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Department of OtolaryngologyState of the Department
As I contemplate my first State of the Department report, I approach this task with joy and trepidation: joy over the wondrous potential of this great department and trepidation over the daunting task of succeeding Frank E. Lucente as chairman after nearly 20 years. Before contemplating the future, let’s pause to consider the past as prelude. The 2008-2009 academic year marked the 18th Anniversary of the Department of Otolaryngology of the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center and affiliated hospitals. Formed initially from existing services at Long Island College Hospital (LICH) and University Hospital of Brooklyn (UHB), the current academic structure for resident and medical student education includes affiliations with Kings County Hospital Center (KCHC), the Brooklyn Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC), and Maimonides Medical Center. The department also benefits from more than two dozen voluntary and part-time physicians, and from strong administrative support at all institutions. Thank You, Dr. Lucente Succeeding an unqualified success is never easy and such is the challenge I face with Frank Lucente. Perhaps my greatest concern on becoming chairman in March 2009 was the obvious question of “How could anyone possibly be as brilliant as Frank?” Indeed, anyone who has been a part of this department as long as I (since 1992) could not help but wonder how one person could make it run so well and appear so effortless. The Department of Otolaryngology at SUNY Downstate is truly “the house that Frank built.” Dr. Lucente managed the near impossible task of uniting otolaryngology services spread over 71 square miles into a cohesive department that has attracted a world-class faculty, the top echelon of resident applicants, and a reputation for excellence placing it among the most respected training programs in the country. In doing so he has laid the groundwork for a bright and boundless future. In honor of Dr. Lucente’s extraordinary vision and passion for teaching we have officially renamed our annual research day symposium as the “Frank E. Lucente Resident and Alumni Research Day.” I can think of no better title for this important event, which epitomizes on a recurring basis Dr. Lucente’s mantra that every clinical encounter is an opportunity for research and critical thought. This mantra is the foundation of his incredible productivity and has enabled numerous faculty and residents to achieve academic success and recognition. Dr. Lucente remains a vital and integral member of the department. Relinquishing the responsibilities of chairman has allowed him to focus fully on what he loves most: teaching residents and medical students. Another passion is fund-raising, so alumni brace for impact as we build a research and education endowment. On a personal note, it is warmly reassuring to know that he remains nearby for advice when needed. A Bright and Boundless Future I will now shamelessly violate Casey Stengel’s old admonition, “Never make predictions, especially about the future.” The future of the Department of Otolaryngology at SUNY Downstate is brighter than ever, with palpable enthusiasm as we enter our 19th year of existence. Here’s why. The most concrete guarantee of future success is the substantial support promised by the College of Medicine (COM) and UHB to recruit faculty, hire new staff, and to develop exciting clinical, research, and educational programs. This support includes faculty compensation, staff salaries, and startup funds for supplies, equipment, and other expenses. I am especially grateful for this commitment considering the tough economic times faced by academic medicine in general and the State of New York in particular. Support alone is meaningless if not accompanied by abundant raw materials, and in this regard we are blessed with robust faculty, top notch residents, an outstanding medical school, and a diverse palette of participating institutions and teaching hospitals. It also doesn’t hurt to be the only academic program serving 2.5 million people, which would qualify Brooklyn as the 4th largest city in the United States if it wasn’t a borough. One way to ensure success is to partner with institutions with a proven track record. The 18-year history of our department is dwarfed by the sesquicentennial celebrations at SUNY Downstate and LICH recognizing 150 years of medical excellence. When the first students entered the LICH medical school in 1860 they were the only ones in the country to experience bedside teaching. In 1950 the school merged with the SUNY system and today ranks 9th out of about 120 medical schools in the United States in producing academic faculty and 10th in producing department chairman. It is often said that success requires attitude, not just ability, and attitude abounds in the department. The right attitude, that is: respect, camaraderie, teamwork, and a willingness to help others. In all my travels I have never encountered a more pleasant place to work, where quality of life is as important as quality of care delivered. I am humbled and honored to work with colleagues of such fine character and moral integrity. A Vision of Growth and Excellence As chairman there are three goals that guide my vision for the future of the department: clinical growth, academic excellence, and financial success. I will discuss each briefly, emphasizing general concepts and trends. Full details about the wonderful individuals and institutions that comprise our department can be found in the pages that follow. Clinical growth begins with new faculty. I cannot think of any single activity more important to the health of the department than recruiting and retaining talent. The COM, UHB, and Kings County Medical Center (KCHC) have committed salary lines and resources to hire four new clinicians: a head and neck surgeon, facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, general otolaryngologist, and a pediatric otolaryngologist. Incredibly, we filled the first two positions in August 2009 and have several superb candidates for the remaining slots. The pediatric otolaryngologist will become the fifth in the department, creating one of the largest divisions in the region. Clinical growth also stems from new programs and expanded facilities. Planning is underway for several new initiatives including a vascular malformation center, cleft palate-craniofacial team, robotic surgery center, and a pediatric airway center. We have also partnered with the Auditory Oral School of Brooklyn, the largest school of its kind in North America, to support our growing cochlear implant program. Expanded facilities include audiology, outpatient office suites, and brand new, state-of-the-art operating rooms, inpatient wards, and clinic space at KCHC. Academic excellence has always been a staple of our department, anchored in the outstanding medical student and residency programs developed by Dr. Lucente. My goal is to refine and improve upon our educational programs, ensuring that critical thinking permeates all aspects of what we do and how we teach. A renewed emphasis on the Socratic method and evidence-based medicine has already become apparent in our grand rounds, journal club, tumor board, morbidity and mortality conference, and everyday clinical encounters in the patient wards, operating room, and outpatient office. Central to our academic makeover will be the efforts and advice of our new full-time educational coordinator, Nicole Fraser, MPH, MS. Nicole joined the department in September 2009 with a wealth of experience in education, teaching, research, and service coordination. Our research efforts will further benefit from the insights of Nira Goldstein, MD, who will complete her MPH training later this year. We have also emphasized a commitment to research and critical thinking when recruiting new faculty, which should further help invigorate our efforts. Financial success is the last part of my vision for the department. An essential aspect of retaining productive faculty is to ensure their efforts are rewarded with financial incentives and transparent billing practices. All full-time faculty members belong to a practice plan through either LICH or UPB, with a common thread of keen oversight by the department leadership and by our independent billing service, Healthcare Transitions Management. The practice plan arrangements offer benefits and financial security unattainable in private practice because of shared overhead and pooled resources. The business end of the department is managed exceptionally well, with an increasing revenue stream that can be used, in part, to support research, education, and other special activities benefiting the department as a whole. We have also secured substantial start up funds and hard salary support for new faculty from the COM, including a commitment to renovate and refurbish our department education center at SUNY. In return, I am committed to conducting our business in an ethical, transparent, and highly efficient manner that allows the institutions who generously support us to garner an appropriate return on their investment. It’s All Happening in Brooklyn To say that Brooklyn is a “happening” borough is a vast understatement: a day does not pass without a major publication describing a new real estate venture, cultural event, arts festival, culinary achievement, construction project, business enterprise, or change (for the better) in a local community. In many ways Brooklyn has become more chic – and often more expensive – than the little known borough of Manhattan across the river. As a microcosm of the borough we serve, the department is also replete with happening events. Let me summarize a few of the most important:
An update is also in order on our incoming and outgoing resident physicians. Michael Singer has accepted a one-year transition position at KCHC before starting his endocrine surgery fellowship next year at the Medical College of Georgia; Francisca Yao has joined two of our prior residents, Ramez Habib and Christopher Song, in private practice with Mohsen Habib in Park Slope, Brooklyn; and Zarina Shaikh is spending time with family in Florida and exploring employment opportunities. We are delighted to welcome our three new PGY-1 residents, Christina DiLoreto from Boston University, Anita Konka from Tulane University, and Miguel Mascaro from SUNY Downstate. Before concluding, I would like to thank Egbert de Vries, MD, for his contributions to the department. His wide-ranging surgical skills and passion for teaching will leave a permanent impression on all who were fortunate enough to work with him. Importantly, he helped with the groundwork for my negotiations as chairman and was instrumental in identifying our new faculty recruits. On behalf of the entire department, I wish him success (and boating pleasure) in his new position with the prestigious Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida. In preparing this report I asked the departmental leadership what they considered the three key developments of the past year. Many have already been mentioned, but I will close with the list submitted by Frank Lucente: “1) Participating in recruitment of new chair, 2) seeing new chair installed, and 3) staying out of the way of the new chair.” Similarly, I shall strive to “stay out of the way” of our talented faculty and staff, both old and new. I pledge to always support your efforts, because it is truly the wonderful people in the department who make it a honor, privilege, and delight to work together in benefiting our trainees, institutions, and community. Respectfully submitted, |
