September President's Message - Focus on the positives > The Society for Simulation in Healthcare
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So... we are heading into month eight of the pandemic shutdowns. This year has been a bit of a dumpster fire, right? That said, I choose to focus on the positives, and there are plenty of them. I hope you choose the same.

By now, you all know that we are NOT holding an in-person IMSH in January 2021. Your Board of Directors and the SSH Staff analyzed and assessed the situation and came to this difficult but correct decision. Our primary consideration was for the safety of our members and other attendees. We examined New Orleans’ ability to support the event, which it could not do with current large-event and group restrictions. We also considered the fact that travel is restricted for many and will likely remain so for months. And, finally, we assessed the financial impacts. The decision was not easy but was clearly the right one. I am very proud of the careful and diligent work of the SSH Staff and the conscientious efforts of the Board.

The "positive" from this?

We are still holding an IMSH, albeit a virtual event that will be spread over a number of weeks so that none of us develop thrombi from sitting in a Zoom meeting for four straight days! Seriously, though, your planning team is adjusting the content to a virtual/online delivery that will remain available to you for a much longer time. This format will help reduce the annual aggravation of having to choose to attend one IMSH event over another. Like you, I will truly miss seeing my SSH friends in the great city of New Orleans - but there is still an opportunity to share, learn and grow. Stay tuned for the details, which should be available beginning mid-October.

HEALTHCARE SIMULATION WEEK 2020

On a different, positive note, how about Healthcare Simulation Week 2020!

True, we did see a slight dip in engagement from around the world due to the pandemic. That said, the week was still a fantastic display of how healthcare simulation professionals are bringing simulation to life every single day in their communities. Thanks, so much, to all of you who participated – all the way down to simply sharing the week with your teams. It all counts, and it hopefully was a welcome, joyful reminder of why we all love what we do.

Dumpster fire 2020 notwithstanding, there is so much positive. Keep that in mind!

Stay masked, wash your hands, and be kind to one another!

Bob Armstrong
SSH President

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