I hope you and your families are safe and well. We are grateful that the COVID-19 pandemic is improving in the United States, and our thoughts and prayers go out to all parts of the globe where people are struggling to curb this pandemic. We have seen how human resilience, along with medical and public health advances, can overcome the worst pandemic of our lifetime. But the fight is far from over. We will strive until the last person is afflicted with this virus. And more importantly, we are in this fight together. Please reach out to let me know how CHEST and the Interventional Chest/Diagnostic Procedures NetWork can be of any assistance.
I look forward to seeing you at CHEST 2021 in Orlando, Florida, October 17-20.
As a NetWork member, you're welcome to join your NetWork Steering Committee calls. If interested in joining an upcoming call, please contact Michelle Kosobucki at mkosobucki@chestnet.org, and she will be happy to share access information.
Monday, September 20, at 4 pm CT
COVID-19 resources
Explore the COVID-19 Resource Center to find curated content to help you during the pandemic. Browse through clinical resources, access key research related to the management of patients with COVID-19, view recorded webinars, and more.
Get to know your leadership: Samaan Rafeq, MD, MBA, FCCP
Dr. Samaan Rafeq has split his life between his native Syria and the United States. He currently serves as Chief of the Interventional Pulmonology Section at NYU Langone Health. He has been a member of CHEST since 2007. Dr. Rafeq believes in further expanding the reach of CHEST; therefore, he became involved in the NetWorks program. Dr. Rafeq previously served on the Thoracic Oncology NetWork Steering Committee and currently serves on the Interventional Chest/Diagnostic Procedures NetWork. He also is a member of the CHEST Foundation Board of Trustees.
Dr. Rafeq is very passionate about the importance of physician leadership in managing our complex health care system, which led him to complete an Executive MBA in Healthcare Management at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University in 2020.
In his little remaining free time, he likes to read, go for long walks around New York City with his wife and baby boy, and travel to a new international destination every year—an activity he hopes will resume after the current COVID-19 pandemic improves.
NEW! CHEST member surveys
CHEST has recently begun facilitating quantitative research survey distribution as a service on behalf of individuals and institutions. As part of this service, independent researchers can select specific targeted NetWorks for dissemination.
The Interventional Chest/Diagnostic Procedures NetWork was chosen for a survey on the impact of COVID-19 on pulmonary procedures. Please see the link below to take the survey. Please note CHEST does not endorse these surveys, and NetWork chairs review surveys prior to distribution only to ensure the content aligns with the interest of the NetWork.
The NetWorks Challenge 2021 starts this July! Join us this summer in a virtual 25k race to raise funds for community-based projects focused on health disparities and disproportionately underserved communities. Get ready to compete in the challenge to directly make an impact on those who could otherwise not afford access to health care. Register for your race kit.
In-person simulation courses are back, and seats are filling fast. The all-new course format for 2021 ensures your safety while offering you valuable hands-on, interactive training with experts. Explore the full course schedule to find these and other courses:
Dear Friends,
