Twice each year PHA's Board of Trustees meets face-to-face. Often, because there are connections between our board, Scientific Leadership Council and PH Resource Network Executive Committee we hold these meetings in sequence. It's a lot of work but builds connections across PHA's various leadership structures and saves on travel costs.
All three meetings (plus a few committee meetings) were held in sequence this time for a special reason. Our meeting site was also a test of the site for our 2012 International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions (June 22-24, 2012). The Renaissance Orlando at Sea World looks like it will be a great host for our community.
The PH Resource Network was the first of the meetings, held all day on Thursday. A big part of that conversation was the 2011 PH Resource Network Symposium which will include almost 30 sessions for allied health professionals. Another important discussion was held around the group's rapid growth. PH Resource Network is a professional association within PHA for allied health professionals. With over 900 members they have grown to include many specialties (pharmacists, respiratory therapists, physicians assistants, nurse practitioners, and so on) beyond the RNs who were the original members. Building programs and a welcoming environment within the group's umbrella is becoming increasingly important.
On Friday, PHA's Scientific Leadership council met for a rich and full day. Their focus was a review of our current research programs, our medical education programs and providing more valuable information for patients and their families in how to work with their medical professionals.
The PHA Board met on Saturday and Sunday, discussing our goals for the year and much of our organization's wide-ranging programming. An interesting aspect of the Board is that it interlocks all components of PHA for better and broadly viewed decision making. Patients and family members participate with physicans from the SLC and allied health professionals from PH Resource Network.
The board was able to meet with members of the Orlando support group and a dozen support group leaders from around the state. Fifty-two support group members attended. There is no question they will be great hosts for our Tenth International PH Conference..as will Dr. James Tarver and his great team at the Orlando Medical Center. Dr. Tarver attended the board meeting with his nuse practioner (and PH Resource Network executive committee member, Melisa Wilson.
The entire board was very excited about the meeting possibilites we saw in the hotel. It will be great to come back to the state in which PHA was founded for our 2012 Conference.
I'd like to write a lot more but I have an early flight to San Francisco tomorrow for the Fourth International Neonatal & Childhood Pulmonary Vascular Disease Conference. PHA will be filming many of the sessions to provide pediatric medical education on PHA's Online University website.
We do keep moving...
No comments:
Post a Comment