Vital Times 2020 - 4

Word from the Editor
Rita Agarwal, MD, FAAP, FASA

My personal motto for
the past several years
has been " we are
all in this together "
(Word from the Editor,
Vital Times 2018). It has

never been more true
than in 2020.

This year has been like no other. A lot has happened
and there is so much to process that any words
from me seem completely inadequate. Between
the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter
movement, and the painful, chaotic, and unusual
national elections, our world has truly been confusing
and stressful.
Many of us have gotten used to our new
circumstances and do our best every day to care
for our patients. Meanwhile, guidelines change,
restrictions increase, restrictions decrease, politicians
squabble, people storm the Capitol, and new
vaccinations hold out hope. As an organization, we
have worked incredibly hard to try and keep members
updated and educated. CSA tackled issues head on
and continues to work hard to represent the interests
of California anesthesiologists with the state
legislature, the ASA, and nationally.
CSA staff and leadership worked quickly and
efficiently to turn the in-person House of Delegate
and Board of Directors meetings to virtual meetings.
With the need to cancel in-person educational
meetings, John Brock-Utne, MD, PhD, and the
Education Division recognized the need to support
trainees who have worked hard to prepare abstracts

4 |

CSA Vital Times

and presentations for these meetings. This led to
the creation of a Virtual Resident Research Day in
June. The event was a huge success. A video of the
event, as well as copies of most of the abstracts, are
still available. This virtual venue also allowed for the
presentation of the winning essay of the First Annual
History of Anesthesia Essay Contest, which can also
be read in this year's publication.
During the first few months of the pandemic, the
CSA leadership decided to take a proactive approach
and created a website dedicated to the latest
research, policies, telehealth, practice management
issues, travel, and many other valuable resources for
California anesthesiologists. We have continued to
try and keep the site updated as the months of the
pandemic have dragged on.
This edition of Vital Times has many outstanding
contributions. We are fortunate to have so many
talented members who generously share their time
and expertise. There are important updates from
the CSA President Jeffrey Poage, MD, Executive
Director David Butler, Treasurer T John Hsieh, MD,
FASA, Legislative and Practice Affairs Division Chair
Antonio Hernandez Conte, MD, MBA, FASA, with Sunny
Jha, MD, Chair of Legislative Affairs Committee,
ASA Delegate Paul Yost, MD, FASA, and Practice
Management Chair Christopher Tirce, MD, FASA.
One of my favorite parts of Vital Times is still the
residency reports. This year it is even more inspiring
to read about the many outstanding training
programs in California and how they adapted to the
pandemic, while ensuring their trainees continue to
receive excellent education.
There are many fascinating articles in this edition,
Vital Times 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vital Times 2020
