Strategic Goals
Research: To promote clinical and basic inquiry to improve liver transplantation worldwide. The newly designed ILTS website will have specialty sections on Anesthesia/Critical Care Medicine, Surgery and Hepatology and will feature papers, presentations and webcasts of current research.
Education: Provide the highest quality education for those in liver transplantation, including mentorship opportunities. ILTS offers a scholarship which enables young investigators to foster international collaboration for the advancement of the field of liver transplantation. In addition, we provide educational programs in countries with developing transplant programs. In the fall 2009, ILTS will host Innovations in Liver Transplantation: An International Effort in Beijing, China.
In 2009, we formed a Vanguard Committee of younger ILTS members whose purpose is to engage younger surgeons, physicians and scientists with an interest in liver transplantation. The initial charge of the Vanguard Committee will be to develop scientific and educational initiatives to prepare the next generation for leadership roles in the society.
Partnership: Increase opportunities to build strategic alliances with related scientific organizations and industry partners. Two years ago we began a lectureship program to provide speakers to transplant society meetings in developing countries. In 2009 we provided speakers to the Indian National Association for the Study of Liver (INASL) meeting and to the National Update on Liver Transplantation also held in India.
Clinical Leadership: Increase visibility of ILTS issues by lending expertise to endeavors aimed at building consensus such as guidelines, criteria and outcome measures. The supplement on the Renal Insufficiency Consensus Conference held in 2008 will be available in mid-2009. We are also collaborating with other organizations to develop a Consensus Conference on HCC and Liver Transplantation in Zurich in 2010.
Collaborations
ILTS partners with several organizations to advance the field of liver transplantation:
ASA - American Society of Anesthesiology
AASLD - American Association for the Study of Liver Disease
AST - American Society of Transplantation
ASTS - American Society of Transplant Surgeons
EHPBA - European Hepato Pancreato Biliary Association
ELITA - European Liver Transplant Association
IPTA - International Pediatric Transplantation Association
INASL - Indian National Association for the Study of Liver
LICAGE - Liver Intensive Care Group of Europe