June Update:

Attn. OAGS Members

OAGS Website has a New Look!

Be sure to check out our website this month: www.oags.org . Apart from the obvious facelift, there are some new features we think you'll appreciate, such as new sections for practice management, medico-legal, quality management, career transitions, professional ethics, healthy surgeon, Twitter feed, and a monthly poll. We will be polishing the content from time to time, so if you would like to forward suggestions for more content that you feel should be addressed, please feel free to let us know. We also have a section just for OAGS members (i.e. complete back issues of The Cutting Edge newsletter, monthly eblasts, billing corner Q&A, and an online forum). This member page will be password protected; the username/password will be forwarded to you in a separate email within the next week. We hope you enjoy it.

21st OAGS Annual Meeting

Saturday, November 7, 2015 - Hilton Toronto, 145 Richmond St. W., Toronto, ON

Mark your calendar! Our 21st OAGS Annual Meeting is moving to the Hilton Toronto Hotel on Richmond and University (145 Richmond St. West) in downtown Toronto this fall.
Registration: Online or Download Paper Form
Payment: 1) Credit Card - online *; also accepted over the phone now: 1-877-717-7765 / 705-745-5621, or 2) Cheque - make payable to "OAGS" (mail to: OAGS, P.O. Box 192, Station Main, Peterborough, ON, K9J 6Y8)
Accommodation: Fantastic low group rate of $159 / standard room at the Hilton Toronto. Room block under "OAGS15" open now until October 1st or while availability lasts. Make your own reservation online (click on "Attendee" from drop-down menu) or call the Hilton directly: 1-800-HILTONS .
Accreditation: This event is seeking accreditation as a Group Learning Activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and approved by the Canadian Association of General Surgeons.
Travel: For those who will be flying in, you can either land on the Toronto Island via Porter or you can take the new Union Pearson Express from the Lester B. Pearson International Airport directly to Union Station, which should be up and running this summer. Underground parking is available on site, but more affordable parking is available at the nearby City Hall Green P or Four Seasons Centre. Check our website for more details: www.oags.org/agm.html .
*The new website has separate sections for dues payments and annual meeting payments.

Speakers & Topics:

International Key Note Speaker: Dr. Sarah McLaughlin, Breast Surgeon, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida (Talk#1: "Breast Surgery: Evolving Role of Managing the Axilla - Latest adjuvant or neoadjuvant regimens"; Talk#2: "Breast Surgery: High Risk Lesions and Their Management")
Upper GI Endoscopy - Dr. Chris Teshima, Toronto
Surgical Error & Judgement - Dr. Carol-Ann Moulton, Toronto
Colonoscopy: Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy Techniques - More than removing a polyp - Dr. James Ellsmere, Halifax, NS
Incidentalomas: What is that?!...And what do I do now?!! - Dr. Lloyd Mack, Calgary, AB
Difficult Hernias - Dr. Lloyd Smith, Toronto
Perianal "Poo"pourri- Dr. Marcus Burnstein & Dr. Stanley Feinberg, Toronto
Panel Discussion: 4 Pearls of Surgery on the Obese Patient (Stomas, Hernias, Wound Closure, Impact on Decision Making) - Dr. Dennis Hong, Hamilton; Dr. Amy Neville, Ottawa; Dr. Todd Penner, Toronto; Dr. Ken Reed, Guelph.
OMA Negotiations, Relativity & Gov't Relations - TBA
Billing Corner Interstitials - Dr. Alan Lozon

For more details: www.oags.org/agm.html .

CME/CPD Listings

May 30-June 3, 2015 - ASCRS Annual Scientific Meeting - Details
June 3-6, 2015 - 23rd International Congress of the EAES - Details
June 4-6, 2015 - MedStar Georgetown University Hosp. - Ab. Wall Reconstruction - Details
June 18-19, 2015 - UofT Canadian Breast Cancer Symposium 2015 - Details
June 19-20, 2015 - Toronto Thoracic Surgery Refresher Course - Details
Sept.17-20, 2015 - Canadian Surgery Forum 2015 - Details
Oct.4-8, 2015 - ACS - 2015 Clinical Congress - Details
Oct. 16-18, 2015 - Symposium on Advanced Wound Care - Details
Nov. 7, 2015 - 21st OAGS Annual Meeting - Details
Nov.20-21,2015 - UofT Update in MIS - Details
Feb.20,2016 - National Capital General Surgery Symposium - Details
Feb.23-26, 2016 - 16th MISS 2016 - Details
Feb.26-28, 2016 - 11th Annual Canadian Surgery Review Program - Details

For more details on these and other CME/CPD meeting programs, please visit our website: www.oags.org/mtgs-cpdlistings.html . Be sure to let us know of any other meetings that we may have missed on our CME page and that might benefit your colleagues as well. We'll post them for free!

OAGS Job Listing - Check our new listings

These Listings & More Details:  www.oags.org/joblisting.html
* Cornwall Community Hospital NEW
* Lady Minto Hospital, Cochrane NEW
* Niagara Health System - Welland Hospital Site   NEW
* The Reimer Clinic, Kitchener   NEW
* Advanced Multi-Specialty Walk-In Clinic, Mississauga
* Hopital Notre-Dame Hospital, Hearst
* Lakeridge Health Corporation, Port Perry

Do you have a General Surgery vacancy to fill in your hospital, clinic or practice? How about a locum? OAGS members can post a job ad with us any time FOR FREE!!
These Listings, Online Form & More Details: www.oags.org/joblisting.html
Contact: 1-877-717-7765 / info@oags.org
NOTE: General Surgeons and Residents/Fellows are encouraged to check our page often, as updates are made as them come in.

OMA Acknowledgements

Drs. Ved Tandan, Leslie Barron and Angus Maciver

Following the recent OMA Spring Council meeting, we would like to congratulate General Surgeon Dr. Ved Tandan on completing a successful term as OMA President and beginning a new year on the board as OMA Past President. We'd like to acknowledge General Surgeon Dr. Lesley Barron of Georgetown who just joined the OMA board this year as well.

We're also happy to mention that one of Dr. Tandan's final responsibilities as President was having awarded one of our own, General Surgeon Dr. Angus Maciver of Stratford, with the OMA Life Member Award during the OMA Council Awards Ceremony earlier this spring. Congratulations!

OAGS Membership Drive

We are now collecting annual dues for the current calendar year
(Jan-Dec, 2015)

OAGS membership invoices were mailed out with our newsletter last quarter. There are two options to pay:
Credit Card: Online http://www.oags.org/membership.html ; and now by phone: 1-877-717-7765 / 705-745-5621.
Cheque: Mail in with form Generic Form (Mail to: OAGS, P.O. Box 192, Stn. Main, Peterborough, ON K9J 6Y8)
NOTE: Earlier this spring, there was a discrepancy on the personalized invoices in the right column under the 2nd box entitled "21st OAGS Annual Meeting Registration". The amount of $50 should not have been listed in the Subtotal column. Please disregard. The fees have NOT changed, although there will be a new $25 admin fee for those who pay on the day of the Annual Meeting. Admission to the annual meeting is still FREE for current OAGS members (2015). We apologize for the typo and any confusion it may have caused.