An Invitation to the Annual Meeting

By Daniel Roke, MD, MBA
Program Chair
University of Vermont, Burlington

Boston, a city that has played such a key role in the history of the United States, will host the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia’s Annual Meeting on October 20. Events such as the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Bunker Hill took place in Boston during the Revolutionary War over 200 years ago. Dr. William Morton’s public demonstration of the effectiveness of ether to blunt the suffering that had long been associated with surgery also took place in Boston over 170 years ago. The American Revolution and the use of ether were responses to shifting forces and demands. In each case, people with the right knowledge and skill stood up to their challenges and created a path to a better future. Today we still face an uncertain future as healthcare is undergoing a great deal of change. And what better place to consider how we should meet our future than this historic city overlooking Massachusetts Bay?

Our meeting program looks toward our future while respecting the proud history of medicine and pediatric anesthesia that has brought us to where we are today. Helping us to get a better sense of what lies ahead and how we can rise to meet it will be Dr. Mary Dale Peterson and Dr. Butch Uejima. Dr. Peterson, CEO at Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas and a pediatric anesthesiologist, will give us her perspective on the shifting health care landscape. Dr. Butch Uejima, Chair of Pediatric Anesthesiology at the Nemours / Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware, will discuss ways to respond to these shifts. We’ve set aside extra time for discussion with the audience and look forward to a lively conversation.

While the look ahead may appear daunting, it is important to recognize the advances we’ve made since that historic moment in the Ether Dome. Dr. Mark Rockoff, Associate Anesthesiologist in Chief at Boston Children’s Hospital, will help us to recognize our heritage as members of the pediatric anesthesia team. Our predecessors, those giants of medicine, have faced and overcome significant challenges. To borrow a phrase, we see further because we stand on their shoulders.

The rest of the day has plenty in store to keep you interested. After the PBLD session in the morning featuring moderated case discussions from experts in a wide range of settings, join us for the first series of talks on brains, both natural and artificial. Dr. Sol Soriano will bring us up to speed with what’s new in pediatric neuroanesthesia. Dr. Shu-Ming Wang will then discuss new uses for the ancient practice of acupuncture. The artificial brains we work with every day, the computers we rely on, and how we can best combine our biological thinking with their digital processing for improved outcomes will be the topic of Dr. Brian Rothman’s talk.

It is not just we who face challenges. Many of our patients, especially those with developmental delays, confront uncertainty and anxiety every day. Dr. Jeff Koh and Alexandra Ross will help us recognize and appreciate the particular needs of children with developmental delays. Camilla Sutter, a child life specialist, will teach us about ways we can address the needs of these children. Joining the panel will be Dr. James Hunt who will give us his perspective as an anesthesiologist and parent.

Dr. Anne Lynn will be this year’s Myron Yaster Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Dr. Lynn embodies the spirit of discovery and advancement that have created the practice of pediatric anesthesiology we know today, and is an inspiration to all of us who want to take great care of children today and find better ways to care for them tomorrow.

Our day won’t end with the completion of the formal program, as attendees are invited to a reception at the New England Aquarium. This event is being generously co-sponsored by Boston Children’s Hospital and will be the ideal setting for food, drinks, music, meeting old friends, and making new ones. There will also be tours available of Boston Children’s Hospital on Saturday and of the Ether Dome on Sunday. Register for the meeting and tours HERE. Please join us in Boston as we celebrate our history and make our way into the future.