ALBANY, NY, October 20, 2026 – Albany ENT & Allergy Services, PC (AENT) proudly announces that Gavin Setzen, MD, FACS, FAAOA, FARS, its President and CEO, has received the 2026 Otolaryngology Private Practice Section (OPPS) Spirit of Private Practice Award from the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS).
Dr. Setzen was honored on Sunday at the OPPS General Assembly during the 2026 AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in Los Angeles. The annual award recognizes leadership, business acumen and contributions to the sustainability of private practice, including growth, innovation, quality patient care, advocacy, collaboration and staff development.
Dr. Setzen has led AENT since 1997, guiding its growth into the Capital Region’s most comprehensive and successful independent otolaryngology practice. AENT recently opened its third clinical office in Saratoga Springs and provides comprehensive ENT and related specialty care throughout New York’s Capital Region.
“Private practice has been at the center of my professional life for nearly three decades, making this recognition particularly meaningful,” said Dr. Setzen. “Independent practices can combine exceptional care with innovation and the ability to evolve with healthcare. I’m proud of what our physicians, providers and staff have built at Albany ENT and am honored by this recognition from the Academy.”
Nora Perkins, MD, AENT Senior Partner, nominated Dr. Setzen for the award. She serves as First Vice Chair of AAO-HNS OPPS and Chair of its Business of Medicine Committee.
“Gavin embodies this award,” said Dr. Perkins. “He has shown that independent practice can be innovative and sophisticated while remaining focused on patients, physicians and communities. He has helped AENT grow while preserving the autonomy that makes private practice valuable and has spent decades advocating nationally for its future.”
Dr. Setzen is a Past President of AAO-HNS, where his leadership roles have included Secretary-Treasurer, service on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee, and Chair of the Board of Governors. In 2021, he was an inaugural inductee into the AAO-HNS Hall of Distinction as a “living legend,” one of the Academy’s highest honors. His additional Academy honors include the Distinguished Service Award, Committee Excellence Award and Board of Governors Chair Award.
He currently serves as a Director of the American Board of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and Clinical Professor of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery at Albany Medical College. His research includes NIH-supported work and patents related to cerumen-based biochemical diagnostics for Ménière’s disease, and he has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications.
Drew Franklin, MBA, FACMPE, AENT Chief Strategy Officer, joined Dr. Setzen in Los Angeles for the presentation.
“I’ve seen how deeply Gavin believes in private practice—not simply as a business model, but as a way for physicians to remain accountable to patients, their people and communities,” Franklin said. “Watching his peers recognize work so central to his life was an incredibly special moment. Albany ENT reflects his belief that an independent practice can grow and deliver sophisticated care without losing its independence or identity.”
About Albany ENT & Allergy Services
Albany ENT & Allergy Services is comprehensive practice, including an onsite surgical center and urgent care center, devoted to the care of adults and children with disorders of the ear, nose, throat, head and neck. With locations in Albany, Clifton Park, and Saratoga Springs open to serve the Capital Region, the practice specializes in allergy diagnosis, immunotherapy, sinus, nasal, parathyroid, and thyroid surgeries, as well as sleep medicine.