President's Page

President’s Page New President’s Initiatives As you may have heard by now, our annual meeting in San Diego in May was very successful. The science, working meetings and the social events were fantastic, attendance neared recent record highs (1369), and good financial rev- enue will help keep us solvent. My theme on this page throughout the year will be “Make a Difference in Aerospace Medicine with AsMA.” To do that, we need to have a strong and effective organization in place to serve its members in that goal. In order to allow this, I would like to iterate some initiatives to perform with your help. The first initiative is to increase membership. As an international leader, AsMA speaks with authority and its posi- tions and resolutions are highly regarded. However, we Philip J. Scarpa, Jr., M.D., M.S. have an issue with declining membership. While we should not strive to have quantity over quality, a very low member- Wikipedia, Facebook, and Twitter accounts, key to market- ship could seriously hinder our inherent activities as an au- ing and branding our organization and key to reaching thoritative leader such as in producing a quality journal, our younger Aerospace Medicine specialists. extensive committee work, and strong advocacy. I propose The third initiative is to strengthen our finances. to appeal to certain groups that may wish to consider AsMA Unfortunately, AsMA lives too close to the break-even point membership, such as aviation nurses, dentists, medevac each year. If we continue unaltered, the organization will coast guard units, and aeromedical examiners. I would like not be able to weather a cancelled annual meeting, a few to explore discounted joint membership between our sister poorly attended meetings, make needed improvements to organizations such as ACOEM, AMA, ACP and Flying our organization, or even have enough capital to provide Physicians, for example. We could each gain in our rosters basic services to its members. We need to set a financial by members interested in both organizations. I’d like to en- self-sustainment goal to provide financial security to our or- courage an increase in our AMSRO chapters, our student organization. While continuing to keep our expenses in check, ganizations, and encourage attendance at our annual meet- we need to increase our income and manage our invest- ing by offering free attendance for one day to any medical ments for greater but reasonable growth. Our income student or resident not a member. There are several health should be more diversified from streams other than our an- related schools in close proximity to our Orlando meeting nual meeting, promote greater corporate involvement, and next year that may take advantage of such an offer. increase participation from our own AsMA Foundation. The second initiative is to increase the value of AsMA The fourth initiative is to improve service to our mem- membership. In recent surveys, for various reasons, members who are not from the United States. AsMA is the pre- bers have reported an increasing difficulty to prove AsMA mier organization for Aerospace Medicine in the world, yet provides enough value to justify its costs and involvement only about a third of our members reside outside the United as a member. I believe our organization needs to answer States. To truly represent the field as a world authority and that concern and clearly demonstrate value to every mem- world voice, we need to strive to increase our global in- ber. I think there is room to improve member services, com- volvement, global membership and enfranchisement of our munications, representation and advocacy. For example, I global members. To help this, I would encourage AsMA to will continue to increase the utility of our website, expand co-sponsor and/or attend other Aerospace Medicine re- web-based training and provide continuing educational gional and non-US meetings, consider providing discounts credits, resources for research, searchable member demo- to members who travel great distances to attend our meet- graphics, committee discussion boards, and convenient con- ings, regularly publish international activities on the web solidated AsMA/Constituent dues collections. I would en- and in the journal, revive the international column in the courage the formation of a Space Medicine Committee journal, and perhaps expand attendance of the newly estab- within the AsMA structure to regularly address space medi- lished Surgeon’s General gathering to Surgeon Generals cine issues. I would like to task our members to identify from outside the United States. aerospace medicine knowledge gaps and research needs, so These initiatives will be integrated into our new strate- AsMA maintains its authoritative voice in constructing our gic plan. However, these are just plans and may not come specialty’s roadmap for the future. I would like to make our to anything without your help and precious time. If you processes more transparent and encourage involvement. haven’t already, I encourage you to join a committee or con- For this I will begin by requesting our nominations commit- stituent organization or simply stay an active member, as tee to widely announce the beginning of their nominations this is your organization here to help you make a difference process for officer selection and announce the ballot of can- in our field. didates when it is ready in advance of the annual meeting. I Ideas? Please send them to President@asma.org, Tweet have requested and set up an ad hoc committee on Social @Aero_Med, Facebook Aerospace Medical Association, Web Media activities and it has already established our first www.asma.org. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine • Vol. 85, No. 7 • July 2014 775 Association News FAA's First Postmortem Aviation NASA, NSBRI Select 26 Proposals period. The 26 projects were selected from Toxicology Colloquium Held to Support Crew Health on Deep 123 proposals received in response to the re- Space Missions search announcement "Research and The Federal Aviation Administration's Technology Development to Support Crew (FAA's) Civil Aerospace Medical Institute NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) Health and Performance in Space (CAMI) held its first three-day (April 1-3, and the National Space Biomedical Research Exploration Missions." Science and technol- 2014) colloquium on Postmortem Forensic Institute (NSBRI) will fund 26 proposals to ogy experts from academia and government Toxicology in Aviation. Those attending were help investigate questions about astronaut reviewed the proposals. NASA will manage aerospace medicine scientists, accident inves- health and performance on future deep space 21 of the projects and NSBRI will manage tigators, educators, medical examiners, foren- exploration missions. This research may help five. sic toxicologists, and students. Included were protect astronauts as they venture farther The selected proposals will investigate the representatives from the Department of into the solar system than ever before to ex- impact of the space environment on various Justice, National Aeronautics and Space plore an asteroid and, eventually, Mars. aspects of astronaut health, including visual Administration, National Transportation The selected proposals are from 16 institu- impairment, behavioral health, bone loss, Safety Board, CAMI, and the private sector. tions in eight states and will receive a total of cardiovascular alterations, human factors Geographically, they came from Brazil, about $17 million during a one- to three-year and performance, neurobehavioral and psy- Canada, Spain, Turkey, and a cross-section of chosocial factors, sensorimotor adaptation America. and the development and application of Topics covered included sample process- smart medical systems and technology. ing; importance of chain of custody samples; Meetings HRP and NSBRI research provides knowl- analyses of samples for combustion gases, Calendar edge and technologies that may improve ethanol, and drugs; analytical results inter- human health and performance during space exploration. They also develop potential pretation; significance of quality June 23-27, 2013; Flying Physicians control/quality assurance; new exponential countermeasures for problems experienced Association 2013 Annual Meeting; during space travel. The organizations' goals technologies in forensics; and litigation and Hyatt Milwaukee Hotel; Milwaukee, expert testimony issues. Two panel discus- are to help astronauts complete their chal- WI. Please visit www.fpadrs.org for de- lenging missions successfully and preserve sion sessions highlighted the conference’s tails and registration information. important focal points, which were on their long-term health. August 25-28, 2014; The 9th Asia Pacific HRP quantifies crew health and perfor- “Interpretation of Analytical Results and Congress of Aerospace of Medicine in Interesting Cases” and “Litigation and mance risks during spaceflight and develops conjunction with the 10th Chinese strategies that mission planners and system Expert Court Testimony.” In these sessions, Conference of Aerospace Medicine; the participants actively shared their deep in- developers can use to monitor and mitigate Beijing, China. For more information, the risks. These studies often lead to ad- terests and expertise in these highly technical please contact Prof. Wang Zhixiang or subjects. vancements in understanding and treating visit http://www.apfama.org/2014 illnesses in patients on Earth. The Civil Aerospace Medical Institute September

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