From the AMSUS president

Military Medicine, Jul 2003 by Carmona, Richard H

Dear AMSUS Members:

I am pleased to invite you to attend the 109th Annual Meeting of AMSUS in San Antonio, Texas, 16 to 21 November 2003. The Program Planning Committee and Section Chairs have been working with RADM Frederic G. Sanford, MC, USN, Ret., and the AMSUS staff since January to bring you a truly exceptional program. President Bush has been invited to be the keynote speaker.

This year's meeting theme is "Partnerships in Preparedness, Prevention and Public Health: Protecting the Nation." I chose this theme to highlight the partnerships and collaborations that exist among the Federal medical services. To the extent possible, the program reinforces the theme through joint-service presentations and panel discussions. This cross-service approach has helped to increase the type and amount of continuing education credit available to attendees. I have also synchronized the morning, lunch and, afternoon break times to provide you with greater access to all the sessions and to encourage networking across corps and service/agency lines. This new format will allow for more opportunities to renew old friendships and make new ones. On 18 November I will be facilitating a two-hour general plenary session in which the Surgeons' General of the Air Force, Army, Navy, and the Under Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs will be describing their public health priorities and initiatives. A second multi-service general plenary session will be held 19 November on chemical, biological, and radiological surveillance in the context of rapid detection and identification.

I am honored to be serving as your AMSUS President this year and to have the U.S. Public Health Service leading the meeting. I encourage everyone to take advantage of the many informative and important sessions being offered throughout the week. I look forward to seeing you in San Antonio in November.

Sincerely,

Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H, F.A.C.S.

VADM, USPHS

AMSUS President

AMSUS Newsletter is published quarterly by the Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S., 9320 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD, for the benefit of its members. Annual membership dues are $35 for one year, $60 for two years, and $90 for three years.. Unless so stated, material in the AMSUS Newsletter does not reflect the endorsement, official attitude, or position of AMSUS.