2026 AAO-HNS Lee Eisenberg Resident in Advocacy Scholars Program Recipients Selected

Jacob Manthey, MBA, MsHCM, Director, AAO-HNS Health Policy and Practice Advocacy

The AAO-HNS is excited to announce the first recipients of the recently revamped Resident in Advocacy Scholars Program, which is generously supported by lifetime AAO-HNS member and advocate Lee D. Eisenberg, MD, MPH. Each year, two scholarship recipients receive financial assistance to attend the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, participate in the Academy’s Advocacy Hill Day, and take advantage of mentorship and other opportunities to further their advocacy experience and knowledge.

This year, the selection committee received over 20 highly qualified applicants, ultimately selecting Austin Reed Swisher, MD, a third-year resident from Mayo Clinic in Arizona, and Emily R. Youner, MD, MPH, a third-year resident in otolaryngology at Case Western Reserve SOM/University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. During the program year, Dr. Swisher and Dr. Youner will learn about the advocacy process, be exposed to advocacy issues, and engage in reimbursement, regulatory, and legislative advocacy activities.

Austin Reed Swisher, MDDr. Swisher has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and presented at national conferences, experiences that have reinforced his commitment to evidence-based practice and multidisciplinary collaboration. He is actively engaged in health policy and professional advocacy, with a particular interest in issues affecting physician trainees, workforce sustainability, and patient access to high-value care. Dr. Swisher is committed to delivering patient-centered care while advancing the field through research, education, and advocacy. His clinical and academic interests span the breadth of otolaryngology, with research focused on perioperative quality improvement and outcomes in head and neck cancer, sinonasal disease, otologic surgery, and airway disorders.

Emily R. Youner, MD, MPHDr. Youner is from Port Washington, New York. Prior to matriculating into residency, she completed her undergraduate, graduate, and medical school education at The George Washington University in Washington, DC. Throughout her studies, she has engaged in various advocacy efforts including curriculum reform initiatives to integrate EcoMedical literacy into clinical education at George Washington. She was first drawn to otolaryngology for its promise in restoring means of communication for patients and continues to be driven by opportunities in hearing restoration and facial reanimation.