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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

CMS Updates Conversion Factor for Physician Services

In early March, Congress adopted legislation that updated the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) conversion factor for…

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CMS to Provide Advanced Payments to Those Affected by the Change Healthcare Cyberattack

On Saturday, March 9, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a statement…

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Policy Update: State of the Union Address, Budget Updates

President Biden’s State of the Union Address State of the Union Transcript State of the Union Video…

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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
Learn More 

USP 797 Online Module
Learn More and Register

AAOA Educational Stacks
Next Availability - April 1, 2024

News and Updates

CEO Update, March 2024

March is such an optimistic month. (Although some may wonder this year with the extension of…

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Member Perspective on AAOA Value

by Dole Baker, MD, FAAOA Having been a long-time member of the AAOA, recent upgrades…

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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

AAOA Logo

AAOA Annual Meeting 2018

Annual Meeting Faculty

Sally E. Wenzel, MD

Sally E. Wenzel, MD is a Professor of Medicine and Immunology and Director at the University of Pittsburgh Asthma Institute at UPMC, UPMC Chair in Translational Airway Biology and Chair, at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Wenzel completed her MD degree at the University of Florida. Following her residency in internal medicine at Wake Forest University and her fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University, she spent 19 years at National Jewish and the University of Colorado before moving to the University of Pittsburgh. She received the Elizabeth Rich Award for her role in promoting women in science, the ATS Award for Scientific Achievement, the ATS Foundation Breathing for Life Award, and the ERS President’s Award. She is currently Director of the University of Pittsburgh Asthma Institute at UPMC, and Chair for the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, at the Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Wenzel has served as Deputy Editor for the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and is a frequent reviewer for the New England Journal of Medicine and other publications.

Karen Zupko

Karen Zupko is a nationally recognized speaker, writer and consultant in the otolaryngology community. She has participated in AAO-HNS annual meeting programs since 1984, taught the AAO-HNS Coding workshops for years, and taught at AAFPRS and state meetings. Karen is a known friend to the otolaryngology community, and has written articles for The Bulletin, worked with the Association of Otolaryngology Administrators, and participated in the Cherry Blossom Festival and the Windy City Symposium as a planner and speaker. Karen has contributed a chapter on referral-building for otolaryngologists to the Mosby Year Book series, and co-authored a chapter on personnel administration.

KarenZupko&Associates has worked with over 227 otolaryngology practices to improve patient satisfaction, reduce risk, save money, economize on time, and enhance revenue – legally. KZA, now 23 strong, has a unique expertise in otolaryngology practices. Prior to opening her firm in 1985, Ms. Zupko directed the American Medical Association’s Department of Practice Management. Her articles on management and marketing have been published in Hospital Physician, Physician Management and The Journal of Medical Practice Management.

Ms. Zupko is on the board of editorial consultants of Medical Economics magazine. She has served on the board of trustees of Chicago’s Grant Hospital and is active in many national organizations. Ms. Zupko is a graduate of the University of Kansas and a Chicago native.

Cheyenne Brinson, CPA, MB

Cheyenne is an innovative, solutions-oriented senior consultant with KarenZupko & Associates who delivers pragmatic business solutions that boost revenue, streamline workflow, and increase operational efficiency. “You cannot manage what you do not measure” is Cheyenne’s guiding principle, and she leverages this wisdom to make sound, databased decisions.

With a unique blend of technology know-how, training skills, operations anagement, and financial expertise, Cheyenne has helped more than one hundred surgical practices improve the bottom line. From scheduling and front desk operations, to patient flow, surgery scheduling, EHR utilization, and effective billing office processes, Cheyenne designs and implements process improvements by leveraging people and technology.

Her wizardry with most practice management systems, plus a deep knowledge of best practice workflows, makes her an in-demand advisor to practices seeking to augment their technology training and implementation. Known affectionately as “coach” to many practices, Cheyenne customizes technology training programs and delivers customer service and patient coordinator training to individuals as well as entire practice teams.

A friendly and upbeat instructor, Cheyenne draws upon her field experience to convey relevant and timely information in a way that everyone in the audience can relate to and learn from. She earns rave reviews from course attendees at the KZA ENT Coding and Reimbursement Workshops, and speaks regularly for organizations such as the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy, Association of Otolaryngology Administrators, Fuel Medical, Allmeds, and other specialty societies and industry groups.

Prior to joining KarenZupko & Associates, Cheyenne was a Director in a primary care practice where she moved the practice from operating at a loss to operating at a profit in less than one year. While there, she led an implementation team to open a clinic site fully functional on an EHR. Cheyenne also spent seven years in public accounting, providing accounting and consulting services to medical practices.

Cheyenne earned an M.B.A. and B.S. in accounting from Troy State University (now Troy University) in Troy, Alabama. She is an inductee to the Accounting Hall of Honor in recognition of her professional accomplishments. Cheyenne is president of the Fat Disorders Research Society and past president of the Illinois Medical Group Management Association.

Nick Hernandez, MBA, FACHE

Nick Hernandez, MBA, FACHE is the founder and CEO of ABISA. ABISA is an independent healthcare consultancy specializing in healthcare strategy, physician engagement, and strategic growth initiatives. ABISA can help devise and implement the strategies and processes that will allow organizations to remain competitive and solvent. The company’s client list includes physician groups, hospital systems, healthcare IT organizations, venture capitalists, private equity investment groups, and physician entrepreneurs.

Nick has extensive knowledge on matters surrounding physician engagement and has a long history of working with physician entrepreneurs. He has consulted with clients in multiple countries and has over 20 years of leadership and operations experience. He is Board Certified in Healthcare Management and has been named a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Daniel F. Shay, Esq.

Daniel F. Shay is an attorney with Alice G. Gosfield and Associates, P.C. His practice is restricted to health law and health care regulation focusing primarily on physician representation, fraud and abuse compliance, Medicare Part B reimbursement, and HIPAA compliance in the physician context. He also has a keen interest in intellectual property issues, including copyright, trademark, data control, and confidentiality. He has also focused his attention on provider control of commerce in data, electronic health records license agreements, physician advertising, enrollment in Medicare, quality reporting and quality measurement, physician use of non-physician practitioners, and physician use of social media. He speaks publicly and has published on all of these topics.

He also regularly speaks to resident physicians on what to expect in their employment contracts. Mr. Shay received his Bachelor of Science degree cum laude in 2000 from Vanderbilt University and his juris doctorate degree from Emory University School of Law in 2003. Mr. Shay is admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar, is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association, and is the Vice Chair of Educational Programs for the American Health Lawyers Association’s Physicians and Physician Organization Practice Group.

Kristin Vaughn, CPC, CGCS, CMSCS, CPMA, ICDCT-CM

Kristin is a national consultant with over 15 years of coding and billing experience. This includes Gastroenterology, Pulmonary, Critical Care, Immunology/Rheumatology, Hematology, and Hospitalist specialties, plus seminar instruction, auditing and on-site consulting. Her background includes extensive experience in a teaching university. She currently is a full-time consultant/trainer with AskMueller Consulting, LLC. Her presentations have included organizations such as AGA and ASGE. She is a Certified Professional Medical Auditor and Certified ICD-10 trainer. She is the co-author of several workbooks and programs specific to Gastroenterology. She also answers the coding hotline for ASGE.

Join Us In Philly

AAOA Members

As an association we are always looking for more and better ways to help our Members get and stay engaged, and to expand and enrich their network of peers.  To that end, for 2018, we are introducing a new Member benefit for all renewing AAOA Members and Member Candidates: FREE Registration for the 2018 AAOA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA!

Registration Price List

Fellow MemberFREE
Associate MemberFREE
International MemberFREE
NP/PA MemberFREE
Resident/Fellow-In-Training MemberFREE
All Member CandidatesFREE
Non-Member $795.00
One Day Pass
$495.00

Member Candidate

*A Member Candidate must have completed the membership application before the Application Deadline (45 days prior to the annual business meeting, approximately July 31st). Learn More

Cancellation Policy

Registration fees are non-transferable. Refunds for paid registrations (less a 50% administration fee) may be considered for cancellations received in writing by the AAOA prior to August 14, 2018.

Cancellations received after August 14, 2018 are non-refundable. 

If you have a disability or require assistance during the course, contact the AAOA at 202-955-5010 or meetings@aaoallergy.org.

Join the AAOA

As an AAOA member, you will be eligible for registration fee discounts on all AAOA CME functions, including free Annual Meeting (please contact AAOA for details), and all of our patient education and practice management resources. These savings alone can offset most or all of your dues.
Join Today!

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