This spring at the 91st American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Annual Scientific Meeting in Los Angeles, the AANS is celebrating our advocacy work as neurosurgeons for our patients. Whether you are negotiating a necessary treatment through a Prior Authorization, serving as a section or topic editor for a neurosurgery journal, contributing to a clinical outcome registry or donating money and time to the Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation, all neurosurgeons play an active role as advocates. Recognizing the enormous amount of time, effort and resilience needed in advancing the most updated health care is critical in instilling a culture of advocacy in our specialty for those who will follow us.
Taking On Capitol Hill
Neurosurgeons and their patients are tightly bound by the rules and regulations put forth by policymakers. Therefore, neurosurgeons must learn to advocate for their specialty and for their patients. Being at the forefront of this advocacy effort has been a passion of mine and an important part of my career as a neurosurgeon, affecting policy change and promoting the vision of organized neurosurgery as the chair of the AANS/CNS Washington Committee.
The Washington Committee is the only organization with the entire world of neurosurgery at the table, allowing for the cultivation of a unified voice when communicating with lawmakers. Since beginning this role, I have appeared twice to talk to the leadership of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, advocating for our patients and the specialty of neurosurgery.
Two issues we have been working diligently to support as chair of the Washington Committee are quality of care and deregulation. With the extensive regulations surrounding medical practice, some patients are forced to travel long distances for an office visit before the insurance company will authorize a routine follow-up MRI, even when it has been ordered by a highly trained, board-certified neurosurgeon. We are working to cut the red tape for our patients and get them the quality care they not only deserve but desperately need.
If you want to be part of the change in patient care — I urge you to do so — become familiar with your home state’s legislation, follow social media which will have up-to-date information about bills going through the House of Representatives and get involved in state and local medical association chapters.
Be Inspired at the AANS Annual Meeting
This four-day weekend meeting, April 21-24, 2023, takes place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, immediately adjacent to the host hotel, the JW Marriott L.A. Live. Linda Liau, MD, and Marvin Bergsneider, MD, are serving as our local hosts and have been deeply involved in choosing venues and helping with securing outstanding speakers. Be prepared for a meeting packed with surprises and new offerings that reflect advocacy and the latest information you need to know in your practice setting. Do not miss the late Friday afternoon plenary session filled with exciting news and novel offerings. The inaugural Charles L. Plante Lecture will be given by Tony Asher, MD, and will focus on advocacy in enhancing patient outcomes through Clinical Data Registries. A panel discussion with Roger Goodell, Commissioner, National Football League, Allen Sills, MD, and Margot Putukian, MD, will focus on concussions: what have we learned from the NFL and how can we extrapolate information that might explain the uniqueness of concussions in women’s sports. Top abstracts and soon-to-be-published information that impacts neurosurgical care will also be presented. Immediately afterward, the opening reception will be held in the technology pavilion; attendees can enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres and drinks while discovering new technologies, engaging with industry and socializing with colleagues and friends.
The Saturday and Sunday plenary sessions will include distinguished speakers that have had major impacts in improving our world or advancing medicine such as JJ Abrams, Anima Anandkumar and Thomas J. Oxley, MD, PhD. Late-breaking abstracts and the clinical science that neurosurgeons will need to know are a significant part of these sessions. Awards and lectureships are all focused on advocacy, celebrating the enormous value to neurosurgery and our patients.
Please consider attending the Global Reception at 3 pm on Friday, April 21, and meet your fellow international colleagues. This event is free to AANS members as we build a stronger partnership with our global partners. WINS will be celebrating its 33rd anniversary – all are invited. Expect engaging speakers, including comedian Will Flanary, aka Dr. Glaucomflecken, and a party atmosphere with cake and champagne. All proceeds go to the Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation which supports education and research funding for women in neurosurgery. If you have already registered, you can add it to your registration. If you haven’t registered, go to the AANS website and sign up https://www.aans.org/meetings.
Do NOT forget. We are continuing “Communities“ on Monday, April 24, allowing for a more intimate discourse on select neurosurgery topics that will generate both stimulating discussion and controversy. Throughout the meeting, many of our offerings will highlight the newest information on what the “on-call” neurosurgeon needs to know when covering for our subspecialty patients. We will launch our first brain-computer “Communities” which will assist all neurosurgeons and help them understand this new frontier in neurosurgery.
On behalf of the AANS, we look forward to your participation to learn from the best while celebrating the value of advocacy in neurosurgery.
