NCS Roundup

By Panayiotis (Panos) N. Varelas, MD, PhD, FAAN, FNCS Reflecting on 2021: A Year of Celebration and Success for NCS Dear NCS Members, Well, we did it! We hosted the first hybrid Annual Meeting in Chicago, with more than 700 in-person attendees and another 600 joining us virtually. How did it feel? Everyone I’ve asked said it was “so much better to see each other three-dimensionally!” Despite the fear of COVID and the new normal of wireless interactions these days, we are still social animals. We need to interact with real people, even without ...

By Panayiotis (Panos) N. Varelas, MD, PhD, FAAN, FNCS A Stronger, Better NCS Dear NCS Members, As your 14th President, I want to look at the past accomplishments of the Society. It was not so long ago in that inaugural meeting in Phoenix that the Society took a bones-and-flesh form. I still vividly remember going out in the open hotel terrace and talking to this small group of not more than 200 people about what we envisioned for NCS. I remember the excitement! Since then, a lot of water has run down the river: the Society has grown to more ...

“Stories of Hope” is a popular column on the Neurocritical Care Society’s Currents content center. This series has been uplifting patients and providers alike since its founding. To support NCS’s Curing Coma ® initiative, which aims to develop and implement coma treatment strategies that improve human lives, we invite you to share your stories. We are seeking submissions for your "Stories of Hope" that specifically showcase inspiring stories related to coma, stroke or TBI.  We hope to use these experiences to create stories and profiles to ...

Hana Nobleza, Marin Darsie, H.E. Hinson, Deepa Malaiyandi, and Diana Greene-Chandos The past year has been hard for all of us. Our resilience, commitment and passion to our patients, and profession have been put to the test. Despite the challenge that the year brought, the Inclusion in Neurocritical Care Committee (INCC), section and its members have been working to uphold the NCS commitment to enhancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within the society.   With that said, we wanted to share the upcoming INCC and INCC-related events taking ...

The Neurocritical Care Society is excited to launch the 2021 issue of Currents , featuring a compilation of articles published on Currents over the past year. This special annual issue highlights themes of adapting our life, and our practice, to our ever-changing world. Download your copy to read stories of navigating the ongoing pandemic, the commitment to diversity and inclusion, the business of neurocritical care, the popular "Stories of Hope" and more. Currents  highlights innovative ideas and perspectives from multidisciplinary neurocritical ...

By Wade Smith, MD, PhD, FNCS A 'See You Soon' and a 'Farewell' Dear NCS Members, As I write my final message as NCS President, I’m looking forward to connecting with you all at the NCS 19th Annual Meeting — in both our Chicago and virtual venues. On behalf of the Board of Directors and Annual Meeting Committee, I am pleased to share that NCS will be moving forward with our Annual Meeting as planned, with both in-person and virtual participation options. Offering two ways to attend is a fantastic opportunity to reconnect personally and professionally ...

Co-Chairs of the Member Sites Module Chethan Venkatasubba Rao, MD, FNCS cprao@bcm.edu Briana Witherspoon, DNP, APRN, ACNP Briana.Witherspoon@UTSouthwestern.edu Curing Coma®  is the signature clinical, scientific, and public health effort of the Neurocritical Care Society. Curing Coma is comprised of several modules, all of which share the common goal of advancing the campaign’s mission (1, 2). The role of the Member Sites module is to create and maintain a platform that engages and facilitates multidisciplinary participation from ...

By: Kelly A. Rath and Diane C. McLaughlin On Behalf of the NCS APP Leadership Section “The brain is the organ of destiny. It holds within its humming mechanism secrets that will determine the future of the human race.” Wilder Penfield, Neurosurgeon   Despite historically considered “born” in the beginning of the 20 th century, and many reports of early neurosurgery being performed centuries before that, neurocritical care itself is a relatively new specialty.  The Neurocritical Care Society was founded in 2002, with the field being recognized as ...

By Shweta Goswami, MD; Eunice J Lee, MD; Rachael Scott, PharmD, BCCCP; Naomi Niznick, MD; Sasha Yakhkind, MD; Pouya Ameli, MD, MS; and Marc Babi, MD The role of practice management education—an umbrella term to describe salary negotiation, billing and coding, law and malpractice, and so on—has been lacking in residency and fellowship programs across the country. In fact, prior surveys have indicated a nearly universal lack of confidence in these topics among trainees across different specialties. Meanwhile, some specialties such as family medicine ...

By Wade Smith, MD, PhD, FNCS Fulfilling Our Mission Through Education Dear NCS Members, Fall brings with it many new beginnings, and as students return to school, we as neurocritical care practitioners can take the time to enhance our own practice, as well. While we may have already completed our formal education, continuing education is a crucial part of our career. By keeping up with what’s new in the field, we stay current with the science and knowledge that helps us improve patient care. As an NCS member, you have access to a library ...

By Wade Smith, MD, PhD, FNCS Exceptional Service, Academic Excellence and Leadership Dear NCS Members, I hope you are having a wonderful summer and that you’ve taken time to recharge and reconnect with family and friends. The NCS 19th Annual Meeting, taking place in Chicago and online, is just two months away, and I’m looking forward to seeing you and experiencing the in-depth education that’s in store for us together. In this month’s issue of President’s Update , I’m pleased to share some extraordinary news that celebrates many members ...

By Wade Smith, MD, PhD, FNCS A Mid-Year Check-In Dear NCS Members, It’s hard to believe we’re halfway through 2021. Over the past six months, we’ve made significant strides in COVID-19 recovery, and many cities and states across the United States are looking forward to a safe return to our normal lives and activities. In fact, even live music events are resuming, as the Foo Fighters just played Madison Square Garden’s first full-capacity concert since March 2020 . A safe return to our hobbies means things are surely looking up for our ...

By Wade Smith, MD, PhD, FNCS The Value of Volunteer Leadership Dear NCS Members, A foundation of NCS is its volunteers. As a member, if you have not yet volunteered for a role in NCS, please consider doing so. Serving as your NCS President in a year when we are emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic was challenging but an honor. It is so gratifying to witness the members of our society working on the frontlines of healthcare at all times, especially over the past 16 months. I have served as an NCS volunteer leader for several years, and my ...

By Wade Smith, MD, PhD, FNCS COVID-19 Vaccinations: Hope Is on the Horizon Dear NCS Members, As hopeful news about COVID-19 vaccines spreads nationwide, we can start looking forward to a safe return to our regular lives. Rates of hospitalizations have fallen across the United States. All states are offering vaccinations to all people over 16 years old. With the Centers for Disease Control allowing domestic travel for those who are fully vaccinated, as well as following recommendations for international travel, many universities are relaxing ...

Curing Coma Campaign Mission Control Keri S. Kim, PharmD, MS CTS Shraddha Mainali, MD Len Polizzotto, PhD Jose Suarez, MD, FNCS, FANA Claude Hemphill, MD, MAS, FNCS Daiwai Olson, PhD, RN, FNCS The Curing Coma Campaign (CCC) is a global public health initiative with an overarching goal of developing and implementing diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic strategies to improve the lives of patients with coma and disorders of consciousness. World Coma Day, an initiative of the CCC was organized as ...

By Wade Smith, MD, PhD, FNCS, and Paul Nyquist, MD/MPH, FANA, FCCM, FAAN Introducing the Neurocritical Care Foundation Dear NCS Members, It was wonderful to engage with you all during World Coma Day on March 22. I am proud to lead a society that prioritizes raising awareness of coma as a treatable and recoverable clinical entity. Thank you to all who made the inaugural World Coma Day a success. World Coma Day is not the only new initiative 2021 is bringing our society. I am thrilled to announce that the NCS Board of Directors approved the ...

Deepa Malaiyandi MD, Hana Nobleza MD, Marin Darsie MD, H.E. Hinson, MD Welcome to the new Inclusion in Neurocritical Care (INCC) Corner of Currents .  Our Editorial Board Members Drs. Hana Nobleza (WINCC Subcommittee Co-Chair) and Deepa Malaiyandi (INCC Chair) are excited to be able to bring the membership curated content on all things highlighting the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and opportunities within NCS. The INCC Corner is authored by the new INCC Committee and INCC Section,which are all expansions of the previous WINCC Corner and ...

By Wade Smith, MD, PhD, FNCS Education and Certification Dear NCS Members, Can you believe that it has already been a year in terms of the pandemic? Over the past year, each of us has had to change our lifestyles and adapt to our circumstances and environment. Whether that has meant staying home, wearing masks or social distancing, we’ve all adapted to make the most of an unprecedented and unpredictable year. NCS also has spent the last year adapting to the pandemic and our changing landscape. Online, digital education has become more important ...

By: Shraddha Mainali MD; J. Claude Hemphill MD, MAS; DaiWai Olson PhD, RN; Leonard Polizzotto Ph.D; Jose I Suarez MD; Keri Kim PharmD. The Curing Coma Campaign (CCC) , a crucial enterprise of the Neurocritical Care Society (NCS), was launched at the NCS 17th Annual Meeting in Vancouver B.C. with a vision to create a world where patients in coma are treated early and recover. The mission of this campaign is to promote recovery of consciousness through early intervention and long-term support. This campaign provides a platform to facilitate synergistic ...

By Megan A. Brissie, DNP, RN, ACNP-BC, FNCS, Duke Regional Hospital, Duke Health, Department of Neurosurgery; and Lindsay Marchetti, MS, PA-C, Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester Medical Center, Neurocritical Care The COVID-19 pandemic has both created and exposed an assortment of challenges for healthcare systems, one of which is an increased need for healthcare workers. 1-3 This increased need is due to both patient surges and loss of healthcare workers due to exposure, infection or other factors. 1,4 Many COVID-19 patients ...

By Wade Smith, MD, PhD, FNCS, President, NCS Board of Directors, Professor of Neurology, UCSF; and Sharon C. Allen, NCS Executive Director As we end 2020, we open a new year with much anticipation for better world health. Many of you have qualified as Level 1A priority for COVID-19 vaccination and have already received your first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, and many others will receive it shortly. This historic event marks an incredible collaboration of science and government to arrive at a novel vaccine within nine months of initiation. ...

By Eric Lawson, Masoom Desai and Aarti Sarwal Over the last decade, social media has revolutionized the connectivity of our medical community by providing a global, easily accessible and dynamic platform to share information. It has transformed into a vital, multi-purpose and widely accepted healthcare resource by both medical professionals as well as lay citizens. The scope of social media extends from education about latest medical literature, discoveries and news; professional and social networking with direct access to peers and leaders across ...

By Tamer Abdelhak, MD, FNCS  On Monday, Dec. 14, 2020, the Albany Medical Center neurocritical care team was one of the first Neuro ICU teams to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The team has been on the frontline of managing patients within Upstate New York who have suffered from catastrophic neurologic injuries, some with concomitant COVID-19 infection. New York State was one of the most affected areas in the United States during the April 2020 surge of COVID pandemic. Albany Medical Center is a Level 1 trauma center and the Capital Region's ...

(Pictured L to R) By Aleksandra Yakhkind, MD, Neurocritical Care Fellow, University of Pennsylvania; Pouya Ameli, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Neurology Neurosurgery, University of Florida College of Medicine; Naomi Niznick, MD, Chair, NCS Trainee Section, Neurology Resident, University of Ottawa, Chair-Elect, NCS Trainee Section Did you miss our first selection of Frequently Asked Questions about finding a job in neurocritical care? Here is part two, including advice on how to interview, how to ask about compensation, and what the heck are ...