Forge the path....

....excerpt from my daily message to the company

"People who end up as 'firsts' don't actually set out to be first. They set out to do something they love." - Condolezza Rice

I watched The Martian with my girls a couple of weeks ago and one line from Matt Damon (Mark Watney lead character) stuck out "It's a strange feeling. Everywhere I go, I am the first. Step outside of the rover? First guy ever to go there! Climb a hill? First guy to climb that hill! Kick a rock? That rock hadn't moved in a million years! I'm the first guy to drive long distance on Mars. The first guy to grow crops on Mars! Firsts! Firsts! Firsts!".

We as humans are hard-wired to push ourselves and each other. It is how we have continued to advance - constantly striving for better. Our brains are wired to push the limits of possibility - both physically and mentally.  

There always to be a first - first person to climb Mt. Everest; first humans to descend to the bottom of Marianas trench, first person to reach the North Pole, First person to reach the South Pole, First human to step on the moon. 

The same goes for medicine, there is always a first - both the patient and clinician. There are true pioneers - the firsts to try something no one else has ever done. The first laparoscopic surgical case, the first heart transplant, the first robotic procedure, even this last year, the brave person that was first to receive the Covid vaccination. All of these firsts led to discovery and learnings that enabled medicine to advance.

There are also innovation leaders like you in medicine. Engineers that discovered a new way that enabled technology to do something that helps the patient the doctor and nurse are fighting to save. The commercial team being the first to introduce the Accuryn technology to a clinician. The Operations team being the first to manufacture and lead the way to efficiency. The regulatory team that registers for the first time in a market. As Matt Damon said "Firsts! Firsts! Firsts!", don't lose sight or forget that you are forging the path for others to follow both at Potrero and in the hospitals. That is special.

This week in the field we had a number of "firsts". The first anesthesiologist Dr. Steven Minear, Cleveland Clinic to monitor real time continuous Intra-Abdominal Pressure during a Heart Transplant. In that same week at 2 other hospitals, Potrero's Accuryn System has already been used in 4 Heart transplant procedures. We had the first lung (double lung in fact) transplant. First Congestive Heart Patient monitoring their fluid status with automated Urine Output. This is on top of those procedures that have proceeded and today is an everyday - CABG, Covid, Spine, Medical, Trauma, Burn...etc. 

You are all Pioneers - FORGE THE PATH!!!

ALWAYS FORWARD!!!!!

Joe

This is a series of articles based on the daily letters that I write to my company (slightly modified - company specifics removed). My hope is to share some positive thoughts that gently push the world toward positive thinking and encourage many to achieve their fullest God-given potential