions about programs to be carried out in FY14. The budgeting process involved a concerted effort from the elected leadership at every critical decision point, and included several sessions with the Boards of Directors, Executive Committee, and the FISC. The positive results of FY13 reflect good fiscal management, but AAO-HNS/F leadership and staff will continue to watch rising costs against flat revenue growth as strategies for the organization are developed going forward. -Gavin Setzen, MD, Secretary/Treasure

2013 Annual Report: Sustainability – Corporate Support Rebounds with Increase in Annual Meeting Support

Corporate Funding: $826,000 We continue to work with companies and foundations to fund our mission through the Industry Roundtable (IRT) program, sponsorships, and royalties. We believe that the corporate area has been largely underworked and there is much more opportunity for growth. The Development staff is building relationships with companies and foundations to increase participation in our philanthropic activities. The 2013 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPOSM provided an excellent opportunity to engage corporate leaders in AAO-HNSF. A financial summary for each program is included with the updates below. Annual Meeting Sponsorships: $237,000The good news story in the corporate world is the increased interest in annual meeting sponsorships and promotional opportunities. For FY13, we exceeded our budget mark by 63 percent ($236,500 vs. $150,000). Annual meeting sponsorship income is already well ahead of budget for FY14. Our plans include continuing to expand sponsorship opportunities for the 2014 Annual Meeting, as well as approaching potential sponsors earlier in their budget cycle for next year. Industry Roundtable (IRT): $208,000 General funding for mission support continues to be a challenge for the organization. Due to recent changes in regulations, it is becoming increasingly difficult for industry to support general mission requests, annual meeting support, and educational efforts. Grant requests include the following funding areas: humanitarian aid travel grants, resident leadership grants, CORE, annual meeting educational support, and International Visiting Scholars. We continue to look at ways to revitalize the corporate giving program and are seeking to benchmark our program with programs from similar organizations. Academy Advantage Royalties: $381,000 The Academy Advantage program continues to offer members select services at discounted rates. For FY13, we closed the year $57,000 (18 percent) over anticipated revenues. Our partnership with HealtheCareers is exceptionally strong and we are seeing good growth in the partnership. In an effort to bolster income, we are working to increase the number of Academy Advantage partners.

2013 Annual Report: Member Engagement and Unity – Academy Membership is Vibrant and Engaged

During the challenging economic times of the past few years, the Academy’s membership has remained strong with nearly 12,000 members! This is a remarkable accomplishment, given that many who belong to professional membership associations in other industries, due to personal financial constraints, must make the tough choice to remain a member or discontinue their membership. Our members have opted to keep their Academy strong and get involved. In fact, our retention of members from year-to-year averages about 97 percent. That, combined with a steady increase in the number of new members who join us each year, equates to a vibrant membership base. By constantly striving to improve the member experience and provide meaningful engagement opportunities, more members are finding increased relevance in what we do, and more opportunities to share their expertise and hone their leadership skills. In the past year, the Academy’s Membership Business Unit was renamed Member Engagement. This places emphasis on our desire to help our members to get involved, to get them engaged in their professional home, and to help them realize the full potential of membership.

2013 Annual Meeting: AcademyU®: All the Elements for Easy Access to Education and Knowledge Resources

The AAO-HNS Foundation’s continuing professional development program has always offered rich and diverse resources covering a variety of topics organized by the eight specialties within otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. The diversity of offerings provided by the Foundation has made it challenging for busy practitioners to quickly find what they need. To meet this challenge, the program has been rebranded as AcademyU®, Your Otolaryngology Education Source. The resulting AcademyU periodic table provides an easy way for members to access all the Foundation’s education and knowledge products. The “elements” provide access to each learning resource. Similar to the chemical elements in the periodic table, each element is also grouped with others of a like type. In the case of the AcademyU periodic table, the groupings include live events, subscriptions, online courses and lectures, eBooks, and knowledge resources based on the formats that appeal to the diverse education needs and learning styles of members. AcademyU® is the window into all the education opportunities available to you as a member of the Academy. Visit www.entnet.org/academyu to view a complete description of all our education resources, whether they are online courses, eBooks, subscription products, live events, or knowledge products. You can easily subscribe, register, download, or log onto each of these activities through this single portal. AcademyU® brings you hundreds of education resources covering a variety of topics. In addition to improving online access, Education Opportunities, a special insert to the December 2012 Bulletin, offered an easily accessible and comprehensive look at all of these resources. Bulletin articles throughout 2013 provided more detailed descriptions of each of these products. Improving access to Annual Meeting & OTO EXPOSM resources received considerable focus this year. The online Itinerary Planner allowed attendees to search and read details about the program, committee meetings, evening and satellite events, and much more in the months leading up to the event. The annual meeting website offered a robust amount of information on education offerings, networking, and exciting opportunities taking place during the meeting. The Final Program, provided in advance online, in addition to onsite, included color-coded education tracks. The annual meeting mobile app for the iPhone, Android, and iPad included detailed session information, your personal schedule, an interactive Vancouver Convention Centre map, an exhibitor list including booth number, a link to the OTO EXPO floor plan, instruction course handouts, CME/CE evaluation site, and the Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery journal. The education and annual meeting leadership and staff see these improvements as just a step toward even greater accessibility in the future to the essential otolaryngology resources created by members for members.

2013 Annual Report: Annual Meeting & OTO EXPOSM

The Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO℠ continues to be the largest otolaryngology meeting in the world and a significant destination for head and neck surgeons, researchers, healthcare providers, and educators worldwide. In its 117th year, the Annual Meeting remains the most influential and well-attended meeting for otolaryngologists. Attendance approached 8,000 and reached a high of more than 2,600 international attendees from more than 80 countries. The 2013 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO focused on the latest basic and clinical science related to otolaryngology. Beginning with a heartfelt presentation by Nancy L. Snyderman, MD, presenter of the John Conley, MD Lecture on Medical Ethics, the conference included more than 1,100 speakers along with almost 500 original research poster presentations. The exhibit hall alone hosted more than 200 commercial companies. Beyond the tried and true, this year’s Scientific Program featured some new and exciting additions to its core evidence-based education programming including several new miniseminars on management of obstructive sleep apnea, new detection and imaging methods in otology and cancer, as well as important updates on healthcare legislation from the Board of Governors. Furthermore, this year attendees had the opportunity to view all scientific posters online at a kiosk located in the poster hall or through the annual meeting mobile app. Poster presenters and attendees also enjoyed breakfast Tuesday morning in the poster hall. The oral presentations received a face-lift this year. In response to comments we received from oral presenters and previous year attendees, select oral presentations were given in a new, accelerated format that consisted of a three-minute oral presentation and two-minute discussion. Capitalizing on the huge success of the two Clinical Fundamentals instruction courses presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPOSM in Washington, DC, eight additional Clinical Fundamentals instruction courses were included on the 2013 program. These courses, along with a three-hour General Otolaryngology Review Course, were designed to meet the American Board of Otolaryngology’s Maintenance of Certification requirements for Clinical Fundamentals (Part II) and were also eligible for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. The AAO-HNSF would like to extend a special thanks to the Program Advisory Committee, led by Eben L. Rosenthal, MD, and the Instruction Course Advisory Committee, led by Sukgi S. Choi, MD, for their leadership, commitment to professional growth, and innovation. 2013 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPOSM 89 Miniseminars 357 Instruction Courses 322 Oral Presentations 236 Exhibiting Companies 1,070 First-time Attendees 27.5 Continuing Medical Education Credits available for each physician 30,698 Continuing Medical Education Certificates awarded to Annual Meeting Attendees 3,528 Installations of the Annual Meeting Mobile App

2013 Annual Report: 2013 Continuing Professional Development Gap Analysis and Needs Assessment Initiative

Beginning in late 2012 and throughout 2013, the Foundation embarked on an ambitious initiative to collect and analyze gap analysis and needs assessment data to provide direction for the future of the Foundation’s continuing professional development function. Under the leadership of Sonya Malekzadeh, MD, and the Education Steering Committee, AAO-HNSF education committees, residency program directors, Academy members, and current residency education activity participants, and staff contributed to this Academy-wide effort. The assessment identified perceived practice gaps and education needs in order to plan more focused education activities. Data gathering included not only critical course topics, but also education design and format, as well as types of media best used to educate the members. This was an all-encompassing investigation that measured all Foundation education activities, including the Annual Meeting & OTO EXPOSM, on various levels to ascertain how the members need and want to engage in lifelong learning. The assessment is expected to become a biennial event. Members of the eight education committees examined current products and programs through a comprehensive needs assessment and SWOT analysis. Members furthered this effort by completing a member-wide education survey addressing their current continuous professional development needs and requirements. Additional surveys gathered data from program directors, medical school academic residency directors, and leaders in the use of simulation in otolaryngology residency training. Lastly, each education product was specifically evaluated by individuals who had directly participated in the activity. This robust data product will provide the AAO-HNS Foundation with the information and ability to revamp and revitalize its education offerings. The Foundation’s education leadership now has essential information for the next education planning cycle, valuable insight for longer-term planning, and required information for our 2015 ACCME reaccreditation preparation. The initiative is also a model for future years’ efforts to continually identify members’ gaps in practice, assess members’ education and training needs, and engage members in the ongoing initiative to impact lifelong learning and patient outcomes in a meaningful way. The outcome objectives of this initiative were to: Develop an action plan to improve the member education experience. Design education activities that meet the clinical needs of our members. Increase member involvement in and satisfaction with education offerings. Enhance member knowledge, competence, and skill in practice of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. Through this initiative, three critical themes emerged: Need for awareness of the breadth and depth of the Foundation education offerings. Need for engagement to encourage utilization and participation in education activities by both members and nonmembers. Need for high quality of education activities.

2013 Annual Report: Education and Knowledge

2013 Annual Report: Filling the Research Gaps through CORE

Each of the AAO-HNSF clinical practice guidelines includes a section entitled “Research Needs.” Discussing topics with limited evidence allows guideline developers to highlight future research needs and suggest how to best fill existing gaps. In an effort to start studying gaps that have been identified, the AAO-HNSF Outcomes Research and Evidence-based Medicine Committee worked closely with a group of CORE grant program leaders during the past year to revise the Maureen Hannley Research Grant criteria. This grant mechanism now offers special consideration to investigators who target known evidence gaps within their project proposals. It also provides investigators the opportunity to utilize the CHEER network to engage both academic and community sites in their proposed study. Milan R. Amin, MD, of New York University was awarded the 2013 Maureen Hannley Research Grant. Dr. Amin’s application proposes a Level 1 study that will address the evaluation and treatment of hoarseness in patients. This evidence gap is referenced specifically by the Hoarseness (Dysphonia) Clinical Practice Guideline: “The recent Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) for Hoarseness put forward by the AAO-HNSF pointed out several major deficiencies in the evidence base related to the evaluation and treatment of patients complaining of hoarseness. One of these deficiencies is the use of steroids for the treatment of patients with these complaints.” Dr. Amin will study the comparative effectiveness of steroids in speeding and enhancing the recovery of non-surgically treated vocal fold lesions. He proposes a randomized clinical trial comparing patients who undergo traditional voice therapy for the treatment of phonotraumatic vocal fold lesions and those who undergo combined modality therapy incorporating the use of steroids prior to the initiation of voice therapy. He hypothesizes that the use of pre-therapy steroids will hasten and enhance the efficacy of traditional voice therapy and that steroid treatment alone will have a positive effect on voice outcomes.

2013 Annual Report: AAO-HNSF Joins Choosing Wisely®

The Patient Safety Quality Improvement (PSQI) Committee led the AmericanAcademy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation participation in the Choosing Wisely campaign to identify a list of “Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question.” The AAO-HNSF and 16 other societies released their lists at a press conference on February 21, 2013. The AAO-HNSF‘s list of recommendations was carefully selected after a review of the current evidence that included AAO-HNSF clinical practice guidelines. Each list includes language communicating when a particular test or treatment may be appropriate based on the current clinical evidence. Consumer Reports, along with a coalition of consumer partner organizations, is also a part of the Choosing Wisely effort and is working with many of the societies to help patients understand the tests and treatments that are right for them. In addition to participating in the press conference, a commentary article on Choosing Wisely appeared in the April 2013 edition of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. For more information visit http://www.entnet.org/choosingwisely. The AAO-HNSF’s List of Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question: Don’t order computed tomography (CT) scan of the head/brain for sudden hearing loss. Don’t prescribe oral antibiotics for uncomplicated acute tympanostomy tube otorrhea. Don’t prescribe oral antibiotics for uncomplicated acute external otitis. Don’t routinely obtain radiographic imaging for patients who meet diagnostic criteria for uncomplicated acute rhinosinusitis. Don’t obtain computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with a primary complaint of hoarseness prior to examining the larynx.

2013 Annual Report: Representing the Interest of Otolaryngology Patient Safety and Quality Improvement (PSQI) with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Last year, the AAO-HNSF was contacted by the FDA about its plans to issue a directive regarding the use of codeine post tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy. The PSQI Committee proactively emailed members once it was informed that the FDA was focused on this issue. The committee kept in touch with the FDA as it came out with an alert in August 2012 warning of the risk of possible fatality when codeine is used in these patients and when the FDA ultimately issued a black box warning and contraindications in February 2013. The FDA agreed to co-author a commentary with PSQI Committee co-chair, David W. Roberson, MD, and Executive Vice President and CEO David Nielsen, MD, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine June 6, 2013 (http://bit.ly/NEJMdrug).

2013 Annual Report: A New Relationship with Guideline Central

In September 2013, the AAO-HNSF initiated a partnership with Guideline Central (GC). GC is the world’s largest database of full text guideline links and quick reference tools. It houses more than 2,600 free guidelines summaries encompassing every setting, specialty, and purpose. GC offers guidelines in many convenient formats including printed pocket cards and flashcards, and digital formats such as mobile/android apps and web apps or a guidelines library. GC has more than 15 years of experience and published its first evidence-based quick-reference guide in 1998 and has developed many hundreds since. The GC medical director will work with our experts to develop the appropriate tools for our guidelines, with AAO-HNSF reviewing the final products. These tools will make guidelines easier for physicians and other providers to access and utilize. We will keep our members informed as work progresses with GC, and information will be made available on our website.

The AAO-HNSF Guideline Task Force (GTF) met at the AAO-HNS/F last December in one of two in-person meetings held annually to present new products to the leadership and vet and prioritize new topics.

2013 Annual Report: Enhancing Dissemination, Education, and Implementation of Guidelines

With the increased interest in clinical practice guidelines, the AAO-HNSF made a commitment to incorporating dissemination, education, and implementation into our strategic plan this year. We have focused efforts on ensuring that the guidelines are widely disseminated, including development of tools to promote education about the guidelines and strategies to assist with the implementation of the new guidelines. Historically, the AAO-HNSF has published its guidelines in Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, working with Editor, Richard M. Rosenfeld, MD, MPH, and presented them to our members at the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO℠. Thinking beyond our own specialty, we are now reaching out to external organizations to promote AAO-HNSF guidelines. For example, we are engaging in discussions with the AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics to present our pediatric focused guidelines at their 2014 annual meeting and on their website. The goal is to bring awareness to non-otolaryngologist physicians about our guidelines and ultimately improve the quality of care for the patients we treat. Two online lecture series were recorded at the AAO-HNSF 2013 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO℠ for the Tympanostomy Tubes and Bell’s Palsy guidelines. These new learning modules are available to members and offer CME. Evidence-based healthcare is a combination of best research evidence and the expertise of the healthcare provider and also takes into account patient values. With this in mind, the AAO-HNSF began including consumers trained in evidence-based medicine on its guideline panels two years ago. This year, we have broadened efforts to engage consumers by developing plain language summaries for our guidelines. Using the expertise of the AmericanAcademy of Neurology and the Cochrane Colloquium, our first plain language summary targeted to consumers was released alongside the Clinical Practice Guideline: Bell’s Palsy in November 2013. Through the Creating Healthcare Excellence through Education and Research (CHEER) network, based at the Duke Clinical Research Institute and funded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), we are assessing awareness of and barriers to implementation of the clinical practice guidelines. Results from these studies will help us understand what tools will need to be developed in the future to assist our members and non-otolaryngologist practitioners with implementing clinical practice guidelines.

2013 Annual Report: Research and Quality

To further research and quality improvement in the field of otolaryngology, our goal is to empower physicians to provide the best patient care through the development of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. We look to identify, promote, and address the key research questions and disseminate discoveries for advancement in our field and to fundamentally improve patient outcomes. This year, with coordinator John S. Rhee, MD, MPH, we have progressed to meet these strategies: Build a sustainable infrastructure to test, pilot, and promote adoption of research and quality products such as guidelines, measures, and evidence-based medicine to promote translational research. Build and promote a strong research-granting program for the specialty. In addition, the first clinical practice guideline developed by the AAO-HNSF, Acute Otitis Externa, has been updated and will be published in February 2014. The AAO-HNSF has spent the past two years working to update its processes to ensure compliance to the 2011 Institute of Medicine report entitled Clinical Practice Guidelines We Can Trust and the 2012 publication of the Guidelines International Network: International Standards for Clinical Practice Guidelines. As a result, the third edition of the Clinical Practice Guideline Development Manual: A Quality Driven Approach for Translating Evidence into Action was updated to document the AAO-HNSF compliance to these new standards and published in January 2013. The AAO-HNSF published five new quality knowledge products: Clinical Consensus Statement: Appropriate Use of CT for Paranasal Sinus Disease (November 2012) Clinical Consensus Statement: Tracheostomy Care (January 2013) Clinical Practice Guideline: Improving Voice Outcomes after Thyroid Surgery (June 2013) Clinical Practice Guideline: Tympanostomy Tubes in Children (July 2013) Clinical Practice Guideline: Bell’s Palsy (November 2013) Clinical Practice Guideline: Acute Otitis Externa (February 2014)

2013 Annual Report: Academy Success with Changing Private Payer Policies

At AAO-HNS, we believe that one of the greatest member benefits is the support and advocacy at the national and regional levels to aid members in resolving issues with private payers. This includes concerns with coverage policies that may be overly restrictive or are not in line with the otolaryngology community’s agreed upon standard of care. In 2013, the AAO-HNS successfully obtained positive revisions to coverage policies with national payers, including Aetna (see highlight of success story below), Coventry, WellPoint, and United HealthCare. AAO-HNS Achieves Revisions to Aetna Policy on Rhinoplasty and Septoplasty As a result of hearing from members who were receiving denials from Aetna based on their medical coverage policy on septoplasty and rhinoplasty, the AAO-HNS coordinated with the AmericanAcademy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) to submit comments in March regarding their criteria. Shortly after submitting comments, the Aetna National Medical Director, James Cross, MD, accepted our request to hold a conference call with him and other Aetna leaders to discuss concerns. After a collegial conference call with physician and staff representatives from the Academy and AAFPRS in May, Aetna revised its Clinical Policy Bulletin on Septoplasty and Rhinoplasty. Among other changes, Aetna accepted Academy recommendations to change the minimum required time frame for medical therapy prior to performing a rhinoplasty and septoplasty from three months to four weeks. In addition to these specific revisions, many resources available to members to use in response to payer denials at the local and state level were updated in 2013. These include: CPT for ENT coding articles; Template payer appeal letters; Clinical Indicators; and Position Statements. The Academy continues to track these and other issues affecting members nationally and encourages members to email us at healthpolicy@entnet.org if experiencing issues. I-GO Summer Kickoff a Success To help strengthen the voice of the specialty, the Academy launched its In-district Grassroots Outreach (I-GO) program this summer. The goal is to engage members with their state and federal officials at home in their legislative districts. This helps Academy members to have their voices heard more frequently without the need to travel to Washington, DC, and, it provides legislators with a helpful resource at home. With the dedication, assistance, and leadership of AAO-HNS members during the Congressional August recess, the launch of the Academy’s I-GO program was a success. Several members hosted private practice visits for their Members of Congress, providing tours of their facilities, demonstrating the tools of the trade, and introducing them to the hard-working staff essential to running a successful practice. Members without private practices coordinated calendars with their elected officials and met locally in Congressional district offices or at fund-raising events. These local opportunities provided a more personal and relaxed setting for legislators and AAO-HNS members to interact and discuss the Academy’s legislative priorities and their influence on patient care. Interested in participating in an I-GO event? The AAO-HNS Government Affairs team stands ready to assist in scheduling and preparing you for your meeting. Simply email govtaffairs@entnet.org today!

2013 Annual Report: New Advocacy Campaign for Residents and Fellows-in-Training

At this year’s AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO℠ a new campaign was launched designed to increase Resident and Fellow-in-Training involvement in advocacy-related initiatives. As the future of the specialty, it is essential for Residents and Fellows-in-Training to learn about the Academy’s advocacy efforts and become involved early in their careers. The campaign, which is based on a simple point system, provides Residents and Fellows-in-Training the opportunity to earn points for themselves and their residency programs by participating in various advocacy-related activities that have been assigned specific point values. For example, one point can be earned for “one-click” activities, such as joining the ENT Advocacy Network, following @AAOHNSGovtAffrs on Twitter, friending us on Facebook, or connecting on LinkedIn. These simple actions would accumulate four points with limited effort! Additional points can be accrued by participating in an In-District Grassroots Outreach (I-GO) event or by donating to ENT PAC, the Academy’s political action committee. In addition to the benefit of learning more about the specialty’s advocacy activities and new leadership opportunities, participants can receive “rewards” for their involvement—including an exclusive ENT PAC “Resident/ Fellow-in-Training Investor” T-shirt or special recognition in the semi-annual ENT PAC Investors’ Report. The residency program with the most points in a calendar year will be invited to an exclusive networking event with top Academy Members at the AAO-HNSF 2014 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPOSM. For more information on how to get involved in the campaign and start earning points, email govtaffairs@entnet.org. ENT PAC, the political action committee of the AAO-HNS, financially supports federal Congressional candidates and incumbents who advance the issues important to otolaryngology–head and neck surgery. ENT PAC is a NON-PARTISAN, ISSUE-DRIVEN entity that serves as your collective voice on Capitol Hill to increase the visibility of the specialty with key policymakers. To learn more about ENT PAC, visit www.entpac.org (login with your AAO-HNS ID and password). 2013 Advocacy: By the Numbers270 Number of Capitol Hill meetings with key Members of Congress and/or their staff. 92 Number of political events attended to strengthen and/or establish key relationships with federal incumbents or candidates. 26.5 Percent cut to Medicare physician payments that was averted in January 2013. Efforts are under way to permanently repeal the flawed SGR formula and end the yearly “patches.” 248 Number of federal legislators cosponsoring legislation (H.R. 351/S. 351) to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). 351 Percent increase in number of followers for the Government Affairs social media tools, such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. 1,787 Number of AAO-HNS members who receive timely legislative updates via the ENT Advocacy Network. To sign up, email staff at govtaffairs@entnet.org. 40 Number of regulatory and third-party payer advocacy letters the Academy Health Policy team and 3P prepared and submitted from January 1–December 1, 2013. 19 Number of third-party payer policies reviewed and commented on by Academy committees and 3P from January 1– October 15, 2013. 74 Number of position statements reviewed by Academy committees and 3P.

2013 Annual Report: Medicare Physician Payment and Quality Initiatives: Academy Achieves Results for Otolaryngology

Examples of key Medicare policy changes achieved in 2013 include: Acceptance of four Adult Sinusitis measures* for 2014 Physicians Quality Reporting System (PQRS) reporting; Reduction of number of providers impacted by the value-based payment modifier in CY 2013; Revisions to practice expense inputs related to otolaryngology procedures; and An extension of the Administrative Claims Reporting Option for 2013 PQRS, and more. *For more information, see Segway to Performance Measures on p. 12 It is our hope that members have become accustomed to receiving notification from the Academy when the CMS releases its Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed and final rules in the summer and fall of each year. Academy advocacy efforts begin prior to the release of the rules. We seek to influence payment policies and quality initiatives impacting our members by having a seat at the table with high-level policy makers, including face-to-face meetings with CMS representatives. For example, twice this year in April and November, Academy leaders met with the CMS Chief Medical Officer, Patrick Conway, MD, to outline the comprehensive quality initiatives taking place within our specialty. We sought feedback on how we can attain credit in future CMS quality programs for some of these initiatives and outlined how current CMS quality programs could better meet the needs of the specialty. The timing of our face-to-face meetings was essential because they reinforced our written comments, and coincided with the time with which CMS develops policy for the next calendar year. Proposed policies are included in the proposed rule and the public has 60 days to comment (July–August), and make alternative proposals back to CMS on areas of disagreement or concern. During this time, the Academy staff quickly review thousands of pages of text, analyze data, and draft summaries for Members. To view the Academy’s internal review process, see the timeline below.

2013 Annual Report: AAO-HNS Engages Congress: SGR Repeal and Payment Reform

The SGR Roller Coaster Ride 2013 was supposed to be “the year” – the year that Congress would finally, and permanently, repeal the flawed Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula used to calculate physician payments under the Medicare program. However, the momentum for repeal ultimately adhered to a rollercoaster-style ebb and flow, with the final outcome regarding passage of SGR-repeal legislation still unknown at the writing of this article. In February, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued a report lowering its projected cost of repealing the SGR formula to $138 billion. As a result, repeal of the SGR, an annually perplexing issue for Congress, was essentially deemed “on sale.” Soon thereafter, the Health Subcommittee of the House Energy & Commerce (E&C) Committee held a hearing to discuss the viability of possible new payment models. While hearings on this subject are not out of the ordinary, its scheduling so early in the legislative year was promising. In the months that followed, physician leaders from 3P and the Ad Hoc Payment Model workgroup, along with staff from the AAO-HNS Health Policy and Government Affairs Business Units, participated in an ongoing dialogue with Committee staff in an effort to develop legislation that would incentivize the delivery of high-quality and efficient healthcare. As part of this effort, the AAO-HNS prepared and submitted five formal comment letters to Congressional Committees. These letters specifically discussed the positive and negative aspects of the proposed framework for SGR repeal, as it related to otolaryngology–head and neck surgery. The letters are available for review at www.entnet.org/advocacy. In July, legislation (H.R. 2810) was formally introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and was soon unanimously (51-0) passed by the E&C Committee. During the August recess period, lawmakers were to begin the process of identifying “offsets” to finance SGR repeal. However, broader issues like passage of a “Continuing Resolution” to the fund the government and a required increase in the debt ceiling, soon began to overshadow targeted pieces of legislation like H.R 2810. Throughout the fall, those same issues plagued Capitol Hill, and resulted in the first government shutdown in almost twenty years. As a result, many in the physician community began to speculate that the ongoing ideological divide would hamper any additional efforts to advance permanent SGR legislation by year’s end. However, by late October the SGR issue reemerged at the forefront of Congressional talks, as the Senate Finance and House Ways & Means Committees released a new (and bipartisan) framework to repeal the SGR and replace it with a new payment system designed to emphasize and reward “value” and transition away from a “volume”-based system. Despite a general coalescence by lawmakers in regard to the “policy” to repeal/replace the SGR, the last, and perhaps greatest, barrier to passage of pending SGR legislation is the identification of the necessary “offsets” to finance the effort. If Congress fails to act in any regard, physicians face a 24.4 percent cut in Medicare physician payments on January 1, 2014.

2013 Annual Report: Advocacy

As the “Advocacy” arm of the Academy, the Health Policy and Government Affairs Business Units strive to serve as a powerful voice regarding legislative, political, regulatory, health policy, and third-party payer policies. We actively seek ways to increase member awareness of and involvement in these critical advocacy activities and employ a flexible, multi-factor approach to advocate for the interests of otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons. Specifically, the Advocacy group works to: Enhance our legislative outreach efforts to policymakers to advance our legislative priorities. Increase the general awareness and recognition of the specialty by the public and patients. Enhance our grassroots activities to recognize and incentivize member involvement in our legislative and political programs. Integrate health policy-specific priorities, using input from the Physician Payment Policy (3P) Workgroup and Coordinators James C. Denneny, MD, for Socioeconomic Affairs, and Michael Setzen, MD, for Practice Affairs, to maintain our visibility and credibility with national representatives regarding socioeconomic and federal regulatory issues. Advocate for appropriate reimbursement and fair policies with Medicare and private payers, providing members with information and guidance on reimbursement issues encountered at the state and local level. In the Advocacy section of this Annual Report, you will find a detailed assessment of how the Advocacy group has worked to achieve these goals throughout 2013. Notably, the report focuses on our work to permanently repeal the flawed Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and replace it with a new payment model that incentivizes the delivery of high-quality and efficient healthcare. Other strategic accomplishments included the launch of an In-district Grassroots Outreach (I-GO) program; targeted efforts to increase resident and fellow-in-training involvement in advocacy activities; regulatory advocacy with government agencies such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); and Academy endeavors to obtain positive changes to Medicare and private payer coverage policies for otolaryngology – head and neck surgery procedures.

2013 Annual Report: Message From Leadership

Accomplishments, Achievements, Opportunities: AAO-HNS/F Each of us has a family, a unit of people we hold dear. But the real sustaining value of a family is to use our talents and abilities to create a better world for them to flourish. Leading by example creates the same spirit of service in them, which builds and enhances the family even more. Wise members of the family continue to find opportunities to bring the extended family back together. They provide a place of community where diverse family members come together, remembering their past, rekindling the spirit of what makes family so important to each of us, and celebrating accomplishments. We, otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons, are a diverse group of people, representing many countries and many cultures. Yet we are family, with common goals and a common mission. We are a remarkable specialty, made up of remarkable physicians who deliver remarkable care to our patients—in our offices and hospitals and in our communities and the world around us. We don’t always reflect on the influence we have, and can have—individually and collectively—with the accomplishments, achievements, and opportunities that we make and that we leverage. When we do, we come away with a renewed sense of purpose and the knowledge that we have contributed to the tradition and community. As is true of all volunteerism, we gain far more than we give. My colleague and partner this past year, David R. Nielsen, MD, speaks passionately about our small specialty’s proportionately large influence in the world. “It is reassuring to know that we have a seemingly endless supply of talent and inspirational leadership,” he says. “We do it all—federal and state advocacy; education; research; quality improvement and patient safety; health policy; member services; practice management; communications online and through our academic journal; society relations; and superior IT, financial, and executive support for our mission. I applaud you, thank you, and commend you and all our members who work so hard after hours to give back to the specialty and the profession. Your dedication is the key to our success.” In this time of great uncertainty in healthcare, we remain blessed to be doctors, and privileged to serve our patients, in our hometowns or in far-away lands. We must continue to encourage the next generation of physicians, showing them that being an otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon is both a privilege and an honor. Each year we unite as a community to learn and become even stronger, in order to better serve patients around the world. We are proud to have chosen this remarkable profession, this amazing specialty, and to belong to this incredible organization. The following report illustrates what our AAO-HNS/F has accomplished collectively this year. Most of this work has been done with the guidance of Members who constantly volunteer their time for us all. It has been an honor to represent you and the specialty this past year and I proudly present this Annual Report to record the AAO-HNS/F 2013 accomplishments, achievements, and opportunities. James L. Netterville, MD 2012/2013 AAO-HNS/F President with David R. Nielsen, MD Executive Vice President and CEO

2013 Annual Report: 2012-2013 Board of Directors

Officers President James L. Netterville, MD President-Elect Richard W. Waguespack, MD Secretary/Treasurer J. Gavin Setzen, MD Immediate Past President Rodney P. Lusk, MD Executive Vice President and CEO David R. Nielsen, MD Academy and Foundation At-Large Directors Director–Private Practice J. Pablo Stolovitzky, MD Director–Academic James A. Stankiewicz, MD Director–Private Practice Jerry M. Schreibstein, MD Director–Academic Bradley F. Marple, MD Director–Private Practice Paul T. Fass, MD Director–Academic Michael G. Stewart, MD MPH Director–Private Practice Duane J. Taylor, MD Director–Academic Kathleen L. Yaremchuk, MD Academy Coordinators Coordinator for Socioeconomic Affairs James C. Denneny III, MD Coordinator for Practice Affairs Michael Setzen, MD Chair, Ethics Committee Lauren Zaretsky, MD Coordinator-Elect for Practice Affairs Jane T. Dillon, MD Foundation Coordinators Coordinator for Development Nikhil J. Bhatt, MD Coordinator for Education Sonya Malekzadeh, MD Coordinator for Instruction Course Program Sukgi S. Choi, MD Coordinator for International Affairs Gregory W. Randolph, MD Coordinator for Research and Quality John S. Rhee, MD, MPH Coordinator for Scientific Program Eben L. Rosenthal, MD Journal Editor Richard M. Rosenfeld, MD, MPH Coordinator-Elect for International Affairs James E. Saunders, MD Chair, Ethics Committee Lauren Zaretsky, MD Board of Governors Representatives Chair, BOG Denis C. Lafreniere, MD Chair-Elect, BOG (EC/Non-Voting) Peter Abramson, MD Past Chair, BOG Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD Specialty Society Advisory Council (SSAC) Representatives Chair, SSAC Albert L. Merati, MD Academy and Foundation Non-Voting Invited Guests Chair, Women in Otolaryngology Susan R. Cordes, MD Chair, American Medical Association Delegation Liana Puscas, MD Representative, Young Physicians Committee Monica Tadros, MD Chair, Diversity Committee Lisa Perry-Gilkes, MD Chair, Section for Residents and Fellows-in-Training Nikhila Raol, MD AAO-HNS/F Counsel Powers Pyles Sutter and Verville, P.C. Robert M. Portman, Esq.

Support Millennium Society, Advance the Specialty

Thank you to all who support the Millennium Society. Your contribution provides a vital source of ongoing operational funding for programs and activities essential to supporting the success of today’s otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons. Currently, costs related to producing the Foundation’s relevant, high-quality, and innovative programs to empower otolaryngologists to deliver the best patient care exceeds $19 million annually. As you may be aware, membership dues account for about 33 percent of our organization’s annual operations budget. Dues alone would not even provide funding for our annual educational programming, much less all the other highly respected, invaluable resources and programs that we produce for the otolaryngology community. Your gift provides the much needed source of funding to ensure that our popular and trusted programs continue to thrive and transform as required to keep pace with the needs of today’s otolaryngologists.Specifically, your gift will be instrumental in: Advancing the understanding and treatment of disease through research Creating high-quality educational opportunities for the otolaryngology workforce Educating the public and patients about the specialty Improving the quality of and access to healthcare and providing critical financial resources for otolaryngology Donate today by visiting www.entnet.org/donate. We also invite you to consider a monthly or quarterly pledge. Please contact Mary McMahon, director of development, at mmcmahon@entnet.org or phone 703-535-3717 for details.

Academy Leadership—Save the Date

The Academy will convene a new AAO-HNS/F Leadership Forum, February 28–March 3, 2014, in Alexandria, VA. This forum will combine many leadership activities, including the Boards of Directors (BODs), Executive Committees, BODs’ Strategic Planning, SEC, the Board of Governors’ meetings and related advocacy components. We will also offer special content designed for residents and young physicians. Watch for more information.

2014 AAO-HNS/F Committee Application Cycle Open Now!

2014 AAO-HNS/F Committee Application Cycle Open Now! Get more involved with your Academy by applying to become a committee member! You can join an education committee to become more involved in the Foundation’s education activities, a BOG committee to become more involved in the grassroots arm of the Academy, or one of the Academy or Foundation committees that fits your area of expertise. Apply now! http://entnet.org/committees

Year-Long Education Needs Assessment Initiative a Success

Sonya Malekzadeh, MD Coordinator, Education Following a year of education needs assessment, the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) is now equipped with meaningful and valuable information to improve and advance the Foundation’s professional education program. We are deeply grateful to those who participated in the process. AAO-HNS education leaders, members, and current activity participants contributed to this broad evaluation. Members of the eight education committees examined current products and programs through a comprehensive needs assessment and SWOT analysis. The membership furthered this effort by completing a member-wide education survey addressing their current continuous professional development needs and requirements. Lastly, each educational resource was specifically evaluated by individuals who had directly participated in the activity. This robust data will provide the AAO-HNS Foundation the information needed to revamp and revitalize its education offerings. The themes of awareness, engagement, and value will be further explored and addressed through strategic planning prioritization, program-specific improvements, and balancing of resources to leverage strengths and improve opportunities. The Education Steering Committee along with the education committees will lead these efforts. In the ensuing months, a series of articles will inform the members of additional assessment findings and actions set forth to increase awareness, improve engagement, and deliver value. This January Bulletin, focused on education, will provide a summary of this year’s accomplishments and future directions. Please stay tuned as we build a professional education program that will meet your needs and exceed your expectations. Through this assessment, three critical themes emerged: Awareness—enhance understanding of the breadth and depth of the Foundation’s education offerings. Engagement—encourage utilization and participation in education activities by both members and nonmembers. Value—focus on the quality of education activities.

CPT Changes for 2014: What ENTs Need to Know

Michael Setzen, MD Immediate-Past Coordinator for Practice Affairs Jenna Minton, Esq. Senior Manager, Health Policy As the medical community has come to expect, part of the annual rulemaking process conducted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) includes the annual issuance of new and modified CPT codes, developed by the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Editorial Panel, for the coming year. In addition, CMS includes new, or updated, values (also known as relative value units (RVUs)) for medical services that have undergone review by the AMA’s Relative Update Committee (RUC). CMS has the discretion to accept the RUC’s RVU recommendations for physician work, and recommendations for direct practice expense inputs, or it may exercise its administrative authority and elect to assign a different value, or practice expense inputs, for medical procedures paid for by Medicare. The final value, as determined by CMS, is then publicly released in the final Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) rule for the following calendar year. The Academy is an active participant in both the AMA RUC valuation of otolaryngology-head and neck services, and the CMS annual rulemaking processes. As part of those efforts, we want to ensure members are informed and prepared for key changes to CPT codes and valuations related to otolaryngology-head and neck surgery serviced for CY 2014. The following outlines a list of coding changes, including new and revised CPT codes, as well as codes that were reviewed by the AMA RUC and could have modified Medicare reimbursement values for 2014: New Codes In CY 2014, several new CPT codes will be introduced, including: Two new codes to report flexible, transnasal esophagoscopy (otherwise known as TNE). These services will be reported with CPT codes 43197 and 43198. Six new codes to distinguish between rigid, transoral esophagoscopy procedures and flexible, transoral esophagoscopy. The existing codes will be used to report flexible, transoral procedures, and the new codes CPT 43191-43196 will be used to report rigid, transoral procedures. One new code to report chemodenervation of the larynx for spasmodic dysphonia. This code will replace the previously reported code CPT 64613. Otolaryngologists will now use CPT 64617 to report all injections to the larynx for the treatment of spasmodic dysphonia. Four new speech evaluation codes. These codes are intended to represent evaluation of speech fluency (92521); evaluation of speech sound production (92522); evaluation of speech sound production with evaluation of language comprehension and expression (92523); and behavioral and qualitative analysis of voice and resonance (92524). Codes Reviewed by the AMA RUC In addition to the creation of several new CPT codes for 2014, a number of existing CPT codes relating to otolaryngology were reviewed by the AMA RUC, and their RUC-approved values were submitted to CMS for final determination for the CY 2013 final rule. Members should be prepared for modified relative value units for some, or all, of these procedures in CY 2014. It is critical to note that once the final MPFS is issued by CMS, typically on or around November 1 of each year, Academy health policy staff will summarize the final rule and alert members to any critical changes in reimbursement for any of the following medical procedures. Existing codes that were reviewed in 2013 include: As noted above, health policy staff will provide members with a detailed summary of CMS approved values for the above services once they are issued in the 2014 final MPFS. Should members have any questions regarding the above information in the meantime, please email healthpolicy@entnet.org.

3P Update: Academy Efforts Regarding New Technology

Is There a Doctor in the House (or Senate)?

The AAO-HNS, in collaboration with state medical societies, encourages Academy members to participate in the Physician in the Capitol program for their respective state legislatures. In this role, a physician volunteers to be at the capital during the day’s legislative session to provide basic medical services, if needed, to the members of the legislature. The position is primarily ceremonial, though you may be asked basic health-related questions or serve an important role in case of an emergency. A key benefit of this program is AAO-HNS members are provided an opportunity to learn more about the internal workings of their state government and the chance to educate local representatives on behalf of the specialty and patients. Please consider making a difference in your state and experience first-hand the legislative process. If you are interested in participating, email govtaffairs@entnet.org.

Year-end SGR Negotiations: Stay Informed

With only weeks left in 2013, federal lawmakers must begin negotiating a final “must-pass” legislative package, in what has become an annual (and despised) tradition. Since lawmakers are unable to advance legislation this year to permanently repeal the flawed Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) payment formula, Congress must include in their year-end package a “patch” to halt the 24.4 percent cut to Medicare physician payments scheduled for January 1, 2014. With the holidays upon us, AAO-HNS members are encouraged to get the latest legislative news from the AAO-HNS Government Affairs team via our various social media platforms. “Follow” us on Twitter @AAOHNSGovtAffrs, “Like” us on Facebook, or “Connect” to us on LinkedIn!

State Tracker Conference Calls Begin this Month

In an effort to increase the number of leadership opportunities within the AAO-HNS and to further strengthen member participation in its grassroots programs, the Academy is recruiting members to become state legislative “trackers.” Selected members will receive “tracking reports” that highlight legislation potentially affecting physicians and patients in his or her state. State trackers will have the important responsibility of alerting the AAO-HNS if assistance (e.g., letters, testimony, action alert) is needed on a specific initiative. Not all states have a representative, so if you are interested in participating in this new program, email govtaffairs@entnet.org. The Academy will host a monthly conference call series beginning in December to aid state trackers and prepare for the 2014 state legislative sessions. The goals of the calls are to help educate state trackers, provide a forum to identify national trends, and receive input on the specific needs of each state. The calls will be limited to participants in the state tracking program and state society staff. Thank you to all members who have already volunteered to fill this important role.

Out of Committee: Lassa Fever and Tuberculosis in ENT Practice in Africa

Titus S. Ibekwe, MD, FWAC, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria Segun Segun-Busari, MD, FWACS, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria Tulio A. Valdez, MD, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Simsbury, CT Our awareness of a certain pathogen as a possible etiology for an otolaryngological (ENT) problem depends on how prevalent this pathogen is in the region where we practice. In ENT practice in Africa, it is important to be aware of the manifestations of infectious diseases, which may not be as common in other places in the world. Lassa fever (LF) and tuberculosis (TB) are common diseases in Africa with well-known otolaryngological manifestations. Lassa Fever LF is an acute arenaviral hemorrhagic infection transmitted by Mastomys natalensis (multimammate rat) prevalent in West African sub-region. It is highly contagious via the droppings and urine of the host carrier. LF can also be transmitted through airborne particles and contact with body fluids of infected humans. There have been reported cases of nosocomial, hospital-acquired infection, transmission from contaminated medical equipment, and other inanimate objects.1 Lassa virus can generate exaggerated immune responses, involving high titres of IgG and IgM.2 The resultant autoimmune responses culminate in loss of cochlear hair cells during the convalescent phase. Direct invasion of the spiral ganglion may result in the loss of integrity of the vestibulocochlear nerve.3 All these pathogenic processes occur during the acute phase of viral infection resulting in sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). About 57 percent to 60 percent of patients recover spontaneously during convalescence.4 The mode of presentation of LF is non-specific, hence the difficulty in clinical diagnosis (Table 1). The classical modes of presentation include high-grade fever >38°C, sore throat, retrosternal pain, cough, odynophagia, conjunctivitis, petechial hemorrhages, abdominal pains, vomiting, and diarrhea. Neurological symptoms (tremors, convulsions, meningitis symptoms, etc.) are not commonly present at this early stage, however SNHL is sometimes present. Recent research suggests that early SNHL and other CNS features predict a poor prognostication.5 Diagnosis is commonly made via ELISA (sensitivity 57 percent and specificity 77 percent6) and confirmed by Lassa Virus-PCR. Ribavirin remains the drug of choice for the management of LF and is efficient when commenced within the first week of active infection. Tuberculosis Africa is currently home to 11 percent of the world’s population, however it carries 29 percent of the global burden of tuberculosis cases and 34 percent of related deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the average incidence of tuberculosis in African countries more than doubled between 1990 and 2005, while throughout the world the incidence remained stable or declined.7 Tuberculosis, an aerosol-transmitted communicable disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Figure 1), primarily affects the lungs. Extrapulmonary TB involves the ear, nose, and throat, lymph nodes, the brain, kidneys, bones, etc. A single cough can produce 3,000 infectious droplet nuclei.8 The size of the infecting tubercle bacilli and the immune status of the host determine the risk of progression from infection to disease. Hence, HIV infection remains the most common single predisposition to TB. Primary tuberculosis of the external ear is not uncommon. Tuberculosis of the middle ear, usually in coexistence with miliary pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), is characterized by painless otorrhea, abundant granulation tissue, multiple tympanic perforations, bone necrosis, and severe hearing loss. However, most of our patients present with the first two clinical features. Our experience showed that otogenic complications such as facial palsy and SNHL appear more frequently in tuberculous otitis patients than in cholesteatoma. The laryngeal tuberculosis is a complication of PTB, which develops as infiltrates and curdled disintegration of tubercles presenting as ulcers with pharyngalgia and (cough) tussis. Tussis is not a characteristic attribute of laryngeal tuberculosis as it depends on changes in the lungs. Lesions of the vocal folds manifest as hoarseness, hyperemia, thickening, and infiltration. The changes are mainly present in the posterior third of the folds. There is characteristic ulceration on the superior surface due to pooling of mycobacterium-laden fluid around the arytenoids during sleep. Tubercular involvement of the nose is rare and is usually secondary to primary PTB.9 It is even more rare to see a case of nasal tuberculosis with simultaneous involvement of the lymph nodes without primary involvement of the lungs. Nasal and sinus tuberculosis remains silent and asymptomatic until well advanced. Patients with nasal tuberculosis usually present with nasal obstruction and discharge. Other symptoms include nasal discomfort, epistaxis, crusting, post-nasal drip, ulceration, recurrent polyps, and sometimes eye symptoms from nasolacrimal duct blockage. Nasal tuberculosis occurs in patients older than 20 years and women are affected more than men by a margin of 3:1.10 It is important to consider nasal tuberculosis in differential diagnosis. An outline on the mode of presentation is shown in Table 1. The quest to exclude malignancy may lead to unacceptable delays in treatment. The diagnosis of nasal tuberculosis is based on: histological identification of granulomatous inflammation (Figure1); positive testing for acid-alcohol resistant bacilli; and positive culture. Newer diagnostic tests have the advantage of speed and improved accuracy, but are not as yet completely evaluated for the diagnosis of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis.11 Several standard anti-Koch’s regime have been proposed with duration of therapy ranges between six and 12 months. Acknowledgement: We thank Farrel J. Buchinsky, MD, chairman, Infectious Disease Committee, AAO-HNS, for editing this article and all the members of the committee for their support. References Inegbenebor U, Okosun J, Inegbenebor J. Prevention of Lassa Fever in Nigeria. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2010;104(1):51-54. Emmerich P, Günther S, Schmitz H. Strain-specific antibody response to Lassa virus in the local population of west Africa. J Clin Virol. 2008;42(1):40-44. Buchman CA, Levine JD, Balkany TJ. In: Essential Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery. Lee KJ, editor. New York: McGraw-Hill Medical Publishing Division; 2003. Infections of the ear; pp. 462-511. Okokhere PO, Ibekwe TS, Akpede GO. Sensorineural hearing loss in Lassa fever: two case reports. J Med Case Report. 2009; 3: 36. Ibekwe TS, Okokhere PO, Asogun D, Blackie FF, Nwegbu MM, Wahab KW, Omilabu SA, Akpede GO. Early-onset sensorineural hearing loss in Lassa fever. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2011;268(2):197-201. Ibekwe TS, Nwegbu MM, Asogun D, Adomeh DI, Okokhere PO. The sensitivity and specificity of Lassa virus IgM by ELISA as screening tool at early phase of Lassa fever infection. Niger Med J. 2012;53(4):196-199. WHO report 2007: global tuberculosis control: surveillance, planning, financing. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2007. (WHO/HTM/TB/2007.376.) Bates JH, Stead WW. The history of tuberculosis as a global epidemic. Med Clin North Am. 1993;77(6):1205-1217. Harries AD, Dye C: Tuberculosis. Ann Trop Med Parasitol. 2006;100(56):41531. Abebe M, Doherty M, Wassie L, Demissie A, Mihret A, Engers H, Aseffa A. TB case detection: can we remain passive while the process is active? Pan African Med J. 2012;11:50. Masterson L, Srouji I, Kent R, Bath AP. Nasal tuberculosis—an update of current clinical and laboratory investigation. J Laryngol Otol. 2011;125(2):210-213.

Academy Advantage Partner AllMeds: 2014 The Year (Just About) Everything Changes … and What to Do Now

By Bob Blakely 2014 will be a watershed year for many ENT practices, and those that prepare now could emerge in excellent shape—especially compared to those that don’t. EHR Incentives: Eligible professionals (EPs) have received $16 billion by meeting Meaningful Use (MU) criteria, but 2014 will present new challenges: In January 2014, Stage 2 of the program will roll out. 2014 is the last year for EPs to begin the Medicare program. To avoid penalties in 2015, EPs must begin meeting MU by July 1, 2014. WHAT TO DO NOW: Find an EHR provider that specializes in serving ENT practices similar to yours and has a proven track record of incentives success. ICD-10: The rollout of ICD-10 codes is around the corner. On October 1, 2014, ICD-10 will provide a fivefold increase of today’s current code-set. The AMA urged “physicians to start educating themselves now.” But, don’t throw out your ICD-9 code books! ICD-9 will continue to be used for worker’s compensation and states may also continue using ICD-9. Most likely, you’ll have to use both standards for some time. WHAT TO DO NOW: Check with your vendors for ICD-10 roll-out plans. Request training that focuses on your commonly used codes, especially those with one-to-many equivalents. HIPAA Updates: As Covered Entities, physicians must secure new agreements with each of their Business Associates (BAs), conduct security assessments, and provide their staffs with clear policies and procedures to ensure protected health information (PHI). WHAT TO DO IMMEDIATELY: Contact your vendors and update all BA agreements. Maintaining Staff Effectiveness: With the introduction of MU2, ICD-10, and HIPAA Updates, practices must spend considerable effort to maintain effective staffs. Billing specialists, in particular, will be heavily challenged to maintain productivity and revenue levels. WHAT TO DO NOW: Leverage professional associations, particularly those providing ENT-relevant assistance, such as AOA and AAO-HNS. Investigate Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) services to outsource critical billing functions to highly specialized consultants. Ask existing vendors if their products are integrated with those of a RCM provider. 2014 will be pivotal for healthcare professionals across the United States, as they work to meet expanding requirements that impact everything from patients to profits. Practices that put processes and people in the right place can find themselves better prepared to weather a challenging 2014. However, now—and not later—is the time to begin making plans for a prosperous new year. About the author: Bob Blakely is the Director of Government Affairs and Marketing at AllMeds Inc., a provider of the most widely used EHR solution to ENTs and other surgical specialties. He has been with AllMeds since 2006, during which he’s authored courses on electronic health record systems, federal EHR incentive programs, and co-created a guide to EHR implementation best-practices. He has worked in the healthcare IT field for 15 years, including stints at Lanier Healthcare™ and MedQuist™.

Get Involved with the Journal

During the annual editorial board meeting of the Foundation’s journal, Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, in Vancouver, BC, Canada, 13 star reviewers were acknowledged for their exceptional performance. The journal has been recognizing these star performers since 2006, and 2013 marked the first two international recipients of the award. This recognition serves as a stepping stone to the journal’s editorial board and associate editor positions, bringing recipients greater responsibility and recognizing achievement. The journal welcomes reviewers from all areas of expertise and stages of career, including residents. It’s now easier than ever to claim CME credits by reviewing for the journal, and reviews completed before October will appear on your official AAO-HNS transcript, emailed in February. Reviewers can earn up to 15 CME credits per year simply by reviewing five journal articles provided the reviews meet accreditation requirements. In addition, reviewers who complete four or more reviews a year are listed in the journal’s January issue. The criteria for becoming a star reviewer are posted on the journal’s brand new reviewer page, http://www.otojournal.org. Many of our star performers, depending on their areas of expertise and interest, go on to be appointed to the journal’s editorial board and then serve as associate editors. Star Reviewer recipients receive: One honor point A ribbon to wear at the Annual Meeting identifying them as a top reviewer Numerous mentions in Academy print and digital media, including the Bulletin, the Meeting Daily, and the Official Program issue of the journal. We took time out of the meeting’s recognition of star reviewers to recognize our first two international recipients, Jacqui Allen, MD, and Eugenia Allegra, MD. 2013 Star Reviewers Lee M. Akst, MD Eugenia Allegra, MD, PhD Jacqui E. Allen, MBChB, FRACS Mark E. Boston, MD Michael Friedman, MD (fifth year) Babak Givi, MD (second year) Helene J. Krouse, PhD, ANP-BC, (third year) Daniel B. Kuriloff, MD Judith E. Lieu, MD (second year) Ho-Sheng F. Lin, MD Sonya Malekzadeh, MD Stephen C. Maturo, MD (third year) Gordon H. Sun, MD, MS And More… The journal’s online presence continues to expand, both in scientific content and tips for authors and reviewers. The new reviewer page now has two videocasts, recorded at prior AAO-HNSF Annual Meetings. The first video, recorded at the 2010 Annual Meeting, covers specifics on how to review a journal manuscript and features Editor-Elect John H. Krouse, MD, PhD; Matthew Ryan, MD, associate editor for general otolaryngology and case reports; and Cecelia Schmalbach, MD, associate editor for head and neck surgery. At the time of the recording, both Dr. Schmalbach and Dr. Ryan were star reviewers for the journal, and both went on to serve on the editorial board and were promoted to associate editors. The second video is another panel discussion, focusing on tips for reviewers. Participants are Mark K. Wax, MD, associate editor for facial plastic surgery, and Dr. Schmalbach. The site also features: Free access to the full text of the article “How to Review Journal Manuscripts,” written by the journal’s editor-in-chief and published in the April 2010 issue of the journal. Suggestions from 2011, 2012, and 2013 top reviewers. The exact criteria used to identify the 2013 recipients. The names of all the journal’s star reviewers since the award was instituted in 2006. An example of a highly rated review. A reviewer application form, which can be downloaded and emailed or faxed to the journal’s editorial office.

2013 Committee Highlights

We Have Our Finger on the Pulse of Our Membership

The Board of Governors (BOG) is hard at work. Healthcare reform and the passage of the Affordable Care Act into law in 2010 have greatly influenced the practice of medicine. The impact of changes such as implementation of ICD-10, the opening of enrollment for health exchanges, the development of various payment paradigms, and the consequences of practice guidelines felt by all of our members. There are so many moving targets that we need to be aware of and respond to. The BOG’s commitment is to represent and address these concerns and needs of our Academy members through the member societies as represented by their governors, committees, and Academy health policy and government affairs teams. We need to have our finger on the pulse of the membership. The past year has been remarkable for accomplishing this. The biggest news in this regard has been the concerted effort to make your voices more accessible by restructuring the BOG itself. However, there are still societies and pockets of the country that we don’t hear from. Under the present BOG leadership, and the efforts of the BOG Socioeconomic and Grassroots Committee, we have identified 10 regions across the states and the territories, and appointed 10 regional representatives so that societies, big and small, can report more easily to the BOG. The success of this was evident during this fall’s BOG meeting in Vancouver, BC, Canada, on September 28. Eight of the 10 regional representatives were present and all regions were represented at the meeting. Each region delivered compelling reports that are now being considered by the appropriate resources. It is our goal that this new structure will provide better communication not only through the Governors and the society’s representatives to the BOG Socioeconomic and Grassroots and the BOG Legislative Affairs Committees, but also the regional reps who will call on their assigned societies. If you feel your society or region wasn’t part of this year’s regional effort, it may be that we don’t have your contact information or know who your leadership is. We want to hear from you. This is your opportunity to be heard. Let us know these important details by emailing BOG@entnet.org. The fall meeting had many other highlights. The AAO-HNS Government Affairs team introduced the “state trackers” and In-district Grassroots Outreach (I-GO) programs. These programs will radically change the way we are able to respond to state legislative bills and interact locally with our elected officials. It will make us more effective in our efforts to support or defeat bills that affect our ability to successfully care for our patients. A key element is the identification of individual Academy members who will serve as “trackers” for their states. The concept is to work collaboratively with the local ENT specialty society in coordination with the state medical society. The tracker will receive support from the BOG and the Academy in the form of regular emails, which will summarize pertinent bills, monthly conference calls, and assistance in writing action reports and letters to legislators, if appropriate. The BOG is developing this list of trackers right now and welcomes hearing from interested individuals. During the past year, the BOG hosted many interesting lectures, including a session on the use of social media in medicine; a lecture by Rahul K. Shah, MD, “Patient Satisfaction Scores and How They Impact Your Practice;” and a session on insurance exchanges. The BOG also presented a well-attended, successful, and thought-provoking miniseminar at this year’s annual meeting entitled, “Hot Topics in Otolaryngology 2013: ACOs.” Our speakers were excellent. Raymund C. King, MD, JD, laid the legal and health reform backdrop for ACOs, while C. Brett Johnson, JD, MPH, MS, described the manifestations and impact of ACOs. James C. Denneny III, MD, described the Academy’s approach and attitude to the changing payment policies and paradigms, and Denis C. Lafreniere, MD, now the BOG immediate past chair, concluded the miniseminar by describing how the BOG is responding to the needs of our membership and the Academy. We are already planning BOG-related activities taking place in Alexandria, VA, March 2-3, 2014. These BOG meetings will be part of an AAO-HNS Leadership Forum, February 28 through March 3, and will feature strategic planning, BOG committee meetings, leadership sessions, advocacy briefings, and CME. It is an opportunity to get involved, network, and learn. We hope to see someone from every society. Even if you are not a society representative, come. Guests are invited to sit in on committee meetings/sessions and participate in training and possible CME. Check us out!

You and Your Academy Media Choices

Earlier in the year, some of you participated in a survey on how you read and use the Bulletin, and how you would prefer to use it in the future. While the Bulletin is not an “academic” clinical publication, for purposes of evaluating its success and effectiveness as a periodical it is included in the universe of otolaryngology publications along with ENT Today when comparing such measures as circulation, readership, ads, citations, and other forms of use. Data of this type from the publishing world helps us compare our periodicals to one another and benchmark, improve, and market the Bulletin. It influences advertising sales, submissions of columns from members and other societies, encourages use for meeting notices, and demonstrates the importance of this vehicle for all of our members to communicate broadly about specialty society interests, socioeconomic, political, business, and practice issues. PERQ/HCI by Kantar, a proprietary publication evaluating service, looks at medical journal readership among healthcare professionals and is of particular importance to the Bulletin as a non-academic periodical. Within this universe of otolaryngology publications, the Bulletin has a long-standing history of being highly ranked for readership (in the industry this means “eyeballs on the page”), making it particularly attractive for classifieds, ads, meeting notices, and member use to share information to the broader Academy membership. During my tenure here, it has always ranked among the top third of the more than nine measured otolaryngology publications. On our survey, more than 300 of our members gave direct feedback to specific questions. The questions were strongly worded to elicit honest opinions, both negative and positive, for the purpose of improving the Bulletin. Here is a short capitulation of what we found. The majority of respondents peruse every Bulletin issue and read articles of interest or read every issue cover to cover (74.2 percent). The vast majority of respondents read the Bulletin in print (90.5 percent) rather than online (19.0 percent). A majority collectively said they would use a mobile device to access some element of the Bulletin such as a Table of Contents (37 percent), listen to a podcast or browse and article (31 percent); access available alerts (20 percent); or comment on topics (13 percent). However, a large number (47 percent) said they would not use their mobile device to read the Bulletin. As you can see, we seem to be evolving in our preferences for access to content. As a “curator” for content, the Academy will continue to respond to this evolution in ways that we hope will increase the relevance of our content and programming, as well as facilitate the real-time and point-of-service access that is increasingly demanded. While statistics can sometimes be re-enforcing, they can also be misunderstood or misused and can lead to erroneous conclusions. There are some examples in our survey. We asked which topics were of least interest to our readers. At first glance, the topics rated of least interest to readers revealed subjects that we know from other survey resources are important to our members (advocacy efforts, articles about work and peers, and advertising and classifieds). Since we know that our members care a lot about these topics, it would be a mistake to assume that these topics should be eliminated. In fact, 35 percent, 25 percent, and 24 percent respectively list these topics in the top three reasons why they read the Bulletin. So instead of assuming the three least important topics are not appreciated, we should be amazed to find that the least popular topics are still critical to between a quarter and a third of our members. In other words, the least valued topic on the list is still among the most important topics for a fourth of our readers! The same careful interpretation is required when looking at the least useful content. While humanitarian, international, and editorial content received the lowest ranking out of our list of 10 subjects, 60 percent to 66 percent of respondents stated that this content was “very” or “somewhat” useful to their practices. Again, since we know the huge interest and devotion our members give to international and humanitarian efforts, isn’t it remarkable that our lowest scores have such overwhelming support? If this were an election, 66 percent would be considered a landslide victory! While we have learned much about how the Bulletin can evolve and better meet your needs, a strong underlying message is this: we are a diverse specialty with many varying ideas of what should be prioritized. And the Bulletin is doing a remarkable job of meeting our needs.

December: Revel in Resources

The AAO-HNS/F had a very productive year, and this month as you receive the Annual Report in this issue, make use of the tools our colleagues helped prepare for you.