Soundings WINTER 2024
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF OUR MEMBERS AND THEIR PATIENTS
President’s Message
Jessyka G. Lighthall, MD, FACS PAO-HNS President During this holiday season, I would like to take time to reflect on our society and all that it has accomplished over the past year. The annual meeting this past summer was a great success and was unique in that it brought a more diverse representation of practicing Otolaryngologists in the state, incorporating private and group practice physicians. This was very well received and we hope to continue to promote collaboration and networking between physicians in all practice settings and see a similar representation in our membership as we move forward. Planning for our next annual scientific meeting is well underway, with Drs. Sandra Stinnett from UPMC and Neerav Goyal from Penn State Health as course directors. This past year, Dr. Andy McCall, long time member and leader in the PAO-HNS moved out of state. Dr. Pam Roehm, St. Luke’s University Health System, was elected to the replace the PAO-HNS
Secretary/Treasurer position after Dr. McCall’s move and has been a welcomed addition to the leadership team along with President-elect, Colin Huntley. As you read through this issue of Soundings, you may note that it has had a “makeover” with changes to the format, style, and pieces that are published. A new section, highlighting different physicians in our state, has also been included to help us get to know our membership better and highlight some of the unique research, clinical services, or community or global outreach being performed in our state. As our website undergoes a similar makeover, these physician highlights will also be included on a member community page. Please send in photos and a brief highlight of yourself or your colleagues to info@otopa.org. It has been a busy year for political advocacy for the PAO-HNS with issues such as examining and opposing the interstate compact for audiologists and speech language pathologists as written, addressing requests to expand the scope of practice for audiologists to perform cerumen removal, and evaluating the issue of select insurers in PA denying reimbursement for post-FESS debridements. In response to the numerous legislative issues being addressed, the PAO-HNS has also revamped the Political Action Committee, chaired by Dr. Rich Ferraro and open to additional society members and residents. I encourage those with interest to reach out and participate. Additionally, with Dr. Andy McCall’s move, PAO-HNS representation on the State Board of Examiners in SpeechLanguage Pathology and Audiology was vacated. The PAO-HNS has offered
support for the nomination of Robert T. Sataloff, MD, DMA, FACS, FCPP to be appointed as a member of the State Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. I encourage you to review the legislative update in this issue by the PAO-HNS lobbyist Phil Dunn for more details and stay tuned for additional updates on these topics that directly affect otolaryngologists in the commonwealth of PA. Wishing you and your family the happiest of holiday seasons! Jessyka G. Lighthall, MD FACS President, Pennsylvania Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Chief, Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Director, Facial Nerve Disorders Clinic Medical Director, Esteem Penn State Health Cosmetic Associates Fellowship Director, Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery and Department of Surgery