2008 MEETING

2008 Meeting | Social Program

Dear Colleagues:

The Seattle Caucus warmly invites you and your partner to the 95th Annual Meeting of the North Pacific Surgical Association at the Grand Hyatt Hotel/Seattle on November 14th and 15th, 2008. This excellent venue will provide a state of the art auditorium for our scientific program and a wonderful setting for our social program.

The program committee, chaired by Dr. Marc Horton, has brought together a wide-ranging scientific program, encompassing all the broad topics of general surgery as well as a few unique papers on lean methodology and education. Our Founders Lecturer will be Dr. J. Patrick O’Leary, Emeritus Professor and Chairman of Surgery at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and currently Executive Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs at Florida International University College of Medicine, the nation’s newest medical school. Pat is a former President of the Association of Program Directors of Surgery and has served as chairman of the American College of Surgeons Board of Governors and as first vice president of the College. His knowledge of clinical surgery and surgical education is encyclopedic. Pat is a charming and entertaining speaker and will set the tone for a fine meeting.

The local arrangements committee, chaired by Dr. Michael Florence, has organized a busy and entertaining social program. The Friday luncheon speaker will be Mimi Gardner Gates, Director of the Seattle Art Museum. Mimi has been the driving force for the Seattle Art Museum’s recent expansion and the creation of the Olympic Sculpture Park. Her luncheon address will also be the center-point of the companion social event, featuring tours of the Seattle Art Museum and the Olympic Sculpture Park. Friday evening, after we introduce and welcome our new members, Lenny Wilkens will be the after-dinner speaker. Lenny is an NBA Hall of Famer as both player and coach and is the winningest coach in the NBA; he is of course well known locally as the Coach of the 1979 NBA Champion Seattle Supersonics.

Saturday’s luncheon speaker will be Timothy Egan, Northwest native and author. Tim is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist for the New York Times and author of multiple fiction and non-fiction books. The Good Rain is a blend of history, anthropology, and politics and is a must-read for any one living in the Pacific Northwest. His most recent work, The Worst Hard Times, won the 2006 National Book Award for non-fiction. The Saturday evening Presidential Reception and Dinner will provide a rousing send-off to complete our 2008 meeting with a wonderful dinner and dancing until the wee hours.

I wish I could close this newsletter with all good news but there is some bad news. Despite excellent vendor support, the cost of the North Pacific Surgical Association annual meeting continues to rise. This is due almost entirely to meal costs, as anyone knows who has eaten at any restaurant recently. We have been forced to raise the registration cost for members, spouses, and for our retired members. The North Pacific Surgical Association is one of the few, if not the only, surgical association that provides breakfast, lunch and dinner for all attendees for both days of the meeting and that comes at a significant cost in a venue as lovely as the Grand Hyatt Hotel. The registration fee barely covers meal costs alone for members (and the spousal fee is a significant loss). So please accept my apologies for this increase. On the other hand, we have been able to maintain the room rates at a very reasonable level for a premier luxury accommodation in the midst of downtown Seattle. We urge you all to spend a lovely weekend with your spouse/companion at the Grand Hyatt, including our Seattle caucus members.

I look forward to seeing you all at the Grand Hyatt in November.
Sincerely yours,

Michael J. Hart, MD, President

DISTINGUISHED GUEST SPEAKER

J. Patrick O’Leary, MD

Professor and Chairman of Surgery Emeritus, LSU, New Orleans; Executive Associate Dean, Florida International University College of Medicine; Vice-President, American College of Surgeons; Past Chairman, Board of Governors, American College of Surgeons; Past President, Association of Program Directors in Surgery.

Dr. J. Patrick O’Leary is nationally known as a leader in surgical thought and surgical education. He is Professor and Chairman Emeritus of Surgery at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and currently serves as Executive Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs at Florida International University College of Medicine, the nation’s newest medical school. Pat is a former President of the Southeastern Surgical Congress and of the Association of Program Directors of Surgery and has served as chairman of the American College of Surgeons Board of Governors and as first vice president of the College. Pat is a graduate of Belmont Abbey College and an AOA graduate of University of Florida, Gainesville where he also completed surgery residency. He is the author of more than 100 surgical publications and contributor to numerous surgical texts. He is the editor of The Physiologic Basis of Surgery, now in its 3rd edition. Pat is uniquely qualified to serve as our Founders Lecturer.

LUNCH GUEST SPEAKERS

Mimi Gardner Gates

Mimi Gardner Gates is a scholar of Asian Art with a strong interest in Chinese painting, ceramics and the history of ornament. She received her B.A. from Stanford University in Asian history; an Honors diploma in Chinese Language and Culture from the École Nationale des Langues Orientales Vivantes, Paris, an M.A. in Oriental and Chinese studies from the University of Iowa (1968), and a PhD. in Art History from Yale University (1981).

She began her tenure at Yale University Art Gallery in 1975, serving as Curator of Asian art through 1987 and as director from 1987 to 1994. She joined the Seattle Art Museum as Director in May 1994. She has aggressively led the museum forward, embarking on significant capital projects, including building the new expanded Seattle Art Museum, creation of the Olympic Sculpture Park, renovations to the 1933 Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park, and establishment of a conservation studio. In addition to overseeing the growth of SAM, she oversaw the organization of major exhibitions and scholarly publications.

Timothy Egan

Timothy Egan, a Northwest native, is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist for the New York Times and author of five books. The Good Rain is a personal exploration of the history, anthropology, and politics of our region, and is a must-read for any one living in the Pacific Northwest. His most recent work, The Worst Hard Times, a study of the Dust Bowl survivors, won the 2006 National Book Award for non-fiction. Mr. Egan is an online, op-ed columnist for the New York Times and a regular contributor to BBC Radio.

DINNER GUEST SPEAKER

Lenny Wilkens

Lenny Wilkens is well known in the Pacific Northwest, having been a player and player-coach for both the Seattle Supersonics and the Portland Trailblazers. During Lenny’s 15 year NBA career as a player, he averaged 16.5 points and 6.7 assists per game, was an NBA All-Star nine times and MVP of the 1971 NBA All-Star Game. As a coach, he established the NBA all-time winning record with more than 1300 victories, including coaching the 1979 NBA Championship Seattle Supersonics. Lenny is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and coach.

SOCIAL PROGRAM

Social Program
North Pacific Surgical Association
Grand Hyatt Hotel/Seattle
November 14-15, 2008

Friday, November 14th
The State of the Arts/Seattle

Enjoy a docent-lead tour of the Seattle Art Museum and its hugely successful new addition featuring a groundbreaking exhibition of Pacific Coast Salish Art and Artists, followed by luncheon with an address by Mimi Gardner Gates, Director of the Seattle Art Museum. The afternoon will be spent at the outdoor Olympic Sculpture Park, an internationally renowned landscape architecture masterpiece on the Seattle waterfront with a fabulous collection of monumental sculpture.

9:30 AM – Board the Tour Bus at the Grand Hyatt Hotel

10:00 AM – Tour the Seattle Art Museum with a docent-led tour of S’Abadeb – The Gifts: Pacific Coast Salish Art and Artists – a groundbreaking exhibition that explores the unique artistry and culture of Salish First Peoples of Washington State and British Columbia.

12:00 PM – Return to the Grand Hyatt Hotel for luncheon and guest speaker Mimi Gardner Gates, long time Director of the Seattle Art Museum and the driving force for the Seattle Art Museum’s recent expansion and the creation of the Olympic Sculpture Park.

2:30 PM – Board the Tour Bus for an afternoon tour of the magnificent, newly completed Olympic Sculpture Park. Be sure to dress warmly.

4:30 PM – Return to the Hotel

Cost per person - $70.00 (includes deluxe charter transportation and entry to the Seattle Art Museum and the Olympic Sculpture Park. Luncheon is already included in your meeting registration.)

Please plan to attend all our social events, including the Friday evening New Member Reception and Dinner with after-dinner speaker, Lenny Wilkens, NBA legend as player and coach; Saturday luncheon with guest speaker, Timothy Egan, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award Winning author; and the Saturday evening Presidential Reception and Dinner with after-dinner dancing.