I hope those of you who attended the 2017 AOSW 33rd Annual Conference in Denver are energized and thinking of the take-home messages of the presentations, which showcased our theme of “Elevating Compassion, Experience and Vision.” In response to feedback from previous conference evaluations, the 2017 Conference Committee worked tirelessly to provide a conference that embraced new levels of presentations and CE opportunities—e.g., Clinical Practical Intensives and the SIG presentations.   

Thank you to the 2017 Annual Conference Committee—Meredith Cammarata (Chair), Christina Bach, Joyce Hendershott, Morgan Gonzales, Kate McFadien and Jill Randall—for the many hours spent planning the conference. And thank you also to our mentors, presenters, members, sponsors, exhibitors and our Kellen team. We could not have done this without you! This conference engaged 552 participants, the highest ever number for an AOSW Annual Conference! The committee is proud that this event was so well received by our members and supporters.
 
The Education Committee continues its work of providing quality webinars and webinar recordings with CE as part of our Online Learning program. As of this writing, we have three more webinars scheduled for this year and are recruiting even more. The webinars are archived as recordings after the live presentations and include CE. Please take a look at our library of webinar recordings for more information.

But the most important news to share from our Online Learning program is the exceptional offer that AOSW is extending to its members and friends through the remainder of 2017. A 40% discount will be applied to the cost of any AOSW webinar (live or recorded) or webinar package; all of which carry continuing education (CE) credit. I strongly encourage you to share information about this offer with coworkers and peers who might not be AOSW members. The 40% discount applies to all purchases, regardless of member status.
 
Planning for the 2018 Annual Conference began in spring, even as we were putting the finishing touches on the 2017 conference in Denver! The 2018 Annual Conference Committee (Kristin Scheeler [Chair], Patrice Al-Shatti, Kristy Case, Marie Lavigne & Jean Rowe) looks forward to reviewing the abstract submissions in support of our theme “Guided by Best Practices in Pivotal Times." You can review the conference objectives here.
 
You make a difference every day in all you do. Your commitment to being at the forefront of cancer care is ever evident and appreciated. We want to hear from you and share in the work you are doing. Please consider submitting an abstract. We have expert guidance available to assist you. Our Abstract Mentorship program is available to members who need guidance in submitting an abstract. Patrice Al-Shatti is heading up the program. Reach out to her at aoswabstractmentor@gmail.com and indicate that you would like to be matched with a mentor. Additionally, our Professional Development Webinar Series includes a presentation entitled “Abstract Writing 101—the Basics,” which is FREE to AOSW members. But don't delay, the deadline for submitting abstract proposals is September 11, 2017.