The NEC Society, in partnership with the Section of Pediatric Surgery at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, is thrilled to announce the Patient-Family Keynote Panel at the 2019 NEC Symposium. The goal of the Patient-Family Panel is to facilitate an open dialogue on how to propel patient-family centered care in the NICU and patient-centered outcomes research in the NEC community.

The Patient-Family Keynote Panel will feature Linseigh Green, an undergraduate student at NYU and NEC survivor, Heather Denchik, the mother of a young NEC survivor, and Noah Canvasser, who lost his son to necrotizing enterocolitis. Dr. Mark Underwood, Chief of the Division of Neonatology at the University of California at Davis, will facilitate the Panel. The concept for the Patient-Family Keynote Panel emerged from the feedback and evaluation of the 2017 NEC Symposium, where participants consistently ranked the voice of patient-family advocates as the most compelling aspect of the meeting. Jennifer Canvasser, founder and director of the NEC Society, shares, “Our patient-family keynote panelists will use their unique, personal stories of triumph, loss and persistence to drive home the urgent need for multidisciplinary collaboration and innovative research.”

The 2019 NEC Symposium will take place on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, June 2 – 5, 2019. The theme of the 2019 conference is “Breaking down the barriers to NEC prevention and treatment.” The 2019 meeting follows an immensely successful NEC Society conference held in April 2017 through a partnership with the University of California at Davis and support from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. The 2017 NEC Symposium’s highlight reel showcases the meeting’s momentum and commitment to innovative solutions. The 2017 NEC Symposium’s executive summary provides a concise overview of every session and key points that were presented at the first NEC meeting in North America.

Dr. Samir Gadepalli, a University of Michigan pediatric surgeon and founding member of the NEC Society’s Scientific Advisory Council, will co-chair the 2019 NEC Symposium, along with the directors of the NEC Society, Jennifer Canvasser, MSW and Erin Umberger, M.Arch. Dr. Gadepalli cared for Jennifer’s son Micah, who died from complications of NEC when he was 11 months old. Dr. Gadepalii notes that, “Learning from our patients and families is key to being a better researcher, better clinician, and better person. None of us can solve complex problems alone and this conference brings together diverse knowledge, skills and experiences to break down these barriers. From young to seasoned researchers incorporating the global perspective, we will discover innovate ways to move the field forward.”

Registration for the 2019 NEC Symposium will open in the fall of 2018. Additional details will be announced in the coming months, stay tuned!

Please email Jennifer with questions.

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