2009 MEETING

2009 MEETING INFORMATION
	2009 Meeting		Hotel Reservation
	NSQIP Meeting		Registration Information
	Program Schedule		Manuscript Instructions

The 33rd Annual Meeting of the Association of VA Surgeons is scheduled on April, 18 - 21, 2009 at The Charles Hotel, Cambridge, MA. More details to follow.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

20 January 2009

To All AVAS Members,

Greetings from Nashville.
I trust that 2009 is getting off to a viable start. The financial realities of the past six months, the inclement weather for many, the disappointments on the sports scene for nearly all, hopefully will not thwart our joy in the important work we to on behalf of our patients, in our creation of new knowledge through research, or by our investment in the future by our educational efforts with our residents and medical students.

I felt it timely to take a few moments to share some important information about the AVAS and about some changes in the VA, timed with the inauguration of the new Administration today.

First, sixty-six abstracts have been received by Alan Dardik of our AVAS Program Committee. Alan has "blinded" these and distributed them to his committee. The program for the upcoming 33rd Annual Surgical Symposium of the AVAS at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge, MA April 19-21, 2009 looks to be outstanding. Dr. Kamal Itani is the Local Arrangements Chair. There will be a pre-meeting symposium Saturday April 18th celebrating the 15th Anniversary of NSQIP which we hope you will attend and bring your local Quality Initiative colleagues with you.

At Central Office (CO), Dr. William Gunnar* has assumed duties as National Director of Surgery (NDS) effective Nov 23, 2008. Dr. Gunnar is an MD and a JD, a cardiothoracic surgeon who continues to operate at the Edward Hines VA in the greater Chicago area. Dr. Ralph DePalma, who served most laudably as our NDS for the past decade, has assumed the role as Chief of Transplant for VA CO.

Dr. Gunnar, an AVAS member, has hit the ground running and initiated several new directions and directives. These include:
1. The establishment of a VISN based surgical strategic plan in coordination with a newly created position, the VISN Chief Surgical Consultant.
2. The expansion of a central source of medical knowledge embodied within newly created Surgical Advisory Boards.
3. Changes to the NSQIP and CICSP Executive Boards which bring emphasis on core functions of the collection of outcomes data and response to research and operational data analysis.

Many of these directions are evolving rapidly. Dr. Gunnar is planning to join us at the annual meeting to enable us to know him better, hear his plans, and perhaps ask questions and dialogue a bit.

You will be receiving information and registration forms from our administrator Sue Lentz in the near future. We are hoping to be up and running with an electronic credit card system to facilitate sending in your registration and annual dues.

Be sure to check the AVAS Website from time to time at www.vasurgeons.org to keep abreast of other developments.

I hope to see many, most of you Sunday through noon Tuesday April 19-21, 2009 in Cambridge, MA and on Saturday the 18th if you can make the NSQIP Symposium.

Kindly mark down May 9-11, 2010 for the 34th Annual Symposium in Indianapolis.

The Chinese blessing (vs. curse) "May you live in interesting times" seems to be in order on many fronts—financially and administratively. Let us keep our focus on "What business are we in?" For me it's patient care, education, and research.

Lafia. (Be well, have health, peace)

John L. Tarpley, MD
VA Nashville
President, AVAS

* William Gunnar, M.D., J.D.
National Director of Surgery (111B)
Department of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Ave NW
Washington, DC 20420
202-461-7148/ fax 202-273-9108

*Ralph G. DePalma, MD FACS
Director of Transplant Services
Department of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Ave NW
Washington, DC 20420
Phone 202 461 7130 / 202 461 7141
Fax 202 273 9108