American Association of Neurological Surgeons

Last updated
American Association of Neurological Surgeons
AbbreviationAANS
Formation1931
Type Professional association
Headquarters Rolling Meadows, Illinois
Region served
Worldwide
Membership12,000
CEO
Katie O. Orrico [1]
Website www.aans.org

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a professional organization focused on advancing the specialty of neurological surgery. Founded in 1931, the AANS serves a membership of over 12,000 professionals worldwide, including neurosurgeons, medical students and allied health professionals. It is one of the five Continental Associations of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS), the other four being the AASNS, CAANS, EANS and FLANC. [2]

Contents

History

Attendees at the first meeting of the Harvey Cushing Society in Boston, 1932. 1932harveycushingsocietymeeting.gif
Attendees at the first meeting of the Harvey Cushing Society in Boston, 1932.

Founded in 1931, the AANS was originally known as the Harvey Cushing Society, named for the brain surgery pioneer Harvey Cushing. The creation of the society was spurred initially by R. Glen Spurling and William P. Van Wagenen [3] who, with Cushing, acknowledged the need for a venue in which younger neurosurgeons could exchange ideas on the specialty. Membership to the Society of Neurological Surgeons, the specialty's key organization during this period, was closed to younger men at this time. Spurling and Van Wagenen enlisted the help of Temple Fay and R. Eustace Semmes in the creation of the group, and on May 6, 1932, the Harvey Cushing Society held its first meeting in Boston. [3] Twenty-three people attended, many of whom were Cushing's colleagues and neurosurgical trainees.

Other charter members of the society were Gilbert Anderson, Paul C. Bucy, W. Edward Chamberlain, Leo M. Davidoff, Louise Eisenhardt, Edgar Fincher, John F. Fulton, W. James Gardner, William J. German, Franc D. Ingraham, Franklin Jelsma, Edgar Kahn, Roland Klemme, James G. Lyerly Sr., Eric Oldberg, Tracy Putnam, Frederic Schreiber, Merril C. Sosman, and Frank R. Teachenor.

The association was later renamed what it remains today: “The American Association of Neurological Surgeons,” to reflect its broader membership and mission.

Significant dates

Membership

The AANS is composed of board-certified neurosurgeons from around the world as well as medical students, neurosurgical support staff, and physicians in associated fields of practice.

Legislative advocacy

Throughout its history, the AANS has taken stances on legislative issues affecting neurosurgical professionals and their patients. Efforts include patient safety and quality improvement, tort reform, and issues relating to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. In addition to a professional staff office in Washington, D.C., the AANS maintains a member-driven Washington Committee to advocate for a number of causes. Washington staff maintains the Neurosurgery Blog which highlights the latest legislative activities affecting health care and the neurosurgical specialty.

Publications

Since 1944, the AANS has published the Journal of Neurosurgery. In addition, the quarterly AANS Neurosurgeon focuses on "issues related to legislation, workforce and practice management." [5] Each issue is centered on different themes, and past themes include humanitarian neurosurgery, neurosurgeons as patients, stereotactic radiosurgery, and neurovascular neurosurgery.

Patient information and public outreach

The AANS offers resources on its website to education patients about neurosurgical conditions and treatments. Every August, the AANS organizes Neurosurgery Awareness Month, this initiative aims to promote neurological safety and increase public understanding of critical neurosurgical conditions, including stroke prevention and treatment.

Education

The AANS offers its members a number of educational opportunities, mostly through courses held around the country at various times of the year. Topics include practice management, oral board preparation, maintenance of certification, and resident education. Course offerings also extend to mid-level practitioners such as nurses and physician assistants.

Annual meeting

The AANS has held an Annual Scientific Meeting every year since its 1932 inception except twice; in 1945 due to World War II, and in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 meeting was exclusively virtual, also due to the pandemic.

Programming includes presentations of neurological studies, seminars, workshops for practitioners at all levels, and keynote speeches. Past speakers [6] include H. Ross Perot (1987), Colin Powell (1995), George H. W. Bush (1999), Tom Brokaw (2001), Benazir Bhutto (2002), Henry Kissinger (2003), Ken Burns (2004), Walter Isaacson (2013), and Chesley Sullenberger (2013).

Neurosurgical Research and Education Foundation

Established by the AANS in 1981, the Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation provides funding for training in the neurosciences and support for career neurosurgeons. Through grants and awards, it supports medical students, residents and young neurosurgical faculty in conducting basic science, patient-oriented, clinical and outcomes research, as well as outcomes studies that protect and support neurosurgical procedures for all practicing neurosurgeons. It also funds North American and international fellowships in all neurosurgical subspecialties. [7] [8]

Neuropoint Alliance

As an effort led by the AANS with cooperation of other organized neurological associations, the Neuropoint Alliance was founded in 2008 to collect, analyze, and report clinical data from neurosurgical practices. Services include clinical trial management, study design, and survey facilitation. [9] Its first nationwide effort was the National Neurosurgery Quality and Outcomes Database. [10] [11]

AANS Award Winners

The AANS presents several major awards each year during the AANS Annual Scientific Meeting, honoring the lifetime contribution of members for their surgical, scientific and humanitarian accomplishments. [12]

Cushing Medal

AANS Distinguished Service Award

AANS Humanitarian Award

AANS Cushing Award for Technical Excellence and Innovation in Neurosurgery

AANS International Lifetime Recognition Award

References

  1. "AANS Leadership and Governance". aans.org. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  2. "About the Foundation | World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies".
  3. 1 2 Mathews, Marlon S.; Linskey, Mark E.; Binder, Devin K. (2008-02-29). "William P. van Wagenen and the first corpus callosotomies for epilepsy" . Journal of Neurosurgery. 108 (3): 608–613. doi:10.3171/JNS/2008/108/3/0608. ISSN   0022-3085. PMID   18312112.
  4. "1988 45c Harvey Cushing, M.D. – Catalog # 2188 For Sale at Mystic Stamp Company". Mysticstamp.com. 1988-06-17. Retrieved 2014-05-31.
  5. "AANS Neurosurgeon – About". Aansneurosurgeon.org. Archived from the original on 2014-05-31. Retrieved 2014-05-31.
  6. "2009 AANS Annual Meeting – Housing". Aans.org. Archived from the original on 2013-09-14. Retrieved 2014-05-31.
  7. "Medical Student Summer Research Fellowships". Neurosurgery Research & Education Foundation. NREF. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  8. "Research Fellowship Grants & Young Clinician Investigator Awards". Neurosurgery Research & Education Foundation. NREF. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  9. "NPA N²QOD". Neuropoint.org. Retrieved 2014-05-31.
  10. "NPA Home". Neuropoint.org. Archived from the original on 2014-06-30. Retrieved 2014-05-31.
  11. "Spine Patient Data Gathering of the Future: Q&A With Drs. Anthony Asher and Matthew McGirt of N2QOD". Beckersspine.com. 2013-02-04. Retrieved 2014-05-31.
  12. "AANS Award Winners".