As my term as IDSA president begins, I want to introduce several important priorities the Society will be focusing on in the year ahead. As this brief list indicates, IDSA continues its strong commitment to serve the needs of a diverse membership with a broad policy agenda.

To address the urgent and growing global threat of antimicrobial resistance, IDSA in November called on U.S. and European Union (EU) leaders to commit to developing 10 new antibiotics by 2020, known as the 10 X '20 Initiative.

Several changes are in store for Medicare in 2010. The biggest disappointment for ID physicians is the elimination of payments for inpatient and outpatient consultation codes, despite vigorous opposition from IDSA and other specialty societies.

This month: hepatitis B vaccine and long-term immunogenicity, prophylactic paracetamol following childhood vaccinations, treating hyperlipidemia in patients on protease inhibitors: rosuvastatin versus pravastatin, the Thai HIV vaccine trial, preventing neonatal sepsis with lactoferrin, and a human gammaretrovirus and the pathogenesis of chronic fatigue syndrome.

IDSA Membership Renewal
Renew your IDSA membership by January 1, 2010!

Fellows In-Training Exam
February 9-10, 2010

Joint Research Awards application deadline
February 12, 2010 (5:00 EST) 

5th Decennial International Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infections
March 18-22, 2010
Atlanta, GA

SHEA/CDC Fundamentals of Healthcare Epidemiology Course
May 22-25, 2010
St. Louis, MO

Look out for further updates and announcements regarding the 48^th Annual Meeting of IDSA!