Our History 

In the 1960’s the Florida Society for Pulmonary Disease was the state society that existed for both medical and surgical lung physicians.  The society was oriented to the medical treatment of lung diseases and the surgical treatment of TB, and existed as a state division of the American College of Chest Physicians. In 1967 a group of thoracic surgeons who attended these meetings decided to form a separate surgical society for cardiovascular and thoracic diseases. The initial President was Francis N. Cooke, M.D.  A new President was elected every year to serve a one-year term until 1984.  That year, Ernie Traad, M.D. was elected as President and the term was increased from one to two years, which is still in place today.  Dennis Pupello, M.D. succeeded Dr. Traad in 1986 as President, followed by John Ibach, Jr., M.D.  and then Meredith Scott, M.D. became President of the Society in 1990.

Initially, the Society had purely a scientific focus and was not family oriented.  It met once a year in February, for a two day; Saturday and Sunday; meeting.  In 1994, Thomas Kelly, M.D. was elected President of the Society.  Under his leadership, the Society went to two meetings a year.  The scientific meeting in February continued, but a summer family oriented meeting in July was started. From that time through 2008, the Society had two meetings a year; a winter meeting in February that was mainly a scientific meeting, and a summer meeting in July that was family oriented.  Both of these meetings were two days, Saturday and Sunday. In 2008, under President J. Crayton Pruitt, it was decided to go to one meeting a year which would be held in the summer starting in July 2009.  Since that time, the society has continued holding one three-day meeting that is a combined scientific program and family oriented time.

Our Mission