New CTSNet Organizational Committees

Dear CTSNet Contacts,

The CTSnet Board of Directors hopes to interest you in co-creating the CTSNet of the future. Over the course of the last year, CTSNet has made significant progress in establishing a sound financial footing under its new management structure. An important part of achieving that footing has been a focus on core services with a strict business discipline. While we are far from taking that progress for granted, we do believe that it is appropriate to consider a measured expansion of services.

In August of 2013, members of the CTSNet Board of Directors and selected guests conducted a retreat, during which an elaboration of the CTSNet organizational structure to include a number of key committees was proposed. In the interest of better serving the needs of all CTSNet contacts, the Board of Directors has endorsed such an approach. We write to you to encourage your participation via self-nomination for one of these proposed initial committees.

As a starting point, we plan to launch the following committees:

Surgeons in Training Committee
Charge: To identify needs of surgeons in training throughout the world and propose solutions to the Board of Directors. 

Industry Relations Committee
Charge: To work with industry to generate ideas for new offerings in advertisement and sponsorship. 

Community Relationships Committee
Charge: To create opportunities that strengthen the CTSNet community, including development of homepages and “communities of Interest."

International Outreach Committee
Charge: To work with a proposed Board of Delegates to increase international activity beginning with Latin America and Asia. 

Allied Health Committee
Charge: To propose features of particular interest to allied health fields including perfusion, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. 

We hope that you will consider participating in one of these proposed committees. As is the case in any self-nomination process, we cannot guarantee that there will be room for everyone who responds with interest; however we will do our best to accommodate those with interest. We hope to assemble the first meeting of these committees during the upcoming STS Annual meeting in Orlando.

If you wish to participate in one or more of these committees, please fill out the self-nomination form. 

Sincerely,

Thoralf M. Sundt
CTSNet President