In June 2024, DAN representatives shared their medical expertise at the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society’s Annual Scientific Meeting (UHMS ASM). In addition to reinforcing DAN’s commitment to enhancing dive safety through research and education, our participation in the conference also honored a partnership that dates back to DAN’s inception.
A Shared History
In 1980, the U.S. military, government agencies, and UHMS established the National Diving Accident Network (NaDAN), now known as DAN, to create a 24/7 emergency hotline for injured divers.
In 1983 DAN hosted its first Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine course, which lives on today through the DAN-UHMS Continuing Medical Education (CME) courses for medical providers. Over the decades, DAN and UHMS have also collaborated to establish guidelines for diving with diabetes and diving with patent foramen ovale (PFO).
As a trusted source of scientific information about hyperbaric and dive medicine, UHMS shares DAN’s commitment to improving the quality and availability of medical care for the diving community worldwide.
UHMS ASM 2024
Held in New Orleans, UHMS ASM 2024 brought together physicians, researchers, and other health care professionals to exchange ideas with the goal of supporting scientific growth and improving outcomes for divers. During the three-day event, DAN staff contributed their expertise through presentations and meetings, including the following.
“Thoracic and Pulmonary Issues in Diving” Session
James Chimiak, MD, Chief Medical Officer at DAN, who co-chairs the UHMS Diving Committee and serves on the UHMS Decompression Illness Adjunctive Therapy Committee, coordinated the “Thoracic and Pulmonary Issues in Diving” pre-course. The session focused on understanding and managing pulmonary health in divers, addressing key respiratory challenges, and sharing expert medical information on thoracic complications, pulmonary barotrauma, and the effects of hyperbaric environments on lung function.
“Shortage of 24/7 Hyperbaric Facilities” Presentation
As a prominent figure in hyperbaric medicine, Dr. Chimiak addressed the limited availability of round-the-clock hyperbaric facilities in his talk, “Shortage of 24/7 Facilities.” His presentation highlighted the importance of accessible, quality hyperbaric care for injured divers and emphasized the need to improve the infrastructure and availability of these facilities for divers around the world.
“Non-Compliant Chambers: Individual Liability, and a Threat to Our Industry” Keynote
UHMS invited Francois Burman, Pr. Eng., MSc, VP of Safety Services at DAN, who serves on the UHMS FDA Liaison Committee and the UHMS Safety Committee, to deliver the Jefferson Davis keynote address. He discussed the risks posed by noncompliant hyperbaric chambers, underscoring the need for compliance with safety standards in the design, manufacture, testing, and certification of hyperbaric chambers — and the importance of awareness among operators to ensure the safety of their facilities.
Diving Medicine Committee Meeting
The UHMS Diving Medicine Committee meeting provided an important platform for discussing progress and challenges in dive medicine. Camilo Saraiva, MD, MBA, Director of Medical and Assistance Services at DAN and a member of the UHMS Diving Committee, along with Frauke Tillmans, PhD, Director of Research at DAN and Member-at-large of the UHMS Board of Directors, participated to represent the interests and welfare of DAN members, and to promote a culture of safety and continuous improvement within the field. The meeting covered recent research, clinical practices, and policy developments.
UHMS STEM Learning Opportunity
DAN was proud to sponsor the UHMS STEM Learning Opportunity. Awarded to high school, college, or university students interested in science, technology, engineering, or math-related careers, the program provides tuition-free admittance to UHMS ASM. STEM scholarship awardees shadow top scientists and physicians in academia and medicine, and complete projects and summaries related to the conference. As co-chair of the UHMS STEM Committee, Tillmans played a key role in organizing the scholarship and conference programming for scholars, as well as the UHMS STEM career breakfast.
In addition to fostering the exchange of scientific knowledge and medical expertise, UHMS ASM 2024 highlighted that collaboration will continue to shape the future of dive safety. Proud of an enduring partnership with UHMS to support divers, DAN was honored to participate in this year’s conference, contributing to a safer and more informed diving community.