The GNYHA 2003 Annual Meeting will be held on April 10, 2003, at the Sheraton New York Hotel on Seventh Avenue in Manhattan, with registration beginning at 8:00 a.m.

Program: The program will begin with a breakfast and annual business meeting from 8:30 to 9:00 a.m., during which the membership will elect new officers and Board members for the 2003-04 Association year and will confirm the current slate of officers and Board members elected to fill vacancies that arose during the 2002-03 Association year. GNYHA President Kenneth E. Raske will then make some comments about the extraordinary challenges facing the New York health care community, followed by New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Thomas Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., who will deliver a timely address. Dr. Frieden will speak about a variety of public health and emergency preparedness issues.

Special Sessions: Following Dr. Frieden's presentation will be a special session entitled "Planning for Terrorist Attacks: Difficulties and Vulnerabilities." Kenneth W. Watman, Ph.D., Director, War Gaming Department, U.S. Naval War College, will show that when organizations—including health care facilities—prepare for a terrorist attack or similar event, common difficulties and vulnerabilities emerge. Dr. Watman will review recurring themes related to levels of preparedness that have been identified from various war gaming drills devised to help civilian authorities meet the needs of homeland defense. The meeting will conclude at approximately 10:00 a.m. for hospital members.

For continuing care members, there will be an additional session, called "Beyond Diversification: Reinventing the Nursing Home for the 21st Century." A panel of nationally recognized continuing care experts will explore the forces—demographic, economic, and regulatory—that are driving revolutionary changes in nursing homes. Continuing care providers who are implementing bold new approaches—from evolutionary culture changes to a total reconceptualization of the nursing home itself—will talk about what it means to implement and sustain their visions. The panel will consist of Rose Marie Fagan, Executive Director of the Pioneer Network; Robyn I. Stone, Dr.P.H., Executive Director of the Institute for the Future of Aging Services; and Arthur Y. Webb, President and Chief Executive Officer, Village Care of New York. Audrey Weiner, D.S.W., President and Chief Executive Officer of Jewish Home and Hospital Lifecare System, will moderate the discussion.

Registration: All attendees must pre-register by mail or fax for this event no later than April 4, 2003. The Annual Meeting is free of charge for all GNYHA members and $175 per person for non-members. All Skyline News subscribers will receive a GNYHA 2003 Annual Meeting brochure and registration form. If you have not received a registration brochure, please contact Barbara Marino at GNYHA.