President’s Corner

Join us for the 2024 Annual Meeting, presented by IARS and SOCCA in Seattle, May 17-19. The education committee has created an outstanding program with a critical-care track running concurrently throughout the meeting. The format and content of the meeting look extraordinary, with more critical-care content than we have ever had before. There will be three SOCCA-sponsored breakfasts, and all committees and subcommittees will have the opportunity to meet in person throughout the meeting. In addition, a dedicated SOCCA session will run on Sunday afternoon until about 5PM, including additional educational panels, the SOCCA awards presentations, and the SOCCA business meeting. I hope everyone stays for the entire duration of this exciting meeting.

The Call for Volunteers is open and will close on December 31, 2023. For 2024, the SOCCA Secretary and two Board of Directors positions are available for nominations. SOCCA committees are a great way to get involved and make a difference in the Critical Care Anesthesia community. As a committee member, you can engage with other SOCCA members and impact issues in critical care, grow your knowledge and skills to support professional development, and network with other SOCCA members. Each committee is tasked with assisting the SOCCA Board of Directors in meeting the strategic goals and objectives set by the Board. The strategic goals of SOCCA are to:

1. Sustain and grow membership.
2. Foster and promote member engagement and contributions.
3. Develop an active research section.

If you are interested in volunteering to serve on the Board or a Committee, please submit a letter of interest, photograph, and curriculum vitae by December 31, 2023, to Vivian Abalama, IOM, CAE at vabalama@iars.org.

I am also pleased to announce that The Board of Directors has chosen the Association Research Center (ARC) as our new association management company. ARC has been involved in association management for over 37 years for many anesthesiology-based medical organizations. ARC is an accredited association management company of the AMC Institute and has an excellent track record in handling client affairs. The Board felt that ARC would help SOCCA continue to grow and improve as a Society by providing excellence in governance, outstanding member service, consistent brand communication, and financial stability. The transition period from IARS to ARC is already underway, and we will be fully transitioned to ARC by January 2024. I again want to thank the IARS, Tom Cooper, and especially Vivian Abalama, who have been fantastic partners and helped us grow and become the Society we are today. The Board of Directors also looks forward to our continuing relationship with IARS as the cosponsor of the Annual Meeting in 2024 and beyond.

I hope everyone is having a great fall, and I look forward to seeing you in Seattle in May.

Author

Michael H. Wall, MD, FCCM

President, Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists

University of Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota