Dear members,
Looking back at 2019 it is, in some ways, like looking back on a different world. It was a world where CAIR brought together, face-to-face, so many IR professionals for important moments like the Annual Meeting, where we could sit down next to each other and where we could present, listen, and engage in real life.
We made the difficult decision to cancel our 2020 event, but we continue to be grateful for the ongoing support and professionalism of our community of healthcare professionals, members, corporate partners, and other stakeholders.
As we look ahead, we realize that, though our methods of delivery may be different, our goals are still very much the same: providing value to our members by moving forward our scientific and educational offerings in a world where the COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose professional and personal demands to the IR community.
We must forge ahead with the important work of promoting IR and minimally invasive procedures to patients, patient advocacy groups, other health care professionals, and policy makers as part of the CAIR initiative. New initiatives are underway: we have started a new Virtual Angio Club and a brand-new Residents, Fellows, and Students Section!
We also must face other realities. Over the past few weeks, we’ve been listening to the conversations taking place internally and worldwide on the topic of racial inequities experienced by Black people and their communities. The widespread protests against racial injustice and anti-Black violence have also showed us being at a crossroads for democracy and human rights not only south of the border but also here in Canada.
Around the world, health care organizations are declaring anti-Black racism a public health crisis. Here at CAIR, we have a commitment to equality and justice for all, zero tolerance for racism, bigotry and hate of any kind. Racism exists everywhere, including Canadian healthcare, and as health care professionals, we must commit to challenge it whenever we see it and strive to provide the highest attainable standard of healthcare as one of the fundamental rights of every human being. In addition, we must proclaim: Black Lives Matter.
More than ever, we now have a shared sense of purpose and commitment where health care professionals are compassionate and collaborative.
We have built a great team. In April, we welcomed Luciana Nechita as CAIR’s Executive Director. Under her leadership and along with the CAIR board, we’re looking forward to strengthening our vision to bring together the IR community and work with patient groups and other allies to help increase accessibility for Canadians to patient friendly, effective, minimally invasive, image guided treatments.
The strength of CAIR is in our members, and it is through membership and engaged members that CAIR is able to advance our profession.
2020, is it over yet? Despite our new challenges, I look forward to our mission and to listening and working with you!
Take CAIR,
Amol Mujoomdar