Happy new year everyone! Welcome to 2024 and we hope this year will be a successful and prosperous one for each of you. As we embark on the journey of a new year, NCS is actively working toward the new horizon, making waves and generating enthusiasm. I hope you're eagerly anticipating the exciting year in neurocritical care with new educational, research and collaboration efforts.

Get involved! We soon will be calling for your input into the 2024 Annual Meeting in San Diego (Making Waves). I encourage you to consider submitting a concurrent session to the 2024 Annual Meeting. This unique opportunity allows you to highlight discussion on your hot topic in clinical practice, research or quality with an audience of over 1,200 neurocritical care colleagues. This is your opportunity to influence and direct the meeting and make it your own. We further encourage you to submit an abstract and if applicable an FNCS application. In preparation for the annual meeting, please make sure your membership is up to date to get the discounted member rate. The call for proposals will open on January 16.

There are a few important updates that I wanted to share with you.

First, committee and section chairs are working on a dynamic plan for 2024, so stay tuned to the February President’s message for details.

Second, the NCS board of directors recently approved important changes to our governance structure to make the NCS more nimble, less complex and more inclusive. These governance changes feature changes to the number of directors, shorter terms of service for board members and the creation of two new councils. The two new councils are the Past Presidents Council and the International Council. We are also excited to feature an early career board training ex-officio role on the board. These changes to the board of directors are designed to enhance the role of the board, create more opportunities for members to serve and enhance the future of the NCS.

We look forward to several items early in this new year:

1) The international meeting ANIM in Kassel, Germany

2) The year-round virtual workshops being prepared for spring and winter 2024

3) The strategic plan implementation in 2024

Third, it is great pleasure and honor to introduce you to our new executive director, Susan Browning Luttrell, RN, MPH. Susan is an experienced pediatric ICU nurse who changed career paths several years ago to focus on leading medical association management companies. We are excited to have Susan start with us on Monday and look forward to hearing more about her story, vision and passion in our February 2024 correspondence. Please join me in welcoming Susan Browning Luttrell to NCS.

Finally, it is with considerable sadness that I share the news the Galen Henderson, MD, FNCS passed away on December 28 following a recent illness. Dr. Henderson served as the director of neurocritical care in the Department of Neurology and held the position of chief diversity and inclusion officer at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. We are all saddened by the loss of such a great person and member of our FNCS and leadership groups. Learn more about Dr. Henderson and service information on the Legacy website.

The strength of NCS is in its people – with so many bright and giving people like Dr. Henderson. As we look toward 2024, I’m confident that this community will make an indelible impact on the progress of neurocritical care, improving patient outcomes and care for thousands of people around the world. Thank you for all that you do for this community.

Happy New Year!