The IARS has been recognized for its COVID-19 Resource Initiative and e-Newsletter by the American Association of Medical Society Executives (AAMSE) with the 2022 Profile of Excellence Award in Education. AAMSE, a professional association of over 1,300 medical society executives and staff specialists and more than 300 member organizations, recognizes one member organization in 6 categories (Advocacy, Communications, Education, Membership, Leadership, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) with Profile of Excellence Awards. The awards honor the positive member and community impacts made by members that succeed in advancing the field of medicine and improving the lives of physicians and the patients they serve.

In March 2020, in response to the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the IARS set out to do just that by creating a COVID-19 Resource Initiative and e-Newsletter to support our members and the anesthesia community. The IARS launched this important initiative to support those in the IARS community and beyond who were called to the frontlines and inordinately taxed by the pandemic. This project included: (1) forming a COVID-19 Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) and Content Reviewers from retired members and physicians in relevant medical specialties; (2) assembling a content base with the latest peer-reviewed articles on COVID-19 from leading medical journals; and (3) distributing an e-newsletter identifying those articles of greatest clinical and scientific relevance, highlighting major takeaways. Intensivists and anesthesiologists from around the world who treat COVID-19 patients have expressed great interest and appreciation in this initiative. Highlights from provider feedback include:

• “This resource has really helped me stay abreast of our growing knowledge of this infection and disease.”
• “I pass key references on to colleagues or the Ministry of Health. Please continue it!”
• “The newsletter plays a very important role in sifting through numerous studies and condensing the material into something useful. This work is much appreciated for those of us without the time to do the research.”
• “I am thankful for the SAB’s work and dedication. The newsletter means a lot and has been a good friend though this year.”

The IARS is truly grateful for the significant effort and time the COVID-19 SAB have dedicated to this important effort for more than two years now. Our volunteers’ willingness to step up and offer their time, expertise and commitment to anesthesiologists, intensivists, and the healthcare community as a whole, during the unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic, has guaranteed community access to tremendously valuable resources in a time of great need.

The information needs of our audience continues to change due to the evolution of the pandemic (cases surged, vaccines became readily available, cases diminished, long COVID began to appear, mental health outcomes emerged) and the SAB evolves alongside. As of March 2022, two years after launch, the SAB meets weekly, reviews articles, and continues to disseminate critical information to our vital frontline workers. No one imagined that two years after being formed, the IARS COVID-19 Resource Initiative would still be an indispensable resource. However, our SAB remains tenacious and steadfast in their goal to serve and the IARS will continue to deliver these essential resources to our members and the anesthesia community.