Society of Critical Care Medicine to Host Largest Multiprofessional Critical Care Event of the Year

(Des Plaines, Ill., Jan. 8, 2007) More than 5,000 critical care professionals will attend the 36th annual Critical Care Congress at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, February 17-21, 2007 hosted by the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), the premiere society for multiprofessional critical care practitioners.

The Society’s annual Congress is the largest multiprofessional critical care event of the year offering attendees more than 300 presentations, pro/con debates, workshops, keynote sessions, and symposia as well as 150 exhibits featuring the latest technologies, products, services, and career opportunities.  

“The Society constantly strives to create opportunities for people of different professions and cultures to learn together in hopes that groundbreaking ideas to improve patient care will be generated, discussed and eventually implemented,” said Charles G. Durbin Jr., MD, FCCM, the Society’s president. “Congress is our largest gathering of diverse and creative thought leaders from all over the world.”

A remarkable part of Congress is the series of engaging topics presented by esteemed experts in critical care during the plenary sessions. Each of these forty-minute explorations deals with one of the important issues affecting today’s healthcare environment, from administrative challenges to paradigm-changing approaches to patient care. This year’s prominent speakers and topics include:

• Sunday, February 18: Patrick M. Kochanek, MD, FCCM, of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania will address “Emergency Preservation for Resuscitation (EPR): Beyond CPR”
• Sunday, February 18: Herbert Pardes, MD, of Columbia University Medical Center in New York, New York will address “Moving Toward a Resurgence of Commitment and Regard for American Medicine”
• Monday, February 19: Hector R. Wong, MD, of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio will address “Genome-Level Expression Profiles of Pediatric Septic Shock”
• Monday, February 19: Daren K. Heyland, MD, MSc, of  Kingston General Hospital Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada will address “Pharmaco-Nutrition: A New Emerging Paradigm”
• Tuesday, February 20: Simon Finfer, MD, MBBS, MRCP, of Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, Australia will address “Clinical Role of Albumin in the Critically Ill”
• Tuesday, February 20: Jeffery S. Vender, MD, FCCM, of Evanston Hospital and Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois will address “Organizational  Change: The Process of Moving Today Into Tomorrow”
• Wednesday, February 21: Lucien L. Leape, MD, of Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts will address “Problem Doctors: Is There a System-Level Solution?”

Showcasing the latest and best science is a mission of the Society. With a record of 855 abstract submissions, ample opportunity to interact with the authors and other experts during Congress is guaranteed. Original scientific research in the categories of ICU administration, basic medical science, clinical case reports, clinical science and critical care education will be on display in the Poster Hall. Select posters are assigned to noted faculty and other experts to lead discussions to facilitate the exchange of ideas and stimulate collaboration between scientists and clinicians.

The Society of Critical Care Medicine is the leading professional organization dedicated to ensuring excellence and consistency in the practice of critical care medicine. With more than 13,000 members worldwide, the Society is the only professional organization devoted exclusively to the advancement of multiprofessional intensive care through excellence in patient care, professional education, public education, research and advocacy. Members of the Society include intensivists, critical care nurses, critical care pharmacists, clinical pharmacologists, respiratory care practitioners and other professionals with an interest in critical care, including physician assistants, social workers and dietitians.

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For more information, please contact Amanda Mannina at +1 847 827-7095 or amannina@sccm.org or Thomas Joseph at +1 847 827-7282 or tjoseph@sccm.org.