I am delighted to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for your attendance and participation at the recent annual CSS Scientific Conference in Quebec City. It was a tremendous success, and it was great to see everyone in person after two years of virtual meetings. The annual meeting serves as the primary calendar event to recognize accomplishment in our Society’s mission to advance spinal care in Canada through research, education, and collaboration. I hope that you found the meeting to be informative, enjoyable, and that it provided you with opportunities to reconnect with colleagues and share knowledge and experiences.

There are a few matters at hand. I would like to express my disappointment with the lack of recognition for the winners of the Canadian Spine Research and Education Foundation (CSREF) inaugural  bean bag toss competition, namely Dr. Jacques Bouchard, and me. Our calm demeanor under immense pressure and outstanding result was not recognized at the meeting. In my opinion…this was a gross oversight! Nonetheless, we remain motivated for next year and have been practicing in the OR hallways between cases.

I want to speak about the importance of mentorship and investment in the younger surgeons. As a society, we have a responsibility to ensure that we are fostering the next generation of spine surgeons. This involves providing opportunities for education and training, as well as mentorship and support. In the case of mentorship, relationships play an essential role in the transfer of knowledge and skills and mentoring relationships built on mutual respect and trust can lead to significant personal and professional growth for both parties. I urge you all to consider taking on a mentoring role for a younger colleague or trainee. This can have a significant impact on their career trajectory and be part of your professional legacy.

On the issue of patient advocacy, as spine surgeons we have a unique perspective on the challenges that patients face in accessing timely and appropriate non-operative and surgical care. It is important that we use our collective expertise and knowledge to advocate for changes that will benefit patients. We are well suited to comment on the issue of wait times for triage, consultation, and surgical care. With the support of the Society, I intend to collate our own published manuscripts and abstracts from the last decade concerning spine surgery outcomes, value, and wait times, to create an “advocacy bundle” for us and for the patients we serve. I want to survey the membership regarding their practice wait times. The goal will be to empower our patients to lobby policy makers for appropriate change in resource allocation.

Finally, with summer approaching, I hope that everyone finds some time to relax, refresh, and spend time outside with loved ones. As healthcare professionals, we all should know the importance of self-care and the positive impact that it can have on our mental and physical well-being. I encourage you to take some time to recharge your batteries and come back feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.Thank you for your continued support of the Canadian Spine Society. We have a fantastic community of spine surgeons in Canada, and I look forward to many years of working together as we strengthen the bonds between us and advance spine care across the country.

Dr. Ken Thomas
President of the Canadian Spine Society

Past CSS Presidents

CSS President – Scott Paquette 2021 – 2023
CSS President – Albert Yee 2019 – 2021
CSS President – Sean Christie, 2017 – 2019
CSS President – Peter Jarzem, 2015 – 2017
CSS President – Charles Fisher, 2013 – 2015
CSS President – Robert Broad, 2011 – 2013
CSS President – Raj Rampersaud, 2009 – 2011
CSS President – Daryl Fourney, 2007 – 2009
CSS President – Michael Ford, 2006
CSS President – Edward Abraham, 2005
CSS President – Richard Fox, 2004
CSS President – Stewart Bailey, 2003 CSS President – John Hurlbert, 2000 – 2002