Dear NERVES members:

My hope is that everyone is doing well and beginning to slowly emerge from the events of the last few months! Never have I imagined a period in my life and career like the one we just experienced, and, like many of you, I’ve never worked so many hours and under such frustrating circumstances.  Yet, as I reflect on the last few months, it is clear that there have been some positive things to emerge from all of this chaos.

In my Clinic, this event has forced our group to work together like never before to be more responsive, innovative and resourceful. Ultimately, I think we find ourselves to be in an even better position for the future. Much of what we accomplished was the result of my interactions and discussions with my NERVES friends and colleagues. Our organization’s network has never been more important. The NERVES Annual Conference is the one meeting that I consistently attend every year, primarily because of the networking opportunities and the fact that I always return home with a list of innovative ideas that were shared at our annual conference.

So, for me, it was a huge disappointment to have to work with our committee to cancel this year’s meeting.  I would like to thank to the Annual Meeting Committee for their efforts to put together an outstanding program for 2020 as there is a huge amount or work that goes into planning it.  For those of you who may not be aware, we had a number of top-tier speakers lined up to cover current topics related to artificial intelligence, patient satisfaction, multi-generational workforces, leading growth and change along with many other areas of interest.   We anticipate that much of this will carry over into next year’s meeting.

Just as there is a lot of work that goes into planning a meeting, there is just as much, if not more work, involved in unwinding a meeting of this size.  Melissa Klingberg has been coordinating with our vendors, many of whom will get full refunds.  Curi, our lead sponsor, has agreed to transition their sponsorship to 2021, and Rosman Search has agreed to donate theirs.  Please keep that in mind and thank them if you have the opportunity. The hotel and other service providers will be refunding the vast majority of deposits that we had made with them.  Members will have their meeting registration fees refunded as requested.  Several of our members have chosen to donate their meeting registration fees, and this is very much appreciated!

We are looking forward to our 2021 meeting in Vancouver at the Westin Bayshore Hotel – a unique and scenic property that is very well-located.  Vancouver will be an outstanding venue, and the Annual Meeting Committee is already hard at work to make this a meeting that you don’t want to miss.

What we have learned is that hotel space is not as plentiful in Vancouver as we are used to, and we are changing our usual meeting timeline slightly. We will meet Wednesday through Friday so that the hotel can accommodate us.  Additionally, it is important to note that the AANS plans to change their conference meeting days beginning with the 2022 meeting in Philadelphia.  In 2022, AANS’s opening session is planned for Friday night  (as opposed to Sunday night).  The Annual Meeting Committee and Board are evaluating several options related to this change and will announce our own NERVES  schedule as soon as we reach a decision.

Our first Advisory Board Meeting which was supposed to meet in Boston will now meet for the first time in Vancouver.  This Board is separate from the NERVES Board and is made up of several outside advisors who are charged with helping NERVES stay on track with our mission and vision, assisting with long-range planning related to membership and increasing our visibility and relevance to organized neurosurgery.  Mary Amann has graciously agreed to help lead this important effort, and we are looking forward to our first meeting with the group.

As you may be aware, the NERVES Socio-Economic Survey will be available beginning June 15th, 2020 through September 1st, 2020.  Many thanks to Derek Cantrell for leading one of our most important efforts.  This survey is always the go-to resource for me when I need data that I know I can depend on.  And, it is something that really makes NERVES stand out as a leading organization in the world of neurosurgery.

I am extremely pleased with the volunteer board leadership for this upcoming year, and I appreciate everyone’s willingness to serve. Looking forward, there are a lot of great things to plan for our membership.  If you are interested in getting involved in a NERVES committee, we would love to talk to you.  You may confidentially contact Melissa Klingberg at [email protected].

Thank you for being a part of NERVES!

John Lewis
President/ CSNS Liasion

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