Hello everyone,
I hope that those of you who were able to attend IMSH this year have safely arrived home and resumed your daily life.
By all accounts, IMSH 2026 was tremendous. With 4,365 total attendees from 57 countries and more than 130 exhibiting companies, it was our second-largest conference to date (trailing only last year’s 25th Anniversary IMSH)! From plenaries to workshops, Main Stage presentations to networking events, not to mention the President’s Diamond Ball, the event was both inspiring and engaging.
For those of you who were unable to attend, know that we missed you and look forward to seeing you in future years.
It’s important to remember, though, that conferences like this are only made possible by the tireless work of the SSH staff. While there are approximately 4,300-4,400 of us, there are only eighteen of them, and I know that each was working diligently behind the scenes, juggling two or often three roles, to make the event happen.
I ask that you please join me in giving them your thanks whenever you encounter them. They do an enormous amount of work to ensure that each IMSH is both seamless and professional.
Now, as 2026 gets underway, I thought I would take a moment to introduce myself for those of you that I have not yet had the privilege of meeting. My name is Aaron W. Calhoun, and it is my honor to serve as your 2026 President.
My day job is as a pediatric intensivist and Division Chief at the University of Louisville and Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, where I directed the SPARC simulation program for 15 years. I have been a member of SSH since I completed training way back in 2007, and since that time, it has served as a professional home for me. I deeply value this organization and look forward to giving back this year.
Finally, I want to thank each of you for the contributions you make to this community.
We live in a time of increasing uncertainty and in a world that seems to be changing at a rapid pace in many domains I believe that this community has something special to offer. We break down silos, we enhance communication, we make connections both in our local communities and across the globe all for the sake of better care and saved lives.
So, despite the times, let us move forward into 2026 with confidence in the difference we can make and the impact we can have. We are all in this together.
Here’s to a productive year for us all!
Aaron Calhoun, MD, FSSH
SSH President, 2026-27