Get to Know Our Communities of Practice

At AST, we take pride in the success of our 14 Communities of Practice (COPs), which are specialty-area groups within AST that allow members to network, advocate for issues, and exchange knowledge and ideas. This idea of specialty breakout groups is unique to AST and is very beneficial to our members and our society.

This year, the AST will be adding a 15^th addition to its COP portfolio, the Organ and Tissue Preservation COP. This exciting new COP will officially launch at the American Transplant Congress (ATC) meeting next month. This group is meant to represent those interested in ex vivo organ and tissue preservation through research, advocacy, and education.

If you are not a member of a Community of Practice, you may be curious about what these groups do and what is discussed at their annual meetings and receptions. To begin this blog, I would like to invite all members of AST to attend any of the COP business meetings that may interest you. You do not have to be a member of a COP to participate in the meetings, and all AST members are welcome to attend. These meetings begin on Sunday, April 30, 2017, and run through Tuesday, May 2, 2017, at the American Transplant Congress in Chicago. Each of the 15 COPs (including the brand-new Organ and Tissue Preservation COP) will hold a meeting at ATC.

I encourage you to view the meeting schedule below. If you would like more information on a specific COP, click on the links below.

Starting on Thursday, March 30, this information will be available on the ATC app. To access the information, use the directions below.

1. Download the ATC mobile application by searching "ATC17" -- App Store -- Google Play
2. Install and Run the mobile application
3. Open the mobile application
4. Click on "More" located in the bottom right corner
5. Click on "Society Committee Meetings" to view society committee meeting listings by day

Attending a meeting is a perfect opportunity to learn about a specific COP (or a different group if you are already a member of one or more COPs), hear about their activities, and interact with COP leadership. These meetings provide attendees with updates on COP initiatives and provide networking opportunities for participants. If you did not complete the COP RSVP survey that was sent to the full membership a few weeks ago, please let us know which meetings you plan to attend. The new Organ and Tissue Preservation COP meeting has also been added to the RSVP survey.

In 2015, the AST added a new interactive space for members of COPs to have productive and convenient virtual discussions about their areas of expertise. This was made possible with the creation of The Hub. COP members receive access to online discussion boards, where they can share ideas, network with other transplant professionals in their specialty, and review relevant resources.

The Hub is just one of the many benefits of being part of a COP. With our total membership nearing 4,000, these specialty groups allow AST members to engage beyond the traditional organization structure and interact with professionals in their specific areas of expertise or interest. Each group is tasked with taking on new initiatives, specific to its specialty. If you are interested in certain subject matters at the American Transplant Congress meeting itself, be sure to also check out this schedule, which is sortable by session topic.

We look forward to seeing you at the COP meetings and want you to feel welcomed.

For those of you who have attended a COP annual meeting in the past, I encourage you to share your experience and feedback in the comments section below. 

See you soon in Chicago!