Letter from the 2019-2021 Chair

Dear colleagues,

I want to take the time to thank each and every one of you in the ACEP Disaster Section.  It has been an honor to serve as your chair for the past 2 years.  I’m pretty sure I will go down in the Section history as the 1^st “Zoom” chair.  What a wild ride it has been.  This year’s conference in Boston will again be novel: a large part virtual and some physically present.  I hope that most of you participate in one way or the other.  Hopefully, next year we will be back to normal!

What started out as a patient surge and PPE disaster, has morphed into an ongoing crisis.  Staffing shortages are being experienced in all areas of healthcare.  Once hailed as heroes, many are now experiencing confrontations regarding vaccine status and masks.  In a subspecialty where burnout was already high, I can truly say that I am worried.  No time has it ever been more important to understand the meaning of being on a team.  This crisis can destroy us, or it can bind us and make us stronger.  I encourage you all to strongly consider more “self-care” in your life.  This may seem like the opposite of teamwork, but it actually promotes it.  This is going to be a time of perseverance, but it will culminate resilience.  We can do this.

Finally, the Section is being left in good hands.  Dr. Eric Goralnick will be taking over as Chair.  I’m excited to see where he takes us.  His enthusiasm and innovative approach are wonderful.  Please welcome him when you get a chance.

Sincerely,
Kathy

Kathy Lehman-Huskamp, MD
Immediate Past-Chair
ACEP Disaster Medicine Section