Dear Colleagues,
It doesn’t seem possible, but I have just completed the first quarter of my term as your 79th President and recently returned from chairing my first board meeting – a scary experience to be sure. All in all, it went well. We officially offered Steve Welch the position of Executive Vice President, thereby ushering in one of our own to lead the organization. Steve has successfully served as CHEST’s interim EVP/CEO since May 2016, after 22 years of service with this organization, most recently as Senior Vice President of Publications and Digital Content. I am utterly and completely confident in our choice and want you to know he has the full backing of the board, the Past Presidents, and nearly every doctor he has come in contact with.
Dr. Gerard A. Silvestri
One of our strategic areas of focus for the past 5 years is how we serve our international members. CHEST is now truly a global organization. Our international membership continues to grow, and that impacts all areas of the College. In 2016, we provided education for more than 4,300 international members through our national meeting and courses provided all around the globe. In addition, the College has, in partnership with Chinese CHEST leadership and ministry of health officials, led the effort to begin the first pulmonary and critical care fellowship training programs in China. This was an amazing undertaking. The first four graduates were introduced and honored at CHEST 2016, and 20 more are scheduled to graduate next year. An additional 25 more fellowship training programs are to start this next year, and the Chinese National Health and Family Planning Commission recently approved the program as one of only three official fellowship training programs in China. I firmly believe we will look back on this endeavor as one of the greatest accomplishments in our organization’s long and storied history. Countless lives of patients with pulmonary diseases and critical illness are likely to be saved or extended in that country because of this work.
This brings me to CHEST’s position on the travel ban recently imposed and currently on hold in the United States. We, along with 11 other medical societies, sent a letter to the Secretary of Homeland Security underscoring our concern for such a ban, as it could most definitely adversely affect health-care delivery worldwide in ways not previously contemplated. For example, international medical graduates reportedly make up 25% of our physician workforce and provide a disproportionate amount of care to underserved communities. Should we not allow them to come and train here, we could be putting patients in those areas at risk. The ban could result in patients who need specialized health care being denied entrance to the country. We worry that our global physician colleagues will be unable to travel to the United States for educational programs meant to provide them with the tools they need to care for their patients back home. I encourage you to read the full letter if you are interested.
On a brighter note, the program committee is busy planning CHEST 2017, which will be held in Toronto, Oct 28 to Nov 1. Our theme is Team-Based: Patient-Centered. Our advanced practice providers, critical care nurses, and respiratory therapists, among others, will participate in the planning and help shape different aspects of the program. We encourage our physician members to invite a friend, and come and enjoy the meeting. The traditional CHEST program with simulation and interactive, interdisciplinary symposia will be back by popular demand. There will be something in this meeting for everyone. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that we are working closely with the American Board of Internal Medicine on Maintenance of Certification (MOC) and getting credit by using CHEST products, such as CHEST SEEK, e-learning modules, and live learning opportunities. In fact, CHEST 2016 made getting MOC points easy. Much of the program this year will qualify for MOC, and I would encourage you to take advantage of it. For those who I have had the pleasure of working with and hearing from this year, I thank you for your comments, welcome all opinions, and hope to hear from any member who has something CHEST-related on their mind.
Gerard A. Silvestri, MD, MS, FCCP
President