conTinuing To make a dvancemen TS TogeTher From our chieF oPeraTing oFFicer It has been an exciting year for the plastic Surgery Foundation (the pSF). Because of the leadership of our Board and the dedication of our committed volunteers, staff and donors, we have embarked on new initiatives that continue to transform the pSF’s ability and potential to impact change. In 2012, we reached back to the heart and soul of the specialty by supporting programs that promote patient education, awareness and charity care in plastic surgery by creating the Breast reconstruction awareness Fund. this fund will support research and charitable care and build public awareness about the reconstruction options available to women following mastectomy. through this effort, the pSF is making an investment in the lives of women as well as the future of the specialty. we also furthered our commitment to patient safety and medical innovation. the pSF developed a partnership with the u.S. Food and Drug administration (FDa) in an effort to establish a national Breast Implant registry. In addition, we began work on the new GraFt registry, which will track the results of fat grafting to the breast. with the implementation of these registries and others in development, the pSF strives to conduct important quality improvement initiatives, research, and collect and track reliable data that will improve treatments and help plastic surgeons be better prepared to provide data-driven outcomes and measures. additionally, we continued our mission of funding investigator-initiated research and developing training programs for the purpose of fostering new medical breakthroughs and innovations, and establishing a pipeline of future researchers. the pSF invested approximately $650,000 in new, clinically-relevant research. through reliable and continuous investment, the pSF is impacting the quality and quantity of research in plastic surgery, and the early exploration of innovative technology for the specialty. we are proud of the results that the pSF has achieved over the past year, but the years ahead hold even more promise. thank you for your support of our work and for your partnership as we continue to make advancements together. we are looking forward to another promising year. Sincerely, keiTh m. hume, ma Chief operating officer Pa g e 5