Today, neurosurgeons are not the only ones treating patients for neurological disorders. Numerous medical specialties have penetrated the field through patient consultations and diagnoses for conditions such as low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and Parkinson’s disease, to name a few. As such, there is a much-desired need for the AANS to define itself, its membership and the specialty of neurological surgery.
“The public is in need of accurate and up-to-date information about the field of neurosurgery in order to make intelligent and informed decisions about physician choice and patient care,” said AANS Public Relations Chair Ronald E. Warnick, MD. “As the spokesorganization for neurological surgery and Board-certified neurosurgeons, the AANS is in a position to take on this educational role.”
To assist in this nationwide public education effort, a national AANS Spokespersons Network is being established to enhance the image of neurological surgery. The Network will take a proactive approach in educating the media and public about the scope of the specialty. Spokespersons will work with the media to maintain and enhance the image of neurosurgery and AANS members, and implement the communications priorities established by the AANS Board of Directors and AANS Public Relations Committee.
Calling All Representatives:
Join Our Network
A cross-section of leadership and grassroots members located in states and major cities across the country will be recruited for participation in this new initiative. The Network will be comprised of a specially-trained group of neurosurgeons who are experts in various aspects of neurological surgery including: stroke, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, spinal cord injuries, back pain, sports-related injuries, lumbar spinal stenosis, brain tumors, neurotrauma, pain management and pediatric neurosurgery. This diverse group of neurosurgical experts will provide the media with a wide variety of medical professionals to call upon. The spokespeople will be available to assist media representatives with their stories, provide additional background materials and offer knowledge about the everyday practice of neurosurgery.
In addition, the Network representatives can provide expert perspectives on a broad range of neurosurgical topics, including details of surgical procedures, the patient-physician relationship, neurosurgical procedural statistics, technological advances in the field, the most up-to-date surgery techniques and the Association’s position on legislative issues impacting patient care. The spokespeople selected will be experienced in working with the media and will serve as valuable resources for print, radio and television outlets.
The Network representatives also will work closely with the AANS Communications Department to provide reporters with support materials for their neurosurgery-focused stories. The three primary objectives of Network members include:
- Build relationships with influential individuals in key media outlets;
- Working proactively to improve the image of the profession; and
- Influencing public opinion by disseminating solid and consistent AANS messages.
All Network members must be certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, be a member of the AANS for at least three years, have attended at least two AANS Annual Meetings in the last four years and agree to serve on the Spokesperson Network for a minimum of two years. Media training seminars, which will be conducted at future AANS Meetings, will serve to hone and refine Network representative’s media interviewing skills.
Duties and Responsibilities for Spokespersons
The primary duties of Spokesperson Network representatives will include:
- working with the AANS Communications Department to promote key public education topics at the local level that are consistent with the Association’s national media efforts;
- working with national media outlets to promote AANS policies, programs and statistics; and
- remaining current on AANS issues, position papers and other material distributed by the AANS National Office staff.
To learn more about the Spokespersons Network, look to future issues of the Bulletin, or contact Heather L. Monroe, AANS Communications Manager, at (888)566-AANS..