Pub 5 2021 Issue1

Maryann Martindale W hen life gives you lemons . . . Well, just like everything in life, we’re finally seeing the light at the end of a very long tunnel. Just like everyone else, when we were quarantined for two weeks in March 2020, I thought we’d hunker down, ration our toilet paper, finally use some of that food in the freezer and pantry, and then it would all be over. It wasn’t until a couple of months later that we all started realizing this was going to be a much longer haul. It has been an interesting year, to say the least. When you go through something challenging, there are two possible outcomes. You can wallow in the frustration, rebel against the restrictions, fight against change, or you can look for the silver linings, learn from having to do things a new way, expand your ideas for dealing with typical day-to-day tasks. I believe UAFP is firmly planted in the latter category. For one thing, I’ve never owned so many masks in my life. I even bought a “masket” to store them by our front door. I’ve also never been so excited about getting a vaccination. And from an organizational perspective, there have been some definite silver linings. Virtual CMEs! We were very sad to have to cancel our CME & Ski this year. It is our biggest event of the year, represents a nice bump in revenue, and allows us a multi-day event to provide topical CME presentations for family physicians from across the country. It really has become a great UAFP showpiece. But when we realized we had to cancel, we shifted gears and started planning our quarterly virtual CMEs. We’ve had two CMEs and one KSA so far, and they have been so well received that we’ll likely continue them, even once in-person is possible again. These are a great way for us to provide valuable content for our rural physicians and for those with schedules that don’t allow for travel or time away. We can provide these at a very low cost, and by securing grant funding, we were able to provide our most recent one for free to our members. Quarantining when you’re already in a telecommuting office is not so bad. A couple of years ago, when we made the decision to forgo office space and telecommute, we had no idea that less than a year later, everyone would be in the same boat. Fortunately, we were already set up; working from home was our regular day-to-day routine, so we never skipped a beat. While we couldn’t meet in person, we were still able to keep things operating smoothly. We were conservative with our budgeting and focused on ensuring the important resources we provide were uninterrupted, so we could continue supporting members through this difficult time. We are emerging from this strange year, stronger for having dealt with the challenges, confident for ensuring the strength of UAFP, and inspired by the dedication and resolve of our members. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE Quarantining when you’re already in a telecommuting office is not so bad. A couple of years ago, when we made the decision to forgo office space and telecommute, we had no idea that less than a year later, everyone would be in the same boat. UtahAFP.org | 6