Newswise — ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. (April 12, 2013) — Attendees who will be in New Orleans for the American Association of Neurological Surgeons’ (AANS) 81st Annual Scientific Meeting will be treated to a greatly expanded Sunday schedule of events, including a new Opening Ceremonies program featuring former CNN CEO and author Walter Isaacson; a special ceremony honoring former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords with the AANS Medal of Courage; and a musical tribute to the Deep South by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
These are just a few of the new items on tap for registered attendees at the 2013 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting. An estimated 3,400 medical professionals — including neurosurgeons, neurosurgical residents, medical students, neuroscience nurses, clinical specialists, physician assistants and allied health professionals — and more than 6,500 overall attendees will gather at this year’s event, which takes place April 27-May 1, 2013, at the Earnest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. The theme of the 2013 event is “Changing Our Culture to Advance Patient Safety,” and many of the programs, presentations and other events taking place during this year’s meeting will tie directly into how neurosurgery is leading the way to improving patient safety.
“The 2013 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting is focused on the safety and care of our patients, and our programs and content will explore all avenues on this important topic as neurosurgery leads the way in improving our processes and benefiting the patients who entrust us with their care,” said AANS President Mitchel S. Berger, MD, FAANS, FACS. “This year’s AANS Annual Scientific Meeting has introduced many new programs and events. In addition to new Practical Clinics and Breakfast Seminars, more programs and speakers will take center stage during our new Opening Ceremonies program on April 28. We’ve also added new items such as our Neurosurgical Faceoffs during the meeting, allowing neurosurgeons to interact and discuss some of the most interesting and front-and-center issues taking place today.”
New Sunday Opening Ceremonies Program Offers Something for EveryoneOn Sunday, April 28, 2013, at 5 p.m., the new Opening Ceremonies program will begin at the Morial Convention Center when former CNN CEO and award-winning author Walter Isaacson addresses the audience. Isaacson, who most recently authored the bestseller “Steve Jobs,” will talk about the influence that Jobs has had on culture and society. Following his address, an award ceremony will take place as AANS honors former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford with the AANS Medal of Courage. After the award presentation, Giffords’ husband, former NASA astronaut Mark Kelly; and her surgeon, G. Michael Lemole Jr., MD, FAANS, will briefly address the attendees. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band will then take the stage with a musical tribute to New Orleans’ heritage, as well as that of the Deep South. Following the performance, all attendees will be invited to take part in a Mardi Gras-style parade from the Convention Center to Mardi Gras World, where the 2013 Opening Reception will take place.
New Breakfast Seminar, Practical Clinic and Lunch-and-Learn Offerings Give Attendees Wide Variety of Educational Choices The 2013 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting provides a tremendous variety of hands-on and interactive discussion in its educational offerings, including new programs in some of the most advanced areas of neurosurgery. During this year’s meeting, 35 Practical Clinic sessions will take place April 27-28, 2013. This year, 68 Breakfast Seminars — 16 of which are new offerings — also will take place from April 29-May 1, 2013. Those sessions will occur from 7-9 a.m. each morning prior to the start of the AANS Annual Scientific Meeting Plenary Sessions. To see a full listing of all the Practical Clinics taking place, as well as times for specific programs, please visit http://www.aans.org/Annual%20Meeting/2013/Main/Practical%20Clinics.aspx. A full listing of all of the Breakfast Seminars can be found at http://www.aans.org/Annual Meeting/2013/Main/Breakfast Seminars.aspx.
Another new addition is the Lunch-and-Learn seminars that will take place on Monday, April 29; and Tuesday, April 30, 2013. Attendees can have a free lunch during the plenary session breaks as industry partners lead informative seminars on topics such as radiation safety, lumbar lordosis restoration, head injury management and perspectives on flow diversion. Located in the Exhibit Hall's Industry Learning Theatre (Booth #751), these seminars are included in the cost of conference registration. Seating will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. CME is not available for these sessions. Two sessions will be held each afternoon from 1:15-2:00 p.m.
Note: The information in the Lunch-and-Learn presentations is in no way sponsored or endorsed by the AANS. The educational content is developed and delivered by exhibiting companies and their experts. While the primary intent of this content is to provide detailed information about products, findings, and appropriate use of products, some content also may contain product- or company-specific marketing messages.
Cross-platform Access Continues with 2013 AANS Annual Meeting ApplicationWhether on an iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry or other smartphone/wireless device, attendees will again be able to access all of the content available on the AANS 2013 Annual Scientific Meeting app. The application’s interface allows users to register for sessions and programs; get real-time news updates; use the scheduling tool to maximize their time at the event; find exhibitors’ news and information; read scientific abstracts and papers; find out about hotels and social events; and much more.
AANS Again Opens Meeting to the World by Streaming Video of Plenary Sessions, Encourages Attendees to Use Social Media to Engage With Others About MeetingLast year, AANS allowed those unable to attend the AANS Annual Scientific Meeting the opportunity to view many of the outstanding lectures and peer-reviewed research as the meeting’s plenary sessions were streamed live to AANS members utilizing AANS’ new social media and professional networking website, AANSconnect. This year, AANS will again stream plenary sessions via AANSconnect. In addition, AANS will be utilizing Twitter throughout the meeting, sending out updates about events, programs and happenings throughout the AANS Annual Scientific Meeting using the hashtag #AANS2013. Attendees are encouraged to put up their own posts from the meeting, adding this hashtag to their own tweets to encourage the sharing of information, content and experiences.
Media Representatives: The 2013 AANS Annual Meeting Press Kit includes releases on highlighted scientific research, AANS officer and award winners, National Neurosurgery Awareness Week, and other relevant information about this year’s program. Those releases also will be posted under the Media area on the 2013 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting website (http://www.aans.org/Annual Meeting/2013/Main/Media.aspx). If you have interest in a topic related to neurosurgery or would like to interview a neurosurgeon — either on-site or via telephone — during this year’s event, please contact John Iwanski, AANS Director of Member and Public Outreach, via the onsite press room at (504) 670-4910 or e-mail him at [email protected].
About the 2013 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting: Attended by neurosurgeons, neurosurgical residents, medical students, neuroscience nurses, clinical specialists, physician assistants, allied health professionals and other medical professionals, the AANS Annual Scientific Meeting is the largest gathering of neurosurgeons in the nation, with an emphasis on the field’s latest research and technological advances. A record-breaking 1,003 scientific abstracts were presented for review at the 2013 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting, and the scientific presentations given at this year’s event represent cutting-edge examples of the incredible developments taking place within the field of neurosurgery. Additional information about the AANS Annual Scientific Meeting and the Meeting Program can be found at http://www.aans.org/Annual Meeting/2013/Main/Home.aspx.
Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with nearly 8,300 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public. All active members of the AANS are certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Neurosurgery) of Canada or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, AC. Neurological surgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the entire nervous system including the spinal column, spinal cord, brain and peripheral nerves. For more information, visit www.AANS.org.
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