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PPSA
Bulletin
The Newsletter of
the Pan-Pacific Surgical Association
Winter 2001 • Vol.1, No. 3
Economic
effects of 9/11 attacks leads to cancellation of 2002 PPSA Congress
The Board of Trustees of the
Pan-Pacific Surgical Association cancelled its 2002 PPSA Congress at an emergency meeting
held in late November. The decision was made after much discussion and a near-unanimous
vote of board members present.
"This difficult decision
was forced upon us by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington D.C.,"
said PPSA Board Chairman Thomas Kosasa, M.D. "All of us have felt the impact of
that tragedy in one way or another. Our 2002 PPSA Congress became another victim of
the attacks."
The specific reasons cited
by the PPSA board for the cancellation of the Congress were: 1. The cutback in airlines
flights and addition of time-consuming safety measures at airports have combined to
tremendously reduce the availability of reasonably timed and reasonably priced flights
into Hawaii; and 2. Economic and political instabilities prompted by the events of Sept.
11 and thereafter have resulted in a drastic decrease in the amount of registrants for
international professional conferences. The bottom line is that, for all the reasons
above, the number of registrants for the 2002 PPSA Congress is far too low to sustain
the planned meeting.
"Be assured that this
cancellation is only a temporary setback," Dr. Kosasa says. "Your PPSA board
will be meeting in the coming weeks to determine the future course of the organization
and to lay the groundwork for the next PPSA Congress. We will also explore the possibility
of organizing special interdisciplinary meetings in the interim. PPSA members will be
notified via newsletter, the PPSA web site and special correspondence as soon as decisions
are made in this regard.
"Above all, the tragedy
of Sept. 11 should be a reminder of the continued importance of PPSA. We are unique
in focusing on bringing together disparate nationalities, cultures and specialties within
our medical profession. The world will recover from its current instability, and so
shall PPSA."
Contact Cathy Iwai, at c.iwai@gte.net
or 808-941-1010, or check out the PPSA web site, www.panpacificsurgical.org,
for more information.
Chairman’s
Letter
Aloha!
My profound sympathies go
out to the families and friends of those who were innocent victims of the September
11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington D.C. These tragic events sent shock
waves throughout the world that continue to resound.
As detailed in the story
on the front page of this newsletter, the aftereffects of the attacks have contributed
to circumstances that have prompted your PPSA Board of Trustees to cancel our 2002 PPSA
Congress.
There is, as always, a silver
lining to the cloud that overshadows all: Your PPSA Board will be exploring the possibility
of organizing special interdisciplinary meetings in the coming year. We simply do not
want to wait until 2004 to offer a meeting for PPSA members and associated professionals.
I truly believe that we
in PPSA provide a successful model for what the world needs now--PPSA brings together
disparate nationalities, cultures and specialties in a spirit of tolerance and support.
Speaking of PPSA support,
the international economic downturn prompted by the Sept. 11 attacks did not prevent
us from awarding a pair of very deserving medical students with $1,000 scholarships
(see story below). PPSA is helping these two young men to achieve their dreams.
We must not allow the disruption
in international diplomatic and economic systems to quash our spirits. We must do what
little we can to overcome fear and doubt, and to encourage hopes and dreams. We owe
that, at least, to the victims of Sept. 11.
As always, I welcome your
comments and constructive feedback.
Mahalo Nui Loa!
PPSA awards scholarships to pair of Pacific Island medical students
The Pan-Pacific Surgical Association
recently unveiled an expanded and redesigned web site, at panpacificsurgical.org
This new web site replaces the site that was formerly located at ppsa.org.
The new site features a downloadable
membership registration form–in PDF file format–a calendar of upcoming events,
PPSA leadership contact information, and the latest updates on the 2002 PPSA Congress.
The web site is organized into
six primary sections: Members, News, Outreach, Congress, Site Map, and About Us. Within
the Member section are the registration form and a description of member benefits. The
News section contains the event calendar, and text and images from past PPSA newsletters.
Within the Outreach section are pages outlining the Volunteer Surgeon Program and PPSA’s
various educational support programs, including information on, and a downloadable PDF
application form for, the Pacific Island Scholarship. The Congress section contains
detail about the 2002 Biennial Congress, including a downloadable PDF registration form.
The Site Map provides an overview of the web site. About Us outlines PPSA’s mission
and provides contact information for PPSA leadership.
As with all web sites, the
new PPSA site will be a constant work-in-progress. Future plans for the web site include
posting a password-accessed listing of all PPSA members, creating a FAQ section, and
posting links to professional and educational web sites relevant to PPSA’s various
medical specialties.
Send your suggestions for links,
as well as your general comments on the site, to c.iwai@gte.net
Incoming chairman sees PPSA with a vital role to play in healing rifts
Though physically separated
by thousands of miles, John Wong, M.D. (right) and Scott A. Hundahl, M.D. (left), stand
together in their support for the Pan-Pacific Surgical Association.
As the current president of
the PPSA, Dr. Wong has helped to sustain the organization through one of its most difficult
years. As the incoming chairman of the PPSA board of trustees, Dr. Hundahl faces the
unique challenge of leading the organization back to relevance and renown.
"Despite the challenges
generated by the events of Sept. 11, I strongly feel an organization dedicated to international,
multi-disciplinary medical education and charitable work has an important, indeed vital,
role to play," Dr. Hundahl says. "As our world divides along political fault
lines, I see a role for us physicians in bringing people back together and healing
the rifts. I think as healers, we physicians now have a big role to play. The
PPSA was founded with this in mind. Also, the international multi-disciplinary perspective,
and the opportunities to network around common surgical/medical problems are areas where
the PPSA has a unique niche."
Dr. Wong agrees. "A multi-disciplinary
outlook is important," he says. "The PPSA offers a significant forum for this
kind of exchange. PPSA meetings offer a wonderful social atmosphere in which to meet
colleagues from all over the region."
Dr. Wong serves as a professor
and the head of the Department of Surgery at the University of Hong Kong, as well as
the Surgical Chief of Service at Hong Kong’s Queen Mary Hospital. He is a surgical
oncologist, with a specialty in esophageal and gastric cancers. Dr. Wong’s research
has led to refinements in approaches to esophageal surgery.
"I had not been involved
directly in the PPSA until I was asked to organize a PPSA meeting in Hong Kong in 1994.
At that time I became aware of the importance of the connections we all had to the Pan-Pacific
region. As a member since, I have sought to provide an Asian perspective to the organization
and to raise the profile of the PPSA through my connections to other international organizations."
Dr. Hundahl serves as the
Medical Director for the Queen's Cancer Institute, in Honolulu, and is the Immediate
Past Chief of Surgery at the Queen's Medical Center. He is also Immediate Past
Chair of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, and a Governor of the
American College of Surgeons. His publications focus on gastric cancer, thyroid/parathyroid
cancer, and the National Cancer Data Base. His surgical oncology practice encompasses
major head and neck surgery, gastric and upper abdominal surgery, as well as the management
of colorectal cancer and sarcomas.
"I've been most gratified
by all the work our team of volunteers has done to establish the National Cancer Data
Base," Dr. Hundahl says. "This is now the largest electronic cancer registry
in the world, accessioning over 70% of cancer cases in the U.S. This joint effort
by the American College of Surgeons Commission On Cancer and the American Cancer Society
has resulted in an extraordinary tool for research and quality improvement."
Dr. Hundahl’s introduction
to the PPSA was as a guest speaker at a Congress session, in the mid 80s. "I discovered
the organization through this presentation, and have been attending ever since."
His self-effacing manner
is evident in his answer to the question: What unique skills abilities or insight do
you bring with you to your position as incoming PPSA chairman? "Nothing unique,"
Dr. Hundahl insists. "But I do have fairly good team building and diplomatic skills,
I am fiscally conservative, and I am hardworking. Plus, I have the phone numbers of
many of our senior members, to whom I can turn to for advice!"
With that pragmatic ideology
and mentors like Dr. Wong to turn to, Dr. Hundahl has a head start on what looks to
be a very good new year for the Pan-Pacific Surgical Association.
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