The Harvey Cushing Medal is the highest honor that the AANS can bestow. It's awarded to a AANS member for outstanding service to the association and to the neurosurgical community. This honor is even more significant in this year because it's being awarded during a meeting that celebrates the privilege of service. This year's Cushing Medalist is Dr. James Bean. Dr. Bean needs no introduction to this audience. He served neurosurgery tirelessly for over 30 years. He received a bachelor's degree in English literature from the University of Virginia in 1970 and an MD from Tulane University School of Medicine right here in New Orleans in 1974. He received his neurosurgical training at the University of Kentucky in Lexington and he's lived in that community ever since. Among his many accomplishments are advising the procedures at the Council of State Neurosurgical Societies Assembly and later chairing the CSNS. He created and chaired the AANS CNS Coding and Reimbursement Committee. He's represented neurosurgery in the American Medical Association House of Delegates. He has served as editor of and expanded the socioeconomic and political scope of the AANS Bulletin, which is now named the AANS Neurosurgeon. He chaired the Washington Committee, served as AANS Treasurer and President, and he currently chairs the Professional Conduct Committee, a vitally important and very time-consuming but often underappreciated role that he continues to fill to this day. Equally important, he's been a source of sage advice and counsel to countless colleagues over the years, myself included. There's no better example of a career devoted to the service of our specialty. The AANS is delighted to present the 2018 Harvey Cushing Medal to Dr. James Bean. I'll put it around your neck, all right. It looks good. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Golotkin. This is the honor of a lifetime, one I didn't expect. Never in all my dreams did I imagine standing alongside Charlie Drake, Charlie Wilson, Al Roden, Frank Mayfield, and all the rest of the legends you see listed here. These are the giants in neurosurgery. I'm incredibly honored, humbled, and grateful to be included among them. There's another dream I had long ago, that of belonging to the most challenging, demanding, disciplined, and respected specialty in all of medicine. And if this medal is given for special service to that specialty, it's one that I want to share at least in spirit with my peers and colleagues. Those of you who, irrespective of titles, publications, or acclaim, have devoted your lives to duty and service in communities across this country and around the world, you are the Cushing legacy. For your service, this medal is but an emblem. I confess I would not be here today without the help of countless others. And this collage is but a sampling. There are far more to mention than time allows, but I want to thank all who helped and guided me and who shared the load. And I particularly want to thank the AANS for the opportunities it's provided to me and to all of us to make the world of neurosurgery a better place. I want to express my deepest affection and appreciation to my wife, Debbie, who for 48 years has cheered my successes, endured my absences and failures, and supported me through good times and bad. She's my love, my confidant, my guiding star. Finally, I want to recognize my family here today, though all else fades and is forgotten, in the final tally they are what truly matters. UVA's new university president, Jim Ryan, wrote that the final essential question in life is this. And did you get what you wanted from this life? Even so, even so, today I can truly say I did. Thank you and farewell and welcome to New Orleans where the dream began. Thank you.

Dr. James Bean

Harvey Cushing Medal

AANS

neurosurgical community

outstanding service