CTS Inspirations

March 19, 2023 marked the conclusion of the 2023 CTS Annual Educational Conference in Monterey, CA. For three days we featured esteemed speakers, non-CME events on topics such as well-being and women in PCCSM, a trainee reception and poster session, and welcomed the most attendees we’ve ever had. That evening, our executive office and committee sat around a conference table on circus-striped chairs to resume strategic planning for CTS. Our first task that night was to update our mission statement. We pondered observations, criticisms, plaudits, and aspirations compiled from stakeholder interviews. We drafted a contemporaneous statement and included three declarations: The California Thoracic Society (CTS) is a professional society committed to improving California lung health and advancing the science and practice of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine through advocacy and education. We elevate, nurture, and support the professional development of future clinicians, educators, scientists, and leaders. We value Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. We foster collaboration between multidisciplinary professionals essential to lung health.

Across California, we’ve just experienced atmospheric river storms that have left us digging, cleaning, and recovering--still--from damage incurred by floods and landslides. Shootings in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay have left us with at least 19 dead; we share heartbreak, anger, and feelings of helplessness in solidarity with our AAPI communities and collectively as citizens at large. A tough way to start 2023 in California.

So excited for the winter season with so many reasons to celebrate! CTS Education Committee recently held a webinar on career prospects for internal medicine residents who are thinking about  PCCM careers, and it was so well received! We would like to extend our gratitude to the PCCM program directors who served as  panelists and provided invaluable advice. The annual Northern California CME conference in Monterey, January 12 - 15, 2023 is right around the corner! Conference registration is now open and the conference agenda has been posted to the website. Click to view the CTS 2023 Conference Brochure Click to register for the CTS 2023 Registration And as a reminder, the Portola Hotel registration cut off date is December 30th. The room rate is $235 per night plus taxes. Click here to reserve your room.

As we head into the winter season with increased rates of respiratory infections, please stay healthy and vigilant for our own health, the patients we care for and others around us. I would like to promote an exciting upcoming event! The CTS Education Committee is hosting an educational initiative catered towards Internal Medicine residents who are considering investing their careers in PCCM. Please join this webinar, “CTS Internal Medicine Residents’ Fellowship Guidance Session” on November 4th, 2022, from 5:30 to 6:45 PM.

It's hard to believe that fall season is here and winter is around the corner. Our annual northern California CME conference is planned for January 13-15, 2023 at the Portola Hotel and Spa in Monterey. Please save the date on your calendar. I would like to highlight our conference program co-chairs, Dr.Gaurav Singh from Veteran Affairs Medical Center at Stanford, and Dr. Nick Kolaitis from UCSF, who are working closely with the planning committee to put together an amazing agenda.

Summer is rapidly coming to a close and we are getting ready for a very busy fall and winter. We now are in the process of planning our CTS Annual Meeting and Educational Conference for January 2023. Save the date on your calendar now for Thursday, January 12, 2023 through Sunday, January 15, 2023 at the Portola Hotel and Spa in Monterey, California. Details will follow as soon as they become available.

I hope that you are taking the summer to relax and enjoy with family, friends, and colleagues. I would like to take this opportunity to bring to your attention an important initiative from the American Lung Association in California. In partnership with ALA, CTS is proud to endorse the Clean Air Act ballot. Please take a moment to learn more about it here and show your support: https://yeson30.org/

With CTS and ATS conferences behind us, I am very much looking forward to the warm weather and many sun-filled days ahead! Summer is my favorite season for many reasons: time to recharge with family, friends, and vacation. I especially enjoy the lingering sunlight hours late into the evening, and although the number of hours in a day have not changed, it feels as though I get a few additional hours per day! I am sure that many of you have plans for gatherings and travel, I encourage you to stay safe and practice good hygiene as COVID-19 continues to surround our lives. I wish you all a wonderful and safe summer!

We had a successful IN-PERSON annual educational CME conference on March 11-13 in Monterey! It was wonderful to see so many new and familiar faces again. Some of the meeting highlights included the wellness and career development panelists discussion, the fellow's poster competition, and the women in PCCM event. I would also like to congratulate Dr. Shazia Jamil (Scripps Clinic and Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at UCSD), who not only received the CTS Clinician of the Year Award but is also ATS Outstanding Clinician of the Year as well! I would also like to thank the conference co-chairs Dr. Gaurav Singh and Kristina Kudelko, planning committee, faculty, and our executive office for executing a memorable event. On behalf of CTS, we are appreciative of our members and conference attendees who have supported CTS and particularly during COVID-19 pandemic. We look forward to having another successful meeting in 2023.

As president for 2022, I am thrilled to lead CTS into its 81^st year! I first became acquainted with CTS as a faculty speaker for the southern California educational conference in San Diego, and soon after, became deeply involved and served as the Chair of Education Committee and the annual northern California educational conference. I then accepted a position on the Executive Committee. What a wonderful journey it has been, and it is with such pride and honor that I serve as president of CTS. My commitment to CTS is to advance our mission by promoting California lung health through advocacy, education, and to advancing the science and practice of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. As one of the oldest and largest ATS chapters, CTS continues to lead the respiratory community in innovation, education, inclusion, and diversity. An important goal as president is to engage young faculty and medical providers to become active members and to join the CTS family. CTS provides networking, sponsorship, and mentorship for new and returning members. It is an amazing resource and venue for young clinical faculty striving to pursue academic achievements outside of their respective institutions.