Peter J. Davis, MD
Peter J. Davis, MD
SPA President
Children's Hospital
Pittsburgh, PA
SPA continues to be an organization whose function is to provide educational and scientific opportunities for its members as well as advocacy support for pediatric issues. SPA serves as an educational resource for its members. In keeping with its educational mission, this year's Winter/Spring meeting in South Beach, Florida, was a huge success. The educational presentations involving scientific plenary sessions, clinical workshops, debates, evidence-based medicine practice guidelines and interactive computer assisted audience polling response systems coupled with the great weather allowed members to obtain a wonderful educational and social opportunity as well as a chance to escape the rigors of every day work. Much of the success of the meeting goes to Jim Steven and his educational committee. Our next meeting will be the day before the ASA, October 11, in Orlando, Florida. The SPA Educational Committee has prepared another stellar one-day conference. The program will be available very soon.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it is important for SPA members to realize two issues. First, the program content of both the one-day Fall and three-day Winter/Spring meetings is generated by member feedback. Direct member involvement is an integral component in the success of the Society. The program evaluations and comments are scrutinized and feedback from participants helps to shape future SPA programs. Thus, your input into meeting programs is important. Second, all of our meetings run at a financial deficit. The only way the Society continues to run its quality meetings is through both corporate support and member philanthropy. Society dues and meeting registrations are not enough to offset the cost of the Society's two educational programs. Thus, the Society will continue in its mission to provide quality education programs as long as its members stay involved both fiscally and intellectually. Our members continue to be the strongest feature of our society.
Peter J. Davis, MD
SPA President