Letter from the Editor: Here’s to a New 2021

Every couple of years, the Powerball lottery goes up to some ridiculous number. And one of my favorite games to play in the OR is, “What would you do if you won the Powerball?” I should probably tell you I haven’t bought a lottery ticket in over 20 years, but that doesn’t stop me from playing the game. And everyone in that OR, from the anesthesiologist to the breaktime surgical tech, revels in the glimmer of hope that comes with a win of endless possibilities.

Happy New Year, everyone! It’s 2021, and man, what an awful year 2020 was. January 2021 still feels a whole lot like 2020, and if you’re like me, you’re struggling through this pandemic. So, let’s play the OR Powerball game, because we could all use a healthy dose of optimism. This version isn’t so much about what vacation you would take or who you would travel to see first, though; we all think about those things every day. It’s the New Year, so let’s combine the lessons we’ve learned from the pandemic with some resolutions for a better and brighter future. 

If the pandemic ended tomorrow, what would be my hope for 2021?

• That we take the time to remember the loss and suffering of our friends, colleagues, and acquaintances who have been affected by the pandemic. Many of you personally were sick and suffered. I hope to remember how fragile health and life can be and to never take it for granted.
• That we, our patients, and the general public remember the true heroics of our healthcare teams. That we remember the sacrifices they made, the physical and emotional tolls they endured, and the risks they took in taking care of all patients, COVID and non-COVID. 
• That as physicians, we acknowledge the importance of all healthcare workers: nurses, techs, patient transporters, administrators, front desk personnel. They are all essential to making this work. It isn’t just a patient and doctor who are needed.
• That healthcare administrators remember it was physician leadership that got us through this pandemic. It was us in the early days who rang the alarms on the importance of PPE. It was us who came up with surge protocols, how to deal with the bed crunches, how to shift people power to do what was needed to take care of our patients. That we are not widgets, but leaders they can count on at all times.
• That we continue to work for a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment. That we become color-conscious, not color-blind. That we are all active in making a change, no matter how uncomfortable it may be for some.
• That we remember that love conquers all, how important family and health are, and how hope always beats despair.

Please let us know your thoughts. Happy New Year, and I look forward to talking with you next month.

—Alex