As a specialty within the broader field of HM, pediatric HM (PHM) has a dedicated and active following. That devotion is apparent at its annual meeting, to be held this year July 27-31 in Kansas City, Mo. The conference is cosponsored by SHM, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the AAP Section on Hospital Medicine (SOHM), and the Academic Pediatric Association (APA).
Pediatric hospitalists can register though the “Events” section at www.hospitalmedicine.org. Fees for SHM, AAP, and APA members who register before June 30 are $650. After June 30, rates increase to $700. Discounts are available for residents.
Jack Percelay, MD, SFHM, has been to almost every PHM annual meeting since the event began in 1998. He continually is impressed with the increase in stature, quality, and community at each meeting.
We’re young enough as a field that this is a great way to make established personal connections. You can approach people and connect a face to an email and get more involved.— Jack Percelay, MD, SFHM, pediatric hospitalist, Hunterdon Medical Center, New York City
“These meetings have been absolutely stupendous,” says Dr. Percelay, MD, SFHM, pediatric hospitalist at Hunterdon Medical Center in New York City. “This is our fifth consecutive year and each one has been bigger and better than the one before. Previous years have sold out early, so it’s important to register and book a hotel early. And I hear the barbecue is good in Kansas City, too.”
Whether it’s the opportunity to network with other hospitalists dedicated to caring for children, the importance of the discussions, or the smoked ribs, PHM has become a draw—not just for pediatric hospitalists, but also for high-profile speakers.
This year’s keynote speaker—Carolyn Clancy, MD, director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)—will be especially timely. With the continued public dialogue surrounding the role of hospitals—and hospitalists—in the Affordable Care Act (known widely as the health reform law), Dr. Clancy’s presentation will help link the day-to-day work of pediatric hospitalists to the long-term changes they can expect in their hospitals.
For Dr. Percelay, the annual meeting for pediatric hospitalists is still about the people who attend and helping each other in a growing specialty.
“We’re young enough as a field that this is a great way to make established personal connections,” he says. “You can approach people and connect a face to an email and get more involved.
“If you haven’t been to one of these before and your program is struggling with infectious-disease issues, or you don’t know what else is out there, networking helps to define the potential in terms of growing program. If you’re a growing program, it’s much easier to copy an example than to invent a program anew. We share very well, so there are opportunities at all levels.”
In addition to the people, of course, there are opportunities for educational and professional development, including two clinical tracks, a track for educators, and three separate tracks for practice management, quality, and research. The schedule also features a “potpourri” track, which will offer topics on PHM programs in community hospitals, ultrasound, and hunger, homelessness, and violence. TH
Brendon Shank is SHM’s assistant vice president of communications.