Message from the President
Main Article Content
Abstract
Fall is upon us, leaves are turning, kids are back at school, and football season is in full swing. It is a good time to reflect on the past year as well as look forward to the upcoming holidays and the year ahead. As we prepare to publish JPOSNA® Volume 4, Number 4, we here are doing the same thing.
Over the past year, JPOSNA® has continued to develop and grow into one of the leading journals in Pediatric Orthopaedics, due in part to our unique ability to publish not only original research but also things that traditional journals are unable to such as surgical technique/tip videos, expert panel discussions, coding tips, and interesting commentary. This edition continues that mission with a wide range of topics, formats, and articles from a diverse group of authors. This year, we have expanded our reach and published our first supplement: Advances in Pediatric Orthopaedic Education and Technical Training, edited by Elizabeth Hubbard, MD. It is the flexibility afforded to us by owning our own journal that allows us to produce incredibly valuable and relevant work like this that could not be published in a traditional orthopaedic journal.
Soon our second supplement, edited by Julie Samora, MD, PhD, highlighting the 2022 Annual Meeting Pre-Course on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will be published as well. Even more exciting is that only two short years ago, the publishing industry looked at JPOSNA® as an “unproven startup concept,” and now we are viewed as a unique, interesting, and successful journal. It has quickly become the home for the best and latest information in Pediatric Orthopaedics worldwide. We are continuing to explore opportunities that can further expand the reach and value of JPOSNA® while staying true to its mission, including pursuing a path to PubMed listing which is underway.
As an organization, POSNA is doing the same thing, and this past year has been exceptional. We have not only survived the COVID-19 pandemic but thrived and come out as a better, stronger, and more resilient organization. Interest in IPOS® 2022 and the Annual Meeting in Nashville in 2023 is strong and shows us the value of face-to-face interaction, both personally and professionally. The opportunity at this time is to be able to critically assess and leave behind things that no longer worked for us, leaving us more time and energy for those things that do. There are many initiatives underway to streamline and improve our committee structure and the CAP process, our meeting structure/footprint, educational platforms, our operational budget and organizational structure, and industry relations to name a few.
One topic that deserves special attention is technology, as it impacts almost everything we do as an organization and as a journal, and this will become even more important in the future. We have seen a rapid expansion in the use of technology in educational webinars, podcasts, and meetings. We have tremendous value in our digital content in POSNAcademy, OrthoKids, POSNA Study Guide as well as JPOSNA®. Our ability to own, control, and use this content to further our educational mission allows us tremendous flexibility and adaptability. For this reason, we have asked a working group, led by Bryan Tompkins, MD, Todd Milbrandt, MD, and Jaysson Brooks, MD, to put together a Ten Year Technology Timeline to help us assess where POSNA is in regard to technology and what our needs might be over the next decade. To assist us, we are in the process of identifying a consultant to assess our current organizational technology structure, identify our strengths and weaknesses, and help us position ourselves in an optimal way in the future.
This is truly an exciting time for JPOSNA® and POSNA as we move into 2023 and beyond. With all these advances, it is also important to remember that at the heart of all these successes are our people. This is your journal, your organization, and your professional “home.” Thank you to all of you who volunteer your time, energy, and support to further our mission. One person who needs a special mention is Lisa DuShane, our Managing Editor, who joined the editorial staff in 2021. Her energy, passion, and many years of experience as well as her calm nature even around stressful deadlines make us truly better as a journal and as an organization.
As the year comes to an end, we hope that you will consider POSNA in your charitable giving through POSNA Direct, if you haven’t done so already. We are a volunteer organization, and in these uncertain economic times, your financial support will allow our amazing work to improve the musculoskeletal care of children to continue and grow.
On a personal note, I would like to thank all of you for the tremendous amount of energy, passion, and work that you all do. It is an honor and a privilege to lead this organization. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season with your family, friends, and colleagues, and look forward to an even more incredible 2023.