A Challengeing and Exciting Year

Congress and Educational Activities Expand
Last year at this time, I told you about our efforts to relocate the Society’s 35th Critical Care Congress from New Orleans, Louisiana, to San Francisco, California. I did not know at the time that the 35th Critical Care Congress would be our best yet, achieving a record attendance of 5,221 despite drastic changes to the location and dates. To all who rescheduled their activities to be with us, I offer you special thanks.

Our abstract submission period closed September 2006 for the upcoming 36th Critical Care Congress in Orlando, Florida. We received a record 851 submissions. This portends well for registration, as the two usually are linked. It also marks another year of growth in abstract submissions. Only about 580 abstracts were submitted in 2002. Congress is our premier educational event of the year, and we hope to see you this February. In September, the Society also held its first multifaceted conference on achieving excellence in critical care. Former Society president Ann E. Thompson, MD, FCCM, once said that “excellence in critical care can be defined as care that optimizes outcomes and minimizes complication while being cost-efficient, cost-effective, respectful of patient and family values, and compassionate.” This definition provided the basis for this new conference. Researchers now believe most medical errors cannot be prevented solely by perfecting the technical work of individual clinicians. Rather, improving quality and safety in the intensive care unit (ICU) often involves the coordinated efforts of multiple critical care team members. To increase awareness and to support a culture of safety in the ICU environment, SCCM developed this new program, which was well-received by an outstanding group of leaders, doers and thinkers in this important field. The three-day educational event addressed potential problem areas such as patient safety, adverse medical events and preventable medical errors. Clinicians were able to act out relevant real-world scenarios through a live videoconferencing session from the Center for Medical Simulation. The conference was preceded by two pre-courses: Appropriate Coding and Administration for Efficient Critical Care and the debut of Rapid Response System Training for First Responders. Based on the popularity of this latter program, SCCM will offer an enhanced course on rapid response teams this summer in Chicago, Illinois. Stay tuned for more information!

In late 2006, we also launched a new educational program series titled Clinical Focus, which highlights clinical topics, particularly those that have new, revised or emerging clinical practice guidelines. The first conference on sepsis, glycemic control and antithrombotics began with a Webcast on these subjects, followed by an onsite two-day conference in San Diego, California, chaired by Douglas B. Coursin, MD. The first program was very well received; we thank those who participated via Webcast and onsite. Our next Clinical Focus conference will be held April 12 to 14, 2007, in San Antonio, Texas, and will focus on anemia and the upcoming, jointly sponsored guideline on that subject. Visit www.sccm.org/education for more information. In late 2005 and early 2006, SCCM participated in the Accreditation Council for Continuing Education’s (ACCME) self-study and reaccreditation process. The ACCME awarded SCCM the status of Accreditation with Commendation. This is the highest award status ACCME can give a provider, and it entitles SCCM to a six-year certification period before the next reaccreditation process. This accomplishment was made possible by the diligent work of SCCM staff in conjunction with many members who volunteered their time for a variety of education delivery programs. Very few organizations receive this level of accreditation, so we are very proud of this accomplishment.

FCCS Courses Continue to Grow and Develop
In 2006, we significantly revised our pricing structure for the Society’s Fundamental Critical Care Support (FCCS) programs. This change, coupled with administrative changes in how the courses are produced and managed, greatly increased participation in this popular outreach program. We held the first course in mainland China and undertook an effort to secure funding to provide free courses to U.S. hospitals in underserved communities. Efforts to expand the program occurred globally, but I wanted to share an item of particular note. This summer, several SCCM members in the U.S. military based in Afghanistan contacted the Society. The chief medical officer indicated that he needed to run an FCCS course without delay and that he didn’t have time to wait for the bureaucracy to approve funding for the license and books. As military units worldwide are regular users of FCCS, we provided him with the books, teaching materials and license as requested and without delay. This resulted in the first FCCS course held in Afghanistan. Several months later, we received a framed and signed certificate with an embedded U.S. flag as a thank you for our quick response. The framed flag was flown over the U.S. combat hospital in Afghanistan on September 11, 2006, while hospital director Maj. Chris Lettieri, MD, conducted the FCCS course for his medical personnel. The item now is displayed prominently in our office, and an article with more details will appear in an upcoming issue of this publication.

Financial Stability Driven By Strategic Direction
Financially, the Society continued to perform well with gross operating revenues of just under $12 million and a net return on revenues of approximately 5%. While additional costs were incurred with the last-minute change of venue for Congress (noted above), net revenue for the fiscal year ending September 30 still topped $550,000 thanks to strong results from the SCCM journals and FCCS pro programs coupled with cost containment activities and several generous contributions from industry supporters. Under the watchful eye of SCCM treasurer, Phil Barie, MD, MBA, FCCM, these net revenues continue to strengthen the Society’s balance sheet; assets on hand at the close of the fiscal year totaled $10 million (of which approximately $600,000 were fixed assets, while the remainder were largely cash and investments). Membership growth leveled during the year and remained constant at approximately 13,000 worldwide members.

Under the leadership of SCCM president, Charles Durbin Jr., MD, FCCM, and the Headquarters Relocation Task Force chair, Frederick Ognibene, MD, FCCM, the SCCM Council authorized the purchase of a building that will serve as the Society’s new headquarters. The current leased space was designed to house 35 to 40 staff, but the Society’s overall growth has increased the staff size to more than 50 employees. The new building also will house larger meeting facilities, increasing our capacity to host business meetings at headquarters, saving significantly over hotel-based meetings. We located a new building close to the current office and near O’Hare International Airport, and plans are underway for office relocation next summer. We will keep you posted on this milestone in the Society’s continued growth and development.

The Strategic Planning Committee, lead by Cliff Deutschman, MD, MC, FCCM, continued its efforts to grow and develop programs of interest to the Society’s members. Many high-quality proposals were received and vetted by the committee this year, and you will see a number of new and enhanced programs in the coming years, particularly Web-based initiatives. More focus was put on Web-based programs in response to survey data suggesting that members want more tools, educational activities and information at their fingertips. Additionally, the committee held a discussion about implementing performance measurement systems to better monitor programming and overall Society performance results. A formal performance measurement program will launch in 2007 to help further guide the decisions of your elected leaders.

In Closing
The Society held a large number of ongoing programs and new activities in 2006 and even more are planned for 2007. These activities are possible because of a large cadre of members who volunteer their time to develop these programs to improve patient care. They are backed by individual and corporate supporters and a dedicated professional staff at SCCM headquarters. The Society has seen tremendous growth in programming, membership and financial status during the last five years, for which we are very thankful. This is your organization and all comments, thoughts and suggestions are appreciated. As we are fond of saying, “anytime is the right time for a great idea,” so do not hesitate to contact Society headquarters or a member of your elected Council at your convenience. Again, I extend my thanks and best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season.