PAAO President’s Message

Miguel N. Burnier Jr. MD PhD
PAAO President, 2019-2022

Dear Friends & Colleagues,

“Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast.”

– William Shakespeare

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome in the holiday season, a time of reflection, appreciation, kindness and time well spent with loved ones.  The holiday season is a time for family and friends and helping others. A lesson that COVID-19 has taught us all very well, to embrace our loved ones and enjoy as much time as possible together as permitted.

As we continue to navigate the pandemic, we must acknowledge the great strides that have been made in 2021. With the vaccination campaign progressing well and safely continuing our tasks, while maintaining social distancing, we are heading in the right direction. We hope the vaccine will be even more available in the near future bringing protection and safety to more regions in the world. The recent news of COVID-19 variants is a reminder that while we have made great progress, safety measures must still be in place and are as important than ever before.

In 2021, the PAAO has continued to offer excellent webinars and online learning to keep us connected and collaborating. We have held many well attended virtual events (PARD, Lo Mejor among others) and continue to plan our future events, such as the PAAO Congress 2023 in Buenos Aires.

I would like to wish each and every one of you and your families, a happy and healthy holiday season and a prosperous New Year 2022. May we continue to carry ourselves with kindness every day and to take this holiday season as time to spend with loved ones and to appreciate what we have.

Please be safe and well.

Happy Holidays!

With my best wishes,

Miguel N. Burnier Jr., MD, MSc, PhD, FRCSC
PAAO President