I begin my tenure as President of the HFSA while the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to wreak havoc throughout the world. Undoubtedly, we all have responded in unique ways to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two springs ago, at the beginning when things were particularly dark with horrific news emanating first from Italy and then New York, and little was known about the SARS-CoV-2 virus, I began to take extra comfort from little events I noticed in my daily life. Such examples included families in our neighborhood placing stuffed animals in their windows so that children, who were cooped up from quarantine, could search them out in treasure-hunt style or whimsical chalk art appearing on our sidewalks (Figure 1 ).
Figure 1.
A. Bear-in-a-window, so children can seek them out in a treasure-hunt style. B and C. Chalk art that appeared on the sidewalks in my neighborhood during the early days of the pandemic.
Shortly thereafter, when returning to my office at UT Southwestern early one morning, outside the window I caught a glimpse of a light sculpture called Forest of Light by Tom Orr and Frances Bagley (Figure 2 ). The sculpture, consisting of a series of acrylic tubes that house LED lights interspersed with steel poles, is on a roof-top garden that sits adjacent to my office building. At that moment, an idea crystallized, and I began a campaign on Twitter under the hashtag “BeaconsOfLight,” an outlet for me to highlight events that brought light into the darkness.
Figure 2.
Forest of Light by Tom Orr and Frances Bagley, a light sculpture on the grounds of UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
While I have had many #BeaconsOfLight in the intervening year and a half, I would like to highlight those related to the HFSA. The opportunity to interact with other members of the Board of Directors and HFSA staff on regular Zoom calls has provided me a deep connection with a like-minded community at a time when travel was not feasible. Another #BeaconsOfLight has been watching the incredible efforts of our new editorial team at the Journal of Cardiac Failure. When Drs. Robert Mentz and Anuradha Lala assumed their leadership roles for the journal, we passed the torch to the next generation. And how that generation has excelled! The range of new initiatives and energy they have brought to the journal has been breathtaking, as has their true commitment to Diversity and Inclusion. One only needs to look at the editorial team they have assembled to know they truly are “walking the walk,” and this a #BeaconsOfLight that shines ever so brightly.
How can #BeaconsOfLight be applicable to those of you reading this message? As I write, we face yet another surge in the pandemic and COVID-19 fatigue is real. As such, the approach I'm advocating, or one similar, may now have its most value. Besides events in your personal life, I suggest that you also look for beacons in your professional life. Watching and noticing the heroic efforts of our intensivist colleagues who do battle on behalf of those most severely affected by this devastating virus or nurses who bring an element of humanity to their patients in isolation will cut through the darkness. Pausing to recognize and celebrate such moments can lift your spirits, thereby contributing to your wellness and ultimately helping you to take care of your patients.
I'm also confident that the HFSA itself can serve as a #BeaconsOfLight for you. Whether it be via interacting with other members, either virtually or in-person, during the Annual Scientific Meeting, participating in a HFSA committee, discussing a trial conducted via the Heart Failure Research Network with other investigators, or reviewing an interesting article published in the Journal of Cardiac Failure at a journal club, the HFSA affords numerous opportunities to enhance your professional life. Perhaps most importantly, my hope is that you will feel part of a community that shares the common goal of improving and enhancing heart failure care, at a time when finding connections with others is so important.
On a personal note, I am immensely grateful and humbled to have the privilege to serve as your President, especially since I am standing on the shoulders of so many giants in our field. I know that this opportunity will be a #BeaconsOfLight that I will always remember. Finally, I look forward to interacting with you on these pages in subsequent months, as well as in other venues, always being open to your ideas on how to make the HFSA shine even brighter.