Holiday message from Dr. Charissa Patricelli, National President

This has been a momentous year.  A year of fear, resiliency, long hours, courage and drawing upon inner strengths to support patients, healthcare systems and the incredible challenges and impacts of COVID-19.  As we enter this time of year of reflection and celebration, we acknowledge the many adversities we still face ahead and the inspiration of people able to come together, to find strength in the greatest moments of challenge and creative ways of inspiring and caring for one another.

As I reflect on the year, so many moments have been in overdrive, decisive action taken in the moment as that was the right thing to do.  Powerful leadership by everyday docs. In all of this the call of the physician is to serve and that is what we do.  We have seen the dual pandemic of COVID-19 and the Opioid Crisis.  The devastation of trauma, isolation, mental health impacts and lives lost will live in our epigenetics.  So will the courage, inspiration and resilience live in our epigenetics.

We continue in this sprinting marathon, inspired by famous leaders like Dr. Bonny Henry and by our day-to-day colleagues who work with us in the trenches.  My hope is that we care for one another during all of this incredible challenge.  That when we need lifting, we reach out to those around us and ask for that.  My hope is that we have self compassion and recognize our humanness and that each of us is perfectly imperfect.  My hope is that we grieve when we need to grieve and are able to connect with our loved ones.

We are also part of the momentum of Black Lives Matter and the importance of Anti-Indigenous Racism in all our communities as eloquently presented by Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond In Plain Sight report and the tragic story of Joyce Euchuan.  The tragedies of the truths brought to light offer us the chance to reflect and create a better world, with greater equity, inclusion, safety and justice.  We have powerful, gentle, wise, leaders amongst us.  Perhaps you are one of them.

I am continuously inspired by the learners I work with from medical students to nurse practitioners, residents and fellows.  You remind me of what matters, relationships, and that is how we change the world.  If you are a “femtor” to someone, celebrate that.  We all need a femtor.

We are blessed to have a membership that continually gives of themselves to our organization and our profession.  Please remember to nominate those great femtors for the Federation's annual awards.  The Awards and the nomination forms are just a click away.

My children inspire me. Their experience of the pandemic is different from the most marginalized children, but they remind me every day of the importance of the need for children to be children, importance of children’s rights and how much they have grown up during this year.

Let us reflect on our strengths, our joys, and see our challenges as opportunities.  You, have contributed the fabric of our nation in frontline care, research, guidelines, organizational leadership.  Celebrate this! Celebrate you.  Celebrate our diversity.  Celebrate our capacity.  Celebrate our many opportunities. Celebrate our next generation.  Our December looks different in 2020.  May you find rest, love, gratitude and hope for the bright future of 2021.  We are stronger together.

Wishing you and your loved ones a season of love, peace, and health on behalf of the FMWC.

Charissa Patricelli