Twentieth edition of the Pulse
By: Sara B. Robertson, M.D.
This edition marks the twentieth edition of our departmental newsletter, The Pulse. The next edition will mark the end of seven years of sending these newsletters out three times a year which is hard to believe! It might just be the time of year, but I cannot help but look back over these editions and reminisce about how far our department has come.
Since 2017, we’ve had multiple graduations with residents, fellows, and other trainees who have come and gone. Some have stayed and some have landed in other parts of the country. We have celebrated weddings, births, and promotions but we have also had to say goodbye to several we hold near and dear to our hearts either through death or retirement. We supported a colleague while he battled brain cancer and won. We saw several of us be deployed abroad and others serve our country closer to home.
We went through a global pandemic which definitely showed us that we are beating heart of this hospital, providing care to the sickest of the sick. We stepped up in big ways both in the operating room, in the intensive care units, and everywhere in between. Our department was depended upon greatly during the last few years, and we definitely answered the call.
We also have a heart for the community and mission work. I look back over these editions and am struck by the countless mission trips that were taken by our staff as well as the community service work that we have done in the past year. I hope that continues to be a trend—that we have an impact not only at the hospital but also beyond!
Our department continues to be leaders on campus, taking on roles on committees and teams, developing protocols and procedures, and establishing the Resilience In Stressful Events (RISE) group to help those undergoing issues related to being a second victim.
We have greatly increased our social media footprint, allowing us to keep up with the ever-growing popularity that it creates with recruitment and also keeping everyone up to date with the happenings in the department.
We had the surgeon general, Dr. Jerome Adams, give the commencement address at our graduation. It was during COVID so of course it wasn’t in person, but I still think that deserves a mention!
We opened a brand new children’s hospital in November 2020 which continues to serve the children of Mississippi well. We also started several pediatric pain clinics to better serve that patient population in our state.
As we look to the future, it can only get better! We are a strong, close-knit group of professionals with a common goal. I thank you for allowing me to be the editor for this newsletter for the past twenty editions, and I hope that the newsletter will continue to highlight our fantastic department!