• Call for nominations now open
• Comment on draft MUS Statement
• 2014 AUGS/IUGA Joint Scientific Meeting
• Last chance to register before fees increase on July 1
• Visit D.C. video
• Scientific Session Search
• Special Interest Group meetings
• Pre-order patient education items
• PROTECT program
• Laparoscopic SIG survey
• “Botox and Sacral Neuro-Modulation: Treating Refractory OAB” webinar recording now available online
• IUGA Facebook© photo contest voting begins today

Call for nominations now open
This year there are several positions available for nomination and ultimate election by the membership.  The election will take place in the fall of 2014.  The positions for which nominations are sought are:

Board
       Vice-President
       Treasurer

International Advisory Board, the representatives for
       Europe
       Latin America
       North America

Committee Chairs:
       Terminology and Standardization

Members of the Scientific Committee:
       Four vacancies

Members of the Nominating Committee:
       Two vacancies

Nominations may be submitted through the IUGA web site until noon EDT on Wednesday, July 23. Nominations may be submitted by any IUGA member in good standing, including the nominee him or herself.  One member may not be a candidate for more than one position.  Once their nomination is confirmed, nominees will be asked to submit a short position statement and a photo to be posted online prior to and at the time of voting.

For more information about the nominations process and to submit your nomination, please click here.

Comment on draft MUS statement
The IUGA Board would like to invite the membership to comment on a draft statement regarding mid-urethral slings that has been developed with input from the International Advisory Board.  The draft is available on the members-only section of the IUGA website by clicking here.  If you don’t recall your log-in details, or are having difficulty accessing the members-only section of the website, please contact Amy Cassini, the Membership Manager, at amy@iuga.org.  The deadline for submitting comments is Monday, July 14, at 0900 EDT (in North America).  The board plans on releasing the final statement during the joint annual meeting with AUGS in Washington, DC, July 22-26.

Last chance to register before fees increase on July 1st
This is the first-ever joint meeting between AUGS and IUGA, so it’s sure to deliver the best of both organizations! Don’t miss out on exciting debates, innovative presentations during the scientific program, a fun new twist on the typical Friday night closing celebration and so much more. To view the various registration rates and types, please click here.  Advanced registration will close on June 30, at which time rates will increase.

IUGA members will be required to enter a key code during the registration process to identify them as members. The code and instructions for using it were sent via e-mail  on April 11th. You can also find the code on your profile page by logging in at www.iuga.org and selecting ‘Profile Home’ from the menu options on the left-hand side of the page.

CLICK HERE TO BEGIN YOUR REGISTRATION

Please send all registration questions to info@augs.org.

Visit D.C. Video
The meeting is less than one month away! Check out this video about all the amazing reasons to visit D.C. Click here to view it.

Scientific Program Search
Click here to browse abstracts and non-discussed posters by type, date, specialty, or science section. Workshops will be added at a later date.

Special Interest Group (SIG) Meetings
The IUGA SIG meetings will be held on Tuesday, July 22nd. The list of SIGs, a link to their web page on the IUGA web site and the time of each meeting is listed below:

Laparoscopic: 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Neuro-Urogynecology: 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation: 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Urogenital Pain: 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Pre-order patient education items for pick-up at the meeting
If you’ve been hesitating to order IUGA’s patient education items because of shipping costs, now is your chance to purchase them. Order items for pick-up at the meeting from our online store through July 7th and avoid hefty shipping fees. IUGA now has 28 patient brochures available with translations in various languages, illustration pads, posters and more. IUGA’s most popular item, the Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Anatomical & Surgical Chart, an 8.5 x 14” full color chart and stand containing many of the surgical and anatomical images used in the popular IUGA patient leaflets, is selling out fast so make sure you reserve your copy.  For more information and to place your order, please click here.

PROTECT Program – Register now!
The Prevention and Repair Of Perineal Trauma Episiotomy through Coordinated Training (PROTECT) program promotes knowledge of obstetricians and midwives worldwide in the management of perineal trauma and episiotomy through structured training in order to minimize pelvic floor and perineal morbidity associated with childbirth.  In order to receive a certificate of completion for the program, participants must complete the 5 steps listed below. 

1. Complete and pass the online theoretical test modules on the IUGA website:  http://protect.iuga.org
2. Attend the “Diagnosis and Repair of Acute 3rd and 4th Degree Anal Sphincter Tears” workshop conducted by Abdul Sultan and Ranee Thakar at the 2014 AUGS/IUGA Joint Scientific Meeting (Tuesday, July 22, 1-5pm) or one conducted by a PROTECT trained trainer within 2 years of step 1.
3. Attend the PROTECT Train the Trainer session within 2 years of step 2 (Training also includes teaching of episiotomy repair). This session is also available at the 2014 AUGS/IUGA Joint Scientific Meeting held directly following the step 2 workshop (Tuesday, July 22, 5:30-8pm)
4. Submit personal videos or photographs regarding episiotomy and obstetric anal sphincter injury for review according to established criteria on the PROTECT page of the IUGA website within 2 years of step 3.
5. Following successful completion of these 4 steps, participants will be awarded a certificate of successful completion of the PROTECT train the trainer program.

The upcoming 2014 AUGS/IUGA Joint Scientific meeting allows for a unique opportunity to complete steps 2 and 3 during the workshop portion of the meeting.  Register here before Monday, June 30 to take advantage of the discounted workshop registration rates.  The online test modules must be completed before attending the workshops.  If you have any questions, please contact Amanda Grabloski, Manager of Educational Programs at Amanda@iuga.org.

For further details about the PROTECT program, please click here.

Complete the Laparoscopic SIG survey
The IUGA Laparoscopic Surgery SIG is requesting your assistance in completing a survey which will help guide the development of the SIG. Please only complete the survey if you perform sacrocolpopexy (ASC) for POP. It should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. To begin the survey, please click here.

OAB Webinar Series Part 2 of 2: “Botox and Sacral Neuro-Modulation: Treating Refractory OAB”
Recording now available online
On Wednesday, June 25 at 3:00pm (early June 26 in Asia and Oceania) IUGA offered the final installment of a two part OAB webinar series.  This session was recorded and is now posted on the IUGA web site. It features the following speakers and topics:

Moderator – Zeelha Abdool (South Africa)

Karl Tamussino (Austria)
Management of refractory OAB and the mechanism of action for Botulinum toxin, indications for use, and its efficacy and complications.

Kristine Whitmore (USA)
Sacral neuromodulation: method of preliminary and permanent implantation and its mode of action; full range of its potential benefits for both urinary and fecal incontinence.

Zeelha Abdool (South Africa)
Case scenarios submitted by IUGA members.

To view the recording of this webinar and/or previous webinars click here and find the section at the top labeled “Previously Recorded Webinars”. The recordings are available to members only. If you are not already logged-in to the IUGA web site, you will be prompted to log-in.

IUGA Facebook© photo contest voting begins June 27
We challenged our members to show the urogyn community, in a photo, what they are doing to have a positive effect on the lives of women, in their community and around the world.  Well, some members accepted that challenge and we received 12 awesome entries into the photo contest! Show your support for fellow members by voting for their photo to win 1 of 3 prizes. To do so, follow the steps below:

1. Visit the IUGA facebook page.  
2. If you haven’t already , click the like button on the page.
3. Go to photos, then albums and select the album titled ‘photo contest entries’.
4. Click your favorite photo, then click the ‘like’ button.

Note: you must like both the IUGA facebook page AND the photo in order for your vote to count. Spread the word to the rest of your friends and colleagues.