President's Corner - November 2009

by Alexander Vaccaro, MD, PhD

Friends:

When I succeeded Amie Jackson as President of ASIA in July of 2009, my initial reaction was that I now knew what the inside of a Cuisinart felt like!!! All kidding aside, there is a great deal of very exciting activity swirling around the American Spinal Injury Association right now, and for approximately one year, I am sitting right in the middle of it all. It is very invigorating.

As an orthopedic surgeon, practicing at the Rothman Institute and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, I have been fully committed to spine surgery throughout my entire career. One of my most important professional relationships has been with ASIA, to which I have belonged virtually since my fellowship days. For that reason, it is particularly gratifying to be President of this incredible organization, especially at a time when so many critical initiatives are underway.

The Board of Directors met last March for a two day Strategic Planning Retreat, held at Shepherd Center in Atlanta, site of the ASIA national office. During that meeting, the 11 directors discussed the key goals involved in the ASIA vision, and mapped out a three year plan for growth and continued success in all areas. This strategic plan will carry ASIA through calendar 2012.

Every ASIA President selects one keynote project that will occupy the majority of his/her term. For me, that is the creation of an improved ASIA website. The current site has served ASIA well, and now I believe that it is time to move forward with an update and expansion of content, an improvement in accessibility, and an enhancement of visual presentation. My goal is to make the ASIA site the "go to" location in SCI for both professional and consumer audiences. Financial support is being solicited for this effort, and the project is estimated to require $65,000. The work is underway, with the completion date scheduled for June of 2010, with a preview to be presented to attendees at the annual meeting in Nashville at the end of May.

In addition to this keynote project, I am very excited about a number of fundraising opportunities that ASIA has launched under the leadership of its Director of Development. Among these are: The Innovation Fund (to be supported by contributions of former and current directors and the current active membership); The Estate Planning Program (for members at or nearing retirement who wish to remember ASIA); and the Partnership Program with industry that helps to support a variety of ASIA projects, including the annual meeting. As you know, the 2009 meeting was held in partnership with a quartet of associations under the management of PVA. Called the "Congress on SCI Medicine and Rehabilitation," it was held in Dallas in September, and attracted just shy of 900 attendees. It was a complete success, both from the content and personal interaction perspectives. This bodes well for the associations involved, and for the field.

Our 2010 Annual Scientific Meeting will be held from May 25-28, 2010 at the Sheraton Music City in Nashville. The Program Committee has worked very hard on the content for this meeting, and in spite of the quick turnaround between the September 2009 Congress and the May 2010 meeting, we received 100 abstracts and 15 symposia proposals. We also plan invited sessions on neurological recovery and pediatric SCI. The highlight event in Nashville for me, however, will be a salute to the first seven presidents of ASIA. We have dubbed them "The Magnificent Seven" and will honor these founders and giants in the field with a Reception and Gala Dinner on May 26, 2010, at the host hotel. More information will reach you shortly on this event. It is an absolute "do not miss" evening!!!

I am energized by everything that is happening in ASIA at this time. Even in an economy that is at best a challenge, we are working diligently to continue the unbroken string of successes that the association has enjoyed due to strong member participation, outstanding board and committee leadership, and dedicated and skilled management. If you are already a part of ASIA , thank-you. If you are not, then come and join us. You will not be disappointed.