Let The Shows Begin.

Yes, it is once again that time of year—a hint of spring in the air, new year’s resolutions beginning to dwindle, and time for trade shows. The first big respiratory show of the year is the AAAAI’s 58th annual meeting in New York on March 1-6, which will feature more than 400 educational sessions including such topics as asthma mechanisms, adverse drug reactions, and immunotherapy. Two types of continuing education credits will be available including continuing medical education and continuing education contact hours. To obtain more information, visit www.aaaai.org.

The next big show of the year is Focus’ second annual conference, which will be held in St Louis on April 25-27. After an outstanding reception last year, Patch Adams, MD, and Leah Curtin, MD, will return and serve as keynote speakers. Top respiratory professionals such as Bob Kacmarek, PhD, RRT, Tom Petty, MD, and Paul Mathews, PhD, RRT, will be giving 44 lectures on subjects ranging from adult, pediatric, and neonatal respiratory care to home care and sleep medicine. For entertainment, the musical talents of David Crosby and CPR will be showcased and baseball Hall of Famer Lou Brock will be visiting the exhibit hall. For information, visit www.foocus.com or call (800) 661-5690.

On a sadder note, I’d like to pay tribute to a fellow respiratory care journalist. Francie Scott, an associate editor of Advance For Managers of Respiratory Care for 13 years, recently passed away from breast cancer. I met Francie when I attended my first trade show with RT Magazine. She introduced herself, welcomed me on board, and extended a warm invitation to contact her any time I had any questions about the industry. She always stopped by our booth to say hello and definitely put the “friendly” into friendly competition. RT extends its sympathies to Francie’s family. She will be missed.