November 4, 2026
There is something remarkable about IDWeek. For a few days each year, we trade overflowing inboxes, consult lists, and seemingly endless meetings for something equally exhausting but infinitely more energizing: each other.
IDWeek 2026 reminded me why this community matters. The science was exceptional, the conversations were inspiring, and the opportunity to reconnect invaluable. But as I reflect on our time together in Washington, DC, one question stands out: How do we turn the energy of a meeting into meaningful, lasting progress?
That question was at the heart of our PIDS Annual Membership Meeting, where we celebrated our accomplishments, confronted our challenges, and shared a roadmap for our future.
A Society Worth Celebrating
PIDS is now 1,790 members strong, united by a commitment to improving children’s health.
We celebrated extraordinary colleagues, including Peter Hotez, Stanley Plotkin, Sophie Katz, Tony Flores, and John Christenson, along with our distinguished lecturers and fellow award recipients.
Our PIDS Foundation continues to invest in the future of our specialty, supporting more than 74 trainees and scholars across eight programs in 2025. Meanwhile, JPIDS, continues to thrive, with a 2025 impact factor of 3.3 and a first-quartile ranking among pediatric journals.
Behind these achievements are countless volunteers, donors, and partners, along with our incredible PIDS staff. A special thank you to Christy, Kylie, Alan, Chrissy, Ashley, and Abby, whose dedication, creativity, and tireless work behind the scenes keep our Society moving forward and turn our ideas into action. Our Society’s greatest strength has always been its people.
The Workforce: The Numbers Tell a Story
Our first-phase workforce survey included 120 pediatric ID programs across the United States and Canada, achieving a 60% response rate. The findings were sobering:
Beneath the numbers lies a serious message: We cannot sustain exceptional care for children without sustaining the people who provide it.
These findings establish a baseline, not a prescription. Our next steps include qualitative research to understand the drivers of these challenges, followed by consensus-building to identify sustainable solutions. Our goal is not simply to describe the problem more precisely but help solve it.
Our 2027–2032 Strategic Plan: Less Shelf Space, More Impact
Our new strategic plan envisions a future where every child benefits from trusted science, expert pediatric infectious diseases care, and a thriving workforce.
Four pillars will guide our work:
1. Build the Workforce. Inspire, strengthen, and sustain a diverse workforce that is professionally fulfilled, appropriately valued, and supported through equitable opportunities for recruitment, mentorship, and career advancement.
2. Influence the Environment. Amplify our voice through advocacy, partnerships, and leadership. From vaccine advocacy to protecting research funding and addressing disparities in children’s health, our expertise matters, especially when science and public health are challenged.
3. Advance the Profession. Foster excellence in clinical care, research, education, mentorship, and leadership across every career stage, ensuring that colleagues from diverse backgrounds and experiences have meaningful opportunities to contribute, grow, and lead.
4. Shape the Future. Embrace innovation and emerging technologies to expand our impact while remaining grounded in evidence and the needs of all children and families, particularly those historically underserved.
Importantly, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are not confined to a single pillar or initiative. They are foundational principles woven throughout every aspect of our strategic plan. They inform how we cultivate our workforce, develop future leaders, strengthen our professional community, advocate for children and families, and pursue innovation. Our commitment is to ensure that every member feels welcomed, respected, valued, and empowered to contribute, and that the diversity of our experiences and perspectives strengthens everything we do.
These priorities will be supported by stronger organizational infrastructure, meaningful member engagement, and greater visibility for our specialty.
Importantly, our plan acknowledges a fundamental truth: We cannot do everything, and trying to do everything is not a strategy.
Success will require focused priorities, meaningful partnerships, measurable outcomes, and the willingness to stop doing things that no longer serve our mission. That last part may prove the hardest.
The Next Chapter Belongs to All of Us
As we welcome newly elected PIDS leaders, thank outgoing Board of Directors and Liaisons, and celebrate the generosity of our Foundation supporters, it is important to note these transitions remind us that leadership is not defined by a title or term of service, but by what we build together.
Ultimately, our success will not be how many initiatives we announce or how many pages our strategic plan contains. It will be measured by whether a medical student sees a future in pediatric ID. Whether an early-career colleague feels valued. Whether members from all backgrounds see opportunities to belong, contribute, and lead. Whether our workforce becomes more sustainable. Whether our advocacy strengthens trust in science. And, most importantly, whether children receive better care because of what we accomplished together.
The real test of a strategic plan is not whether we can remember its pillars. It is whether, five years from now, we can point to what has changed because we acted on them.
As we enter the season of gratitude, I am especially thankful for your expertise, generosity, persistence, and willingness to show up for one another.
IDWeek gave us momentum. Our strategic plan gives us direction. What happens next depends on all of us.
Let’s make it count.
Better together, always,
Deb
Improving the health of children worldwide through philanthropic support of scientific and educational programs.
