AAD: Practice Management, Leadership Focus of Annual Meeting

There will be more than 400 different sessions at the American Academy of Dermatology's Annual Meeting covering a range of topics as diverse as the field of dermatology and as unique as its host city, New Orleans.

The academy constantly evaluates the meetings and "continually makes changes to have relevant and useful educational material," said Dr. Lawrence F. Eichenfield, chair of the annual meeting.

This year, there will be an increased focus on practice management and leadership. The AAD's Leadership Institute is expanding, and the sessions, marked by the institute's logo in the program book, are geared toward improving dermatologists' ability to influence people in the workplace and their communities, said Dr. Eichenfield.

Health care reform and the politics of medicine in the United States will be discussed in several sessions, starting with the president's address during the plenary session at 8 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 6, in the La Nouvelle New Orleans Ballroom at the convention center. Featured guest speakers, James Carville and his wife Mary Matalin, will exchange differing political views during their lecture, "All's Fair: Love, War, and Politics."

Dr. Thomas S. Kupper will give the Marion B. Sulzberger, M.D., Memorial Award and Lectureship during the plenary. His address ("Skin in the Game: New Perspectives on T-Cells, Immunity, and Cancer"), will focus on how advances in understanding T cells can change the direction of thinking toward immunity, vaccination, cancer, and patient care, said Dr. Eichenfield.

Also during the plenary, Anton Stuetz, Ph.D., will deliver a lecture on "Lessons Learned During Research and Development of New Medicines for Treatment of Skin Diseases." Dr. Stuetz is a world leader in the discovery and development of dermatologic drugs. He will focus on drug research and development and what the future holds. He is giving the Eugene J. Van Scott Award for Innovative Therapy of the Skin and Phillip Frost Leadership Lecture.

Several sessions will address how dermatologists are working with the political system to influence the future of dermatologic care. A 3-hour symposium, "Surviving Healthcare Reform," directed by Dr. Jack S. Resneck Jr., will focus on how health care reform affects practices and what changes it could bring. The symposium is being held in the La Nouvelle New Orleans Ballroom at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 4.

Other sessions will focus on various topics, including the Institute of Medicine's new vitamin D guidelines; advances in laser technology; evolution in diagnosis, management, and treatment of hemangiomas; nanotechnology; and dermoscopy. "We're proud of the collection of international experts in dermoscopy that will be involved in the teaching sessions," said Dr. Eichenfield.

New this year is the "Late Breaking Research" symposium, where the newest and most significant research in dermatology will be presented. It is being held on Saturday, Feb. 5 in room 386/387 at 9 a.m. Although poster sessions have traditionally been the outlet for presenting the latest clinical studies, they don't provide the same interactivity and delivery method as the symposium will, said Dr. Eichenfield. "It's marvelous to include that in the academy meeting."

There will be more than 400 different sessions at the American Academy of Dermatology's Annual Meeting covering a range of topics as diverse as the field of dermatology and as unique as its host city, New Orleans.

The academy constantly evaluates the meetings and "continually makes changes to have relevant and useful educational material," said Dr. Lawrence F. Eichenfield, chair of the annual meeting.

This year, there will be an increased focus on practice management and leadership. The AAD's Leadership Institute is expanding, and the sessions, marked by the institute's logo in the program book, are geared toward improving dermatologists' ability to influence people in the workplace and their communities, said Dr. Eichenfield.

Health care reform and the politics of medicine in the United States will be discussed in several sessions, starting with the president's address during the plenary session at 8 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 6, in the La Nouvelle New Orleans Ballroom at the convention center. Featured guest speakers, James Carville and his wife Mary Matalin, will exchange differing political views during their lecture, "All's Fair: Love, War, and Politics."

Dr. Thomas S. Kupper will give the Marion B. Sulzberger, M.D., Memorial Award and Lectureship during the plenary. His address ("Skin in the Game: New Perspectives on T-Cells, Immunity, and Cancer"), will focus on how advances in understanding T cells can change the direction of thinking toward immunity, vaccination, cancer, and patient care, said Dr. Eichenfield.

Also during the plenary, Anton Stuetz, Ph.D., will deliver a lecture on "Lessons Learned During Research and Development of New Medicines for Treatment of Skin Diseases." Dr. Stuetz is a world leader in the discovery and development of dermatologic drugs. He will focus on drug research and development and what the future holds. He is giving the Eugene J. Van Scott Award for Innovative Therapy of the Skin and Phillip Frost Leadership Lecture.

Several sessions will address how dermatologists are working with the political system to influence the future of dermatologic care. A 3-hour symposium, "Surviving Healthcare Reform," directed by Dr. Jack S. Resneck Jr., will focus on how health care reform affects practices and what changes it could bring. The symposium is being held in the La Nouvelle New Orleans Ballroom at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 4.

Other sessions will focus on various topics, including the Institute of Medicine's new vitamin D guidelines; advances in laser technology; evolution in diagnosis, management, and treatment of hemangiomas; nanotechnology; and dermoscopy. "We're proud of the collection of international experts in dermoscopy that will be involved in the teaching sessions," said Dr. Eichenfield.

New this year is the "Late Breaking Research" symposium, where the newest and most significant research in dermatology will be presented. It is being held on Saturday, Feb. 5 in room 386/387 at 9 a.m. Although poster sessions have traditionally been the outlet for presenting the latest clinical studies, they don't provide the same interactivity and delivery method as the symposium will, said Dr. Eichenfield. "It's marvelous to include that in the academy meeting."

There will be more than 400 different sessions at the American Academy of Dermatology's Annual Meeting covering a range of topics as diverse as the field of dermatology and as unique as its host city, New Orleans.

The academy constantly evaluates the meetings and "continually makes changes to have relevant and useful educational material," said Dr. Lawrence F. Eichenfield, chair of the annual meeting.

This year, there will be an increased focus on practice management and leadership. The AAD's Leadership Institute is expanding, and the sessions, marked by the institute's logo in the program book, are geared toward improving dermatologists' ability to influence people in the workplace and their communities, said Dr. Eichenfield.

Health care reform and the politics of medicine in the United States will be discussed in several sessions, starting with the president's address during the plenary session at 8 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 6, in the La Nouvelle New Orleans Ballroom at the convention center. Featured guest speakers, James Carville and his wife Mary Matalin, will exchange differing political views during their lecture, "All's Fair: Love, War, and Politics."

Dr. Thomas S. Kupper will give the Marion B. Sulzberger, M.D., Memorial Award and Lectureship during the plenary. His address ("Skin in the Game: New Perspectives on T-Cells, Immunity, and Cancer"), will focus on how advances in understanding T cells can change the direction of thinking toward immunity, vaccination, cancer, and patient care, said Dr. Eichenfield.

Also during the plenary, Anton Stuetz, Ph.D., will deliver a lecture on "Lessons Learned During Research and Development of New Medicines for Treatment of Skin Diseases." Dr. Stuetz is a world leader in the discovery and development of dermatologic drugs. He will focus on drug research and development and what the future holds. He is giving the Eugene J. Van Scott Award for Innovative Therapy of the Skin and Phillip Frost Leadership Lecture.

Several sessions will address how dermatologists are working with the political system to influence the future of dermatologic care. A 3-hour symposium, "Surviving Healthcare Reform," directed by Dr. Jack S. Resneck Jr., will focus on how health care reform affects practices and what changes it could bring. The symposium is being held in the La Nouvelle New Orleans Ballroom at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 4.

Other sessions will focus on various topics, including the Institute of Medicine's new vitamin D guidelines; advances in laser technology; evolution in diagnosis, management, and treatment of hemangiomas; nanotechnology; and dermoscopy. "We're proud of the collection of international experts in dermoscopy that will be involved in the teaching sessions," said Dr. Eichenfield.

New this year is the "Late Breaking Research" symposium, where the newest and most significant research in dermatology will be presented. It is being held on Saturday, Feb. 5 in room 386/387 at 9 a.m. Although poster sessions have traditionally been the outlet for presenting the latest clinical studies, they don't provide the same interactivity and delivery method as the symposium will, said Dr. Eichenfield. "It's marvelous to include that in the academy meeting."