By Ruth Akers, RN, BSN, MS, FAACVPR | News & Views
In 2022, per the Chinese lunar calendar, we marched through the Year of the Tiger. The symbol of the Tiger represents courage, bravery, strength and resilience; and experts framed 2022 as a time for making big changes, taking risks and seeking adventure, re-discovering enthusiasm and making social progress.
In AACVPR’s world, the Year of the Tiger started with a growl and grew into a roar. We saw cardiac and pulmonary rehab programs reopen and patients trickle back in with a re-established feeling of safety. For the first time since the pandemic, the association held its annual conference “in-person,” gathering in West Palm Beach, Florida, in September. Attendees from all over the country met to celebrate, connect and learn from the best in our profession. Affiliate meetings convened again, and the phrase “in-person” was increasingly reintroduced to the common vocabulary.
As the AACVPR Board of Directors and members usher in the Year of the Rabbit, we’re excited about what 2023 will bring and all the endless opportunities for learning and connecting. Monthly webinars have become very popular to meet our professional development and education needs. Our annual Day on the Hill will be “in person” (there’s that phrase again!) and back on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Our website is consistently updated with timely and relevant information for each member of AACVPR, and our publications (News and Views and The Journal for Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention) are your source for the highest-quality topics and research.
This year, the News and Views team is excited to deliver a robust lineup of interesting and compelling articles. We’re building in more diversity and inclusion topics as we forge ahead into 2023. Patient stories have become popular articles, and we’re aiming to shine a brighter spotlight on “hot off the press” topics to keep you in the know.
2023, the Year of the Rabbit, symbolizes longevity, positivity and deftness. If all goes well, we can expect relaxation, fluidity, quietness and contemplation. After the great upheaval of the last few years, which required us all to be “tigers,” we are ready for the rabbit to help us gain stability and positivity.
The News and Views team wishes all of you a Happy New Year! May the Year of the Rabbit see great growth in your programs, stability in staffing and a year of calmness and rebuilding.
Ruth Akers, RN, BSN, MS, FAACVPR, has worked in cardiac rehabilitation for 38 years. She currently serves as director of Cardiovascular Imaging Services and Cardiac Rehab Services at Bryn Mawr Hospital and Main Line Health in Newton Square, Pennsylvania. Akers also is Secretary on the AACVPR Board of Directors and the editor of News & Views.