With the hard work and full commitment of its members, the Council of State Neurosurgical Societies continues to support the socioeconomic interests of neurosurgery.
With the goal of strengthening and furthering this support, the Strategic Planning Task Force convened in March to develop a new organizational plan for the CSNS and to revamp the operational structure under which it functions. A. John Popp, MD, facilitated the meeting, at which four committees were formed to address the areas of mission and vision, organizational functionality, organizational structure, educational programs, and relationships with other organizations. As the initial step in the process a new statement of mission and vision was drafted. The task force will meet in July and its progress will be reported at the CSNS meeting in September.
The new Executive Committee was elected at the CSNS meeting in April. Officers are Gary M. Bloomgarden, MD, chair; William E. Bingaman Jr., MD, vice chair; Gregory J. Przybylski, MD, treasurer; Deborah L. Benzil, MD, recording secretary; and Mark E. Linskey, MD, corresponding secretary. To bridge a one-year gap created by a change in the bylaws to two-year terms for the recording secretary, corresponding secretary, and treasurer, Dr. Benzil will serve a one-year term as recording secretary. Rounding out the committee are Fernando G. Diaz, MD, immediate past chair, and Randall W. Smith, MD, historian.
At the April meeting a record number of resolutions were submitted, possibly due to the implementation last fall of resolution submission through the CSNS Web site. Of 15 resolutions voted upon during the plenary session, six were adopted, two were combined into one resolution that was adopted, three were not adopted, and four were assigned to committees for white paper reports. Adopted resolutions concerned support of the Health Care Antitrust Improvements Act of 2007, the risk to patients of pay-for-performance and public reporting programs, educational remediation for neurosurgeons who have been sanctioned for unprofessional conduct, and continuing medical education requirements of state licensing boards. Resolutions assigned to committees for further study concerned acute care competency standards, evaluation of neurosurgery residency training, the inaccuracy of information about neurosurgeons on public Web sites such as HealthGrades, guidelines for determination of brain death, and the development of an outcomes registry for voluntary participation.
Final resolutions are available on the CSNS Web site, www.csnsonline.org, which is receiving nearly 1,000 visits every month. The site also includes information about the organization’s mission, structure and committees, future CSNS and state meetings, guidelines to expert witness testimony, and information for residents. In addition, an interactive “wiki” structure is being implemented through the Web site to help neurosurgeons collaborate and explore socioeconomic topics of interest, and the first article in that format already is available.
Despite the excellent participation in the April meeting, involvement in the CSNS by state delegates as well as by appointees of the AANS and Congress of Neurological Surgeons has been declining over the past five years. Critical areas in need of support include medical reimbursement, coding, and education. To reverse this trend, the AANS and CNS boards were asked to encourage delegates to become more involved in CSNS activities. Also, quadrant chairs were asked to encourage their state societies to send their state delegates to participate in the CSNS, and mentorship programs will be instituted at all levels to enhance the interest and understanding of the CSNS participants and to promote their continuing participation in the various activities of the CSNS. In addition, a residency fellowship program in the CSNS has been successful in recruiting young neurosurgeons during their formative years to become involved with the activities of the CSNS. A medical student fellowship program also was approved for a one-year term to motivate younger physicians in training to become informed about socioeconomic issues that are critical to the practice of medicine.
In conjunction with the 2007 annual meetings of the AANS and the CNS, the CSNS played a role in development of educational programs on socioeconomic issues. The AANS meeting in April included three afternoon sessions, a Thursday morning session, and three breakfast seminars on the topics of liability reform, Medicare, pay for performance, emergency care delivery, practice development and reimbursement strategies. The CNS meeting in September will include quality and outcomes presentations as well as a Sunday practical course on socioeconomic topics with various CSNS presenters.
The CSNS also plans to augment and increase its educational activities. A concept currently under evaluation is that of providing CME credits for the CSNS activities that have educational value. In 2008, the CSNS will offer the Leibrock Leadership Development Course on interactions with government in Washington, D.C.
Gary M. Bloomgarden, MD, is the current chair and Fernando G. Diaz, MD, PhD, is the immediate past chair of the Council of State Neurosurgical Societies, https://www.csnsonline.org.