Cameron Streicher, RRT B.Mus

As you may recall, the RTSO Leadership Committee made the difficult decision to pause meetings in December due to the ongoing demands required of our members while tackling the second wave of COVID-19. During this time Steve Buziak and Kelly Hassall both announced that they would step down as Co-Chairs of this committee. The Leadership Committee wishes to thank Steve and Kelly for the dedication and hard work they put into this committee. We wish you both success as you continue supporting RRTs in your respective institutions. We have welcomed Cameron Streicher to the Committee as Chair, and Fatima Nathoo will act as Director and Board Liaison for the Committee.

With all the recent changes, the Leadership Committee is excited to be up and running again; we held our first meeting for 2021 at the beginning of March. Currently, we are working with the Board of Directors to finalize our Terms of Reference for both the Leadership Committee and the Pulmonary Diagnostics Working Group. We are also evaluating our current projects and priorities to determine where best to direct our attention at this time.

The Leadership Committee recognizes that 2020, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been a challenging year for respiratory therapists and healthcare providers in general. We would like to remind you that the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists has developed a mental health hub to support RTs’ mental health during this challenging time. This resource is bilingual with supports including crisis and support lines across the country, information on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and resources to help RTs manage grief and bereavement. You can find this resource on the CSRT website at: https://www.csrt.com/csrt-mental-health-resources/

We look forward to another exciting and productive year. As always, we are grateful for the amazing work carried out by RTs province-wide and your support of the RTSO. If you have any thoughts, suggestions, or would like to join our team, please do not hesitate to reach out via office@rtso.ca.

Take care, and stay safe!