Volunteer's Note
Journal Advisory Group Seeks New Review Editor for JHS
JHS Updates Reference Style
Dupuytren Foundation to Award Research Grants
Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) Opportunities
Thank You to AFSH Donors
Guide Helps Doctors Make Sense of Profiling Reports
Volunteer's Note
(To view Fraser J. Leversedge, MD's Website Committee video, click the image above)
In 1998, the original ASSH website had four pages – it was a place to post basic information about the ASSH.
The evolution of technology and the expanding roles of the ASSH website as a tremendous resource have created opportunities for the development of important initiatives serving the ASSH administration, the ASSH membership, the general public, and our patients. Such online initiatives include the Journal Club, Self-Assessment Examination, ASSH Textbook, CME/Maintenance of Certification, Coding Corner, Online Consultation Corner, mobile apps for the Annual Meeting, ebook options for future publications, and various initiatives related to our expanding social media.
The website is an important portal for access to such resources as the Journal of Hand Surgery, Find a Hand Surgeon, and the Image Library.
The influence of technology and the rapidly changing mobile device market means successful organizations will need a comprehensive technology strategy that integrates its website with other technologies. Important for the ASSH, such a strategy must be: 1. Responsive to the future needs of its membership; 2. Current and compatible with technology developments; 3. Financially responsible; and 4. Supportive of the broader mission of the ASSH.
Recently, under the leadership of current ASSH President Edward Akelman, MD, the Information Technology Advisory Group was established in order to provide a coordinated approach to the integration and development of technology within the various facets of our Society.
The Website Committee serves as an ambassador for many of these missions within the ASSH: as the website provides a portal through which our members and the public may interact with rich educational and informational content, the Committee provides oversight for the content and for the maintenance of the website, as well as participating with ITAG and Council to guide its development. The charges of the Website Committee are:
- To promote and develop additions to the ASSH website
- To maintain policies regarding commercial applications to the ASSH website
- To maximize the ASSH website’s accessibility to on-line searchers and search engines
- To adapt the educational content of the website to adhere to recommendations of the MOC Task Force
Based on these considerations, the Website Committee has embarked on a process to examine the content stored on or facilitated by the ASSH website and to assess critically the efficiencies of website navigation from the standpoint of our website constituents.
Our goal is to create a framework for a more efficient, user-friendly and resourceful ASSH website. The Committee has assigned a series of logical tasks: to assess the current navigational structure of the ASSH website, to prioritize levels of content, and to propose changes to the critical elements and format of the current website to reflect observations of our website analysis.
It is an exciting time for the ASSH and for our website – advances in technology influence the way we communicate, how we learn, and how we develop our practice and our skills. The Website Committee is a dynamic and creative group of volunteers who are motivated to embrace this challenge of advancement. I would like to thank the staff members at the ASSH Central Office, the ASSH leadership, and the members of the ASSH Website Committee for their dedication and their contributions toward our future!
Fraser J. Leversedge, MD
Chair, Website Committee
I had the distinct privilege of serving as Review Editor for the Journal of Hand Surgery (JHS) from 2008 until this year.
I recently began my term as President-Elect of the ASSH as well as Chair of the Journal Advisory Group of Council, and as such, I have stepped down as Review Editor of JHS. My exit has created a vacancy in this vital role, and the Journal Advisory Group is seeking a replacement.
Since the first issue was published in July 1976, JHS has been an important forum for hand and upper extremity surgeons. The Review Section was introduced in 2008, and it has been a valuable addition, covering four areas: Surgical Technique, Current Concepts, Evidence-Based Medicine and In Brief.
If you are interested in helping carry on this rich tradition as Review Editor, please visit the
ASSH website for details and to learn how to apply. A monetary stipend is attached to this position. The deadline for applications is November 5, 2012.
If you have questions, please call the ASSH Central Office at 312-880-1900.
Sincerely,
Scott H. Kozin, MD
JHS Updates Reference Style
You asked, we acted!
Beginning October 15, 2012, the Journal of Hand Surgery will be requesting that authors format their references in the widely-known AMA style: a style that many citation management programs recognize.
This change is one step the Editorial Board is taking to make the JHS more author-friendly. Be sure to check out Dr. Roy Meals' editorial in the January 2013 issue for more updates to the JHS. Questions or comments? Email us at
jhs@assh.org.
Dupuytren Foundation to Award Research Grants
The Dupuytren Foundation (nonprofit, no commercial ties) will award two $10,000 research grants this year for work designed to advance understanding and/or treatment of Dupuytren's Disease.
One grant will be awarded for basic science research and one grant for clinical research. Guidelines and application information are available on the
Dupuytren Foundation website.
Applications must be submitted via email by December 12, 2012, for consideration.
Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) Opportunities
Orthopaedics
Ethiopia: Volunteers are needed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for 2-4 week assignments. General orthopaedists and sub-specialists are needed. Contact the
program department for more information.
Uganda: Volunteers are needed in Kampala, Uganda, for four-week assignments to train residents, medical students, orthopaedic assistants and physicians. Contact the
program department for more information.
Thank You to AFSH Donors
Mark E. Baratz, MD
Matthew A. Bernstein, MD
Lance B. Davlin, MD
Marybeth Ezaki, MD
Sidney M. Jacoby, MD
Hillary G. Redlin, MD
Charles T. Resnick, MD
Divya Singh, MD
Mark Lin-Yi Wang, MD, PhD
Did you know you can support the Foundation (AFSH) through automated monthly payments? Visit www.afsh.org/donate to complete an auto-pay form, or contact afsh@assh.org.
A guide developed by the AMA removes the mystery from complex insurer-provided profile reports, helping physicians verify the reports' accuracy and use the information to make practice improvements.
Read more.