Associate Editor’s Message August 2021

It is my great joy and pride to invite you all to view the Summer edition of the PCICS Newsletter. Packed with updates from committees and special interest groups, as well as details about the phenomenal Protocol Warehouse, we are calling this one the “Pump It Up” edition – pumping up the enthusiasm for the return of life to some semblance of normalcy, pumping up the anticipation for the upcoming meeting, and pumping up our fund of knowledge and curiosity about the rapidly changing field of pediatric mechanical circulatory support.

We reached out across the country to hear from established and upcoming leaders in this field  – what next frontiers or changes do they foresee in this fast-growing field with widening possibilities for support strategies and candidacy? What are some new tools available for us to utilize and enhance our traditional mechanical support modalities? Can a youngster with advanced heart failure supported on a durable VAD go watch a ballgame? Joseph Philip MD, Varun Aggarwal MD, and Mary Mehegan BSN, RN, CCRN answer these questions and more in what we hope is just part one of a series of conversations on how we can move the field forward in pediatric mechanical circulatory support.

I would also like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. As a cardiac intensivist and a pediatric heart failure/transplant physician, as well as a member of the Narrative Medicine team and a co-founder of a reading and early childhood literacy program at Texas Children’s Hospital, serving on this newsletter team is the perfect amalgamation of why the PCICS and the field of cardiac critical care, in general, is so dynamic and unique – constant learning, building bridges between collaborators, and pursuing one’s passion. All of our guest editorial writers have embodied this spirit in their practice and we are thrilled to be the platform for them to share their expertise.

Happy reading, and see you at the meeting!