Many predict doom and gloom for organized neurosurgery in the 21st century–don’t believe it. Although the continuing changes in managed care and reimbursement patterns will not abate for awhile, and your practice may have become more difficult to manage, neurosurgery will continue to survive and thrive.
The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is one reason for this optimistic outook. As your professional specialty society, we are hard at work positioning the organization to help you remain successful in the years ahead. How can we accomplish that? By being well organized, having a strong national infrastructure, adopting a mission to do what is best for the patient first, and by developing a cohesive coalition within neurosurgery. With that type of strategic plan, the AANS can indeed influence the future of neurosurgical medicine.
Serving our Shareholders
Health care is big business and is influenced by the need to provide an adequate return on the investment of shareholders. Though the AANS is a not-for-profit organization, it often must learn from our corporate brethren.
First and foremost, the AANS must meet the needs of our members and help their medical practices thrive. Unless we accomplish that one objective, we cannot view ourselves as successful. The difficulty we face is that our mission is ever expanding. We do not have just one product line to support. Rather, we have multiple business units requiring specific professional expertise and management.
Among these business units is communications, which includes working with the media, and distributing publications – ranging from membership and socioeconomic news to scientific journals. We offer programs to educate the public about safety issues, while at the same time promote the expertise of neurosurgeons and the scope of neurosurgical practice to referring physicians. Other business units create and implement various clinical education and professional development programs, including the Annual Meeting. Another oversees publication of text and reference books; and yet another develops products and services that help you and your office staff better manage the business of your practice.
We also are challenged by the demand for more intervention in public policy activities at all levels of government. Whether it’s Medicare reimbursement issues or continuing access to specialty care, the AANS is being asked to fight for the rights of neurosurgeons and their patients. AANS is helping to respond to this challenge through the efforts of the Washington Office.
Our ability to accomplish these business objectives requires a structure that allows leadership to formulate policies and develop a professional staff to implement them. Just as health care has become a big business, medical societies like the AANS have to keep pace with trends, business planning, technologies and systems that allow them to operate efficiently and effectively.
Foresight of Leadership
Neurosurgery is very fortunate to have an outstanding elected leadership at the helm of AANS. This group had the foresight to retain the American Society of Association Executives late last year to conduct a peer review of the organization. The evaluation brought together the nation’s top association executive experts into the organization to scrutinize every aspect of its being–programs, staff structure, policies and leadership involvement.
The process was a lesson in humility. The experts reported on the good, the bad and the ugly, and the evaluation report is now being used as a blueprint to guide the refinement of the AANS.
AANS Will Lead the Charge
The future of neurosurgery will probably be determined by the forces that control the politics and economics of health care. By providing our members and the public with the information and leadership they need, the AANS can make its mark.
We must rethink our strategies for dealing with the health care environment. We have to provide our members with greater assistance in the areas of medical information and technology, practice management and reimbursement.
In particular, we will have to listen carefully to young surgeons. Some surveys show that doctors who don’t join organized medial societies by the time they’re 45 aren’t likely to ever join. The AANS is working hard to include young neurosurgeons in leadership positions and to actively seek their input for program development. Also of importance are the needs of our women and minority members.
Our success will depend heavily on unity within the neurosurgical ranks.