Career Development Committee

The California Thoracic Society Career Development Committee is focused on career development opportunities for trainees in California. Our mission is to provide educational content related to residents and fellows at our conferences, including the “Meet the Professor” series and the “Career Prospecting and Networking” events. We are also charged with the organization of the annual California Thoracic Society poster competition, where residents, fellows, and trainees present either case reports or research projects. Each year we recognize four abstracts with awards, including the distinguished CTS President’s Award for most outstanding abstract. As we look to the future, the CTS Career Development Committee has set out the following goals (1) to create a career center with a California specific job board, (2) to develop a board review course which will be made available for fellows from CTS institutional membership training programs, and (3) to develop a California specific mentoring network.

Membership Committee

The membership committee has been focusing on updating and launching institutional membership options for physicians and other practitioners including registered nurses and respiratory therapists in California. We now have well over 400 individual members in the society and our goal is to reach out to every pulmonary physician and ancillary respiratory provider in the state. We also aim to reach out to and include every academic institution in the state amongst our institutional members. The strength of our society lies in its members who make CTS the biggest and most active ATS chapter in the nation.

Council of Chapter Representatives Committee

The Council of Chapter Representatives is a committee within the American Thoracic Society which contains members from the local chapters. In this capacity, the Council of Chapter Representatives bring concerns of their local chapters to the leadership of the American Thoracic Society, as well as reporting on the activity of the local chapter to the larger society. Since the California Thoracic Society is the largest local chapter of the American Thoracic Society, we hold two spots on the Council of Chapter Representatives. Currently, a Chapter Representative serves on the American Thoracic Society Membership Committee as a representative of all the chapters. Additionally, the CTS representatives on the Council of Chapter Representatives participate in the American Thoracic Society Advocacy Week, where they represent the interests of the American Thoracic Society and the California Thoracic Society to congressional leaders from California.

Nominating Committee

The CTS Nominating Committee supports the mission of CTS through ensuring a fair and equitable process for nominating qualified individuals for board positions or honors. The Nominating Committee is responsible for putting forward a nomination for CTS Treasurer in the fall and circulating the slate of candidates to membership in a ballot annually. In most circumstances the treasurer moves through the executive committee positions, eventually becoming CTS president.  Additionally, nominations are submitted every two years for a chair and members of the nominating committee and as needed to fill vacant executive committee positions.

Recently, the committee has also assumed responsibility to receive nominations and select an honoree for CTS Outstanding Clinician of the Year.  This honoree is then submitted on behalf of CTS as the chapter’s nominee for ATS Outstanding Clinician of the Year.

The Nominating Committee consists of the Chair of the Nominating committee, Immediate Past President, and at least two members from the Active membership.  The committee strives to increase representation by including members from diverse backgrounds, various regions within California, academic and non-academic areas, and professionals from both medical and allied health backgrounds. The Nominating Committee currently is currently accepting new members and we welcome those who are interested to contact us.

Pediatric Committee

As one of the committees within the California Thoracic Society, the Pediatric Committee is focused on improving care of pediatric patients faced with the entire spectrum of pulmonary concerns – from intermittent asthma to cystic fibrosis. Currently, this task is being addressed in a three-pronged approach that includes: (1) assisting clinicians, (2) legislative advocacy, and (3) education of families and patients.

The Pediatric Committee is devoted to helping you take excellent care of your patients.

The Pediatric Committee interfaces directly with the California Children’s Services (CCS) physician liaison. New issues of interest to the CCS that we are dealing with include:

  • Transitioning of care of patients with complex medical conditions from pediatric to adult practitioners with a team approach.

We advocate for our patients! We remain appraised of the institutional and legal issues in the state involving the pediatric care of patients and continue to advocate for our patients, families, and healthcare practitioners.

We educate our patients and healthcare practitioners. We have authored a 52-page guide, “Home Care of Children on Ventilators”, to standardize and assist in the care of patients on the home ventilator.

Read More (committee should review? add "other pubs" to resources?)

Clinical Practice Committee

The CTS Clinical Practice Committee seeks to identify and address issues that affect the clinical work of our state’s respiratory physicians, physicians in training, nurses and respiratory care specialists. Our work since 2020 includes formulation of the CTS Vaping statement, COVID-19 OP guidance early in the pandemic, assistance with CA state congregate settings AGP policy, and establishment of a collaborative forum to assist members throughout the state in navigating COVID- 19 surge in order to avoid crisis care situations.

Our history of work includes prior academic reviews of statements, creation of a fluoroscopy safety certification course, and helping to promote pulmonary hypertension centers of excellence throughout the state.

Our future scope of work includes updates to the respiratory health safety during fires and disasters statement and continued collaborative efforts for state respiratory health policies.

Read More (committee should review? Florouscope requirements may be  outdated, course already added to site)

Education Committee

As one of the committees within the California Thoracic Society, the Education Committee is committed in planning and execution of high-quality evidence-based CME conferences pertaining to the fields of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. The society’s flagship annual conference is held in northern California, Monterey at the beginning of each year. Our conference and educational programs are catered towards a broad audience including physicians, respiratory therapists, allied healthcare professionals, pharmacists, nurses and trainee. The annual conference receives approval and CE and CME credit through American Thoracic Society. One of the major highlights of our annual conference is the opportunity to closely mingle with faculty and networking. Apart from educational content, we regularly hold events during our conference advancing interest groups such as Early Career event catering to fellows, other trainees, and those out of fellowship within the past 5 years and Women in Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine event. We hold an annual fellows’ poster session highlighting clinical, translation and basic science research culminating in awards for best posters in each category. Our planning committee members are chosen after receiving nominations from universities and private academic institutions throughout California.

In addition to Monterey conference we have held Southern California fall CME conferences and symposiums in the past several years which have been very successful and well attended.

Dr Shazia Jamil of Scripps Clinic/UCSD and Dr Michelle Cao of Stanford co-chairs CTS education committee.

CTS Inspirations

CTS Inspirations newsletter provides timely updates on important clinical, research, advocacy and ethical topics with an evidence based focus targeting the needs of all California pulmonary clinicians. A multidisciplinary emphasis includes regular California Society for Respiratory Care updates. Richard Robbins, editor of the Southwestern Journal of Pulmonary and Critical Care generously shares his outstanding journal as part of CTS Inspirations.

Angela Wang MD is chief editor, with editorial staff Sachin Gupta MD, Laren Tan MD, and Chris Garvey NP. We encourage all members to contact us regarding interest in submissions or recommendations for invited CA – based articles. CTS and the newsletter’s editors thank all for your outstanding submissions!

Do you have an interest in writing or publication? Please reach out to the CTS Inspirations editorial team to discuss opportunities for joining our editorial staff.  Volunteers make up our team, and every participant is valued. This exciting role includes interfacing with experts from throughout the state. You will also help shape the content shared in the Newsletter. Fellows and trainees interested in writing or publication are encouraged to contact us.  Please submit nominations (self-included) to Sachin Gupta at sachin.gupta@comcast.net.

Please include:

  • a brief biography (up to 200 words), including editorial experience;
  • the candidate’s CV; optionally, a statement of interest of up to 500 words stating the nominee’s vision for the newsletter.
  • CTS believes in culturally competent, diverse, and prepared teams that are dedicated to improved health and health equity.

Health Policy Committee

The CTS Health Policy Committee works with the American Thoracic Society to advocate for change in health policy related to lung health. Each year they help organize the California delegation for the American Thoracic Society Advocacy Week.

Get Involved. Apply and Join a Committee!

Name(Required)