THE ON-DECK CIRCLE G. Joseph Beirne, DO, FACOEP-D

As I write this, it is March 2, 2021. Two weeks ago, on February 15, we had a major winter storm that dumped about 10-12 inches of snow on the St. Louis area. This was preceded by single digit temperatures and after the snow, a few nights of sub-zero temperatures. In typical midwestern weather fashion, temperatures the next week were near 60 degrees. Now, we are seeing signs of spring. Today, when I left for my shift in the ER, the sky was blue without a single cloud. While driving to the hospital, the change in weather and the sunshine reminded me of why spring is such a wonderful time of year. It is a time of transition to warmer temperatures, blooming trees, flowers, and a sense of spiritual renewal.

In my last article in the winter issue of The Pulse, I wrote about how COVID had affected me personally and professionally, and that this was a “new hope and new year.” As spring draws closer, the sense of spiritual renewal and hope is clearly here. Our department has seen lower numbers of COVID cases. Most of the patients I am seeing are COVID recovered, and our ER seems to be turning the corner towards a sense of “quasi-normal.” There is a buzz in our department that perhaps we are getting closer to that feeling of normal that we all embrace and long for. We recognize that COVID variants are still out there, and that we may see spikes in these cases. Yet we now realize that we are not helpless and that the end of this pandemic is on the horizon. We never gave up hope, we continued to fight and won the daily battles. Now, as winter begins to fade towards spring, that sense of spiritual renewal becomes stronger each day, creating in each of us a desire to do more for our profession and our patients, our own “eternal flame,” so to speak.

Spring also means the ACOEP Spring Seminar! Our event this year promises to be another excellent event, spearheaded by our dedicated CME Committee. The title, “ReimaginED,” is especially appropriate as we are “reimagining” our conference and our existence back towards a sense of normal following the year of devastation we all faced. Our Spring Seminar will allow each of you to create a personalized experience for your own CME needs. As the year progresses, we sincerely hope that the Scientific Assembly in the fall will be an in-person event!

Spring truly demonstrates a changing environment. Our College has undergone many changes recently, and our transition to Kellen for association management has had its challenges. But together we are working to improve the services we offer to our members, ensure that our College is the best in the AOA, and that our members receive the information and services they need to advance their professional development. If you have questions, please reach out to us!

So, how do I define the spiritual refreshment that comes with spring? I look back over the last year and think about what has happened to our profession. The people we lost. The daily victories and defeats that defined who we are as physicians, leaders, parents, brothers and sisters. As spring nears, every day I see the sunrise, with rays that slowly creep above the horizon and remind me of who I am and why I became an ER doc. Rays of hope that refresh one’s spirit and soul. Rays of hope that, no matter what life throws at you, allow you to succeed.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

Here comes the sun…indeed! Let it fuel your eternal flame and allow you to be a leader and part of the ACOEP family.

Happy Spring!!! –•–

HERE COMES THE SUN

AS SPRING DRAWS CLOSER, THE SENSE OF SPIRITUAL RENEWAL AND HOPE IS CLEARLY HERE.”