January 1, 2014
Dear TPAA Members, Family, and Friends,
Happy New Year! I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for allowing me to serve as the 2014 TPAA President. The TPAA 2014 board members and project leaders have been hard at work planning for this year’s events. We are energized and enthusiastic about the year ahead and are especially looking forward to reuniting at the 36th Annual Convention in Pattaya, Thailand.
Looking ahead to the New Year, there are a number of key goals and successes on the horizon required to keep the TPAA progressing. Expanding our membership base remains instrumental to the longevity of our organization. Membership support by way of donations, registration fees, and participation in TPAA functions sustains our organization and allows us to fund medical and educational missions both in the US and Thailand. Growing our TPAA community will only enhance our ability to assist others, while ensuring our association’s commitment for years to come. New TPAA lifetime members have access to reduced fees as early career applicants, our online directory, and reduced fees for the convention and other special events. Those that are interested in applying can go to, www.tpaa.us.
Another important task which I am privileged to organize is the 2014 TPAA Convention, July 2-6, 2014 at the Dusit Thani Pattaya in Pattaya, Thailand. It is always a pleasure to visit this great country and participate with all of you in CME and volunteer activities. This year the convention will kick-off with the 2014 hospital project at the Amnat Charoen Hospital’s NICU. We will donate a number of medical equipment to the unit so that they may continue to provide services and procedures for their young patients long after the convention is over. Additionally, we will also seek to leave a lasting impact on 3 local schools in the same province by sponsoring repairs and providing necessary school supplies. Next, the convention will move to Bangkok where we have partnered with Bangkok General Hospital to host this year’s CME event. Finally, we will continue the convention at the Dusit Thani Pattaya, in Pattaya, Thailand. Additional details on convention registration and events will follow shortly. I look forward to orchestrating these events with your continued support and involvement.
The following are the schedule of events for the 2014 calendar year:
- Board of Directors Meeting: January 18th, 2014
- TPAA 2014 Fundraising Cruise to the South Pacific: March 11-26, 2014 (Book by December 31, 2013 to receive an $800 shipboard credit)
- Hospital Project at Amnat Charoen Hospital: June 23-27, 2014
- Rural School Project in the Amnat Charoen Province: June 23-27, 2014
- TPAA and Bangkok Hospital CME: June 30-July 1, 2014 at Bangkok General Hospital, in Bangkok, Thailand
- 36th Annual TPAA Convention: July 3-6, 2014 at Dusit Thani Pattaya in Pattaya, Thailand
- Post-Convention Tours: Osaka-Tokyo, Japan Tour- July 7-12, 2014 and Tibet, China Tour- July 7-13, 2014
- TPAA All-Chapters Meeting Annual Meeting: August 15-17, 2014 Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan
For additional details and to stay up to date on all of our events, please go to www.tpaa.us or follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tpaa.us/. If you have changed your email address, please let us know by emailing, tpaa2014@gmail.com.
Thank you again to those who have so generously contributed your time and resources to our organization. I look forward to working with you all in the coming year.