- View Printable Newsletter Version
- President’s Message
- Hot Topic Articles
- In Memoriam
- Bianco
- Pat on the Back
- Historical Committee Update
- Research Grant Committee Update
- Ethics Corner
- Long Range Planning Committee Update
- Risk Stratification Task Force Update
- Coding Corner
- Website Committee Update
- Safety and Value Committee Update
- Global Outreach Committee Update
- Evidence Based Outcomes Task Force Update
- 3D Scoliosis Committee Update
- E-Text Committee Update
- Save the Date for 2016 SRS Meetings
President's Message
SRS continues to be very busy. We have just finished abstract submissions and had 1,541 successful submissions; one of the largest within the past years. Thank you to everyone who submitted research; it is what makes our IMAST and Annual Meeting & Course superb.
Hot Topics Articles
Pat on the Back
The Communications Committee would like to highlight the accomplishments of SRS members in the newsletter. We invite all SRS members to submit details (with photos if applicable) of your honors, awards, special activities or other efforts in which you have been involved in, to [email protected].
Historical Committee Update
George H. Thompson, MD
SRS Historian
2015 ended with the wonderful celebration of the Scoliosis Research Society’s 50th Annual Meeting & Course, September 30 – October 3 in Minneapolis, MN. During the meeting, there were several major events organized by the Historical Committee. Most notably, the 50th Anniversary Museum and the Living Legends sessions.
Research Grant Committee Update
Michael K. Rosner, MD
Research Grant Committee Chair
Research and Education remains the principle lifeline of our Society. The Research Grant Committee received a record number of grant applications in the fall cycle (October 1, 2015). Thirty-five grant applications were reviewed and considered for funding. The research committee consists of 26 members who each reviewed approximately 10-11 grants for a designated team.
Ethics Corner
Kamal Ibrahim, MD, FRCS(C), MA
Ethics and Professionalism Committee Chair
Dear SRS members,
The Ethics and Professionalism Committee will continue to publish potential ethical problems and conflicts in the newsletter and ask for the members’ input. Therefore, the Committee encourages members to submit to the committee any ethical conflicts they may face for further discussion.
Long Range Planning Committee Update
John P. Dormans, MD, FACS
Long Range Planning Committee Chair
The Long Range Planning Committee has been tasked to pick both the 2019 and 2020 Annual Meeting & Course and IMAST venue locations. As per the international vs. North American rotation of meeting sites, the 2019 Annual Meeting will be located in North America, and 2019 IMAST will be located internationally.
Risk Stratification Task Force Update
Steven D. Glassman, MD
Directed Research Task Force Chair
What is Risk Stratification?
Risk stratification is the use of evidence to assist in predicting unfavorable outcome and complications. In essence, it is an effort to quantify the evaluation process that surgeon’s undertake every time they look at a patient and recommend surgical treatment.
Coding Corner: Are Current Spinal Fusion Hospital Payment Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGS) Adequate?
S. Samuel Bederman, MD, PhD, FRCSC and David J. Wright M.Sc.
The SRS Coding Committee, with permission from the Presidential Line, agreed to support an investigation into variation in hospital costs within spinal fusion payment groups to determine whether hospitals are bearing undue financial burden, thus disincentivizing surgeons from performing these important procedures. We report our initial findings from this study.
Website Committee Update
Ron El-Hawary, MD, MSc, FRCS(C)
Website Committee Chair
The new SRS website was launched in September 2015 in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary Meeting of our Society. Overall, this tremendous undertaking was a very positive experience and I would like to thank the Website Task Force, .orgSource, EDI, and SRS Staff (in particular Shahree Douglas and Ann Shay). As well, we certainly appreciate the guidance and support from the SRS Board, including John Dormans, MD and Daniel Sucato, MD, MS to ensure that a high quality website could be achieved.
Safety and Value Committee Update
Suken A. Shah, MD
Safety and Value Committee Chair
The Safety and Value Committee continues to work on ways to bring safety and value initiatives to our membership and keep folks aware of developments in this constantly changing landscape. In order to make spinal deformity surgery sustainable, we need to demonstrate that what we do improves quality of life and can be done reproducibly, safely and cost-effectively.
Global Outreach Committee Update
Ferran Pellisé Urquiza, MD, PhD
Global Outreach Committee Chair
The Global Outreach Committee has defined three main priorities and is working hard to reach the established goals by the end of the year. Following efforts undertaken in previous years, a “GOP Road Map,” describing the transition between SRS-GOP candidate site and SRS-GOP self-sufficient site, is being defined.
Evidence Based Outcomes Task Force Update
Douglas C. Burton, MD
Evidence Based Outcomes Task Force Chair
The Evidence Based Outcomes Task Force has been busy this past year working on a Systematic Review (SR) of pediatric spondylolisthesis. This project is a follow-up to the SR done by the previous committee on pediatric spondylolysis.
3D Scoliosis Task Force Update
Carl-Eric Aubin, PhD, P.Eng
3D Scoliosis Task Force Chair
The 3D Scoliosis Task Force is continuing its main mandate of developing a 3D classification and surgical approach of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, of promoting 3D analysis of scoliosis and of demonstrating the value of using 3D concepts.
E-Text Committee Update
John C. France, MD
E-Text Committee Chair
E-Text is now available in an iBook format and can be downloaded from the SRS website onto any Apple device for $29.99 USD. It will also remain available through the website and is available to nonmembers as well as members for viewing purposes. It is a great tool for resident and fellow education on spinal deformity and I would encourage programs to incorporate it into their spinal education curriculum.
Save the Dates for 2016 SRS Meetings!
To view future SRS meetings and other spine associations and societies' meeting, visit http://www.srs.org/professionals/conferences-and-meetings/calendar
Mark your calendars for the following future meetings: