Hi all,

I hope you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving and will be able to take some time during the winter holidays as well. It always feels a little bit hectic this time of year, in part, because there seems to be so much yet to accomplish.

I want to call out some remarkable activities for the SPM as we head toward the New Year.

* Work continues to ready the HigherLogic platform to replace the SPM current web platform, with “soft launch” anticipated in the January 2017 time frame. Peter Elias, Dave deBronkart, John Grohol, John Hoben and others are making great headway. If you’re interested in helping, please contact John Hoben.

* Judy Danielson, an SPM member with marketing talent, is working with a small group to finalize some marketing materials for use with potential corporate sponsors – thank you Judy!

* Following the first Learning Exchange in November, we’re looking for additional members interested in joining the Learning Exchange who can talk about their interests and activities in Participatory Medicine for 5-10min; please contact Sarah Krug. We appreciate your involvement in this!!

* SPM leadership is finalizing the slate of candidates for elections for 2017, a tad late this year, but stay tuned for information from Danny Sands.

* Joe Ternullo, incoming President, hosted a retreat on Nov 19 that was well attended and demonstrated considerable enthusiasm for the year ahead. We’ll hear more about the SPM Strategy for 2017 in coming months.

* The SPM has seen some important steps forward in 2016, and I’m more enthusiastic than ever about the coming year! I hope we’ll collectively see growing support for Participatory Medicine in our day-to-day experience with carers, patients, providers, payers, researchers, and all who are making important contributions, large and small, to strengthen the voice of the patient.
Sincerely,
-Jon

Jonathan Wald
President, SPM