4 minute read
Congratulations New Fellows of the American Academy of Neurology!
The AAN congratulates the following members who were named prestigious Fellows of the American Academy of Neurology (FAAN) between December 2022 and March 2023.
Vinita J. Acharya, MD, FAAN
Norman Ajiboye, MD, FAAN
Gishlaine Alfonso, MD, FAAN
Muhammad M. Alvi, MD, FAAN
Ganesh Asaithambi, MD, FAAN
Christina Azevedo, MD, FAAN
Poonam Bhatia, MD, FAAN
Susana M. Bowling, MD, FAAN
Yefim Cavalier, DO, FAAN
Gregory E. Cooper, MD, PhD, FAAN
Vincent Scott DeOrchis, MD, FAAN
Mariel Deutsch, MD, FAAN
Jason B. Diamond, MD, MPH, FAAN
Adam Damon Drobnis, MD, FAAN
Brian Droker, MD, FAAN
Debra J. Ehrlich, MD, FAAN
Xuesheng Feng, MD, PhD, FAAN
Alessandro Filla, MD, FAAN
Bikram Prasad Gajurel, MD, DM, FAAN
Rocio Carolina Garcia Santibanez, MD, FAAN
Rajeev Garg, MD, FAAN
Madeleine C. Geraghty, MD, FAAN
Ashley P. Ghiaseddin, MD, FAAN
Candelaria Gomez Manzano, MD, FAAN
Robert H. Gross, MD, FAAN
Zain Guduru, MD, FAAN
Khatuna Gurgenashvili, MD, FAAN
Dietrich Haubenberger, MD, FAAN
Diane Hesselbrock, MD, FAAN
Camilla Kilbane, MD, FAAN
Michele Longo, MD, FAAN
Zabeen Kaizar Mahuwala, MD, FAAN
Seraj Omar Makkawi, MBBS, FRCPC, FAAN
Justin P. Martello, MD, FAAN
Miriam Mattoscio, MD, PhD, FAAN
Carine W. Maurer, MD, PhD, FAAN
Michelle Monje, MD, PhD, FAAN
Chandra Sekhar Reddy Muddireddy, MD, FAAN
Richard Ronan Murphy, MD, MBChB, FAAN
Jiwon Oh, MD, FAAN
James H. Park, MD, FAAN
Chilvana V. Patel, MBBS, FAAN
Jonathan Perk, MD, PhD, FAAN
Emily Poole Pharr, MD, FAAN
Amanda Lee Piquet, MD, FAAN
Scott R. Plotkin, MD, FAAN
Srinivasa Potluri, MD, FAAN
Matiur Rahman, MD, FAAN
Kumar Rajamani, MD, FAAN
Jordan D. Raynor, MD, FAAN
Joel Armando Salinas, MD, FAAN
Friedhelm Sandbrink, MD, FAAN
Julie B. Schwartzbard, MD, FAAN
Meredith Spindler, MD, FAAN
Kara Stavros, MD, FAAN
Fernando Gustavo Stelzer, MD, PhD, FAAN
Prasanna Kumar Reddy Tadi, MD, FAAN
Dinah Thyerlei, MD, FAAN
W. Oliver Tobin, MB BCh, BAO, PhD, FAAN
Joshua Tobin, MD, FAAN
Sudhakar Tummala, MD, FAAN
Eduardo Boiteux Uchoa Cavalcanti, MD, FAAN
Umesh Verma, MD, FAAN
Linda C. Wendell, MD, FAAN
Barbara Willekens, MD, PhD, FAAN
Wen-Ying Wu-Chen, MD, FAAN
Praveen Kumar Yadav, MD, FAAN
Interested in Elevating Your Membership Status to FAAN?
Visit AAN.com/FAAN to see if you’re eligible to apply for the FAAN designation—or encourage a qualifying colleague to apply. Applying for FAAN status is free, acknowledges exemplary work and achievements in the neurosciences, the clinical practice of neurology, or academic/ administrative neurology; helps set you apart both within the Academy and throughout your professional career; and offers eligibility to serve on the AAN Board of Directors.
Capitol Hill Report
Capitol Hill Report presents regular updates on legislative and regulatory actions and how the Academy ensures that the voice of neurology is heard on Capitol Hill. It is emailed to US members twice monthly and is posted at AAN.com/view/HillReport Below are some recent highlights.
Latest Advocacy News
On March 22, the AAN submitted comments in response to a proposed rule from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) impacting prescribing of controlled substances via telemedicine following the termination of the public health emergency. The proposed rules affect telemedicine consultations by a medical practitioner who has never conducted an in-person evaluation of a patient, and who has not received a referral from a medical practitioner who conducted an in-person examination. The AAN’s comments primarily addressed alignment with other telehealth flexibilities and ways in which the proposed rule could be implemented to minimize burden on providers.
The AAN has been active during the 2024 appropriations cycle, working tirelessly with members of Congress to secure federal funding for our many advocacy priorities. As Congress weighs in on what appropriators should allocate, we need them to hear from you!
On March 30, Kavita Nair, PhD, FAAN, vice-chair of the AAN’s Coding and Payment Policy Subcommittee, testified in support of banning the use of “copay accumulator” programs in Colorado. In support of this effort, Nair also published a joint editorial with state Sen. Faith Winter calling on Colorado legislators to support SB23-195. On March 31, the bill passed out of committee. Nair’s success is a powerful reminder of how AAN members can gain valuable tools through their engagement with AAN advocacy.
Issue in Focus
The AAN has long advocated for boosting the neurology workforce. In early March, Chair Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA) of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) put out a request for information on the national health care workforce shortage. The AAN’s response to this request discussed multiple hurdles, both more recent and long-standing, that neurologists are facing.
The letter addresses specific solutions to bolster the current neurology workforce, including reducing overly burdensome administrative requirements, appropriately valuing neurologic care, understanding the importance of the physician-led care team, and addressing mental health and burnout among physicians. The letter mentions several legislative priorities the AAN supports that seek to address these issues: the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, the Gold Card Act, the Safe Step Act, and potential legislation that aligns with the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act passed into law in 2022.
The letter also highlights solutions that aim to build the future of the neurology workforce. These include supporting training and residency through Medicare-funded GME slots and student loan relief and supporting the international medical graduate workforce. AAN priorities in these areas include the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act, the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, and the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act. Last year, Congress approved 200 new federally funded GME slots, building on the 1,000 new slots approved a few years ago for the first time in decades.
The AAN recognizes this request for information as only the start to necessary conversations surrounding legislative solutions to the health care workforce shortage. The AAN is committed to working closely with Congress and the Senate HELP Committee to ensure that the neurology workforce is supported and that patients have access to neurologic care.
