Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

AMPA

2003; Elsevier BV; Volume: 22; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.amj.2003.10.012

1532-6497

Harry Sibold,

Trauma and Emergency Care Studies

You may have noticed these buttons at the November AMTC. In September an eclectic group of professionals, all dedicated to the future of air medical transport, gathered in Salt Lake City to express their ideas and shape the future of our “community.” This Air Medical Leadership Congress originally was conceived as a meeting to share ideas and celebrate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Air Medical Physician Association. However, in 2002 at the Critical Care Transport Medicine Conference in Las Vegas, the Congress began to take a new shape. Dr. Frank Thomas, a former president of both AMPA and ASHBEAMS (the predecessor to AAMS), volunteered to take over the unenviable task of organizing and planning the congress—and along the way placed on it his own unique indelible stamp. Dr. Thomas is well known for his energy, drive, and creativity and used these attributes to turn the proposed congress into a unique happening. He gathered a number of crucial individuals and turned them into worker bees, organizers, and participants. They all deserve your recognition and thanks, as well. Most importantly though, he turned the meeting from an AMPA celebration into a true congress, organized and led by key members of each shareholder organization in the air medical transport community. This exceptional gathering was conspicuous in being a true partnership in which all voices were heard. Why is such a congress important? This is a time when our groups continue to face “clear and present” challenges. Finance and reimbursement, legislative oversight and regulation, medical direction, technology, research, and safety are all areas that require our vigilance and cautious attention in the coming years. Without this attention, we may see our public and private support waning. I believe that our profession provides a unique and vital service to our patients, physicians, and hospitals that we serve. There is a level of benevolent service rarely found anywhere in this age of profit/loss statements, spreadsheets, and aggressive corporate health care management. But we must exercise our most stringent critical thinking and self-examination to ensure our future. It is this exercise in self-examination and “future thought” for which the participants in the Air Medical Leadership Congress came together. It was not enough simply to scrutinize the shortcomings of the air medical transport community; the most vital aspect of our gathering was to work toward exceptional solutions and map out a path to continued future success—in the words of the congress motto, to set a health care agenda for the air medical community. Did you miss this event? If so, you let one opportunity to lead the future of transport medicine slip away. Don't let another opportunity pass you by. The work that started in Salt Lake City has only just begun! The intention was not only to come together and share ideas but also use these ideas as a roadmap that we might follow to grow and strengthen our future. The most exciting opportunities to contribute are only beginning. Watch for the coming white paper on the congressional findings that will outline the tasks, initiatives, and issues which the participants agreed were critical to our future. Do you have a passion or area of specialized interest within transport? Let your energy and enthusiasm for air transport contribute to the solutions that we are only just conceiving. Ask how you, too, can play a role. In spite of the negative predictions of some naysayers, I see this not as a frightening time, although we must be careful stewards of our future. I see this as the most exciting time to be involved in medicine and air transport. This is a time when, together, we can realize our collective vision to leave a legacy of compassionate care, excellence, and leadership in health care. This dynamic attitude allowed our conception as an industry, and I believe that same attitude will continue to live on and allow us to touch countless lives in our future. Turning our attention to the AMTC—AMPA announced its new board of directors members as a result of the most recent election. Re-elected to the board were Kevin Hutton, MD (San Diego, Golden Hour Data Systems), and Mike Brunko, MD, (Denver, Flight for Life). Newly elected were Eric Swanson, MD (Salt Lake City, University Hospital AirMed), and Michael Weinlich, MD (Filderstadt, Germany/International representative). For a complete board of directors roster and a list of upcoming events, go to www.ampa.org. My thanks go out to Dr. Jack Davidoff for his role as the preconference director in Reno and to Dr. Ken Williams for his continued support of the conference through the Brown School of Medicine. A reminder to you all of the 2004 Critical Care Transport Medicine Conference April 12-14 at the Sheraton Gunther Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. This will continue a tradition of educational excellence mixed with enjoyment and collegiality long associated with the CCTMC. This conference offers yet another opportunity to share your teaching and speaking skills with your air medical cohorts, and I encourage you to submit your lecture topics for consideration at future CCTMC gatherings. I would like to express my pleasure and delight at the news that Air Medical Journal will continue to be published by our current partners at Mosby/Elsevier. I had the recent delight of adding my signature on behalf of AMPA to the new AMJ contract and ending some months of discussion about the future location of the journal. Mosby has been invaluable in the growth and continued professionalism displayed in AMJ, and my thanks go out to them for their decision to continue with us in publishing the journal. David Dries, MD, and Reneé Holleran, RN, PhD, along with the entire editorial staff, deserve our genuine thanks as well for the heart and soul they instill. It is through their efforts that the journal maintains the editorial quality and content for which it has become known throughout the air medical transport and emergency care community. One final thought… As I began this forum column, I typed the phrase “I was there!” Although I was referring to the Air Medical Leadership Congress, I could not help my thoughts from turning to the events of 9/11, which were so recently commemorated. The memorials marking the 2 years since those tragic events were intended for us to find closure. Instead they seemed to show us all that 9/11 has become a seminal event, an historic incident that will mark our generation. Much like those of us who remember where we were when a man first set foot on the moon or heard of the death of a president, we will carry forever the memories of that day in September when we witnessed the tragedies in New York, Washington, and the Pennsylvania countryside. Someday I hope we will be able to remember September 11 not merely with grief and anger but also with the pride of individuals and communities who pulled together to help each other and find compassion in that overwhelming time. I find that spirit unique in emergency services, and that quality sets us apart from others who simply “do a job.” I am proud to say to others, “These are my friends and colleagues.” Best wishes to you all.