We Couldn't Have Done It Without You

Each fall we take off our editing hats and hit the road to host OR Excellence, the friendliest and most informative conference available today for surgical leaders. As ORX has crisscrossed the country over the past 3 years, time and again the constant factor to its success has been you, our valued readers and attendees.

This year, old friends and soon-to-be new acquaintances met in sunny San Diego for several days of unparalleled learning opportunities. Armed with audience-response remotes, attendees provided speakers with instant feedback during presentations. That interaction is just one element that makes ORX unique. The conference doesn't belong to us. It's your meeting, with educational opportunities based on your feedback and dependent on your willingness to show up ready to learn and actively participate in the widespread sharing of ideas and practical knowledge.

When each day's work ended this year, the after-hours fun began. We laughed, mingled and networked during a wine tasting in the exhibit hall. We dined aboard the spectacular yacht California Spirit as the sun set on another fulfilling day. We shared stories and advice. We created bonds that will last a lifetime. And we made plans for when we all see each other again next fall in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., at the meeting that can't happen without you.

— The editors of Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Greetings From San Diego!
I've been to all 3 OR Excellence conferences and have already marked my calendar for next year's meeting in Fort Lauderdale. As an ORX veteran, I can honestly say this year's event was outstanding. The incredible speakers taught us how to solve common staffing issues, squash peer-to-peer abuse, approach out-of-control docs, manage operating costs, deal with the dwindling nursing population and so much more. We even had the opportunity to pit our professional knowledge against that of our peers during a challenging quiz bowl. (My team won!)

Time away from the lecture halls was spent eating excellent meals, sampling a variety of wines poured by vendors in the exhibit hall (that was a lot of fun!) and networking over dinner aboard a beautiful yacht as we cruised the San Diego Bay at sunset.

I also went to San Diego with the hope of fulfilling a lifelong dream: to go whale watching. After the conference, that wish came true. I boarded a boat that encountered a group of magnificent blue whales near La Jolla. One surfaced right next to us and spouted. Check that item off my bucket list. Now does anyone know where I can touch a living lion or cheetah?

— Lynda Dowman-Simon, RN