Eastern Virginia Medical School, Department of Otolaryngology
What is the greatest challenge our specialty is currently facing and how would you advocate for action through member engagement?
I appreciate the opportunity to serve as the BOG AAOHNS secretary. The past few years have been trying for otolaryngologists. The COVID pandemic resulted in additional challenges when we were already facing increasing administrative burdens and declining reimbursement. Balancing these issues while providing quality care to our patients is time consuming and can be draining. When you also add in personal and family obligations, it can be difficult to commit to additional responsibilities including involvement in committees and societies. Balancing all of these different duties and responsibilities poses a significant challenge for otolaryngologists. Resources that can be utilized to improve efficiency and streamline administrative tasks are invaluable. To this end, the BOG committees could develop quarterly “Top 5” lists on topics such as “Top 5 Ways to Reduce the Number of EMR Clicks” and “Top 5 Tips to Improve Office Staff Retention.” In my prior AAOHNS leadership roles, including president of the AAOHNS Young Physicians Society and Chair of the AAOHNS Sleep Disorders Committee, I have come to recognize that engagement improves when members appreciate the value of their organization. While the tool kits recently created by the BOG are a great start, development of short, practical resources in the form of “Top 5” lists pertinent to current issues faced by otolaryngologists would allow for further member engagement. ENTConnect has proven to be a very successful means of communication for our specialty. The BOG could also increase their activity in the general ENTConnect forum to further engage members; ENTConnect could be utilized to solicit topics and then disseminate the “Top 5” lists.
What initiatives would you recommend strengthening the relationship and engagement opportunities between AAO-HNS state, local, and specialty BOG societies?
Through my involvement in the BOG as a governor for my state society and as a member of the BOG Governance and Society Engagement Committee, I have come to appreciate the value of interacting with otolaryngologists from diverse locations and practice settings. To further strengthen the relationship between BOG societies, consideration should be given to developing a “Buddy” or “Partner” society program. Such a program could pair two participating BOG societies together for one year. “Buddy” or partner societies would be encouraged to meet virtually once or twice over the course of the year in addition to participating in a social event at either the AAOHNS Annual Meeting or the BOG Spring Leadership meeting. Such interactions would allow for networking and resource sharing. In addition, a BOG society could be highlighted quarterly on ENTConnect and the BOG website. Such a “Getting to Know the ______ BOG society” post could include a recent impactful initiative undertaken by the group.
