What does the CHS do for you?

It is a great challenge to assume the role of President of the CHS, a role that so many prominent hematologists have undertaken over the past 40 years. Appreciating the historical background of an organization is important in understanding its purpose and, with this in mind, we are introducing The History Corner to our regular CHS Newsletter which will focus on prominent past Canadian hematologists.

In my three years on the Executive, the most frequent criticism of the CHS has been "what does the CHS do for me"? A fair statement. I have certainly reflected upon this comment many times in recent months. CHS has a head office in Ottawa and communicates with haematologists across Canada through our newsletters which have been sent electronically over the past few years. We have had a strong presence at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meetings with a CHS Reception and Awards Dinner that recognizes the best Canadian research abstracts submitted to ASH for presentation.

However, the CHS Executive has struggled to unite haematologists for an annual meeting within Canada. The challenge has been to find a format that would attract enough haematologists (with a variety of subspecialty interests) from across a country as geographically wide as Canada to create a strong meeting. This year, CHS did co-host (with the American Society of Hematology) the Highlights of ASH Meeting in Toronto in January. This concept could be refined to attract a Canadian hematology contingent for a late winter/early spring meeting but other possibilities are also being explored by the CHS Executive.

The CHS have strived to upgrade their website (as outlined within this newsletter) and it will use it to improve communication with its membership. We will also be expanding our newsletter to include, starting with this newsletter, the most interesting and relevant research developments for haematologists in Canada and to review important clinical questions for clinicians. Finally we have a new name for our newsletter, "The Microenvironment", which will be published three times yearly. I sincerely hope that this newsletter will be the beginning of an answer to that frequently asked question: "what does the CHS do for me".

Thomas Nevill, MD

President

Canadian Hematology Society