New for HM19: Call for content expanded to include speaker, topic proposals

The Call for Content for HM19 – open to both Society of Hospital Medicine members and nonmembers – is being expanded from solely workshop submissions to include speaker and topic proposals.

“The open call for workshops has been in place for a number of years,” said Dustin T. Smith, MD, FHM, an associate professor of medicine at Emory University in Atlanta. Dr. Smith is an HM18 assistant course director and will be the primary course director for HM19. “In the past, we used a targeted survey method to get speaker/topic suggestions for the didactic sessions. The change was made, in part, based on member and annual meeting feedback along with strong SHM leadership support and guidance.”

This change, for both workshops and sessions, will allow for more speaker diversity, as well as open the door for new presenters. “We really feel this ability to propose content and speakers will resonate with our members and nonmembers alike, giving them a voice in annual conference planning,” he continued. “Our overall goal is to create new and exciting meeting formats each year that spark interest and promote overall attendee learning.”

Dr. Smith hosted an informational presentation on the process as part of the MEDTalks session on Monday.

When asked about themes for next year’s conference, Dr. Smith stated, “I anticipate that some of the areas of focus will center around health policy, advocacy for patients, and the latest in hospital medicine.” The SHM Annual Meeting Committee is responsible for HM19’s didactic content, the foundation of which will be rooted in hot topics and subject areas in the field. Planning also will take into account momentum and feedback from HM18.

“We have a few innovative and exciting educational tracks at HM18, including The Great Debate and Seasoning Your Career. If they are successful, we hope to offer similar ones next year,” Dr. Smith explained. “Some already popular tracks such as Rapid Fire clinical topics and Clinical Updates will likely remain meeting staples, although their content will certainly change.

“I am a working member of a talented group of incredibly knowledgeable hospitalists who form the Annual Conference Committee for both HM18 and HM19. With amazing SHM leadership and staff liaison guidance and support, we will be planning content for the bulk of the educational portion of next year’s conference,” he noted.

 

Dr. Smith, an Atlanta native, is an academic hospitalist and assistant chief of medicine for education in the Medical Specialty Care Services Line at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center. He graduated from Emory University in Atlanta and completed his residency at the University of California, San Francisco, with distinction.

“I was immersed in large hospital medicine programs full of terrific practicing hospitalists at both institutions,” Dr. Smith recalled. “It became apparent that, when I completed my training, I wanted to pursue an academic hospital medicine career in a large, urban setting. Being from Atlanta, I wanted to reconnect with Emory, so I accepted a position at the Atlanta VA Medical Center as a hospitalist.” (The Atlanta VA is an Emory academic affiliate.)

The recipient of numerous teaching awards, Dr. Smith is an associate program director for the J. Willis Hurst Internal Medicine Residency Program at Emory, is the chair of the Emory division of hospital medicine Education Council, and has been codirector of the annual Southern Hospital Medicine Conference since 2012. The Emory department of medicine has named him “Distinguished Physician” for his significant clinical contributions.

“I am lucky enough to have been surrounded by great mentors in hospital medicine, both during training and as early- and now mid-career faculty. Mentoring and professional development are really key elements to building a successful and sustainable career in hospital medicine,” he said. “Additionally, I am incredibly humbled and thankful to have the opportunity to care for veterans in my various clinical roles at the Atlanta VA.”

When asked about the field, Dr. Smith said, “In my opinion, hospital medicine is and has been vital for the successful operation of health care and the management of hospitalized patients for more than a decade now. Hospitalists not only provide top-notch care for inpatients but also play so many other important roles in medicine in areas such as quality improvement, practice management, comanagement, research, and education.”

The Call for Content for HM19 – open to both Society of Hospital Medicine members and nonmembers – is being expanded from solely workshop submissions to include speaker and topic proposals.

“The open call for workshops has been in place for a number of years,” said Dustin T. Smith, MD, FHM, an associate professor of medicine at Emory University in Atlanta. Dr. Smith is an HM18 assistant course director and will be the primary course director for HM19. “In the past, we used a targeted survey method to get speaker/topic suggestions for the didactic sessions. The change was made, in part, based on member and annual meeting feedback along with strong SHM leadership support and guidance.”

This change, for both workshops and sessions, will allow for more speaker diversity, as well as open the door for new presenters. “We really feel this ability to propose content and speakers will resonate with our members and nonmembers alike, giving them a voice in annual conference planning,” he continued. “Our overall goal is to create new and exciting meeting formats each year that spark interest and promote overall attendee learning.”

Dr. Smith hosted an informational presentation on the process as part of the MEDTalks session on Monday.

When asked about themes for next year’s conference, Dr. Smith stated, “I anticipate that some of the areas of focus will center around health policy, advocacy for patients, and the latest in hospital medicine.” The SHM Annual Meeting Committee is responsible for HM19’s didactic content, the foundation of which will be rooted in hot topics and subject areas in the field. Planning also will take into account momentum and feedback from HM18.

“We have a few innovative and exciting educational tracks at HM18, including The Great Debate and Seasoning Your Career. If they are successful, we hope to offer similar ones next year,” Dr. Smith explained. “Some already popular tracks such as Rapid Fire clinical topics and Clinical Updates will likely remain meeting staples, although their content will certainly change.

“I am a working member of a talented group of incredibly knowledgeable hospitalists who form the Annual Conference Committee for both HM18 and HM19. With amazing SHM leadership and staff liaison guidance and support, we will be planning content for the bulk of the educational portion of next year’s conference,” he noted.

 

Dr. Smith, an Atlanta native, is an academic hospitalist and assistant chief of medicine for education in the Medical Specialty Care Services Line at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center. He graduated from Emory University in Atlanta and completed his residency at the University of California, San Francisco, with distinction.

“I was immersed in large hospital medicine programs full of terrific practicing hospitalists at both institutions,” Dr. Smith recalled. “It became apparent that, when I completed my training, I wanted to pursue an academic hospital medicine career in a large, urban setting. Being from Atlanta, I wanted to reconnect with Emory, so I accepted a position at the Atlanta VA Medical Center as a hospitalist.” (The Atlanta VA is an Emory academic affiliate.)

The recipient of numerous teaching awards, Dr. Smith is an associate program director for the J. Willis Hurst Internal Medicine Residency Program at Emory, is the chair of the Emory division of hospital medicine Education Council, and has been codirector of the annual Southern Hospital Medicine Conference since 2012. The Emory department of medicine has named him “Distinguished Physician” for his significant clinical contributions.

“I am lucky enough to have been surrounded by great mentors in hospital medicine, both during training and as early- and now mid-career faculty. Mentoring and professional development are really key elements to building a successful and sustainable career in hospital medicine,” he said. “Additionally, I am incredibly humbled and thankful to have the opportunity to care for veterans in my various clinical roles at the Atlanta VA.”

When asked about the field, Dr. Smith said, “In my opinion, hospital medicine is and has been vital for the successful operation of health care and the management of hospitalized patients for more than a decade now. Hospitalists not only provide top-notch care for inpatients but also play so many other important roles in medicine in areas such as quality improvement, practice management, comanagement, research, and education.”

The Call for Content for HM19 – open to both Society of Hospital Medicine members and nonmembers – is being expanded from solely workshop submissions to include speaker and topic proposals.

“The open call for workshops has been in place for a number of years,” said Dustin T. Smith, MD, FHM, an associate professor of medicine at Emory University in Atlanta. Dr. Smith is an HM18 assistant course director and will be the primary course director for HM19. “In the past, we used a targeted survey method to get speaker/topic suggestions for the didactic sessions. The change was made, in part, based on member and annual meeting feedback along with strong SHM leadership support and guidance.”

This change, for both workshops and sessions, will allow for more speaker diversity, as well as open the door for new presenters. “We really feel this ability to propose content and speakers will resonate with our members and nonmembers alike, giving them a voice in annual conference planning,” he continued. “Our overall goal is to create new and exciting meeting formats each year that spark interest and promote overall attendee learning.”

Dr. Smith hosted an informational presentation on the process as part of the MEDTalks session on Monday.

When asked about themes for next year’s conference, Dr. Smith stated, “I anticipate that some of the areas of focus will center around health policy, advocacy for patients, and the latest in hospital medicine.” The SHM Annual Meeting Committee is responsible for HM19’s didactic content, the foundation of which will be rooted in hot topics and subject areas in the field. Planning also will take into account momentum and feedback from HM18.

“We have a few innovative and exciting educational tracks at HM18, including The Great Debate and Seasoning Your Career. If they are successful, we hope to offer similar ones next year,” Dr. Smith explained. “Some already popular tracks such as Rapid Fire clinical topics and Clinical Updates will likely remain meeting staples, although their content will certainly change.

“I am a working member of a talented group of incredibly knowledgeable hospitalists who form the Annual Conference Committee for both HM18 and HM19. With amazing SHM leadership and staff liaison guidance and support, we will be planning content for the bulk of the educational portion of next year’s conference,” he noted.

 

Dr. Smith, an Atlanta native, is an academic hospitalist and assistant chief of medicine for education in the Medical Specialty Care Services Line at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center. He graduated from Emory University in Atlanta and completed his residency at the University of California, San Francisco, with distinction.

“I was immersed in large hospital medicine programs full of terrific practicing hospitalists at both institutions,” Dr. Smith recalled. “It became apparent that, when I completed my training, I wanted to pursue an academic hospital medicine career in a large, urban setting. Being from Atlanta, I wanted to reconnect with Emory, so I accepted a position at the Atlanta VA Medical Center as a hospitalist.” (The Atlanta VA is an Emory academic affiliate.)

The recipient of numerous teaching awards, Dr. Smith is an associate program director for the J. Willis Hurst Internal Medicine Residency Program at Emory, is the chair of the Emory division of hospital medicine Education Council, and has been codirector of the annual Southern Hospital Medicine Conference since 2012. The Emory department of medicine has named him “Distinguished Physician” for his significant clinical contributions.

“I am lucky enough to have been surrounded by great mentors in hospital medicine, both during training and as early- and now mid-career faculty. Mentoring and professional development are really key elements to building a successful and sustainable career in hospital medicine,” he said. “Additionally, I am incredibly humbled and thankful to have the opportunity to care for veterans in my various clinical roles at the Atlanta VA.”

When asked about the field, Dr. Smith said, “In my opinion, hospital medicine is and has been vital for the successful operation of health care and the management of hospitalized patients for more than a decade now. Hospitalists not only provide top-notch care for inpatients but also play so many other important roles in medicine in areas such as quality improvement, practice management, comanagement, research, and education.”