AHS elects first plastic surgeon as president By Paul Snyder
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s the first plastic surgeon to be named president of the American Hernia Society (AHS), ASPS past President Jeffrey Janis, MD, says he wants to seize a unique opportunity for collaboration and growth. “Plastic surgeons often talk about the erosion of our specialty as others come in and learn from or encroach upon us,” he says. “But we do have counter examples where we have the opportunity to expand our scope – not by doing the same to others, but by innovating and pushing boundaries to bridge and fulfill the gaps that exist. We are poised to pave new roads and break new ground in a Jeffrey Janis, MD multidisciplinary organization that includes both general and plastic surgeons.” Dr. Janis was named AHS president in September, the culmination of four years as part of that society’s executive committee as well as six years on the AHS Board of Governors. The mission of AHS is to not only advance the science and treatment of hernia, but also to become the worldwide authority on abdominal core health. Given plastic surgeons’ knowledge and expertise with regard to abdominal wall reconstruction, Dr. Janis says the more plastic surgeons that take part in AHS, the more that mission becomes reality. ASPS serves as the management services organization (MSO) for AHS, which Dr. Janis also says positions the specialty favorably in terms of collaboration. “With the know-how and vast experience of ASPS when it comes to registries, advocacy, member services, education, working with the FDA and dealing with a variety of regulatory matters, that wealth of organizational knowledge not only is a powerful tool for administrative efforts but, more importantly, for our patients and their safety,” he says. “The influence of ASPS since it became the MSO has been immediate – from administrative details to organizational matters and everything in between.” Innovation has been a hallmark of plastic surgery throughout the specialty’s history. Dr. Janis cites the work of luminaries and pioneers in the fields of lymphatic surgery, composite tissue allotransplantation, peripheral nerve surgery (innervated breast flaps, targeted muscle reinnervation, regenerative peripheral nerve interfaces, nerve transfers, nerve decompression surgery for headaches, etc.) and others as examples of breakthroughs that boosted plastic surgery through innovation, scope expansion and multidisciplinary approaches to patient problems. Dr. Janis says AHS has counted several notable plastic surgeons among its ranks over the years, but he wants to see additional board-certified plastic surgeons join in the coming years to foster a long-lasting, symbiotic relationship that will build bridges and foster innovation for patients and the medical community alike. “I’m very excited for the year ahead, but also for what can happen in the following years,” he says. “It’s an honor to help lead a fantastic, multidisciplinary team through this society – but I’m really looking forward to forging new paths in collaboration, providing value to members, increasing membership and educating both the current and next generations of hernia surgeons.” For more information on AHS, visit amercasherniasociety.org. PSN
Society closely monitoring harassment sites
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SPS in November was alerted by several members to efforts that target plastic surgeons by aggregating negative online reviews onto a single platform (“review sites”) followed by unsolicited offers from certain reputation management service companies to remove specific negative reviews on the member’s behalf in exchange for compensation. Members also report that some content on the review sites appears to be fabricated or misleading – yet these review sites have been unwilling to remove even the false or fabricated content. It is being alleged and reported to the Society that the review sites and certain reputation management companies soliciting affected members appear to be working in coordination. At press time, ASPS had not been able to verify any common ownership or other business relationship between the review site(s) and the reputation management firm(s), however, the Society is actively investigating the matter. Society leadership maintains that although there is value in patients sharing their experiences online, any platform involved in charging members to remove negative reviews or sharing fabricated content warrants full investigation. Given the concerns raised by mem-
bers, ASPS is reminding members to exercise caution when addressing negative online content and engaging with reputation management providers – particularly those you did not contact or to whom you did not provide your contact information. Although established online reputation management services have existed for more than a decade and can serve a legitimate business need, members are urged to scrutinize the reputation and techniques of any such service that proactively contacts your practice, and specifically identifies the sites from which they can remove negative content about you or your practice. In addition, ASPS is actively seeking information from any members who may have been targeted by, or fallen victim to, one of these practices, as part of a wider investigation into the prospect of predatory online practices impacting plastic surgeons. Any members who are aware of such harassment or who have been targeted by these practices should contact ASPS at memserv@plasticsurgery.org with any relevant information. In furtherance of its commitment to serve and protect its membership, ASPS will provide additional information to inform members on best practices and how to protect themselves as it becomes available. PSN
THE WPS 2022 ENRICHMENT RETREAT Tucson, Arizona | February 3-6, 2022
REGISTRATION IS OPEN! Register now at PlasticSurgery.org/WPSRetreat
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December 2021