Vital Times 2017 - 4

A Word From The Editor
By Rita Agarwal MD, FAAP

uring a period in our
nation's history when
conflict and uncertainty
abound, it has been
an inspiration to serve
alongside the physician
leaders at CSA who are
truly united in their
efforts to strengthen our
organization to the shared
benefit of our members and our patients, and the
advancement of our specialty.
Alexis deTouqueville, in his seminal work Democracy
in America, written in 1831, wrote extensively about
Americans' unique ability to form associations to
achieve a common purpose.
"As soon as several of the inhabitants of the United States
have conceived a sentiment or an idea that they want to
produce in the world, they seek each other out; and when
they have found each other, they unite. From then on, they
are no longer isolated men, but a power one sees from afar,
whose actions serve as an example; a power that speaks,
and to which one listens," deToqueville wrote.
He continued, "Thus the most democratic country on
earth is found to be, above all, the one where men in our
day have most perfected the art of pursuing the object of
their common desires, and have applied this new science to
the most objects."
During a tumultuous 2017, it is reassuring to count on
organizations like the CSA which foster such a strong
unity of purpose.

4 | CSA Vital Times

And what a year 2017 has been. Both the political
dramas unfolding on the world stage and the heartwrenching series of natural disasters - from hurricanes,
Irma, Harvey, and Maria, followed in rapid succession
by the North Bay and the Southern California
Wildfires - none of which are beyond today's political
divide. As an example, in my own family, it felt to
me (a true climate change believer) that God and
Mother Nature had teamed up to send a ferocious and
definitive message to all the climate deniers. Whereas
my geophysicist father, who along with my mother
was evacuated from their home in Houston during
hurricane Harvey, continues to tell me these events are
all part of natural earth temperature fluctuations and
cycles. I love my Dad so will leave it at that.
It has been such a pleasure and honor to serve as
the editor for both the CSAOF and Vital Times and
the Chair of CPPC. I have learned an enormous
amount about the great state of California and the
fantastic leadership and management of the CSA.
Calm professionalism among the chaos and drama
of the year's political shenanigans, sexual harassment
revelations, threatened ACA repeals, and the passage
of the largest tax cut in 30 years. Unfortunately, in
California, many of us won't get to enjoy many of these
benefits, due to our high taxes and sky-high home
prices.
Nationally, one of the true positives of 2017, was the
appointment of Jerome Adams, MD, MPH, to the
position of Surgeon General. The first anesthesiologist,
and by all reports a truly outstanding candidate
with a passion for public health and a very personal
connection to the opioid crisis. He was recently

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vital Times 2017