As I write this, 2020 is half over
From the Editor
Dr. Schwarzenberger is the former physician editor of DermWorld.
By Kathryn Schwarzenberger, MD, August 1, 2020
By most counts, this couldn’t come soon enough. Fortunately, I have always been a “glass half-full” sort of person, and I took some time recently to consider the unanticipated benefits of living these past few months of life during a pandemic. Our neighborhood has come together in a way I suspect it otherwise may have never done. Early in the crisis, we stood at the ends of the street, sharing our fears; as the months have worn on, we have provided each other with valuable emotional support, leaning on each other even at a distance. While some of us have felt the pain of being separated from beloved family members, others have been blessed with more time to spend with those near them. In my case, my son’s loss of much of his first year of college meant I got to have him home again, at least for a while. I have been impressed with how careful he and his friends have been during this challenging time to keep themselves and their families safe. This next generation promises to be a good one, which reassures me that we will have help building whatever the future holds.
This unique time has allowed many of us to rekindle some of our favorite hobbies, and only time (and our bathroom scales) will tell how many loaves of sourdough bread were baked in the interest of sanity! And who could mention COVID without puppies! Yep, we got a puppy. In our defense, it wasn’t just the virus that made us do it…in a relatively short time, we lost our two beloved dogs and our amazing 20-year-old cat. Their absence left a void that yearned to be filled, and a fluffy, big-pawed goldendoodle named Newton has come to the rescue. My glass is indeed half-full, and many days overflowing. But I am looking forward to sleeping through the night again soon!
2020 marks the 10-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. Hard to believe, as it seems like just yesterday, we were considering the pros and cons as we debated whether it would ever even come into existence. Obviously, it did, and while aspects of the ACA still have their vocal opponents, its popularity is at an all-time high. In our feature article this month, contributing writer Ruth Carol considers the potential impact of COVID-19 on the ACA; her discussion of how this pandemic may affect both our patients and our own practices is most enlightening. I encourage you to read it.
And just in case this discussion inspires you to jump into the political arena, we have another great article about grassroots advocacy. If you already know your congressional representative on a first-name basis, I congratulate you and encourage you to keep up the great work! If, however, you are like many of us who would love to help shape how policies are made, but don’t quite know how to do so, the Academy can help! One of the easiest ways to become politically active is to participate in the 2020 AADA Legislative Conference, scheduled this year for Sept. 15. No experience is required; just be there. Like everything else this year, the conference will be held virtually, but knowing the dedicated staff members who are putting it together, it will be well worth the time spent. Please block your calendar so you can participate. I will be there, and if you are lucky, I will even buy you a virtual drink after the conference (my treat, a full glass even!).
