As the recently appointed editor of the AANS Bulletin, I call to your attention to the changes made to the Bulletin over the past year. The new cover design heralds the evolution of permanent features within. The inside layout includes an in-depth cover article, the president’s message, the managed care update, this Op/Ed column and more. Other improvements are on the way as associate editor Jim Bean and I work with the staff at the AANS National Office to help the Bulletin evolve to effectively meet the changing needs of the AANS membership. We welcome your input on the changes to the Bulletin you will be seeing over the next few months and any ideas you might have about topics suitable for your membership publication.
Volunteerism – The Heart of an Organization
I have always felt that being a doctor, and especially a neurosurgeon, is more than a job. Neurosurgery is our craft, our life’s work, and our passion. As a member of the neurosurgical community, I have been privileged to work with others who demonstrate daily great talent and professionalism. However, as a volunteer of the AANS, my life has been immeasurably enriched by the opportunity to contribute further to my profession, my colleagues, and my patients.
When I was asked to take on the responsibility of editor of the Bulletin last April, I accepted enthusiastically. Like most busy neurosurgeons, the idea of added responsibilities was not something I relished, however, I recognize the importance of volunteerism to the success of any organization, and remembered, with great respect, the vitality and involvement of other AANS volunteers. The efforts of the AANS volunteers in the pedicle screw litigation (see feature article on page 10); the Outcomes Committee; the Washington Committee; and numerous other AANS and CNS committees and task forces that showcase our member’s talents and leadership skills leave me both motivated and challenged.
We often cannot define why a person volunteers, perhaps it is to promote ideals, return something to society, or simply to help others. We, as physicians, can serve a larger constituency than the patients we care for. As volunteers we can become involved in organizational activities that call on our expertise as professionals, business and community leaders. It is vital that we, as neurosurgeons, realize the importance of volunteering our time and efforts to support our medical community and our specialty.
The next time you walk through an Annual Meeting, stop and think of the thousands of volunteer hours that went into arranging the Scientific Program, the practical courses, the seminars, and the social events. The next time you read about what is happening in Washington, stop and think about the 12 neurosurgeons who spend a weekend in Washington every quarter volunteering for neurosurgery to make our collective voice heard by the policy makers. The next time you read the Journal of Neurosurgery consider all the hours of volunteer peer review that went into each article.
One only needs to consider the efforts of AANS presidents, Sid Tolchin, Chuck Rich, Ed Laws, and Russell Travis, during my term on the AANS Board. Each devoted countless hours before, during and after their presidency in the service of American Neurosurgery. Multiply these commitments of a few, by others who provide volunteer services regularly to their specialty, and one begins to understand the importance of these efforts.
From my personal perspective, participation by neurosurgeons in volunteer activities is essential for the well being of our specialty. We all can make our contribution for the greater good of neurosurgery in some way beyond that which we accomplish in our daily practice of neurosurgery, whether in our local or state societies, the Council of State Neurological Society, or the AANS/CNS. Moreover, we should encourage our residents and young colleagues that volunteerism is an important part of the neurosurgeon’s credo.
As a small specialty representing less than one percent of physicians in practice, Neurosurgery yields much greater clout than one would anticipate by our size. Much of this clout has come by the efforts of neurosurgeons through the years both in the clinical arena and in conclaves where medical policies are formulated. This trend, elemental to the survival of Neurosurgery, cannot be sustained effectively by a few committed volunteers but requires the efforts of many.
The AANS National Office
I was always intrigued by the men and women at the AANS Annual Meeting sprinting down the convention center halls in business suits complimented by a sturdy pair of Nike tennis shoes and staff badges bobbing around their necks. What could possibly necessitate such haste and determination?
Then I became acquainted with the vital role the staff at the AANS National Office plays in the success of the organization. While the efforts of our volunteers are essential to the success of Neurosurgery, the group of individuals who work full-time for the AANS are a key element in the Neurosurgical family.
I have observed that the staff at the National Office in Park Ridge is superb and know their job well. They meet deadlines and carry out the directives of the Board with a sureness of purpose and great professionalism. The National Office, for those who have not been there, also serves as a resource for the AANS membership. The magnitude of that role is exemplified by the fact that the AANS switchboard fields approximately 2,000 phone calls per week.
This special group of people is invaluable in keeping the organization on track and the work flowing. After having the experience of working with key individuals in the National Office over the past few years, I now clear a pathway, out of deference, whenever I see navy suits, bobby socks and gym shoes heading toward me during an Annual Meeting.