EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE ON MAY 3, 2004

ORLANDO (May 3, 2004) - James R. Bean, MD, was named Treasurer of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), at the AANS Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, May 1- May 6, 2004. Dr. Bean is currently President of Neurosurgical Associates, PSC, in Lexington, Kentucky. An active member of the AANS since 1988, Dr. Bean serves as Chair of the AANS/CNS Washington Committee; Editor of the AANS Bulletin; AANS Appointee to the AANS/CNS Council of State Neurosurgical Societies (since 1999); and has served as Chair of the AANS/CNS Joint Council of State Neurosurgical Societies, Member of the Peer Review Committee (1992-95); Member of the Committee on Managed Care (1993-99); Member of the Guidelines and Outcomes Committee (1993-96); Chair of the Task Force on Quality of Neurosurgical Practice (1995-96); and Chair of the Bylaws Committee (1998-99); and a Member since 1996.

Dr. Bean completed his undergraduate work at the University of Virginia in 1970, and received his medical degree from the Tulane University School of Medicine in 1973. He completed his neurosurgical residency at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in 1980, and a research fellowship focusing on brain tumor immunology (1978) and cerebrovascular ischemia (1979), at the Institute of Neurology, National Hospital for Nervous Diseases, Gough Cooper Department of Neurological Surgery, Queen Square in London, England. Dr. Bean was board certified in 1983.

He is a member of numerous professional societies including the American College of Surgeons, American Medical Association, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Kentucky Medical Association, Kentucky Neurosurgical Society, Lexington Medical Society and the Southern Neurosurgical Society.

Dr. Bean has also published numerous journal articles and book chapters including Concepts in Neurosurgery, and was a previous editor (1994-2000) of Changing Times, a socioeconomic fax newsletter.

Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with more than 6,500 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public. All active members of the AANS are certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Neurosurgery) of Canada or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, AC. Neurological surgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the entire nervous system including the spinal column, spinal cord, brain and peripheral nerves.

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Media Representatives: If you would like to cover the meeting or interview a neurosurgeon - either on-site or via telephone - please contact the AANS Communications Department at (847) 378-0517 or call the Annual Meeting Press Room beginning Monday, May 3, at: 407/685-5408.