Growing Challenges

We are committed to providing the highest possible quality of services and programs to our members. However, over the past few years, the Academy's costs have been growing, making it increasingly expensive to maintain a high level of services, programs, and resources.

Annual membership dues provide critical support for essential programs. However, dues alone do not provide the revenue necessary to sustain and strengthen services and programs for the Academy and its Foundation. For example, in 2008, member dues accounted for only 29 percent of projected revenue. Additional revenue was derived from meeting fees, individual support, publications, product and program sales, royalties, and investment income. Corporate support has also previously provided vital funding for research, resident travel grants, and medical education. However, this source is also diminishing due to the pressure of governmental regulators.

Meanwhile, the landscape of medicine is changing at a rapid pace. The otolaryngology specialty will need to address critical issues in the near future, including a need for more:

• evidence-based medicine, quality-based purchasing, patient safety, and error-reduction initiatives;
• research grant support;
• travel grants that enable future leaders of the specialty to participate in educational and leadership meetings;
• high-quality continuing education for medical professionals;
• resources to react to global health issues that require ENT care; and
• inexpensive, high-quality medical care and health literacy for poverty-stricken communities around the world. The Academy and Foundation must respond to these changes and needs by consistently creating new programs and knowledge resources. However, these resources can only be sustained long-term with additional funding.