Implementing a Planned Visit Model for Neurology

Meet Your New Board Member: Wayne E. Anderson, DO, FAHS, FAAN

Wayne E. Anderson, DO, FAHS, FAAN, is a newly elected member of the AAN Board of Directors. He is a neurologist subspecialty certified in headache and in pain medicine, practicing in San Francisco. After residency at University of California, Davis, Anderson worked in both solo and group practice models, including a hybrid private practice within a hospital-based neurology center. The different practice models have offered a unique understanding of the benefits and challenges of both employed and private practices.

How did you first get involved as a volunteer on committees/ subcommittees and what moved you to participate? Many years ago, the Academy conducted focus groups in various regions, specifically speaking with people who did not appear to be actively engaged with the Academy. It was at that group I first truly understood the role of the Academy and that it was an organization for all of us. With challenges beginning to emerge in the practice of neurology, I was moved to participate to protect and enhance the field of neurology. Why did you wish to be on the Board of Directors? I wanted to be on the Board of Directors to continue work increasing the public’s awareness of and importance of the field of neurology, to ensure representation of those in private practice, and to ensure representation of the growing number of DO neurologists. What experiences and viewpoints do you bring to this role? I hold a viewpoint that the future of neurology is best ensured when all stakeholders truly understand the value of neurology. This includes not just our colleagues and patients, but also policymakers, caregivers, and most importantly the public in general. This theme underscored my projects in the advocacy and leadership programs. I have experience both inside and outside the Academy. Although primarily a private practice physician, I have worked in several employment models and have experience in the challenges that underlie the different career options facing neurologists. Within the Academy, I have experienced participation in different facets of the organization, each with its own Anderson goals. I have participated on committees and subcommittees, working with fellow neurologists addressing the complexities of neurologic practice. I have participated in advocacy and leadership programs to advocate for neurology. And I continue to represent neurology on work groups and committees for other organizations such as the American Board of Anesthesiology and American Academy of Ophthalmology. In your view, how does the AAN benefit the field of neurology most? It is nearly impossible to determine a single answer to that question. If we look at just a few of many examples, I think I have an answer. The Academy is not involved in board certification, but when maintenance of certification changed a few years back, the Academy responded with several free MOC options. When reimbursements for our clinicians were threatened last year, the Academy responded by advocating at Capitol Hill, notably with success. With funding threatened for our researchers, the Academy advocated again, with recent increases in NIH funding for neurologic disease. It can be very hard for all of us in our offices, clinics, research labs, and institutions to see the very active roles the Academy has taken to advocate for our profession. Therefore, the AAN benefits the field of neurology most by meeting its mission statement of being indispensable to its members. 