The Department of Otolaryngology’s Executive Administrator and certified physician’s assistant, Kristi Gidley, PA-C, MSHA, received a 2023 Honors Award from the American Academy of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) and officially graduated from the 2023 UAB Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA) this past month.

AAO-HNS Honor Awards recognize members every year for their active participation in a variety of activities and leadership roles. To receive an honor award, a member must earn ten volunteer service points over a minimum of five years. The point system is constructed to promote recognition of quantity, diversity, and longevity of service. Members are only able to receive a single Honor Award in their lifetime, and Gidley has been a dedicated member of AAO-HNS since 2015 as both a medical and administrative professional.

In addition to her service to AAO-HNS, Gidley recently completed the UAB Healthcare Leadership Academy, a comprehensive training program that offers guidance and leadership development opportunities for clinicians and executives who have operational and/or managerial oversight of various units at UAB.

Participants are nominated by the deans of Health Professions schools, department chairs, and directors of Joint Health Sciences and the UAB Heersink School of Medicine and carefully selected by an advisory board in order to ensure candidates meet diversity and experience standards for demanding leadership positions.

Gidley served over 80 hours of classroom participation to enhance strategic thinking and managerial skills. She also helped develop a team project that further enhances the medical and health systems as part of the required coursework.

The Department of Otolaryngology proudly recognizes Kristi Gidley for her outstanding leadership and unwavering commitment to the department and field of otolaryngology.