Neurosurgery resident Brenton H. Pennicooke, MD, has been selected by the Council of State Neurosurgical Societies (CSNS) as a Socioeconomic Fellow for 2015-2016. The fellowship is intended to broaden a neurosurgery resident’s understanding of the socioeconomic issues affecting neurological surgery, to disseminate that understanding into the residency program, and to help develop the skills a neurosurgeon needs to integrate socioeconomics into his or her practice.
The CSNS is made up of members of state neurosurgical societies and functions as a joint committee of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS). It has its roots in the 1960s as a committee of the CNS, where it was charged with evaluating neurosurgery fees in the context of Medicare and a proliferation of other health insurance carriers. Today the CSNS is a collaborative organization of neurosurgeons and residents that serves as a resource and advocate on socioeconomic issues for the benefit of patients and the profession.
As a CSNS Socioeconomic Fellow, Dr. Pennicooke will participate actively in plenary sessions and on committees and will be expected to author or co-author a resolution or white paper on a relevant topic. During his fellowship year, Dr. Pennicooke will be trained in topics including the effects of socioeconomic issues on neurosurgical outcomes, the significance of billing/coding and reimbursements, and practices that deliver cost-effective neurosurgical care.
Dr. Brenton Pennicooke earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 2012 and entered the Weill Cornell neurosurgical residency program immediately thereafter. He will serve as a CSNS Socioeconomic Fellow during his fourth residency year.
