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Candidate for NAN President-Elect
Trevor A. Hall, Psy.D.
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Candidate Statement:
I am delighted to be nominated for the position of NAN President. My involvement with NAN began as a student presenting a poster at the 2004 annual conference. I felt welcomed, valued, and supported by the NAN membership. I left the conference feeling inspired about the future of neuropsychology and my chosen career path. Years later, I am still inspired by neuropsychology’s impact on patients across the lifespan, and NAN’s efforts promoting innovation, education, and inclusiveness in the field!
My service within NAN has been varied, meaningful, and instructive. In 2018, I first volunteered with NAN on its Membership Committee before being invited to the Professional Affairs & Information Committee (PAIC) in 2019. In 2022, I was selected to serve as co-Chair of the PAIC. Also, I have been privileged to serve on a team of NAN representatives over the past three years during the annual NAN Day on the Hill meetings in Washington, DC.
I am routinely appreciative of NAN’s many outreach efforts, particularly related to its vision for neuropsychology at large and its tireless support of multifaceted member initiatives such as (but not limited to) the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access Taskforce, the BrainWise digital magazine, Leadership Ambassador Development Program, Summits, the various educational offerings, Clinical Research Grants Program, and high-level political advocacy. These examples establish NAN as a leading organization for advancing neuropsychology. I will nurture these and new efforts by collaboratively working with various stakeholders to address the needs of our profession.
To effectively further NAN’s agendas, I bring diverse professional experience in clinical service (academic medicine and private practice settings), teaching/training (graduate students, interns, and postdoctoral fellows), programmatic research (NIH and foundation funded), advocacy, forensics, and test development. Currently, I am a Pediatric Neuropsychologist at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Doernbecher Children’s Hospital and a Professor of Pediatrics in the Divisions of Pediatric Psychology and Pediatric Critical Care. At OHSU, I serve as the Associate Director for the Pediatric Critical Care and Neurotrauma Recovery Program (PCCNRP)— its multiple lines of clinical service and research lab, integrating neuropsychology into complex medical care longitudinally. I also served as a co-Training Director at OHSU from 2016-2023.
My history of broad professional activities, effective administrative skills, and innovative thinking demonstrate my ability to promote the various professional foci of NAN members’ needs. I recognize the role is demanding, but serving as NAN President would be a great honor.
Dr. Hall is a member of the following organizations:
- National Academy of Neuropsychology (fellow)
- American Academy of Pediatric Neuropsychology (fellow)
- International Neuropsychological Society (professional membership)
- Pediatric Neurocritical Care Research Group (professional membership)
- American Psychological Association (professional membership)
Candidate Positions on the Issues:
How does your background qualify you for this office?
My diverse professional experiences have taught me many valuable lessons in leadership. My career has concentrated on solving problems by collaboratively developing novel clinical programs in both academic medicine and private practice settings, and conducting research aimed at improving the lives of children with complex health conditions. Enthusiasm for a career focused on problem-solving has led me to push the limits of our field’s traditions by developing novel integrated service lines and clinical measures to improve patient care and outcomes.
The real-world leadership experiences mentioned above have taught me lessons on how to: 1) lead through listening while authentically supporting others to achieve their goals; 2) solve high-stakes problems via teamwork; 3) cultivate relational connectivity among an eclectic mix of professionals; and 4) engage challenges with a strong mix of optimism, integrity, tenacity, flexibility, and committed effort. I aspire to be a lifelong learner, embracing challenges and differing perspectives. Therefore, if elected, I commit to approaching the responsibility of being NAN President with all the lessons mentioned here on full display.
For NAN, I have served on the Membership Committee, the PAIC, and as a member on NAN’s advocacy teams in Washington, DC. I currently serve as co-Chair of the PAIC, and as such, I participate in NAN’s Extended Board meetings each year, providing experience with NAN’s mission and challenges. If elected, I will unapologetically utilize the robust leadership experience represented on the NAN Board of Directors, including past Presidents and NAN committee Chairs to further push our field forward.
What do you see as the major challenges to neuropsychology in the next 5 years? How do you believe NAN, under your leadership, can be effective in meeting these challenges?
Like other healthcare fields over the last five years, neuropsychology has needed to rapidly modify traditional practice and embrace technology to better meet the needs of providers and patients. However, doing so with science-informed thoughtfulness is paramount. As has been demonstrated, NAN members are adept at nimbly embracing technology and its use in practice (e.g., COVID and telehealth initiatives). As such, I will support empirically based public statements, presentations, guidelines, and publications focused on advances in technology that already impact or have the potential to impact neuropsychology.
Another challenge is showing our worth. Regardless of our opinions, structures such as value-based care are here, as are quality reporting programs like the merit-based incentive payment system (MIPS). While we excel at generating data to inform care and conduct research, we have not leveraged those data to effectively showcase our value in fostering improved patient-centered outcomes or cost-effectiveness to healthcare systems. Although progress is happening, if neuropsychology is going to maintain relevance in the ever-expanding world of holistic health, we must innovatively evolve; fortunately, we have the knowledge-base and unique skillset to do so effectively.
It is also important to focus effort on related issues such as: 1) growing a neuropsychology workforce that more accurately represents the diverse populations we serve by implementing plans from the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access Task Force; 2) engaging the public more effectively around neuroscience and our profession; and 3) advocating for regular updates to training and education guidelines, including maintaining rigorous training in brain-behavior relationships.
How would you promote professional practice?
The promotion of professional practice is important. As a Professor of Pediatrics in an academic medical center, I regularly see patients in both inpatient and ambulatory settings, I co-lead a programmatic research lab, and I supervise/mentor trainees (I was a co-Training Director from 2016-2023). Moreover, I periodically serve as an expert witness, am involved with test development, and have had experience co-developing and managing a large private practice. All these past and present professional roles have provided skills and perspectives that will be assets in helping me appreciate and foster the eclectic professional areas represented by NAN members.
Another asset I bring is the networking skill the PAIC has afforded. The PAIC— an amazing assembly of NAN members passionate about advancing neuropsychology— seeks to develop/provide practice-related information and resources, professionally advocate on behalf of our field, promote neuropsychology by interacting with local and national organizations directly impacting our profession, and educate the public regarding neuropsychology’s role in healthcare.
I have enjoyed representing the PAIC at meetings in Washington, DC to advance the status of neuropsychology, promote reimbursement increases, and improve access for patients via changes in trainee reimbursement policies, telehealth, and workforce expansion. Each of these target areas remains important for NAN to advance in the coming years, and if I am elected as NAN President, the priorities of PAIC will be central areas of focus. Relatedly, the great work being conducted within the PAIC’s unofficial “partner committee”, the Legislative Action & Advocacy Committee (LAAC), will also be enthusiastically supported.
How do you plan to bridge science and practice?
Building bridges from science to practice to policy is a focus of my daily work. As a clinical researcher, I often lead the development, validation, and methodological utilization of contemporary baseline and outcome measures in complex medical populations (adult and pediatric). I currently co-lead an NIH and foundation funded research lab focused on characterizing and optimizing outcomes for pediatric intensive care unit survivors and their families. As part of this work, I have built collaborative bridges between medical care in the hospital and outpatient clinics, as well as my state’s Departments of Education and Developmental Disability Services to promote successful community reintegration for patients and families. Recently, experience in this area led to co-writing a United States Congressional Brain Injury Task Force Newsletter article (on behalf of NAN) about the importance of neuropsychology in caring for children with acquired brain injury.
NAN is well-positioned to continue informing relevant stakeholders about neuropsychology and its importance in healthcare. Therefore, working to continue showcasing the empirical basis of neuropsychology and its important clinical contributions to the healthcare landscape will be top priorities for me if elected NAN President.
In addition, I will seek to further engage with NAN members involved in novel care models, with goals to advance the empirical science in areas such as (but not limited to) integrated neuropsychological care, abbreviated/targeted assessments, the use of technology, and innovative clinical intervention. Enhanced/novel approaches in the delivery of neuropsychological care may represent part of the solution to problems like access, reimbursement, and visibility.