Accomplishments

CTS holds two annual conferences each year. Its flagship event: the Carmel Conference takes place every January in Carmel, CA. The Southern California Fall Conference was launched in 2012 in order to better meet the needs of our SoCal members. We understand that time and financial constraints can be significant obstacles to learning and focus on creating high impact educational activities that feature engaging speakers who deliver state of the art information in a convivial, collaborative setting that encourages personal and professional connections.

COPD: In 2016, CTS developed a COPD Initiative, a multi-year program designed to provide bedside clinicians with the information, tools and resources needed to deliver the best care for their patients with COPD. The Initiative was launched with a one day symposium, COPD Today: A Team Approach that was held on 1/29/2016. Phase I includes the creation of an online hub (COPD CENTRAL) aimed at helping providers navigate the confusing barrage of information and state and national nonprofit organizations as well as other online resources by connecting them with organized and trustworthy information and resources in California.

Lung Cancer: CTS sponsored the first postgraduate course in Lung Cancer at the ATS International Conference in 2007, held an all day symposium on Lung Cancer in 2014 and co-sponsored the Society of Thoracic Radiology 2015 Lung Cancer Screening symposium.

CTS has helped to develop collaborative networks such as the CF Consortium and Pediatric Rare Diseases Group and provides a professional home for these groups to discuss, organize and prioritize long-term planning issues.

We also work with the ALA and ALA-C on issues such as Lung Cancer, COPD and climate change, healthy air and tobacco control legislation, helping to promote existing control and prevention resources, as well as define needs and priorities for individuals with lung diseases.

CTS works with its 5 Institutional Members: UCSF, UCSF-Fresno, UCLA, Harbor-UCLA and Cedars-Sinai as well as other academic institutions throughout the state to disseminate cutting edge medical knowledge through its newsletter and conferences. CTS members were instrumental in creating the first Postgraduate Course on Career Development at the ATS International Conference. Current CTS President Angela Wang also hosted a monthly blog on career development, CareerTalk, http://www.thoracic.org/professionals/career-development/fellows/career-talk/ for several years. Currently, the CTS Scholars Program represents one aspect of our commitment to fostering the development of the next generation of physician-scientists.

CTS has two seats on the ATS Council of Chapter Representatives and participates inATS National Hill Days, meeting with legislators and their staff to advocate for national and international TB control, COPD, regulation of tobacco products, and Clean Air. The CCR has 3 seats on the ATS Board of Directors, ensuring a strong voice for the chapters at the national level.

CTS has always been active in public policy. Examples of prior legislative initiatives include sponsoring successful legislation to allow day care staff assistance to children needing inhaler and nebulizer care. CTS prepared the curriculum implementing the training component of the day care nebulizer-inhaler law.

CTS is a member of the California Medical Association. Members of our Health Care Policy (HCP) Committee are specialty delegates to the CMA, working to foster public policy improvements health care for Californians. Currently resolutions pertaining to Climate Change, Sex Trafficking of Minors, Consent for Telehealth, Health Information Data Blocking, Physician Maintenance of Certification Exams and USP Compounding Rules are under consideration.

CTS has representatives on the Medicare Contractor Advisory Committee (CAC). CTS specifically addresses special issues regarding home oxygen, PFTs, ABG studies, and pulmonary rehabilitation.

In 2009, the CTS Pediatric Committee published a 50 page home care ventilator book for parents. Available in both English and Spanish, this was the first comprehensive resource available for patients and their families in California. The Pediatric Committee is now working on developing a series of guidelines on Respiratory Secretion Clearance protocols.