As we enter 2023, a new year of uncertainty, we push aside our fears and reflect on the great things Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Certification Academy™ was able to accomplish with the help of our partners and supporters. Despite some of the barriers the world presented this year, our successes have proven the power of this community.
Our partners were able to support patients across the world, using POCUS to quickly and effectively manage countless pathologies. Daily, the revolutionary modality helped to save lives and improve the patient experience. We are proud to be a part of a community so vast and so dedicated to serving those around us. Medical professionals have shown courage and determination through burnout, uncertainty, and even persecution.
Our mission this year—and every year—has been to connect and educate providers interested in delivering the best care options to their patients. By bringing together medical professionals eager to learn and share their expertise, we provided opportunities to support and educate one another. We saw that we are stronger together than we are apart. As the POCUS Certification Academy and its community continue to grow, so do the opportunities for bedside ultrasound.
In September, attendees from more than 76 countries worldwide experienced the power of connectivity at our second annual POCUS World Conference. Medical professionals tuned in virtually, greeting each other in live chats throughout sessions.
The conference, which offered unique online features such as a virtual exhibit hall, a photo booth, and a community lobby for guests to cultivate relationships, pushed the limits of online networking and learning. Our theme was innovation, and though our goal was to highlight POCUS pioneers who are creatively enhancing the power of healthcare, we knew we would have to display creativity ourselves. Innovation would be necessary to successfully offer opportunities for personal connections to be formed virtually.
By offering both seminar-style breakout sessions and small group discussions in addition to networking opportunities, guests were able to learn about the scope of bedside ultrasound technology from the viewpoint of many different specialties as well as meet fellow POCUS-enthusiasts.
This year we supported healthcare professionals and their patients in other ways as well. Our latest MissionPOCUS™ project was a partnership with Wuqu’ Kawoq | the Maya Health Alliance, a Guatemalan organization working to provide high-quality health care for the Maya people.
In collaboration with the University of Cincinnati Department of Family and Community (DFCM) Residency Division, the program employs a longitudinal training model focused on basic obstetric ultrasound, with a scalability plan to further implement additional non-obstetric ultrasound applications specific to their unique, rural primary care setting.
The 2022 MissionPOCUS project emulates the commitment of the POCUS Certification Academy to lay the foundation for greater integration and utilization of POCUS in rural regions and developing countries. It is just one of the many projects undertaken by partners of the POCUS Certification Academy.
Last year we initiated the POCUS Ambassadors Program, an opportunity for leaders in global healthcare to act as agents of change by advancing healthcare systems in their nations. This year we onboarded 10 new ambassadors who will soon begin pursuing projects to positively impact the utilization of bedside ultrasound. They joined the nine 2021 Ambassadors who recently started their projects.
In addition to the partners in our Ambassador Program, we also engaged with more than 150 active volunteers from over 46 countries on educational and assessment development projects. These volunteers were vital to helping us reach and exceed our goals this year. We also attended conferences, connecting with the broader medical community in spaces such as the American Association of Physician Assistants, International Conference on Emergency Medicine, International Conference on Residency Education, and International Federation of Emergency Medicine.
Though POCUS is a small device, the community around it is expansive and growing every day. We are honored to have been able to do our part in developing partnerships and expanding the use of this remarkable device this year. When times feel uncertain, we remember the power of joining together to educate one another and save lives.
Thank you to everyone who partnered with us in 2022. And Happy New Year!
The POCUS Certification Academy™
Interested in partnering with us in 2023? Check out how you can volunteer or join our POCUS Ambassadors Program.
