Deborah Gaebler-Spira, MD
President, AACPDM

A new strategic plan for AACPDM was initiated in March 2009 at the mid-year meeting and the final version was approved this past September. I hope you review the full plan but in case you are short of time there are two features I would like to draw your attention to since they expand our focus. The re-drafted mission is to provide multidisciplinary scientific education for health professionals and promote excellence in research and services for the benefit of people with cerebral palsy and childhood onset disabilities.

In this mission statement we are actively engaging in the transition process of children becoming adults. We now know that early treatment has an impact into adulthood. Information and research into adult outcomes will inform our management of the child as we parse out complex relationships of function, overuse, injury and aging. The mission shifts our effort to promote research into services that benefit people with cerebral palsy and childhood disability. Research is central to outcome and delivery of services. Our mission has been and will continue to be to provide education and to promote research for the best outcomes for children with cerebral palsy and childhood onset disabilities. These activities remain our core and are rock solid.

The Annual Meeting is the primary way in which AACPDM carries out our educational mission. Traveling to meetings and taking time away from work and family is always difficult. The AACPDM leadership realizes that educational opportunities abound now, with internet and online education. As our members become younger and younger, their needs and opportunity to reach them with the internet changes our opportunities as well to promote research and education. Dissemination of knowledge and the forms it takes will need to be re-evaluated and our mission and vision will emphasize technology.

The nuances of the new vision charge us to think globally about our endeavors and to actively partner. Clearly the web, internet and future technology are powerful tools that will make the vision possible. The DMCN journal will be key and will be a leader with us in harnessing this remarkable tool. For those who cannot attend meetings because of expense or who are in places too remote, they can take part in educational activities through the internet.

Nothing replaces the networking that is done at meetings; often the learning that takes place out of the lecture hall is that which changes your practice and direction. Members are our richest resource and we encourage all of you to either become a member or to renew your membership.

To highlight the workings of the Academy we are implementing a “Know your Board and Committees” section of the website! We have chosen the Membership Committee as our kick off to get to know your members!

The structure of the AACPDM is the Board of Directors with elected directors at large who act as liaisons to each committee. The committees work through their liaison to promote activities or projects with the Board of Directors' approval.

We hope that this new area of the website will give you an idea of the commitment and the activities that our committees work on during the non-meeting times of the year. If you are a member who is interested in participating on a committee, please contact the AACPDM office and we look forward to getting you put to work!