Moving Ahead at the Right Pace

Abstract

Can a year have passed already? In this column last year we reviewed the significant success we experienced over the last few years in ASCIP. We looked at where we had come from and what the future might hold. And now, I'm pleased to report that our future continues to look bright. This year was another remarkable year for ASCIP, one in which we continued to evolve and grow. For example, the Early Career and Trainee Support (ECATS) Committee has matured from an idea that Sigmund Hough, PhD, presented a number of years ago to a full-fledged active committee. The goal to become more involved with advocacy for the field—which we set at the beginning of my presidential term—has developed into a formal committee led by the accomplished Paul Tobin, MSW. The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine has seen a tremendous growth in article submission, and we have secured grants to further develop our website and educational on-line offerings going forward. We are grateful for our corporate and institutional sponsors, as well as the vendors who support our annual conference. This, combined with the tireless efforts of our Governance Board, committee members and chairs, and the administrative support of Amy Cheatham and the staff at the FIRM, and our Executive Director Denny O'Malley, have helped our organization to become financially stable. While stability is certainly a good thing, standing still is not. So, to continue to move forward, we have made some important changes. Most notably, for those attending the annual conference, we have relocated to St. Louis this year! There was also considerable discussion about moving the conference from Labor Day to a different date, but we were unable to get consensus on this based upon our membership survey. However, we will continue to work to best meet your needs, knowing that change takes time. Most of you are aware that ASCIP and ASIA leadership are discussing a merger of these two professional organizations. We have brought this to the attention of our membership, and members of our Governance Board and I have reached out to many individuals over the past few months about some of the details. There are still issues that need to be resolved and we are working carefully and thoughtfully to determine how best to meet our mutual interests. I want to be very clear about my views and the thoughts of our ASCIP leadership with respect to what we believe a spinal cord professional organization should look like in the future. This vision is based upon our experience and achievements in this field. ASCIP is comprised of a diverse group of people from many disciplines who are guided by a shared mission. Our formula for success is built on the respect we have shown for each other, the differences in perspectives and talents we have come to appreciate, and, like a well-conducted orchestra, the harmony that we have generated by working together to achieve our common goals. This didn't happen overnight. It took time, along with hard work, a willingness to find consensus, and a deep understanding of the needs of our membership to become the organization we are today. As we continue plan for the future, know that the ASCIP leadership, in cooperation with our ASIA colleagues, is committed to moving the field forward … to identifying and supporting ways to best educate professionals in the field of SCI … and to advocate for the people we serve in this changing health care and economic environment. We will pace ourselves accordingly, neither too slow nor too fast, to ensure our ultimate success. And we will keep you informed every step of way. You remain the most vital part of our organization and I hope you will continue to play an active role as we transition to the next stage of our professional growth. Please let me know what you think. I look forward to speaking with you at the conference or hearing from you via email. After all, the only way we can move forward is with you on board. With warm regards,