March 2024

Dear SOAP Members,

A lot has happened in March! Nationally, The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) allocated $65 million to address our maternal health crisis, supporting health centers in medically underserved and rural communities. This is such good news!

At SOAP, we have been working in parallel to share programming, insights, research and strategies to further our mission of improving maternal health. There is a lot happening at SOAP with our incredibly engaged committees, subcommittees, task forces, and SIGs. Some of our latest activities are described in this message, and you can find more on soap.org. 

I also want to encourage all to register for our upcoming annual meeting in Denver. The theme of this year’s meeting will be focused on improving the patient experience. The conference promises to be an enlightening and inspiring event, fostering greater collaboration and learning within our community. Together, we will continue our work towards a future where every mother has a chance for a healthy pregnancy and positive birth experience.

And for additional updates, please see below. 

May Pian-Smith, MD
President, Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology

REMINDER: Upcoming Deadlines: 

• SOAP/Kybele International Outreach Grant: Application period now open. Deadline: April 9 

BOARD STATS

• To date, there are 51 SOAP State Representatives, and we continue to work towards securing a representative from each state.  SOAP State Representatives will provide a key contact in each state to help us reach a broader audience, as SOAP strives to meet its mission to provide safe and equitable care for women and newborns everywhere. If you know someone who is interested in becoming a SOAP State Representative, please contact SOAP HQ.  

 COMMITTEE STATS

 Annual Meeting and Live Events Committee

• The 2024 Annual Meeting will be held May 2-5, 2024, in Denver, Colorado.
  • Registration is now open.
  • Hotel Information: Your registration confirmation email will include the reservation link to book a room.
  • Workshops available to add to your registration (pre-registration is required and at an additional cost)
    • Focused Assessment Transthoracic Echocardiography (FATE) Workshop
    • Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Workshop
    • Trauma Informed Care Workshop
  • Abstract notifications went out last month. View the abstract submissions webpage for presenter information.
  • If you are unable to join us in Denver, the 2024 Annual Virtual Highlights will be held June 10 & 11.  Registrants can access the curated lectures from the 2024 Annual Meeting on June 10 & 11 or watch the recording later at their leisure (thru Dec. 31, 2024) and earn CME.  Pre-registration is required. 
  • Future Meetings:
• The 2025 Annual Meeting will be held April 30 – May 4, 2025, in Portland, Oregon. 

• The Diversity & Inclusivity Award nomination period is closed. The winner will be announced at the Annual Meeting.
• The Diversity & Inclusivity Mentored Grants Application period closed. The winner will be announced at the Annual Meeting.
  

Education Committee

• Anesthesia for Cerclage infographic posted on the website and social media.
• Teacher of the Year Awards:  Call for Nominations has closed. The winner will be announced at the Annual Meeting.

• Board nomination deadline closed March 8. Board nomination materials distributed to SOAP Active, Resident, Fellows and Retired members for voting.  Voting opened March 20 and closes April 19. 

Intersociety Committee

• Applications are closed for the Centers of Excellence (COE). Designees announced at Annual Business Meeting and Annual Meeting.
• The SOAP Speaks! database has launched! View the database to access vetted SOAP members who are enthusiastic to share their expertise and passion on a variety of topics.

 Member Value Committee

• Join one of the fifteen Special Interest Groups. To see a full list of the Special Interest Groups, visit the SOAP website. 
• SOAP Fundamentals will be held September 14 & 21.
• Save the date for the Fall Forum: November 16 & 17.

 Research Committee

• The Research Network Symposium will be held May 4, 2024 in conjunction with the SOAP 2024 Annual Meeting in Denver.  The call for proposals has been extended to March 5.
• Journal Club Classic was held March 13. Recording is on the SOAP website.

 Finance Committee

• Combined net assets for SOAP and the SOAP Endowment were $5.7M as of February 29, 2024.
• Shop the newly launched SOAP Swag online store featuring SOAP branded merchandise.

 SOAP Headquarters

• Log into the New SOAP Community! We’re happy to invite you to join the NEW official SOAP online community platform at TradeWing! The new platform has many of the features members requested.
• Add [email protected] to your safe sender's list so you can receive announcements from SOAP Community.
• View the full list of features and frequently asked questions.