Mission & Vision

Dear colleagues, WINFOCUS members and friends,

In these persistently challenging times for our souls and minds, I bring you my warmest greetings and my wish that you are all staying safe and well.

I am extremely honoured and humbled having been chosen to serve the World Interactive Network Focused On Critical UltraSound as President. I admittedly feel a great responsibility in trying to be up to the standards set by all those who preceded me in office; but I am relieved at the thought of the outstanding professional and human qualities of the colleagues and friends who surround me in the challenge of guiding our association towards new milestones.

In these first months of my office, I devoted much time and effort in taking stock of the current state of our association and in talking personally to many WINFOCUS affiliates and contact persons across the globe. As a younger physician and PoCUS practitioner I vividly remember how I had the privilege to see WINFOCUS come to birth and then grow in achievements, reach and reputation over the past 15 years. How astounding it is to look back and realise the present magnitude of its network, the relevance of the scientific and educational goals that have been reached so far, and the drive that it has represented globally for the spread of PoCUS into clinical practice!

We are witnessing an ever-growing perception of the need for a widespread implementation of PoCUS in healthcare, also as a result of the events of the last two years. The demand for PoCUS training and education across multiple specialties has become rampant and pressing. That’s why our association has just entered a thrilling phase of reorganization and renovation, so that we can coordinate our global community at best and tackle the challenges that await us.

A series of Committees have been created with the aim of promoting and coordinating WINFOCUS multiple educational, scientific, and networking activities. Our website will undergo a substantial upgrade to provide members with many more resources and networking opportunities. A complete renovation of our courses is in the pipeline.

The new WINFOCUS Webinars series will start in a few days. WINFOCUS World Congress 2022 has reached the conclusion of its first planning phase and will be soon announced officially, with a uniquely innovative format and a rich and exciting program. Forging and consolidation of relationships with other scientific organizations, academic institutions and industrial partners are and will be amongst our priorities.

As visible sign of this momentum and change, our societal logo and brand have been re-designed in a modern, stylised fashion, to better embody the essence of WINFOCUS in the present time: the various and diverse contributions of the members of our cross-specialty international PoCUS community (the diversely coloured dots) converge from all over the globe in generating a wave of passionate, high quality, PoCUS education and knowledge-sharing (the ultrasound wave).

The effort that we are putting in this 360-degrees overhaul of our organization is remarkable, and it will welcome the contribution of those of you willing to catch the unique opportunity to be players in this common endeavour. At the beginning of 2022, formal calls for contribution to several specific projects will be made. Stay tuned!

To pursue the goal of disseminating the use of bedside ultrasound wherever and whenever it is pivotal in patient management (the “critical ultrasound” concept), by generously promoting affordable and equitable PoCUS education and clinical implementation: that is the legacy of my predecessors, which I have made my own. As those of you who know me are aware of, I’ll put all my energy, passion, and determination into leading this collective effort. I feel privileged to know that I will be working with such gifted physicians and educators. Your unique skills, knowledge, generosity, and professionalism will be the strength of our mission.

While feeling at your side in the common effort to curb and defeat the pandemic, I wish you the best for the incoming Festivities and for the New Year: may it be peaceful and bring new achievements and enriching encounters.

Gabriele Via

WINFOCUS President 

Lugano, Switzerland
Cardiac Anesthesia and Intensive Care
Cardiocentro Ticino

• Intensivist, Anesthesiologist
• Director, WINFOCUS Cardiac Ultrasound Training Program

Arif Hussain

WINFOCUS Former President

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
King Saud University for Health Sciences

• Head of Cardiac Critical Care King Abdulaziz Medical City

Anthony J. Dean

General Secretary

Philadelphia, PA, USA
Department of Emergency Medicine

• Professor Emeritus of Emergency Medicine and of Emergency Medicine in Radiology
• Board of Directors PURE (Point-of-care Ultrasound in Resource-limited Environments)