Starting January 1, 2025, current President-Elect, John A. Howington, MD, MBA, FCCP, will become the new President of CHEST. Dr. Howington is a general thoracic surgeon and has been involved with the CHEST organization since first attending a CHEST Annual Meeting in 1997.
Before Dr. Howington steps into the role of President, he spoke with CHEST for a glimpse into his aspirations for 2025.
What would you like to accomplish as President of CHEST?
First, I want to express my gratitude for the honor and privilege of serving as the 87th President of CHEST. The organization is well-served by a high functioning Board of Regents and an incredible staff. My primary goal is to build on the success and momentum of the presidential years of Dr. Buckley and Dr. Addrizzo-Harris. Their annual meetings were a huge success, and the energy and enthusiasm of our members are palpable.
I feel very strongly that great things are ahead of us in the fields of pulmonary medicine and critical care. The CHEST organization will continue to focus on our mission to crush lung disease and stay true to our values of community, inclusivity, innovation, advocacy, and integrity. With 2025 marking the 90th anniversary of the college, I very much look forward to sharing the impact of the organization and showcasing what is yet to come.
We will continue to collaborate with sister societies and like-minded industry partners to improve the quality of patient care and support clinicians in our field. Specifically, I look forward to continuing the momentum we’ve seen in early identification of lung cancer and increasing cure rates. Working as a team of interventional pulmonologists, respiratory therapists, advanced practice providers, thoracic surgeons, and more, we can make a real impact on what it means to be diagnosed with lung cancer.
What do you consider to be CHEST’s greatest strength, and how will you build upon this during your presidency?
CHEST’s greatest strength is the people involved with the organization. There is such a wonderful culture of inclusivity and innovation cultivated by the outstanding staff, committed volunteers, and expert faculty leaders. We have focused on continuous board development for the last eight years and are seeing the benefits in the strategic and innovative steps the Board of Regents have taken to better serve our members and patients. It’s an honor to step into the role of leading such an extraordinary group.
What are some of the challenges facing CHEST, and how will you address them?
While not unique to CHEST, stress and burnout remain an issue in the field of health care. Clinicians are asked to do more with limited resources to provide high-quality care to an increasing number of patients with widely varying needs. We will continue to focus on providing guidance on best practices in the field of chest medicine and sharing innovations that reduce the burdens of health care delivery. To help alleviate the stress put on clinicians, we want to do our part to help remove anything that stands between a clinician and their ability to provide the best care for patients.
What do you ask of members to support you during your presidency?
What I would ask of our members is that they reach out to connect. I want to both celebrate your wins in the field and work with your suggestions to improve CHEST. Making the organization stronger is a collaborative effort, and every voice matters. My email starting January 1 is [email protected], and if you need some writing inspiration, I’ve got some suggested prompts:
- Share with me a recent personal success or that of a colleague; we want to help spread the word.
- What do you find most rewarding in your practice?
- What’s a recurring challenge you face in practice?
- What is CHEST getting right? Where can we improve?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Warmest regards,
John A. Howington, MD, MBA, FCCP