“Those who climb highest lift as they go”

What do you think about first thing in the morning — right when you open your eyes? Your mind and body are preparing for the day. A day starting with new ideas and challenges, and, mercifully, sometimes not! For me, as I wake, my eyes are invariably drawn to a bronze wall sculpture directly across from my bed.

The sculpture depicts two Native Americans struggling to scale a sheer, steep cliff. The man higher on the cliff has turned back to grasp the hand of his companion and pull him toward the top of the precipice. The sculpture, “Ascent” by Gary Lee Price, is stunning in both its balance and detail.

But what captures my attention every morning is the inscription: “Those who climb highest lift as they go.” With those words in mind, I start my day.

Throughout my career in ophthalmology, I have been lifted up and have had the opportunity to extend a hand to others. I have exuberantly experienced the richness of patient interaction, the challenge of problem solving, the intricacy and art of surgery, and, most importantly, the joy of helping my patients preserve their vision. Additionally, my career has been about education, teaching students, residents, and fellows, and sharing experiences and insights with my colleagues and the industry at large. “Lifting” the quality of patient care has been a life-long primary commitment of mine.

Likewise, it has been a privilege to serve as chief medical editor of The Ophthalmic ASC.

And now, the time has come to pass the baton. This issue will be my last at the helm. I am thrilled to introduce the new co-editors of this journal: Cathleen McCabe, MD, and Mark Kontos, MD.

Dr. McCabe received her degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin and went on to residency training at the prestigious Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami’s School of Medicine. She is in practice with The Eye Associates, which serves Bradenton, Sarasota, and other Florida communities. She is also medical director of the Eye Associates ASC, performs research, and is a fabulous teacher. Dr. McCabe is vice president/president-elect of OOSS, vice president-elect of the newly formed OOSS Gives Foundation, and is an AAO Councilor representing OOSS.

Dr. Kontos, a former U.S. Navy flight surgeon and member of the elite Navy Fighters Weapon School, TOPGUN, has developed a prestigious refractive and cataract surgery practice through Empire Eye Physicians, serving patients in Washington and Idaho. For more than 25 years, he has focused on bringing cutting-edge technology and surgical excellence to the practice of ophthalmology in the Pacific Northwest. Dr. Kontos is a member of the OOSS Board of Directors and secretary-elect of OOSS Gives.

I wish Drs. McCabe and Kontos good fortune as they lead The Ophthalmic ASC confidently into the future — sharing coast-to-coast perspectives through the lenses of different, yet representative, models for delivering the best in ophthalmic surgical care. I am convinced that these two talented and dedicated ophthalmologists will bring the insight, intellect, vision, and, above all, strength to “lift as they go” in service to the ophthalmic outpatient surgery community and the patients and communities it serves. ■