On March 23 in Atlanta, GA, leadership for this dynamic youth-focused health research organization convened, announcing new officers and defining core values. New leaders and clearer ideas fuel iCAN for its next big project: the 4th annual global summit in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, scheduled for July 8-13.
Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Charlie Thompson, MD, Connecticut chapter leader Sharon Smith, MD, and Executive Director of the Connecticut Academy of Pediatrics, Jillian Wood flew to Georgia to flesh out new directions and meet new faces.
iCAN’s volunteer officers come from across the international health and technology community. We are pleased to have Leanne West, Chief Engineer of Pediatric Technologies and Principal Research Scientist at The Georgia Institute of Technology and Chief Innovation Officer of the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Technology Center serving as as our President. Serving as Vice President is Christine Woods, a healthcare IT and human resources professional with Healthcare IT Leaders, and a much-respected parent voice already within the network. Chester Koh, MD, Director of Pediatric Robotic Surgery and Attending Surgeon in Urology at Texas Children’s Hospital joins in the role of Secretary. Also from Texas Children’s, Director of Finance James Hury is the Treasurer. Begoña Nafría Escalera, Patient Advocacy Manager, Innovation Department with Hospital Sant Joan de Déu in Barcelona, Spain represents the European YPAGnet (Young Person’s Advisory Group).
iCAN’s Director, coordinating activities and facilitating communications, is Laura McMaster, a family therapist and clinical research professional with health-related work experiences in the US and Western Europe.
Excited about the upcoming summit, youth and adult leaders from local chapters around the world will work together to change the conversation surrounding pediatric research and advocacy, centering on the organization’s newly-established tenets: to empower, to act, and to transform. This summer, Pamela Dicks, PhD, Network Manager of the Scottish Children’s Research Network, has organized the summit around improving the healthcare and outcomes of children with acute, chronic, and rare conditions. This Spring finds Pam
partnering internationally with her new team members for what will be one of the best, most inspiring weeks of iCAN’s year.
from Laura McMaster, Christine Woods, Hampton Woods
