President’s Message May 2021

Our first few months of 2021 have been productive and energizing! Anchored by our strategic map, we continue to move the Society forward and advance our Mission. I invite you to review the full Strategic Map on our website, however below I’ve included some of the high-level portions of it.

Mission
To empower a diverse global community of pediatric cardiac critical care clinicians dedicated to improving the lives of patients and their families.

Vision
Connections Strengthened. Care Transformed. Outcomes Elevated. Lives Enriched.

Core Values

• Reverence: We hold a deep respect and passion for patients and their families for whom we have the privilege to provide care.
• Knowledge: We advance the art and science of healing through education and inquiry.
• Equity: We cultivate a diverse and inclusive professional community to eliminate barriers and achieve equitable outcomes for all.
• Connection: We create opportunities to build relationships that foster professional development, community and collaborative patient care.

Areas of Impact

• The Member
• The Society
• The Field

We have enthusiastically begun to work on each area of impact!

For our members, the Connections Committee is leading an effort to develop a membership satisfaction and needs assessment, find innovative ways to engage new members and reconnect with previous members. We understand that the current climate is forcing members to critically evaluate the cost and benefit of membership. We are actively expanding our member benefits to continue to build our community.

For the Society, the Board of Directors has approved a new project proposal process to ensure that each new project aligns with our strategic goals, is well supported and sustainable. The Executive Committee is also developing a standard operating procedure manual to improve our efficiency as the Society continues to grow. And the Finance Committee is underway! Led by Lindsey Justice and Michael Fundora, the Finance committee is finding innovative ways to improve the financial health of the Society. While these efforts are not always glamorous, they are essential for solid and sustainable growth of our Society.

For the field, our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee has launched and is beginning to set their priorities. Going forward, the DEI Committee will formally review all new project ideas and provide feedback to the project leads. The DEI Committee will also collaborate with the Connections Committee to help inform the membership satisfaction and needs assessment. As you’ll see, the focus of this Newsletter is on diversity, equity and inclusion. We are grateful for the contributions of a diverse group of individuals who have shared their experiences to illuminate inequities that so many face.

I’m inspired by our PCICS community and honored to serve as we work together toward a brighter, more equitable future.

Melissa B. Jones, MSN, APRN, CPNP-AC