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The theme for this year’s AMM is: the Impact of Togetherness. But I’ll be honest, I don’t feel very together right now. In fact, with every new restriction and announcement, I am saddened just thinking about the lost time with family and friends. I know, it’s shocking to hear a Council President admit this, because we are healthcare providers, and we diligently support health measures. And obviously that hasn’t changed, but it doesn’t make me any less human and it doesn’t make me forget about the true impact of our togetherness.
The future of our province and the world is still largely unknown at this stage. But the one element that remains consistent is how interconnected we all are – for worse, or for better. We can see this in how fast a virus spread across the world, but also in how we’ve all adapted to come together in new and unique ways. The lengths we have gone to to remain connected has taken on different forms from zoom meetings and drive-by parties, to donning PPE to continue to safely provide care to patients are because of the impact of being together has on us. And by being forced apart, I think we have all realized and recognized the true impact we have on each other.
Our profession is reliant on the need to be connected. We need to provide hands-on treatment and we rely on those brief, intense moments of connection with our patients to ensure we provide excellent care to them. We need and rely on our colleagues in healthcare to work as a team with us. We rely on human connection in every aspect of our job. This pandemic has continued to challenge us in ways we could have never anticipated. But the biggest barrier it has put up is that we have had to find ways to work together while staying safely apart.
I think it is safe to say that we have done an extraordinary job throughout this pandemic. Through the ups and downs, opens and closures, we have stuck together. That’s the impact of togetherness, recognizing the impact of it and finding ways to remain together in times when we are physically apart.
It’s nice to think that there is a day on the horizon where we won’t have to worry about social distancing. And when that day comes whether it is spent sharing a drink with friends, standing in a crowd of people all belting out the same lyrics, or a small gesture of kindness with a stranger, we now know how much those small moments together impact us. In the meantime, let’s continue to commit to using the methods we can to keep up our connections.
With that said, I encourage you to join us on May 25 for the College’s fifth Annual Members’ Meeting. The meeting will again be held virtually to ensure anyone who wants to and can join us, can be part of the updates on our profession, and the conversation about topics and questions that matter to us all.
I look forward to connecting with you and remain committed to prioritizing our togetherness.
Melissa Manion
President