Editorial

Abstract

With the final stages of 2020 upon us, it is important to think about what it took to get us to this point. There were challenges, questions, and unexpected mountains to climb as a result of a global pandemic, a new sense of “normalcy” with the world turning to virtual assignments, and perhaps an opportunity to reconnect with family members as we all cozied up in our own personal bunkers.With this being the final issue in the Journal of the Association for Vascular Access (JAVA) publishing year, I want to recognize and thank those responsible for assisting our organization in a variety of ways so as to ensure each edition of our journal made it to the finish line. Even with the new challenges presented by 2020, each of the following groups thrived under pressure.JAVA authors never wavered in submitting new research, case studies, opinions, and letters. Once they gathered data about COVID-19 and how it impacted vascular access care, these individuals did not waste time to submit it for publication. While many of the submissions remain under review, it is exciting to see such an earnest desire to participate in the sharing of essential information about the virus as the world searches for a solution.On the topic of reviewing manuscripts, it goes without saying that the 4 issues of the journal this year would not have been published had it not been for the outstanding individuals on the Editorial Review Board I lean on daily for their expertise on vascular access research. I so appreciate their valuable contributions, even if they had to reprioritize their schedules and move JAVA reviews to the bottom of the pile due to working double COVID shifts at their respective health care institutions. Their willingness to still give up some of their free time to offer guidance to me on manuscripts and share comments to authors does not go unnoticed.Finally, I wanted to give a nod to the publishing team at Allen Press. With an uptick of electronic publishing and Internet research over the last 9 months as a result of the pandemic, journal managers Sybil Ralston and Alex Beecher have been honest with me regarding deadlines and production delays because of the need to enforce social distancing among their colleagues at the Allen Press printing warehouse. This has not been easy, but they have made it bearable and as efficient as possible.If you missed the AVA at Your Fingertips virtual meeting at the end of October, I hope you either elected to sign up after the fact to see the sessions on demand for the low AVA member price of $199.00 or plan to budget to attend the 2021 AVA Scientific Meeting next September at the Gaylord Palms in Orlando, Florida. We cannot wait to physically see everyone in person next year, but if that still cannot happen, I hope that you know AVA will take the necessary steps to keep its members and attendees safe while still providing a healthy dose of novel vascular access education.I hope that you enjoy our final issue of 2020. A wide range of research articles and case studies is available, all of which you can enjoy online at www.avajournal.com. I trust you and your loved ones remain safe during the pandemic and look forward to learning and growing with you in 2021!