THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

I would like to begin by thanking my colleagues for allowing me the honour of holding the position of President of the Jamaican Orthopedic Association [JOA].

It has been an honour and a pleasure

The JOA is beyond thrilled to be hosting the 25th iteration of our annual conferencelive and direct, and in person. I am pleased about this year’s presentation following on our 2022 Conference which unfortunately we had to present on a virtual platform

You may recall that our last few years have been extremely challenging with the Covid 19 Pandemic turning the world on its head. The effects of this monumental crisis resulted in economic and human disasters forcing governments, corporate entities, organizations and individuals to reevaluate and navigate the way forward

Like so many who faced lockdowns, we were forced to stay in place, often times in isolation, and truly examine who we were, where we were going and were we truly fulfilling our purpose. So like the phoenix of Greek mythology - associated with the sun, the JOA has regenerated, obtained new life by rising from the ashes and has emerged with new energy, a new sense of purpose and boundless enthusiasm to reestablish our influence in the medical community, make our voice heard nationally and continue to give exemplary service to the Jamaican people

I am cognizant that this will not be easy, and will take a lot of work, put in by too few people, but I am confident that the collective input from our members and affiliates will increase the number of our colleagues who will put their shoulders to the proverbial wheel, resulting in producing the desired results

Our community has a tremendous history but this alone will not sustain the Association indefinitely - we cannot rest on our laurels We need to maintain relevance which will lead to a robust membership which is key to our continuing mission in the support of our physicians' efforts to maintain the highest level of quality health care to our community,

This year, we are extremely proud to have garnered once again, a diverse and accomplished faculty of presenters who will deliver in their own inimitable style the quality of academic discourse that has been synonymous with our previous conferences.

So to all our esteemed presenters, thank you for imparting and sharing your knowledge, thank you for taking the time to prepare your presentations we truly appreciate you

To my colleagues, thank you for your continued participation, your enthusiasm and your willingness to contribute to the orthopedic community.

To our sponsors and all who have contributed to making this conference possible, we thank you. You can be assured that without your incredible support it would not have been possible.

25th Annual Symposium