EVENTS 
        January 
        20          1st Regular Board Meeting   

        31         Emergency General Assembly    

              AD HOC Committee on Health Maintenance Organizations  
              Issue: Revision of Relative Value Units 
           
        February   

        10          2nd Regular Board Meetings    

        19          1st Quarter Scientific Meeting  
                       Lung Center of the Philippines   

               Topic: Post-intubation Tracheal Stenosis 
           
        March   

        10         3rd Regular Board Meeting   

        28         PATACSI - BAPI Joint Workshop on Tracheobronchial Stenting   

        April   

        10         4th Regular Board Meeting   

        24-25   PCS Midyear Convention  
                     Davao    
         

           
        May   

        8-10     3rd Asian Vascular Congress  
                     Beijing, China    

        11        Philippine National Election    

        19        5th Regular Board Meeting    

        June   

        11         2nd Quarter Scientific Meeting  
                     Philippine Heart Center 
                     Topic:  Malignant Cardiac Tumors 

           
             General Assembly  Meeting 
             To follow Scientific Meeting
           
        12         Philippine Independence Day    
             Centennial Celebration  
           
        15         6th Regular Board Meeting  

        27         PATACSI Out-of-Town Symposium  
                     Cotabato City   

             Topic: Thoracic & Cardiovascular Trauma  
           
           
        July   

        7           7th Regular Board Meeting    

        11-12   Joint Workshop PATACSI-PBTCVS 
                      Mimosa Resort, Clark Field, Pampanga 

              Part III.  Certification 
           
        August   
         
        8           PATACSI - Bayer Research Forum  
                     Rembrandt Hotel, Quezon City 
         
        11        8th Regular Board Meeting    

        18        Wet Clinic: MIDCAB / Thoracoscopic Surgery  
                     Philippine Heart Center 

        September 

        8           9th Regular Board Meeting 

        17        3rd Quarter Scientific Meeting  
                     Philippine General Hospital 
                     Topic:  To be Announced 

        October 

        6           10th Regular Board Meeting 

        25-30   ACS Convention  
                     Florida, USA 

        November 

        10         11th Regular Board Meeting 

        December 

        8           12th Regular Board Meeting 

        14-16   5th PATACSI Annual Convention and  Post-graduate Course 
                     Philippine College of Surgeons Annual Convention 
                     Philippine Convention Center 

        15         PATACSI Annual Business Meeting 
                     Election of New Board Member 
                     Philippine Convention Center 
         
          1997 MAJOR ACTIVITIES 

        25 January 1997.  Workshop on Accreditation and Implementation of Training Guidelines.  
        Bonaventura Plaza, Greenhills.  
        Moderator: Dr. Roel A.P. Romero.  
        PCS Resource Persons: Dr. Jose Ramirez, Dr. Ernesto C. Tan.   

        The workshop unanimously affirmed the desire of all current members to preserve the integrity of PATACSI and to prevent its fragmentation into smaller subspecialty groups. The workshop outputs included the formulation of guidelines for the implementation of the 3 year Unified Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery training programs, the design of the structure and the components of the first 2 years of basic thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, the definition of minimum competencies expected of the graduates of all TCVS programs, and agreement on a timetable for implementation of the guidelines.  

        March 8-9, 1998.  Mission and Vision Seminar Workshop.  
        Mimosa Holiday Inn Resort, Pampanga.  
        Course Facilitator: Mr. Caloy Bulatao of the Covey Leadership Center. 

        The workshop identified the key concepts of the PATACSI Mission although this still needs to be framed into a Mission Statement: Global, Mastery, Unity, Vigor, Stability, Growth, Client Satisfaction, Dynamism, Technological Advancement. These key concepts pervaded all the activities of PATACSI throughout the whole year 1997. Priority programs were also identified: Research, Manpower Development, International Networking and Continuing Surgical Education. Preliminary deliberations were began on the Formulation of Practice Guidelines for TCVS in the Philippines with focus on the Encroachment into the traditional fields of TCVS, ie: Esophagus, Pediatric Thoracic, Video Assisted Thoracoscopic surgery; and the influx of foreign based Fil-American TCVS specialists.  

        24-25 May 1997.  Out-of-Town Symposium on Chest and Vascular Trauma.  Tacloban, Leyte. 

        Lectures on common TCVS emergencies presented by selected PATACSI Fellows, well attended by general surgeons and physicians of Tacloban and neighboring towns.  

        26-27 June 1997.  Lecture-Live Demonstration: VATS in Lung Cancer. 
        Lung Center of the Philippines 
        Guest Surgeon: Prof. Tsuguo Naruke (Japan)   

        Prof. Naruke presented 2 lectures: "Thoracoscopic Surgery for Lung CA" and "Implications of New Staging in Lung CA". 

        19 July 1997.  Five-Year Planning Workshop 
        Bonaventure Plaza, Greenhills. 

        A follow-up to the successful Mission-Vision workshop at Mimosa, this session tried to outline specific activities for each year of the previously identified priority programs. Many of the proposed activities for the coming years focus on Continuing Surgical Education with emphasis on skills acquisition by scheduling more hands-on workshops, and increased participation in international meetings in the Philippines. An interesting activity to look forward to in the future is the proposed annual celebration of the PATACSI Foundation Day every 8th of April, starting with the 39th anniversary in 1998. 

        August 16, 1997Out-of-Town Post Graduate Course on Trauma.  
        Cebu City 

        One-day trauma course, joint activity of the PATACSI and PCS-Cebu Eastern Visayas Chapter 

        12-15 October 1997.  13th Biennial Asian Congress on Thoracic and  Cardiovascular Surgery.  
        Sydney, Australia, 

        The Biennial Asian Congress has been held for the past 25 years since the very first meeting in Manila on November 22-26, 1972. PATACSI Fellows who attended this year included: Drs. Aventura, Barroa, de Jesus, Desales, Garciano, Gamponia, Manzo, Melendres, A. Ramos, F. Sanches, Torres, and PATACSI Candidates: Drs. Delmo, Manapat, Maranan, and Rico. 

        21 October 1997. Lecture, Live-Demostration and Teleconference: Partial Left Ventriculectomy," Batista Procedure"  for End-Stage Cardiomyopathy 
        Guest Surgeon: Dr. Randas Batista (Brazil) 
        Multi-venue: Philippine Heart Center a.m.; St. Luke's Heart Institute, p.m.; Manila Galleria Suites, evening lecture 

        State-of-the-art surgery for advanced heart failure was performed on 2 patients each at the Phil. Heart Center ,St. Luke's Heart Institute and Makati Medical Center, by Dr. Batista himself, assisted by PATACSI Fellows with audience participation via live tele-conferencing. A very interesting and entertaining lecture was presented by Dr. Batista after dinner at the Manila Galleria. 

        22-23 November 1997.  Evidence Based Medicine Workshop.  
        Mimosa Holiday Inn Resort, Pampanga  
        Facilitated by the Cardiovascular Research Group of Dr. Tony Dans. 

        Workshop designed to improved appreciation and interpretation of published research with emphasis on how to utilize evidence in surgical decision making. There were informative capsule sessions on Medical Informatics and Collaborative Research among others.  

        December 8-10, 1997.  4th Annual Convention and Postgraduate Course. 
        Philippine Convention Center 

        The theme for this year's Postgraduate Course is "Recent Trends in the Management of Chronic Cardiothoracic and Vascular Diseases". The 3 half-days course was  panel discussion type with reactors from related cardiovascular specialties. Cardiac surgery trends were discussed on the first day,   thoracic  on the second day, and  vascular on the third. The Convention also included the election of the 1998 PATACSI Board of Directors and the annual Business Meeting on the 2nd day, 09 December 1997.  

        10 December 1997.  Annual Fellowship and Induction of New Officers and Fellows. Jasmin Room, Penthouse Floor, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Roxas Boulevard, Manila. 

        Highlights of this affair include the induction of 7 new PATACSI Fellows, induction of the 1998 Board of Directors, the issuance of new certificates to current PATACSI Fellows, and the speech of incumbent PMA President Dr. Modesto Llamas on the Impact of HMO's on Speciality Practice in the Philippines.