Art Hengerer, MD

I am a graduate of Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA and the Albany Medical College. I was a resident in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at University Hospital in Syracuse, NY, and a fellowship in Pediatric Otolaryngology at Boston Children’s Hospital and Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, MA.

My career in health care spans 40 years in multiple roles from patient care to local, state and national leadership with responsibilities in regulation and policy creation. Most of my clinical medical practice was at the University of Rochester where I served as Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology from 1981-2007. At the University I was given multiple leadership positions related to clinical services, education and operating room oversite. In early 2002 I began my interests and responsibilities in regulation when I was appointed to the NYS Medical Conduct Board and eventually chaired that Board from 2012-2019. I was elected to the Board of the Federation of State Medical Boards in 2011-2018, and Chaired the Board in 2016-2017. I serve on the National Board of Medical Examiners Advisory Board from 2017-present. The National Academy of Medicine has an Action Collaborative on Well-being and Resilience that I serve as the representative for the FSMB. The accomplishment that I am most proud of is chairing the workgroup that drafted the report on physician wellbeing at the FSMB. It was unanimously passed by the House of Delegates in 2018 and creates the guidelines for mental health questioning on state licensing applications and renewals to be limited to current impairment that is not being addressed. This has received a significant positive response from state boards and is a big step toward allowing physicians to feel safe seeking care. These various activities have led to a strong commitment to addressing burnout and wellness in clinicians, and allowed me to speak on the topic at numerous national and international venues. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the need for support of our health care workers.

I am the father of 3 children and have 8 grandchildren. My outside interests are creating stained glass pieces and enjoy golf, biking and travel in this country and abroad.