American urological association

2023

Annual Report

Advocacy
Through November 16, raised $80,270 in AUAPAC donations and supported 22 candidates that champion urologic advocacy priorities
Held 6th Annual Urology Advocacy Summit with more than 270 attendees and 180 Capitol Hill visits
Submitted two Congressional Requests for Information (RFIs) on the need to improve the physician workforce shortage, particularly in rural parts of the United States
Secured AUA-led Overactive Bladder Report Language in the Fiscal Year 2024 Departments of Labor, Health, and Human Services Appropriations Bill
Hosted Kidney Cancer Impact Alliance, Prostate Cancer Impact Alliance, and Bladder Health Alliance in-person meetings and Hill days at AUA Headquarter and DC offices
Met with the Health Resources Services Administration’s National Center for Health Workforce Analysis to discuss AUA-NCHWA collaboration to fight the impending urology workforce shortage
Collaborated with key stakeholders to meet with the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Chair and the MedPAC Executive Director on increase transparency and prioritization timeliness and the need to associate physician payment with the Medicare Economic Index
Worked with legislators to introduce federal legislation in the House of Representatives to form a loan repayment program for specialty physicians practicing in rural areas (H.R. 2761)
Met with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to advocate for 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule provisions including accepting the RUC valuation of urology codes, expanding telehealth flexibilities, and mitigating cuts to the Conversion Factor
Education
Education and International Programs
104
Office of Education committee members
110
accredited educational activities including launch of leadership and business education track at AUA2023
28,468
hours of CME claimed through AUAUniversity
75
international leadership meetings
65
international educational activities including those in Spanish and Portuguese
19
academic exchange and visiting scholars (4 from USA, 15 international)
8
international resident scholars (from Brazil, India, Japan)
8
countries and residents participated in the AUA Resident Bowl Competition
12
international society affiliate meetings at AUA2023
1,476,252
questions answered in SASP app
191,564
page views of AUA Urology Core Curriculum
2,188
participants in the 2022 In-Service and OKAT exams
15,154
downloads of the Update Series AudioBook
291,125
AUAUniversity podcast plays
570,956
total video plays on AUAUniversity YouTube channel
AUA Annual Meeting

The AUA welcomed more than 13,000 attendees to Chicago, representing more than 100 countries around the globe!

2,320
Abstracts Presented
223
Plenary Speakers
285
Instructional Course Faculty
364
Program Moderators

AUA2023 featured an array of innovative sessions, including:

Research

Launched the Innovation Nexus, a urology incubator powered by the AUA, at the inaugural Innovation Nexus Conference in April 2023 prior to the AUA Annual Meeting in Chicago. It was attended by over 250 entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, investors, and urologists focused on urologic discovery.

Held the first Innovation Nexus Boot Camp in September 2023 at AUA Headquarters to train and mentor urologists interested in taking their ideas for urologic innovation to reality.

Awarded the first Boston Scientific Medical Student Innovation Fellowship to fund a 12-month research project for a medical student from a group underrepresented in urology and interested in translating urology research into innovation.

Hosted the 11th annual Early Career Investigators Workshop at AUA Headquarters to help promising urologic researchers develop grant writing skills.

Held the first Independent Practice Research Symposium at the 2023 AUA Annual Meeting to highlight the valuable work of research performed in independent practice settings. This symposium will continue as an annual event sponsored by the AUA Office of Research.

2023 Office of Research Awards
66

researchers supported

34

new grants issued

$1.3

million in grant funding to new awardees

50%

women awardees

21%

Underrepresented in Medicine (URM) awardees

Data
AUA Annual Census
  • Over 4,100 respondents completed the 2023 Annual AUA Census, including more than 400 residents. The 2023 Census report will be available online in 2024.

  • The 9th census report State of Urology Workforce and Practice in the United States 2022 was released this year.

  • Two supplementary census reports are in development, including one on Advanced Practice Providers in the United States and another on international urologists.

Explore the Census Reports
AUA Statistical Services
  • Provided statistical services support on 13 projects.

  • 48 peer-reviewed articles published based on statistical services projects or AQUA and Census data on a variety of topics including smoking cessation, gender diversity in residency cohorts, differential treatment and practice limitations, and factors influencing medical students’ pursuit of urology.

  • The American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) developed their first ever workforce survey and report using the AUA census as a guide and statistical services for analysis of their salary and rurality data.

Data Research Program
  • AUA Data Research Program re-launched in May 2023 with six projects to be awarded in January 2024. Four projects will use data from the AUA Census and two projects will use data from the AQUA Registry.

  • 43 letters of intent were received. 18 were invited to submit a full application and all 18 submitted a proposal.

AQUA
  • The AUA Quality Registry (AQUA) was approved by CMS as a Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) for the 2023 MIPS reporting year.

  • AQUA now includes 56 physician performance measures, including 19 measures that are urology-relevant.

  • AQUA now includes more than 12 million unique patients in the AQUA Registry with various urologic conditions and more than 95 million patient encounters.

LEADERSHIP & BUSINESS

In 2022, the AUA launched the AUA Institute for Leadership & Business (ILB), an initiative dedicated to providing education, training and resources to support leadership development and business acumen within the urology community. In 2023, the AUA launched a number of programs and activities within the ILB which offered valuable business and leadership training for our members. This year’s highlights include:

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

The AUA is committed to the leadership development of its members, at all stages of their career. In 2023, the AUA launched a new Global Residents Leadership Retreat, welcoming 40 residents from around the world to a full day of leadership training at the AUA Annual Meeting in Chicago. The retreat received universal acclaim from participants and our international partners around the world, and will be held again at AUA2025 in Las Vegas. In 2023, the AUA also expanded the size of its venerated Leadership Program, adding an additional eight participants to this esteemed roster. At the 2024 Annual Meeting, the AUA will graduate its 10th Leadership Class.

LEADERSHIP & BUSINESS EDUCATION

From live courses to on-demand webcasts and podcasts, the AUA’s leadership and business educational offerings cover the topics most relevant to urologists and urology practice professionals. In 2023, the AUA launched a new ILB Track at AUA2023 in Chicago which featured seven courses on topics that included perspectives in successful leadership, compensation models, time efficiency and productivity hacks, and more. The AUA also launched a new Leadership & Business Podcast which features monthly interviews on a stimulating array of topics, with series on contract negotiations, personal finance, and advancing women in urology. The ILB podcast saw more than 5,000 downloads in 2023, underscoring our members’ interest in the topics of leadership and business.

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT & CODING

The AUA recognizes the critical value of the practice team, and in 2023, the AUA expanded its coding education, launching AUA CodingPlus, a new quarterly virtual subscription that tackles the latest coding issues impacting urology. The AUA also hosted its two-day Practice Management & Coding Program, an annual event that explores practice management and coding topics. In 2024, the AUA will make changes to its Practice Managers’ Network (PMN), making it a FREE subscription. The PMN will now offer free subscriptions to the AUA publications like the PMN e-news, plus discounts to AUA’s practice management and coding activities.

Membership
In 2023, AUA had more than 25,000 members representing 138 countries around the globe!
Our members are at the core of everything we do!

Our members volunteer countless hours each year to support the AUA mission, and their tireless efforts are critical to the work we do.

In 2023, 500+ member volunteers served on 50+ Councils, Committees and Workgroups.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I)

The initial year of the AUA's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee was a tremendous success! The committee progressed on its path to accomplish all 13 Board of Directors-approved AUA D&I Task Force recommendations. One of the main goals of this committee is to nurture the pipeline initiatives that give Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) and Underrepresented in Urology (URiU) medical trainees (students, residents, and other early-career urologists) more opportunities to succeed in urology, and one of the committee’s greatest accomplishments this year was the launch of the FUTURE in Urology Program (Future Urology Talent from Under-Represented Entities). FUTURE is a comprehensive incubator program designed to support the pipeline, mentorship, and promotion of pre-clinical and third-year medical students and urology trainees who self-identify as URiM and URiU. The FUTURE program held an inaugural FUTURE Day at AUA2023 in Chicago which welcomed 40 medical students to Chicago for a day of shadowing and mentoring. This unique, one-day event allowed mentees to learn more about the practice of urology and network with medical students, residents, urologists, and program directors.  The program also provided an extraordinary opportunity for URiM and URiU students to make greater connections in urology.

In the year ahead, the AUA’s DE&I committee will continue to expand their engagement and mentorship efforts with plans to host another FUTURE Day at the 2024 Annual Meeting in San Antonio, as well as a FUTURE Day at the 2024 Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC.  The committee has launched a virtual mentoring and affinity group communication platform and will also launch a new grants initiative to support the missions and growth of nonprofit urology pipeline programs across the United States.

2023 Urology Residency Match

145 registered and accredited training programs

500+ match participants

143 positions filled

75% overall match rate

81% match rate for female applicants

73% match rate for male applicants

11.5% matched applicants were Latino, Hispanic or of Spanish origin (up from 7.4% in 2022)

2024 Urologic Fellowship Matches

Andrology, Endourology, Urologic Oncology, Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgery and Pediatric Urology.

166 fellowship programs

192 total vacancies

160 total vacancies matched

234 applicants submitting lists

160 applicants matched

Guidelines

New Guidelines on Early Detection of Prostate Cancer and Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma were released in 2023 in addition to updates to Advanced Prostate Cancer, Stress Urinary Incontinence, Urethral Stricture, Testicular Cancer, and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.

Guidelines were featured in nine Journal of Urology® publications for 2023.

The Guidelines website saw over 1.2 million visitors for 2023.

The W.P. Didusch Center for Urologic History

The W.P. Didusch Center examined the effect of war on urology in the 2023 History Exhibit Battlefield Urology, curated by Dr. Mark Edney (retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, AUA Public Policy Chair). The booth included nine presentations by prominent urologists in the field including Arthur Burnett, MD, who spoke on Successful Penile Transplantation in a Military Veteran.

The AUA Forum on the History of Urology included 13 Posters and 20 Podium presentations and hosted 144 attendees. Highlights included the History Forum Debate on Triage in War – When Economics and Resources are Limited: Allies vs Enemies, Military vs Civilians (won by debater Timothy Donahue, MD) and the Annual Frank Bicknell History of Urology Oration given by Dr Steven Hudak on Battlefield Genitourinary Injury: Past, Present, and Future.

The 2023 AUA Earl Nation Retrospectroscope Award was presented to Elizabeth Ellis, MD for A Knight’s Threat: Was the Use of a Codpiece for Protection or for Exertion of Masculinity: and its Reemergence in Modern Times. Honorable Mention was awarded to Thomas Osinski, MD for Refurbishing a Rusty Cystoscope into the Retrospectroscope Award.

AUA Historian-Elect, Dr. John Phillips of New York, was introduced to the Committee.  Now working with AUA Historian Ron Rabinowitz, Dr. Phillips will take over the reins of the History Committee following the 2024 AUA Annual Meeting.

Publications

AUA’s Publications celebrated a banner year in 2023, and our publishing portfolio, which includes The Journal of Urology® (JU), Urology Practice® (UPJ), JU Open Plus (JUOP), and AUANews, continues to serve the urologic community as the definitive and collective voice of urology.

In 2023, The Journal of Urology® continued to lead urology in overall citations and social media followers, and the publication’s Journal Impact Factor remained strong. JU launched an innovative new Pathway to Publication program this year, which identified top-rated AUA2023 abstracts and invited authors to submit full-length research articles on those topics for rapid review consideration. The program was a tremendous success, with 11 manuscripts publishing simultaneously with their abstract presentations at the 2023 AUA Annual Meeting. Because of this program’s success, it will be extended to Urology Practice® and JU Open Plus in 2024.

Urology Practice® was indexed by the National Library of Medicine in 2023, and all articles since its initial publication in 2014 are now indexed. Since achieving this milestone, original submissions have nearly tripled, and UPJ received its first ever Journal Impact Factor. In the year ahead, UPJ will continue to focus on expanding the global reach of this publication.

JU Open Plus had an amazing first year of publication in 2023. JUOP is an online-only, continuously published Open Access journal, with fully composed articles added to a monthly issue. The publication has benefitted from cascaded transfer submissions from JU and UPJ and received original submissions from all over the world.

AUANews welcomed a new editor this year, Dr. Stacy Tanaka, who will continue to grow AUANews as a dynamic digital ecosystem and the premier online source for all things urology. AUANews now publishes 24 issues per year (12 print, 12 online-only), and the digital footprint of AUANews saw tremendous growth in 2023, introducing an array of multimedia content, including the AUANewsWorthy Webinar series and AUANews Inside Tract podcast.  AUANews.net is now urology’s #2 most visited site. AUANews published five focus issues in 2023, including issues on Prostate Cancer, Diversity, Focal Therapy, Clinical Trials and Humanitarianism.  In 2024, AUANews will publish its first focus issue on the Global State of Urology.

Quality & Measurement

Hosted AUA’s QI Summit Tackling Telehealth: Improving Quality and Access by Integrating Virtual Care in Urology

Awarded a grant from the Council of Medical Specialty Societies to promote diagnostic excellence and health equity in urology

Posted four new Engage with Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (E-QIPS) guides

Developed the 2023 MIPS Toolkit

Participated in a multi-stakeholder collaboration to draft a MIPS Value Pathway (MVP) for Urology

Formed workgroup to measure and address disparities in urologic care

Presented E-QIPS webinar Using Lean Methodology to Increase Clinic Efficiency

FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP

As a membership organization, we recognize our members trust us to be strong financial stewards of their dues dollars. Our commitment to the urologic community’s goals – combined with responsible financial investments – helps to ensure the AUA will be here to support the specialty and a community for decades to come.

2023 Revenue
Annual Meeting (15,623,833)
38%
Publications (6,723,603)
16%
Membership (7,385,735)
18%
Education & International Programs (6,664,378)
16%
Public Policy and Advocacy (210,765)
1%
Research (734,545)
2%
Science & Quality (1,817,165)
4%
Other (Misc & G&A) (1,626,829)
4%
Total (40,786,853)
100%
2023 Expenses
Annual Meeting (9,078,423)
23%
Publications (3,562,834)
9%
Membership (3,837,863)
10%
Education & International Programs (7,459,375)
19%
Public Policy and Advocacy (4,247,600)
11%
Research (2,051,086)
5%
Science & Quality (6,928,948)
17%
Other (Misc & G&A) (2,509,425)
6%
Total (39,675,555)
100%
Urology Care Foundation

The Urology Care Foundation is the official foundation of the American Urological Association and is powered by the trusted experts and members of the AUA. UCF’s goal is to be the leader in improving health care for urologic patients worldwide by supporting research, providing education and advancing humanitarian initiatives. This year was filled with accomplishments to help us fulfill that goal.

Research

Our investigator award programs are essential to the development of young urology researchers and provide critical support to develop the field’s future research leaders (to date we have funded over 950 young scientists). This year the Foundation:

  • Supported 66 researchers with 34 new grants issued

  • Provided more than $1.3 million in new grants funded to support early-career urologists pursuit of discoveries and breakthroughs in patient care. New awardee’s included 50% women and 21% from racial/ethnic communities underrepresented in medicine.

  • Honored six outstanding researchers in their life-long commitment to urology research with the annual Research Awards of Distinction

  • Awarded the inaugural recipient of the brand-new Boston Scientific Medical Student Innovation Award Program.

Patient Education

The Foundation continues to grow as the single largest repository in the world for urologic patient education aligned with current AUA clinical guidelines. This year the Foundation:

  • Welcomed more than 14 million page views to our website, Urologyhealth.org, providing access to more than 800 pieces of physician-led patient education for patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers. This collection remains the single largest library of urology-specific patient education in the world.

  • Expanded its global presence with patient education pieces in 11 languages aiming to reach those facing urologic cancers and conditions. This allows individuals across the globe to access patient education content they otherwise might not be able to.

  • Added 50 patient-friendly Care Blogs

  • Introduced 15 new podcast episodes to include the release of 4 new podcast videos.

Humanitarian Support

The Foundation recognizes and supports the work of urologists who are making outstanding contributions to improve urologic health in underserved areas both within and outside the U.S., This year the Foundation:

  • Awarded the Humanitarian Recognition Award to Serigne M. Gueye, MD, for improving the lives of patients throughout Africa, for excellence in urologic training, and collaboration with international organizations and academic centers around the world.

  • Awarded 6 Humanitarian grants to individuals providing direct urologic patient care to underserved communities both inside the United States and internationally.

  • Launched the Health Equity Fellowship designed to train early career urologists passionate about humanitarian work within the United States so they may be effective in engaging with diverse communities, especially those most marginalized.

Learn More About Our Global Mission
TEAM

Nearly 24,000 individuals make up the AUA, but our Sections, Specialty Societies and International Partners are building blocks that help strengthen our community. Thank you to all of our 2023 partners and supporters!

AUA Sections
Mid-Atlantic
New England
New York
North Central
Northeastern
South Central
Southeastern
Western
Specialty Societies
Engineering and Urology Society (E&U)
Geriatric Urological Society (GUS)
Indian American Urological Association (IAUA)
R. Frank Jones Urological Society (RFJUS)
Research on Calculus Kinetics Society (R.O.C.K.)
Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA)
Society for Basic Urologic Research (SBUR)
Society for Fetal Urology (SFU)
Society for Infection and Inflammation in Urology (SII)
Society for the Study of Male Reproduction (SSMR)
Society of Academic Urologists (SAU)
Society of Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgeons (GURS)
Society for Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction (SUFU)
Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO)
Society of Women in Urology (SWIU)
The Societies for Pediatric Urology (SPU)
Urologic Society for Transplantation and Renal Surgery (USTRS)
International Programs and Societies
North/Central America
Asociación Costarriense de Cirugia Urologica
Asociación Guatemalteca de Urología
Asociación Hondureña de Urología
Asociación Nicaragüense de Urología
Asociación Salvadoreña de Urología
Asociación Urologica Centro America y el Caribe
Canadian Urological Association
Caribbean Urological Association
Colegio Mexicano de Urología Nacional
Global Association for the Support of Haitian Urology
Indian American Urological Association
Jamaica Urological Society
Sociedad Cubana de Urología
Sociedad Dominicana de Urología
Sociedad Mexicana de Urología
Sociedad Panameña de Urología
Societe Haitienne D’Urologie
Societe Internationale d'Urologie
South America
Confederación Americana de Urología
Sociedad Argentina de Urología
Sociedad Boliviana de Urología
Sociedade Brasileira de Urología
Sociedad Chilena de Urología
Sociedad Colombiana de Urología
Sociedad Ecuatoriana de Urología
Sociedad Peruana de Urología
Sociedad Uruguaya de Urología
Sociedad Venezolana de Urologia
Europe
Asociación Española de Urología
Associação Lusófona de Urologia
Associação Portuguesa de Urologia
Association Francaise d'Urologie
British Association of Urological Surgeons
Deutsche Gessellschaft für Urologie
European Association of Urology
Hibernian Urology Society
International Continence Society
Polish Urological Association
Societá Italiana di Urologia
Asia/Middle East
Arab Association of Urology
Asian Urological Surgery Training and Education Group
Bangladesh Association of Urological Surgeons
Chinese Urological Association
Chinese Urological Doctors Association
Egyptian Urological Association
Emirates Urological Society
Japanese Urological Association
Korean Urological Association
Kuwait Urological Association
l’Association Marocaine d’Urologie
Maghrebine Federation of Urology
Malaysian Urological Association
Pan Arab Continence Society
Society of Urological Surgery in Turkey
Thai Urological Association
Turkish Association of Urology
Urological Association of Asia
Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand
Urological Society of India
Vietnam Urology and Nephrology Association
Africa
Egyptian Urological Association
Pan African Urological Surgeons Association
Australia
Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand
AUA Board of Directors
Officers
Randall B. Meacham, MD
President
Stephen Y. Nakada, MD
President-elect
Edward M. Messing, MD, FACS
Immediate Past President
David F. Penson, MD, MPH
Secretary
Thomas F. Stringer, MD, FACS
Treasurer
Michael T. Sheppard, CPA, CAE
Chief Executive Officer
Section Representatives
Kurt A. McCammon, MD
Mid-Atlantic Section
Arthur E. Tarantino, MD
New England Section
Reza Ghavamian, MD
New York Section
James C. Ulchaker, MD, FACS
North Central Section
Hassan Razvi, MD, FRCSC
Northeastern Section
Damara L. Kaplan, MD, PhD
South Central Section
Glenn M. Preminger, MD
Southeastern Section
Christopher R. Porter, MD
Western Section
Councils, Committees & Editorial Boards
The AUA is thankful for the more than 600 urologists who volunteered on 38 AUA Councils, Committees and Editorial Boards in 2023. The steadfast commitment of our volunteers and staff help us deliver on our mission and promise as we advance urology around the world.
Education
Education Council
Advanced Practice Providers Committee
Leadership & Business Education Committee
Medical Student Education Committee
New Technologies & Imaging Committee
Update Series Editorial Committee
Urology Core Curriculum Committee
Urologic Video Education Committee
Publications
AUANews Editorial Committee
Publications Committee
The Journal of Urology® Editorial Board
JU Open Plus Editorial Board
Urology Practice® Editorial Board
Research
Research Council
Research Education, Conferences & Communications Committee
Research Grants & Investigative Support Committee
Science & Quality
Science & Quality Council
Data Committee
Practice Guidelines Committee
Quality Improvement & Patient Safety Committee
Public Policy
Public Policy Council
Coding & Reimbursement Committee
Legislative Affairs Committee
Research Appropriations Committee
State Advocacy Committee
Membership
Section Secretaries Membership Council
History Committee
International Members Committee
Residents & Fellows Committee
Young Urologists Committee
Governance
AUA/AUAER Board of Directors
Awards Committee
Bylaws Committee
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Finance Committee
Judicial & Ethics Committee
Public Media Committee