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SPA continues to be an organization whose function is to provide educational
and scientific opportunities for its members as well as advocacy support
for pediatric issues. SPA serves as an educational resource for its members.
In keeping with its educational mission, this year's Winter/Spring meeting
in South Beach, Florida, was a huge success. The educational presentations
involving scientific plenary sessions, clinical workshops, debates, evidence-based
medicine practice guidelines and interactive computer assisted audience
polling response systems coupled with the great weather allowed members
to obtain a wonderful educational and social opportunity as well as a
chance to escape the rigors of every day work. Much of the success of
the meeting goes to Jim Steven and his educational committee. Our next
meeting will be the day before the ASA, October 11, in Orlando, Florida.
The SPA Educational Committee has prepared another stellar one-day conference.
The program will be available very soon.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it is important for SPA
members to realize two issues. First, the program content of both the
one-day Fall and three-day Winter/Spring meetings is generated by member
feedback. Direct member involvement is an integral component in the success
of the Society. The program evaluations and comments are scrutinized and
feedback from participants helps to shape future SPA programs. Thus, your
input into meeting programs is important. Second, all of our meetings
run at a financial deficit. The only way the Society continues to run
its quality meetings is through both corporate support and member philanthropy.
Society dues and meeting registrations are not enough to offset the cost
of the Society's two educational programs. Thus, the Society will continue
in its mission to provide quality education programs as long as its members
stay involved both fiscally and intellectually. Our members continue to
be the strongest feature of our society.
Peter J. Davis, MD
SPA President
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