President’s Message

Colleagues,

In an environment where we are frequently asked to provide survey responses, our recent SOCCA survey was an outlier. In the positive sense. 161 of you provided feedback that will help shape the future of SOCCA. While 53% of you were satisfied with SOCCA, we clearly have areas in which we can improve. General themes included the need for ongoing educational content delivered in various forms (e.g., on line content for just in time use) as well as professional development resources. It is also clear that there is considerable desire by members to become more involved in SOCCA activities.

The SOCCA Board held a strategic planning retreat in Chicago, September 14^th and 15^th. During this facilitated retreat, the Board utilized the survey results and began to develop a strategic plan that is aligned with SOCCA’s mission and membership needs. Once finalized, a summary of the retreat will be made available to members via the SOCCA website. The Board, led by Steve Surgenor, is editing society by-laws to reflect our closer alliance with the IARS and its annual meeting and to allow for increased member engagement in organizational activities. Revised by-laws will be posted for comment and review prior to a membership vote for approval.

One strategic goal is to increase our numbers by increasing the value of SOCCA membership. Multiple tactics will be employed to this end, with an emphasis on learners and early career anesthesia intensivists. We are working with IARS to make our educational content available in multiple formats. As learning and communication formats evolve, we need to position ourselves in these spaces in order to effectively advance our mission. Considerable member involvement will be needed as we disseminate our educational content (think annual meeting, Resident’s Guide) across select platforms. If you have experience or skills in education or social media, please consider becoming involved as we launch these efforts.

Later this year, a Nominating Committee will be appointed to determine a slate of candidates for open board positions. This committee will be chaired by our immediate past-president, Dr. Avery Tung. Expect a solicitation for nominees around the new year. It is the desire of the Board to increase diversity and we encourage all interested individuals to apply.

Finally, I would like to take the opportunity to ask you to save the date for our Annual Meeting in Montreal on May 17^th, 2019 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel. Drs. Sheela Pai Cole and Peter von Homeyer are planning an excellent day of education and professional development not to be missed.

Author

Daniel R. Brown, MD, PhD, FCCM

President

Mayo Clinic

Rochester, Minnesota