dictionary and used the word “kuleana” throughout her address,
which means one’s personal sense of responsibility. Each one of us
as critical care practitioners take this on, to do and be our best on
behalf of our patients.
Also, we asked Diane Paloma, Ph.D., MBA, the director of the
Native Hawaiian Health Program at The Queen’s Health Systems,
to perform a “pule” (blessing) for the opening session. This is an
important part for any large meeting in Hawaii. The “oli” (chant)
that she performed highlights the dawn of a new day (carpe diem)
and all the possibilities that lie ahead. It was a great experience to
help craft the congress with a reflection of the Hawaiian culture.
For example, our first plenary speaker, Nalini Nadkarni, Ph.D.,
whose own story of personal life-threatening injury through
recovery that reflects the THRIVE initiative of the SCCM, spoke
about her linkage with nature and the physical body. This is what
the Hawaiian culture is about: how we each are reflection of
nature and how nature is a reflection of us.
You currently serve on the Society of Critical Care Medicine
Executive Council. What hot-button topics on the SCCM
Council do you think will impact neurointensivists this year?
CC: It is interesting that at the same time that NCS is working
with the AAN with support of other professional societies to gain
neurocritical care subspecialty status through the American Board
of Psychiatry and Neurology, the SCCM Council has a taskforce
exploring the concept of critical care as its own specialty. Stay
tuned. It’s a very interesting time with many implications. I am
grateful to the SCCM neuroscience section and its leadership
such as Javier Provencio, MD, and Paul Nyquist, MD (who are of
course also NCS members) that led the charge for neuroscience
to have a designated representative on council. These leaders had
the vision to lobby for neuroscience representation for our input
into discussions that impact the entire critical care community
and our patients.
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