AAN LEADERSHIP ALUMNI NEWSLETTER APRIL 2019

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR, Yazmin Odia, md, mS

Welcome back! We look forward to hearing about the transformed you and updating you on what the AAN is currently doing and planning for the future.

 The increasingly competitive application process highlights your achievements and showcases the American Academy of Neurology’s vision “to be indispensable to our members” by investing in leadership training to the benefit of its members and the Academy alike.

We invite you—the ever-expanding community of AAN Leadership Programs alumni—to celebrate with Renee Pazdan, MD. As a recent alumnus of the inaugural AAN’s Women Leading in Neurology (WLN) program, she assumes her new role as Medical Director for the Tricare Overseas Program, responsible for health care oversight for nearly 500,000 service members and families stationed overseas. As interviewed by our new AAN Leadership Alumni Newsletter Associate Editor Rachel Salas, MD, Dr. Pazdan highlights the impact of WLN on developing self-reflection as a tool for identifying and developing our own leadership skills and styles.

As we tailor our own leadership journey, Barb Hoese provides us with simple and yet vital steps, such as blocking time regularly, to foster creativity within yourself and your team. She encourages us to unharness our childlike curiosity and imagination to allow our next great idea to “break free.” In addition, Joanne L. Smikle, PhD, empowers us to negotiate a better career, skillfully, willfully, and boldly! Maximizing your leverage at the bargaining table impacts your future potential.

We highlight you! As discussed by AAN President Dr. Ralph L. Sacco, the creativity and teamwork of AAN Leadership Program alumni have helped forge the next iterations of leadership programs, inspire the next generation of participants, and, in the process, alter the course of the AAN for years to come.

NEW! Official AAN Leadership Program hashtag #AANleadership

Spotlight on Alumni

The AAN Leadership Interview: Sitting at the Table with CDR Renee M. Pazdan, MD, FAAN

The Commander. The Neurologist. The Woman. 

By RACHEL MARIE E. SALAS, MD, MEdHP, FAAN

It has only been 11 months since Dr. Renee Pazdan completed the inaugural American Academy of Neurology Women Leading in Neurology (WLN) program. Since then, Dr. Pazdan has risen to new heights in her medical career in the military. As a Commander in the United States Public Health Service, Dr. Pazdan has served time across the globe as a neurologist. Recently, Dr. Pazdan was appointed as the Medical Director for the Tricare Overseas Program, where she is responsible for health care oversight for nearly 500,000 service members and families stationed overseas. I caught up with Dr. Pazdan three days after starting her new role to learn about her journey to get there.

This interview was conducted in mid-March of 2019 and was led by Dr. Rachel Salas. While only a 30-minute dialogue, we were able to get into the brain of Dr. Pazdan to hear about the WLN and how she used it to give her the motivation to take a chance (on herself) — years from now, we will undoubtedly read another story about Dr. Pazdan and how she led the way to inspire others to not only dream bigger for themselves, but to take that No chance on themselves—and for women in particular, to sit at the table.

Salas: What was the first meaningful experience in the WLN?

Pazdan: The first session was based on authentic leadership. We wrote out our personal story, which was a very meaningful thing for me. I've done several different leadership courses throughout my career in the military and even some before, dating back to high school. This is the first one that really focused on who are you and what are your strengths, and then build that as a platform. That was really powerful for me and, I think, for my colleagues—as opposed to, here's the next best idea of how to be a good leader. To think and say who am I, who am I as a person, what are my values, and build off of that—that was powerful.

Salas: Did you struggle to identify your strengths?

Pazdan: I think some of them were obvious. Some were a little bit surprising to me. As I wrote out my story, one of the common themes that I found was that I thrive on change or on new challenges and what that brings: new learning opportunities, meeting new people, developing new teams—things like that. I don't think I recognized that as an area of interest or strength before I did this process of writing out my story.

Salas:  Interesting. Let’s take a step back for a second and get some history. What brought you to neurology?

Pazdan: Good mentors. I remember in medical school, learning neuroanatomy and just the enthusiasm of neurologists who have been doing the work for decades still being excited about the brain, about neuroscience, about what patients they're seeing, about the impact they’re making, and about where the field is going. That's what drew me into the field and has propelled my enthusiasm.

Salas: How did you get first connected or interested in the military? You went through the Army, right?

Pazdan: I did. I went to undergrad at Duke University, and I did Army ROTC there, which helped offset the cost for school. I was then commissioned and got an educational delay to go to medical school. I went to the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria. I paid my own way through medical school and then came on active duty when I graduated and started residency at Walter Reed in Bethesda. It was 2001 and I was on call as an intern when September 11 happened and we literally watched the Pentagon burn from the top floor of Walter Reed. 

Salas:  Wow… [silence]. Then, you did a fellowship in clinical neurophysiology, is that correct?

Pazdan: Correct, I did. The fellowship was equally mixed between EMG, neuromuscular, and epilepsy EEG. I was at Walter Reed. At the tail end of that, I did a month of sleep medicine when I went to Germany and trained under neurologists and pulmonologists in sleep medicine. I have continued to do sleep medicine ever since.

Salas: Something we have in common—sleep medicine. What prompted you to apply to the WLN?

Pazdan: My first exposure to the AAN promoting women leaders was the one-day course at the conference in Washington, DC. I think it was in 2015. I actually wasn't planning on attending that meeting, but then I saw that course. I said, “You know what—I need to apply for this.” I had been literally holding myself back—kind of the quintessential imposter syndrome—I literally was not sitting at the table as the lead on traumatic brain injury—as the subject matter expert at Fort Carson. I went to a meeting where we were developing some program, and I literally did not sit at the command table, where it was clearly the right place for me to be. And so, I did this “Like wait a second, what am I doing? I clearly have the training, the expertise, the knowledge. I'm holding myself back. I'm doubting myself.”  Attending that one-day course was eye-opening for me to see the panel of women who were one or two generations ahead of me, to hear their challenges and struggles and how they overcame those, and how they really paved the way for us to continue that work. It was really eye-opening. So, when this seven-month program for women leading in neurology opened up, I said, “This is the thing that I need to do to improve myself and my skills and also to help promote women leadership in medicine in general.”

Salas: That's fantastic! You mentioned before when you didn't feel that you could sit at the table. Reflecting back now, do you feel like there were probably other occurrences where you just didn't give yourself that credit? Do you feel like there were other times that you should have been sitting at the table, but kept yourself from doing so?

Pazdan: 100%. I think it's just an ongoing struggle even today. Even after going through that course and the WLN. I remember I was eligible for promotion a couple of years ago and I didn't put myself forward in the best way possible. However, a year later I did. Just learning how to present myself and promote myself made a huge impact. Learning how to recognize my accomplishments and feeling comfortable acknowledging them and promoting them. Also, recognizing that there are plenty of people that have helped me do what I do and to get where I am. Now when people say, "Hey, you've done a lot," I can say “Thank you” comfortably as opposed to "Oh, no, it's not that much" or downplay it. It is honestly not an easy thing to do.

Salas: Right. I totally agree — I have been there too. Now that you have gone through the program, what was one of the biggest take-homes from the WLN? What's the biggest lesson learned?

Pazdan: There's a lot of lessons learned. One is that I'm not alone — that there are these amazing women from all across the country that are doing phenomenal, groundbreaking things and that have also faced the same struggles as me. To have this community now is really powerful. We reach out to each other. We support each other even though the program is over. The other thing is recognizing that my skills are broader than just my profession as a neurologist. I've trained in neurology. I'm good at what I do. I'm good at patient care. But I have these other skills that I didn't really recognize as skills. Such as being able to support and mentor other women or being able to speak to senior leaders and promote my program, for example. To promote neurology. Honestly, even to be able to do something like this interview and promote the programs that the AAN is doing. This is what made me apply for my new position as Medical Director for the Tricare Overseas Program. You know, this same position came across my desk about two years ago and I said, “Oh huh, that's interesting—global health.” I put it aside. This time when it came across my desk, I said, “You know what, I'm going to look into this more.” And when I did, I thought, “I don’t exactly have the skill set for this, but I can learn it, and these are the things that I have done in my career— particularly as a public health services officer where I have deployed and learned new practices and built new teams in very quick fashion.” Those were the things that I highlighted in my application and in my interview in order to secure this position. I don't think I could have done this new position two years ago before the WLN.

Salas: What caught your eye about your new position?

Pazdan: Learning medicine from a different angle was what first caught my eye. One of the things in the last couple of years I have become more interested in is physician leadership. I have a personal feeling that physicians have lost some of the leadership in medicine. I think that global health needs more strong physician leaders. There are a lot of different pressures in health care now and I believe that physicians need to have a strong voice for patient care.

Salas: What do you think the biggest factor was in preventing you from actually applying two years ago?

Pazdan: Honestly, I think it’s kind of cliché but you know the studies show that women don't apply for positions unless they are like 110% qualified. We say, “Oh, I don't have those skills,” right?  When I just took a step back, I said, “You know what — I don't have that experience but that doesn't mean I don't have those skills.” It was a brain shift in terms of how I thought about myself and what I bring to the table. I think as soon as I presented myself differently, I was accepted differently, and I was looked at differently.

Salas: I love that. I think it's very powerful that you can say that now.

Pazdan: I honestly do credit the WLN with helping me identify my strengths, my skills, my story to feel that I could take that chance and apply. The WLN allowed me to not be afraid of failing or falling. It gave me that sense that if you never get rejected and never fail at anything, you really haven't put yourself out there.

Salas: And speaking of that, who was your coach and who was your mentor?

Pazdan: Joanne Smikle was my WLN coach and Holly Hinson, MD, was my program mentor.

Salas: Had you ever had a coach before?

Pazdan: I had not and that was very eye-opening, and Joanne was amazing. I don't know if you have worked with Joanne. She can be very motivating, but she is also not afraid to call you out. Do you know what she would say? "Renee, look at what you are doing? You are holding yourself back” or “Have you thought about it like this?”

Salas: What would you say if someone asked you, “Say, I'm thinking about applying for the WLN. What do you think? Is it worth it? I'm busy, I’m full time, I’ve got my family, I'm trying to get promoted, etc., and just don't know if I have time for this. Is it worth it?”

Pazdan: 110%. I have absolutely encouraged other women neurologists to apply for the WLN—because I think it is life changing. It gives you the paths to make all those successes a reality and opens your eyes to different possibilities. One of the things I wanted to go back on and mention is that during that first one-day conference that I attended in 2015, one of the things that they talked about was the difference in mentorship versus sponsorship. And suddenly my eyes were open, because I had a boss at the time who I thought was literally crazy because he wanted me to take on more. I was running the traumatic brain injury and concussion clinic at the time and one day he was like, "Renee, you need to come up here. I want you take charge of the pain clinic and merge these two programs and you can be in charge." I was like, “What are you talking about? This makes no sense. I don't know pain.” He was trying to sponsor me and I didn't have the confidence in myself and, looking back now, I really gave up an opportunity because I could have done that. I would have done a good job. But I didn't believe in myself and I didn't know what he was doing for me. It didn't make sense to me at the time. And so even understanding that there can be mentors who help kind of guide you and support you, but then there are sponsors who kind of put you forward and promote you for things that they understand to be strategically important. You may not even see from your viewpoint. That, in and of itself, was a piece of knowledge that will help me for the next time I have the opportunity to be sponsored like that.

Salas: Now that you have gone through the program, what could the AAN do to further develop the WLN?

Pazdan: That is a great question. I don't know that I would change anything about the program specifically. What I would like is to see it continue.

Salas: Before we wrap up, would you tell me a little bit more about your new position? How many people are you managing and leading?

Pazdan: At my new role I do not have any direct reports, but I am responsible for health care delivery oversight to over half a million beneficiaries that are overseas. So, either active duty service members or their families and some of the retirees who are living overseas who are eligible for health care through Tricare. Essentially, the government contracts for these services and as the medical director I am responsible to make sure that the health care delivery is done appropriately with high-quality standards, and that patients get the right care at the right place, and at the right time. I will be involved in developing standards and things like that. It's really a huge scope of responsibility in terms of how many people I am affecting in policies and procedures. Just a very different side of health care. I am really excited about that opportunity.

Salas: Wow. That is just amazing. As my final question, what's your next goal or step?

Pazdan: I recognize that the world is my oyster, and I think over the next few months I am going to kind of integrate this different side of medicine to decide what the future holds. It's really exciting, eye-opening, and a little bit scary to say, “Wow, I can really do a lot of different things.” And, you know, who knew a neurologist could do those things. We are taught not just clinical medicine but we are taught to think about things in very linear, logical way to solve complex problems and to interact with people in a very unique way. I think those are very important skill sets. I don't think we are taught to recognize that they have a more global application.

Salas: Is there anything else that you would like to share, either about the program or just about your work as a neurologist?

Pazdan: I just want to say thank you to the AAN for putting their money where their mouth is. I feel like there is a lot of talk out there about promoting women in the workplace and promoting diversity. There are programs out there that don't really have an impact like the WLN. From what I have seen with the AAN is that it's not just like a one-hour lecture to say, “Oh, this is important and let’s move on.” They have truly developed a framework for increasing diversity in leadership, and there's solace around that. So, to me as a woman neurologist, I think that is really powerful and it propels me to want to be a part of it and to continue to support women in our field. I feel like I am part of a team and part of a community.

The Women Leading in Neurology program has been supported in part by ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Allergan, Inc., Sanofi Genzyme, and UCB.   

Consultant Corner

Fostering Creativity in a Data-Driven World

By: Barbara L. Hoese

Remember the Chrysler minivan? It’s the American automobile that not only saved Chrysler Corporation; it launched the SUV industry.

Designers at Chrysler fought an uphill battle to get the minivan off the drawing board and into production because market research indicated that the public would not buy a car with a higher roof. It also ran into opposition from many Chrysler engineers who said, “That will never work.” (Does that phrase sound familiar?) It took the imagination of Chrysler designers and the marketing intuition of then CEO Lee Iacocca to get the new vehicle into sales rooms across the country.

The success of their innovation is seen in the number of SUVs on the road today. Current estimates predict that SUVs will comprise as much as 50 percent of the US auto market by 2020.

The story of the minivan serves as a reminder that data is not the whole picture. Something more is needed to transform how health care is delivered.

Today we have a plethora of information—data—at our fingertips. But it takes curiosity and imagination to look at the data and discover new methods and processes that lead to breakthrough innovations.

I’m not saying that creativity trumps data. But it is difficult to be creative or innovative based on data alone. Innovation equals data plus imagination.

Imagination is sparked by curiosity and an ability to see things in new ways. Those flashes of insight or aha moments don’t come when you are buried in a wealth of data. They happen when you take time for deep reflection to see data in new ways.

As a leader, what can you do to create space and time for new insights? How can you foster creativity within your team? Consider implementing one or two of these ideas to increase your creativity quotient.

Cross-fertilize your thinking with data and ideas that are outside of your field. Earl Bakken, founder of Medtronic and inventor of the first portable, battery-operated pacemaker, got the idea for his invention from reading an article in Popular Mechanics. When was the last time you browsed the magazine rack at the airport and picked up an issue that was totally unrelated to your field?

Block time on your calendar for reflection, curiosity, and thinking about new ways to see data or explore emerging ideas. At 3M—home of the Post-It™ note—researchers and scientists devote 15 percent of their time to chase their own ideas for inventions. By 2014, 3M had amassed over 100,000 patents, and credited their 15 percent program for its success. You don’t have to begin with 15 percent of your time. How about one afternoon a month or 30 minutes once or twice a week?

Keep a whiteboard in your space to capture those thoughts that spring up when you least expect it. Writing something on a whiteboard keeps those ideas visible and triggers a new way of seeing. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, writes all her first drafts by hand to stimulate her creative process. In a group, writing on a whiteboard keeps the ideas fresh and facilitates group dialogue.

Suspend your inner critic. Everyone has an inner critic; that voice inside that tells you your idea isn’t any good. To quiet it, practice deep breathing, learn to meditate, or mentally send them on a well-deserved vacation. Try telling your critic, “You say this idea isn’t any good, but what if it is?”

Support a safe risk zone. Creativity often requires the ability to take risks. What is the last risk you took? Is it okay to take measured risks to try out new ideas in your work? Use one staff meeting a month or quarter as a creativity meeting. Identify a thorny problem whose solution has eluded you. Give your staff a heads up that you’d like to use the next meeting as a brainstorming session to surface new ways of seeing the problem and ideas to address the problem. Suspend your inner critic, get out the whiteboard, and let the conversation flow.

Break the rules. Look at the problem you want to solve or the idea you want to bring into being backwards, sideways, from above or below. Skip to the end of the project or jump ahead 20 years. Ask “what if” questions that go beyond the boundaries of your current role, environment, or budget. What possibility do you see from the outside looking in?

Get a creativity sounding board. Who is the most creative person you know? How often do you connect with other practitioners, researchers, or teachers outside of your specialty? Innovation rarely happens in silos. So grab a cup of coffee or dinner with a few of those creative folks and let the conversation run wild.

Play. Creativity guru Roger Von Oech stated, “Necessity may be the mother of invention, but play is certainly the father.” So take breaks, go for a walk, read a book to your kids, build a model airplane, or do whatever unleashes the child in you. Check out Von Oech’s books or his Creative Whack Pack, a tool kit to inspire your creativity.

In our data rich world with its demand for quick fixes to problems, it can be challenging to slow down enough to make space for creativity. Try loosening the reins on your imagination to see what happens. Your next great idea is waiting to break free.

Negotiating with Confidence and Competence

By: Joanne L. Smikle, PhD

While negotiating skills are essential for physician leaders, it is likely that they have never received formal education in this domain. As a result, many physicians are caught unaware when they are presented with their first contracts. Sadly, newly graduated physicians often sign with wide eyes lacking a full understanding of the commitments that they have made. They sign without knowing that the initial offer is a starting point. They move through their careers without a full understanding of their bargaining power. As time passes, these physicians may become resentful of the constraints that they have placed themselves in: insufficient time for research, too much pressure on RVUs, inadequate administrative support…the list goes on.

This article is not devoted to bemoaning the pressures of physicians’ lives. It is about learning to negotiate with confidence and competence strategically. Let’s begin with clarifying one important point: negotiating is not a curse word. Too often physicians have a distaste for the very idea of bargaining to get what they want. By definition, negotiation involves a push and pull between multiple parties. However, the idea that everyone can win in a bargain is idealistic and a bit overrated. The reality of life is that there are often winners and not-quite winners in any negotiation. This article is written to give you the skills to be the winner as often as possible.

Let us first dispel the myth that the negotiation should begin with you saying “Yes!” Jim Camp, in his 2002 book Start with No: The Negotiating Skills That the Pros Don’t Want You to Know advises that too much emphasis on win-win exposes the naïve negotiator to the savvy manipulations of organizations working to protect their bottom-lines. Let’s face facts, medicine, even academic medicine, has become big business with clear bottom-line goals. Beginning the negotiation with that real understanding is essential. It is important whether seeking entry into an organization or seeking resources while currently employed. Camp provides advice that will be distasteful to some. He states that it is crucial to maintain a healthy dose of skepticism when negotiating. Remember that no one is going to put all of their cards on the table. You are responsible for researching prior to and during the negotiations. Do not assume that the person on the other side of the table is interested in advancing your agenda or meeting your needs.

It is also important to maintain a degree of self-interest. Remember that you, the accomplished physician, have a skill-set—a hot commodity. Your primary responsibility is to protect that commodity. Do not make the mistake of being so altruistic that you wind up losing in the negotiation. Maintaining self-interest requires you to dispassionately identify what you want in precise, clear terms. It also requires that you do not ignore the factors that will give you both job and career satisfaction. That may include having time for family, volunteer service, or hobbies. Develop your proposal and bring it to the table for consideration with the organization’s leadership (Coutu, 2002). This is a competency that you will want to develop whether in the hiring process or working within an organization. Your proposal should reflect your desires. It should also reflect the gains for the organization. Neither your desires nor the organization’s needs should heavily outweigh the other. Your goal is to strike a moderate balance that satisfies you. That may mean that the organization has to shift and alter its positions.

The factors mentioned thus far, the willingness to begin by recognizing this is a business negotiation, and the ability to maintain self-interest, require confidence. Where does that confidence come from? How is it developed? The first step in improving the confidence to be a competent negotiator begins with knowing your strengths. There are many tools like Tom Rath’s Strengths Finder 2.0 that can help you determine a baseline of your strengths. Going deeper than that is important. Take the time to develop an exhaustive list of the areas in which you know you have demonstrated high levels of competence. This inventory is essential before and during the negotiating process. You must be able to communicate the unique value that you bring clearly. It is important to be able to confidently discuss your unique array of gifts and talents and how they can be employed to further the organization’s aims.

The second step to confidence-building comes from auditing your self-talk. What are the messages that you send yourself? Do you reinforce your doubts? Do you play old, familiar, negative messages embedded in your psyche? Do you spend time castigating yourself for past mistakes, shortcomings, and failures? That is valuable energy that needs to be redirected. One of the strategies I suggest is taking the time to pay attention to your self-talk. As you pay attention, jot down the message and an affirming message that can replace it. For instance, if you tell yourself that you will never get an R-1 NIH grant, consider replacing that message with “I am taking the necessary steps to get an R-1 as well as other funding opportunities.” If your messages are more personal like doubting whether you deserve success, replace that message with something like “I have earned every success I have attained and even more because I have put forth tremendous effort to get where I am.” These strategies may sound hokey at first blush. However, if you try them in earnest, you will find yourself making new tapes in your head and your heart.

Let us now move to dispelling another myth. There is a prevailing myth that you only have power at the outset of a job negotiation before you accept a position. That myth goes on to have us believe that once you are in the position, you have to take what is given to you. You do have tremendous bargaining power at the outset. Those same skills should be employed throughout your tenure with an organization to advance your position. Develop the ability and the willingness to ask for what you want and need. Build the strength to develop a strong case for your position. Learn to communicate in the language of leadership so that you are taken seriously. Invest energy in understanding organizational strategy, your role in it, and the value that you bring. Develop a keen understanding of how your work advances the organization’s objectives and goals. That understanding includes the dollars and cents; know how much revenue you or your department are generating and be prepared to discuss it in negotiations. Finally, be prepared to discuss the ways in which you, your work, and your department positively impact the image of the organization.

As we close this article, there are three points to remember. The first is that you have as much power in a negotiation as you have the courage to give yourself. The second is that healthy self-interest is essential in negotiations that serve you well. Third, confidence is critical. You have a responsibility to yourself to do the internal work to build your confidence. The ability to negotiate well is a learned skill that you can master. If you already have some level of expertise, work to continually refine your ability to bargain skillfully.

Coutu, D. L. (2002, 10). Negotiating without a net: A conversation with the NYPD's Dominick J. Misino. Harvard Business Review, 80, 49-54. 

Joanne L. Smikle, PhD, is a respected authority on organization and leadership development. Dr. Smikle serves organizations concerned with leadership effectiveness, strategy, and growth. Access a complimentary library of her articles on this and other topics at http://smiklespeaks.com/library.html

program HIGHLIGHTS

New Programs in 2019

Director Mentorship: This multi-month mentorship program for new clerkship directors, program directors, and fellowship directors provides practical advice and guidance to maximize effectiveness in their new role and to encourage personal growth, enhance career development, and increase engagement with the AAN.  

Live Well, Lead Well: This year features two immersive programs—Live Well, Lead Well and Live Well, Lead Well: Well-being Champion—that take place immediately preceding the Annual Meeting. 

• Live Well, Lead Well is a project-based program that guides participants in identify and harnessing individual and organizational approaches to holistic well-being. 
• Live Well, Lead Well: Well-being Champion takes a train-the-trainer approach to helping program directors, clerkship directors, or any well-being champion from a residency training or medical school recognize and mitigate trainee burnout. 

Programs Updates

Applications are now open for the following programs: Emerging Leaders, Practice Leadership, Transforming Leaders, and Women Leading in Neurology. Talk to your peers and encourage them to apply by June 17, 2019.

Current Leadership Program Projects

Below are the projects to which current leadership program cohorts have been assigned by AAN leadership:

Diversity Leadership Program: The Diversity Leadership Program kicked off in January in Charleston, SC, where participants received their presidentially assigned project, assigned AAN President Elect James C. Stevens, MD, FAAN. The group project is a major component of the program and this year’s project is: How can the Academy effectively engage patients, caregivers, the public, and other organizations to help advocate for those who are affected by neurologic disease, demonstrate the value of neurologists, and promote funding for research in neurology? The cohort has been meeting to discuss the project and begin forming its strategies and recommendations to be delivered to the AAN Board of Directors in September 2019.

Emerging Leaders Program: The Emerging Leaders Program kicked off in October in Las Vegas, NV, where participants received their AAN committee-assigned project. The group project is a major component of the program and two projects were assigned for 2018-2019:

• The project assigned by the leadership of the Education Committee and the Medical Economics and Management Committee was: How can the AAN educate residents about practice management issues, including coding and reimbursement?
• The project assigned by the leadership of the Member Engagement Committee was: How can the AAN develop a framework to score and measure engagement in order to improve the AAN’s member engagement?

The cohorts have been meeting bi-weekly to form recommendations and will be presenting their strategies and findings to AAN committee leadership at the 2019 Annual Meeting on Sunday, May 5.

Transforming Leaders Program: The Transforming Leaders Program met in January in Charleston, SC, where participants received their presidentially assigned project, delivered to them by AAN President Ralph L. Sacco, MD, MS, FAHA, FAAN. The group project is a major component of the Transforming Leaders Program and this year’s project is: How can the AAN address the mismatch between the supply of neurologists and the increasing need for neurologic care? Looking towards the future, develop a strategic plan that incorporates the pipeline, utilization of advanced practice providers (APPs), team-based care, and tele-neurology. Also consider alternative, novel ways to meet this challenge over the next 10 years. The cohort has been meeting bi-weekly to discuss the project and begin forming its strategies and recommendations to be delivered to the AAN Board of Directors in June 2019. 

Metrics and Goals

A work group under the direction of the Leadership Engagement Subcommittee is responsible for providing guidance on metrics and goals for the AAN Leadership Programs. This work group has created a pre- and post-assessment that all intensive leadership program participants must complete prior to the kick-off of their program and immediately following graduation.

The following metrics have been compiled from the leadership program application materials and assessments. Programs are identified as follows: Diversity Leadership Program (DLP), Emerging Leaders Program (ELP), Live Well, Lead Well (LWLW), Practice Leadership Program (PLP), Transforming Leaders Program (TLP), Women Leading in Neurology (WLN).

1. The leadership development team works closely with the marketing team to create a marketing plan specific to a targeted audience. The goal of the marketing efforts is to attract highly qualified, eligible applicants. Historically, programs accepting applications vary by year:

2013 – ELP

2014 – ELP

2015 – DLP, ELP

2016 – DLP, ELP

2017 – DLP, TLP

2018 - DLP, ELP, LWLW, PLP, TLP, WLN

2019 – DLP, ELP, PLP, TLP, WLN

2. Many variables are taken into account in the recipient selection process. This process is not solely merit-based but, rather, factors in diversity related to age, race, region, practice setting, subspecialty, and gender. It’s of utmost importance that our leadership program participants form cohesive and synergistic cohorts to enhance overall participant experience and long-term impact.

3. While the percentage of Leadership Program alumni holding leadership positions on the AAN Board of Directors, subcommittees, and committees is evidence of the engagement of our alumni, there are additional opportunities for graduates to get involved. Many more of our leadership program participants are engaged through the work of task forces, work groups, councils, and special projects. Moving forward, the work group will be tracking these additional volunteer opportunities. 

4. As identified by participants, the AAN Leadership Programs continue to be a source of inspiration, motivation, and confidence in their leadership abilities through supportive community.

future direction - inside scoop for leadership

Message from AAN President Ralph L. Sacco, MD, MS, FAHA, FAAN

As my time as president comes to a close next month, I’m pleased to have this opportunity to express my admiration for all of you and your willingness to take on the extra work to discover and hone your leadership skills in these excellent programs the AAN has established to ensure a strong, vital future for neurology and our organization.

As strong as our programs are, we continually seek ways to improve them to make the experiences of our participants even more meaningful. For example, the 2019 Diversity Leadership Program has been enhanced to include three in-person meetings. This allows for more face-to-face time and additional in-depth mentoring opportunities, including a visit to the DLP mentor’s institution. The program is built on the core pillars of foundational and transformational leadership and developing strategy and vision for leading oneself, teams and change within systems. The framework addresses critical areas for leadership competency development for physician leaders. 

To our Live Well, Lead Well Program we have added Live Well, Lead Well: Well-being Champion. Both are immersive programs that take place immediately preceding the Annual Meeting. While the former is a project-based program that guides participants in identifying and harnessing individual and organizational approaches to holistic well-being, Live Well, Lead Well: Well-being Champion, provides a train-the-trainer approach. It is focused on helping program directors, clerkship directors, or any well-being champion from a residency training or medical school to recognize and mitigate trainee burnout. 

I’m very pleased that numerous project recommendations from our Leadership Program cohorts have been implemented by the Academy. For example, the DLP urged the creation of the new Joint Coordinating Council on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Disparities to ensure recommendations from the DLP, the AAN Gender Disparities Task Force, and the AAN Health Care Disparities Task Force are implemented across the entire organization. The DLP also originated the idea that is now the AAN’s Diversity Officer Work Group, which is charged with identifying goals, gaps, and tactics that will support the needs for diversity officers and plan for development of tools and resources.

Also last year, the TLP successfully recommended adding Community to the Core Values of the Academy and organizing poster sessions at the Annual Meeting differently, which is happening during a pilot session on the final Friday of the upcoming meeting in Philadelphia. There, 24 abstracts for posters will highlight diversity efforts across the field of neurology.

Establishing the Leadership Program was one of the AAN’s wisest actions to both nurture leadership across key demographics of our membership and to tap into their tremendous inspiration and passion for neurology and our Academy. Hearing your presentations and working with many of you to bring your recommendations to fruition has been a highlight of my term as president. I feel certain that the future of the AAN will be in strong, capable hands! Thank you all!

Leadership Development Committee Vision and Mission:

Vision: All members will achieve their leadership potential.
Mission: To cultivate and inspire leaders in neurology and foster their engagement with the AAN

Editorial Team

Editor
Yazmin Odia, MD, is Lead Physician of Medical Neuro-Oncology, Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South FL, Miami, FL

Associate Editor
Rachel Marie E. Salas, MD, FAAN, is Associate Professor, Neurology and Nursing at Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD

We hope you have enjoyed this issue of the Leadership Newsletter. Join us for the next issue due October 2019!

SUPPORTERS OF THE AAN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

The Allergan Foundation

Allergan, Inc.

Greenwich Biosciences, Inc.

Medtronic, Inc.

Neurocrine Biosciences

Sanofi Genzyme

Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

UCB