Editor’s Message

As we all settle into a phase of the COVID-19 pandemic with less social restrictions, we hold out hope that the pandemic is near its end. As such, PCICS is planning an in-person annual conference in Miami, Florida this December. As part of the Program Committee this year, I can say that the conference this year promises to be a very different one. The speakers will be as diverse as they come, and the discussions are shaping up to be as stimulating and provocative as ever. Check www.pcics.org for registration details to follow shortly.

This Spring 2022 newsletter goes back to re-examine and re-analyze the basics: education of pediatric cardiac intensive care physicians. With a recent publication describing the concept of entrustable professional activities (EPAs) as it applies to pediatric cardiac intensive care, we thought it was a great time to review the evolution of cardiac intensive care training in the United States, and to punctuate that with comparison of the education and practice of pediatric cardiac intensive care in a few other countries (United Kingdom and Netherlands).

In this edition, Dr. David Werho, the first author of the recent paper on EPAs in pediatric cardiac intensive care, writes an editorial summarizing its key concepts. Dr. Karl Migally takes us through the evolution of pediatric cardiac intensive care as a training specialty in the United States. We are also pleased to have the perspectives of two leaders in the field from Europe: Dr. Peter Roeleveld of Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands and Dr. Mirjana Cvetkovic of Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London, UK.

Indeed, there are many other models for pediatric cardiac intensive care practice and training that we have not even described, and it will be even more interesting to hear from other countries in the future, especially as many regions discuss the concept of centralization of pediatric cardiac surgical and intensive care. What does regionalization of care do for outcomes? What does it do for training? These are questions we will continue to ask in future PCICS newsletters, and to discuss at future meetings.

We thank all the contributors for their time and effort in contributing to this newsletter, and for their dedication to medical education. As always, we are open to newsletter feedback or suggestions for future editions. Do not hesitate to reach out to the newsletter team.