CNS President
Dear Colleagues:
I was just looking through the reviews and comments attendees offered following last fall’s annual meeting in Vancouver, and was pleased, but not surprised, to find most of them echoing or amplifying the following: “Great venue, great city, great food”, “This was the best mix of scientific and practical” “Nice gathering of colleagues” “Good balance of clinical & basic science”.
I also thought that it was another wonderful CNS meeting, and I thank all the speakers, symposium organizers, Marc Patterson, the Scientific Selection Committee, and Roger Larson, Sue Hussman, Emily McConnell and Kathy Pavel in the CNS National Office who put this together.
Our next meeting in Kansas City holds great promise as well. In the words of Fats Domino,
“Well I might take a train
I might take a plane, but if I have to walk
I’m going just the same
I’m going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come”
Kansas City is a great venue as well. I would strongly suggest that you make time to visit the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art while you are there, as well as review TripAdvisor for a wonderful selection of dining opportunities.
We received 31 proposals submitted by CNS members for symposia and breakfast seminars (as compared with 34 for Vancouver). The impressive depth and breadth of topics and speakers Marc Patterson’s Scientific Program Committee will choose from will offer attendees the optimal balance of leading edge basic science and clinical science that speaks directly to their practice needs and interests. The Presidential Symposium will focus on “Practice Issues in Child Neurology”, including talks on telemedicine, coding, quality measures, and physician burnout.
Before the main part of the meeting kicks off with Wednesday evening’s Welcome Reception, sponsored by Children’s Mercy Hospital, we offer two programs to help support the future of child neurology. Drs. Michael Johnston and Barry Kosofsky will lead a two-day retreat as part of the Child Neurologist Career Development K-12 Award Program (CNCDP) that will train a national group of 30 physician investigators over the next five years. Drs. Phillip Pearl, Renée Shellhaas, and Elaine Wirrell are organizing the 2nd Annual CNS John M. “Jack” Pellock Resident Seminar on Epilepsy for PGY5 residents from all the child neurology and developemental pediatrics training programs in the United States and Canada.
This year’s all-day Wednesday Neurobiology of Disease In Children (NDC) Symposium will focus on Leukodystrophy. The Child Neurology Foundation will sponsor and stage its 3rd Saturday afternoon symposium, offering an integrated patient/clinician/caregiver/research perspective on the issue of “SUDEP.” We are also, once again, asking our SIGs (Special Interest Groups) to generate CME programming in their specific content area, a feature added last year that allows us to cover a wider range of issues during the meeting.
The CNS office will launch its Lifelong Learning Website in March, giving CNS members and non-members access to online CME and MOC content, including past CNS meeting sessions. Watch your email box and log onto the CNS website for more details.
Great colleagues. Great professional society. Great annual meeting. There is a great deal to be excited about in 2017. I feel honored and fortunate to share in the excitement as your President. “Kansas City, here I come!”
Kenneth J. Mack, MD, PhD
President, Child Neurology Society