Published: February 6, 2015

New AcademyU® Learning Opportunities delivers ease and access

The new AcademyU® Learning Opportunities booklet can be found with this issue of the Bulletin. As we continue to enhance the effectiveness of our education portfolio, Members will see new Education and Knowledge products.

The AcademyU® Learning Opportunities booklet highlights the AAO-HNS/F education portfolio.

The new AcademyU^® Learning Opportunities booklet can be found with this issue of the Bulletin. As we continue to enhance the effectiveness of our education portfolio, Members will see new Education and Knowledge products. These include the AcademyQ™ Knowledge Assessment app now available for Apple and Android with 800 assessment questions ideal for exam preparation; 25 Online Lectures from the 2014 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO,^SM including two new Clinical Practice Guidelines lectures on Tinnitus and Allergic Rhinitis; updated eBooks on Head and Neck Cancer, Geriatric Otolaryngology, and Otolaryngology Lifelong Learning; and the fourth Annual ENT for the PA-c Conference to take place in March.

Education Member-volunteers are hard at work on a number of new projects in 2015, such as the implementation of an AcademyU^® Education Platform, a nonphysician clinician initiative, faculty development courses, and education marketing strategies.

And last but not least, the Education Steering Committee is launching an Innovation Group that will become an integral component to the ongoing development of the AAO-HNSF’s new education platform. This group will determine learning opportunities for the education platform; assessing and recommending activity formats and design; and keeping apprised of emerging technological trends in professional education. This group, chaired by Richard V. Smith, MD, includes representatives from the eight education committees, young physicians, residents, and fellows.

“2015 promises to be an exciting year for education at the Foundation,” said Sonya Malekzadeh, MD, coordinator for education with the Foundation. “Stay tuned for updates on all the efforts of the education committees throughout the year.”

More from February 2015 - Vol. 34 No. 01

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KIDS ENT HEALTH MONTHPediatric Chronic Rhinosinusitis in the practiceExpanded from the print edition

The AAO-HNSF published a clinical consensus statement (CCS) on pediatric chronic rhinosinusitis (PCRS) in October 2014, which was designed to promote improved patient care, reduce inappropriate variations in care, and educate and empower clinicians and patients on the optimal management of PCRS.1

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CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINEAllergic rhinitis

Adapted from the February 2015 Supplement to Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. Read the guideline at otojournal.org.

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What the final CY 2015 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule means for you

On October 31, 2014, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted the final Medicare physician fee schedule (MPFS) for calendar year (CY) 2015. Several key provisions of the MPFS positively affect otolaryngologists.

James C. Denneny III, MD

Meet your new EVP

This year began with a new executive vice president/CEO at the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery and its Foundation. James C. Denneny III, MD, has assumed the leadership role after years of experience in both academic and private practice.

Stacey L. Ishman, MD, MPHBOG Member-at-Large

BOARD OF GOVERNORSLeading change

During the most recent Board of Governors (BOG) audit of state and local societies, we found that member organizations enjoy varying degrees of involvement. And, as a former state society president and a current representative to my local organization, I have come to appreciate the energy and effort necessary to create and maintain a healthy society.

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WORKING TOGETHEREnsuring meaningful reporting options in PQRS

The AAO-HNSF recently engaged in a project working collaboratively with our specialty’s certifying board, the American Board of Otolaryngology (ABOto), and on behalf of our Members and their diplomates to create relevant, meaningful reporting options that will help ensure quality care, improve patient outcomes, and ease the burden of reporting significantly.

New this year: an Otolaryngology Summit

The summit will take place on Friday, March 13, just before the Leadership Forum Weekend.

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Leadership and working together

Leadership and working together are two emerging themes in 2015. The new Clinical Practice Guideline: Allergic Rhinitis and the forthcoming otolaryngology summit are but two examples featured in this edition of the Bulletin.

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114th Congress: Impetus for change or more stalemate?

In January, incumbent and newly elected lawmakers converged on Capitol Hill to convene the 114th Congress. Most notable for this year’s new Congress is the gaveling in of an expanded Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as a slim majority in the U.S. Senate.

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Connect with leadership opportunities in your state

Most state legislative sessions have convened and some states are still vulnerable to ill-advised proposals. We are seeking volunteers for “state trackers” in Alaska, Idaho, Mississippi, Oregon, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

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Experience the new Bulletin and get more

Yes, this is a new Bulletin, designed to better serve your needs—keeping you up-to-date and in touch. This important member benefit now extends the news and information you have received monthly to strengthen accessibility, speed of delivery, and ease of discussion.

A. McKinney, MD

Annual Meeting: A transformative experienceExpanded from the print edition

The 2014 AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO℠ was an enlightening and transformative experience that greatly excites me because of the tremendous clinical and research opportunities it offered me as I enter the field of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery.

Physician, groom thyselfExpanded from the print edition

Attributed to Hippocrates is this description of how a physician should appear: “clean in person, well-dressed, and anointed with sweet-smelling unguents.” The first is a given, the third is outmoded, but the second point proves difficult to pin down: What constitutes appropriate physician attire?

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Otologic outreach in Jinotega, NicaraguaExpanded from the print edition

Mayflower Medical Outreach (MMO), developed and organized by members of the Mayflower Congregational Church in Oklahoma City, OK, built and equipped a much-needed ENT clinic at the Hospital Victoria Motta in the foggy rural hills of northern Nicaragua.

Sir Henry Trentham Butlin

The practice of otolaryngology circa 1900

Looking back on the practice of otolaryngology in 1900, it seemed rather primitive. It’s amazing that anyone survived. The most important indicator of survival of cancer of the head and neck is the extent of the cancer in the neck. Therefore, management of the neck is one of the most significant aspects of cancer control.

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A blueprint for the future

I am excited to be assuming the role as your EVP/CEO. During the last five years, I have experienced the barriers, distractions, and aggravations that take away from physicians’ ability to deliver the best care possible both from the private and academic perspectives.

Gayle E. Woodson, MD, AAO-HNS/F President

Innovation at its best

I wish I could say I am a savvy early adopter of innovation. In 1972, I won a microwave oven as a door prize and wondered what I would ever do with such a thing. When endoscopic sinus surgery appeared on the scene, I was skeptical. And electronic mail? I initially thought it would never be an adequate means of communication.