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Welcome

Celebrating Over 80 Years Of Service!

The American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy (AAOA) represents over 2,700 Board-certified otolaryngologists and health care providers. Otolaryngology, frequently referred to as Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT), uniquely combines medical and surgical expertise to care for patients with a variety of conditions affecting the ears, nose, and throat, as well as commonly related conditions. AAOA members devote part of their practice to the diagnosis and treatment of allergic disease. The AAOA actively supports its membership through education, research, and advocacy in the care of allergic patients.

"Advance the comprehensive management of allergy and inflammatory disease in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery through training, education, and advocacy."

AAOA Member Benefits

  • Up to 60% discount for CME programs and free Annual Meeting. All AAOA’s CME programs meet ABOTOHNS Continuing Certification.
  • AAOA US ENT Affinity program, where AAOA members can gain savings on antigen, allergy supplies, and any of the other 5 service lines US ENT offers. For more email info@usentpartners.com.
  • Tools and resources to comply with US General Chapter 797 and practice management tools.
  • Advocacy support.
  • And much more! Learn More

ADVOCACY UPDATES

United Healthcare Home Immunotherapy Policy Change

United Healthcare has recently announced a policy change. Effective January 1, 2023, UHC will no longer…

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Medicare 2022 Conversion Factor Update

Thanks to lobbying efforts from the House of Medicine, Congress took action this month. The…

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CY 2022 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule Summary

On July 13, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Medicare Physician…

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Upcoming Dates

04/01/24: Fellow Exam Application Deadline
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06/01/24: Research Grant Cycle
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06/25/24: Membership Application Deadline to be eligible for AAOA Member rate for the 2024 Basic Course

08/02/24: Scientific Abstract Submission Deadline
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12/01/24: Research Grant Cycle
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EDUCATION

AAOA Advanced Course

The recorded course content is available until April 30, 2024. This year’s Advanced Course featured Laryngology and Skull Base Surgery with Nausheen Jamal, MD and Garret Choby, MD as featured faculty.

RESIDENTS

For information about Resident membership, opportunities, DosedDaily, research grants, and other resources. Learn More

IFAR

Available Now

aaoaf-ifar

IFAR Impact Factor: 2.454

IFAR Featured Content: COVID-19 - Free Access
Endonasal instrumentation and aerosolization risk in the era of COVID‐19: simulation, literature review, and proposed mitigation strategies . Read More

Changes in Managing Practices

Working together with AAOA staff, volunteer leadership and members will enable us to have a positive impact on our members’ practices.

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Live and Online CME

2024 AAOA Advanced Course in Allergy & Immunology - Hybrid
On-Demand Content Access Deadline:
April 30, 2024
Learn More and Register

2024 AAOA Basic Course in Allergy & Immunology - Hybrid
July 25-27, 2024
The Diplomat, Hollywood, Florida
Learn More and Register

2024 AAOA Annual Meeting - Hybrid
November 8-10, 2024
Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas
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USP 797 Online Module
Learn More and Register

AAOA Educational Stacks
Next Availability - April 1, 2024

News and Updates

CEO Update, Fall 2023 -Winter 2024

“But time, keeps flowing like a river….on and on to the sea”  Alan Parsons Project…

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Keith Sale, MD, AAOA President-Elect, Testifies Before the Senate Subcommittee Hearing

Keith Sale, MD, AAOA President-Elect, recently testified before the Senate Subcommittee hearing, Avoiding a Cautionary Tale: Policy…

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College Allergy Symptoms Treatment Back to Shcool

PRACTICE RESOURCES

AAOA Practice Resource Tool Kit

The American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy (AAOA) Practice Resource Tool Kit is intended as a guide to help AAOA members integrate allergy into their otolaryngology practice and to continually improve on this integration as new information, regulations, and resources become available.

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PARTNER RESOURCE CENTER

AAOA has launched a Partner Resource Center to bring you partner resources that can assist your practice and patient care.

Visit the New Center>

PATIENT CORNER

A Message From AAOA President, Wesley VanderArk, MD, FAAOA

July 2021 marks an almost 18 month journey through COVID. We have witnessed and personally experienced the loss of human lives due to the coronavirus. We have experienced significant shifts in workload and scope of practice and have felt the financial hardship that this pandemic has brought to our specialty. We have all experienced the void of social interaction, and the economic downturn in our communities, and witnessed that in America, and around the globe. In America, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel with reduced cases, vaccinations, and relaxation or lifting of restrictions. However, many countries are not nearly as fortunate.

So we continue to live in a transition from ‘pandemic mode’ back to ‘life as it was’ prior to 2020. Or will it ever be a ‘back-to-normal society’ as we once knew it? Regardless of where we land, the transition remains long and still filled with challenges. Otolaryngology as a specialty was one of the most affected with losses in 2020 just under 30% based on an AMA review of all specialties. Federal aid helped in 2020 to keep practices open, but we are not out of the woods yet. We still face the persistent reduction of patient office visits, a reduced surgery schedule, and hiring and maintaining qualified staff to name a few. Even as my practice opens up, office visits have increased, but surgical volume is still reduced, and allergy patient volume has not recovered.

We recognize the issues that our members still face as it relates to education, advocacy, and now the additional rebuilding of our practices and financial burden caused by COVID.

Our mission remains to support our membership, offering educational opportunities and tools now in new and helpful formats with online access reducing financial burden and time commitment for members.

Our educational leadership continues to deliver cutting edge content in a unique way. We have shifted all 2021 meetings to innovative, virtual meeting formats through the annual meeting this year. We continue to offer educational opportunities in the areas of biologics, SCIT and SLIT, the interplay of allergy to other inflammatory disease, and vital practice management to help rebuild. We released off-cycle educational content with two courses useful for obtaining CME and for training office staff. We just aired our new and creative “Virtual Basic Course” earlier in July. We continue to engage with medical industry to create an opportunity for our members to interface with these companies but in a virtual format instead of a live exhibit hall.

We have launched a “Just in Time’ zoomcast series on current topics with panel discussions throughout this past year and moving forward. We still offer a number of other member benefits through our website, including the Practice Resource Toolkit, Clinical Care Statements, Clinical Insights modules, and a USP 797 Compliance Module. Our CME can be applied toward Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment (PART II) requirements for ABO-HNS. We pursue advocacy efforts both at the AMA and through our socioeconomic committee intervening with payor issues, and interfacing with other sister organizations to strengthen our cause.

I want to acknowledge the stress and fatigue experienced by our members from a demanding work schedule in addition to what seems like endless zoom meetings. We have not mitigated that issue with a more robust digital presence this year despite the convenience and financial benefits that offered. However, it has been the best way for us to continue serving our members through this pandemic and likely will continue in some format as we ‘return to normal’. For those desiring face-to-face connection, I do invite you to attend a live Advanced Course planned for Jan 2022 in Sante Fe, New Mexico as a chance to connect with friends and a time to get away while still fostering professional development.

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