Jorge Luis Hidalgo MD, MCCM, MACP, FCCP, is Head of Intensive Care and COVID-19 at Belize Healthcare Partners in Belize City, Belize. He became a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) in 2005. His clinical interests include administration, obstetrics, and sepsis. His personal hobbies include traveling and photography. Learn more about Dr. Hidalgo and his journey in critical care.
Why do you love being in critical care?
I love the privilege of making a difference during the most vulnerable and critical moments in a patient’s life. It’s a field where science, urgency, compassion, and teamwork come together every single day. As an intensivist, I am constantly challenged to think critically, act decisively, and lead multidisciplinary teams in high-stakes environments. It’s a specialty that demands not just clinical excellence but also emotional resilience and deep humanity because behind every monitor and ventilator is a person, a family, and a story. I also love the continuous evolution of critical care. From groundbreaking research to global collaborations like the Surviving Sepsis Campaign, critical care is at the forefront of medical innovation and systems improvement. Above all, it’s the ability to bring hope, often in the darkest hours, that makes this work so deeply meaningful. In critical care, every day reminds us why we became doctors.
What is your biggest professional achievement?
One of my most meaningful professional achievements has been serving as president of the World Federation of Intensive and Critical Care (WFICC), a role that has allowed me to help shape global strategies to strengthen critical care, especially in low- and middle-income countries. I am particularly proud of leading initiatives that advanced sepsis care, education, and equity during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. As SCCM cochair of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign for Low-Resource Settings, I am honored to have contributed to the Sepsis Chain of Survival—the first of four landmark documents representing a collective global effort to strengthen sepsis care and implementation worldwide. During the pandemic, I also helped organize and lead international training programs that supported thousands of frontline clinicians worldwide. In times of crisis, this work highlighted not only the science of critical care but also the power of solidarity, innovation, and shared purpose. For me, these accomplishments are not just milestones; they represent the collective effort of a global community working toward a common goal: to ensure that every critically ill patient, everywhere, has a chance to survive and recover.
What advice do you have for those starting their critical care careers?
My advice is simple but profound: lead with purpose, stay curious, and never lose your humanity. Critical care is intense. It will test your knowledge, your resilience, and sometimes even your hope. But it is also one of the most rewarding fields in medicine. You will witness both the fragility and the strength of life, often in the same moment. Here are a few guiding principles:
1. Focus on the fundamentals, but embrace uncertainty. Not every answer will be in the textbook. Critical care requires constant learning, adaptability, and humility.
2. Value the team. The best intensivists know they are part of something bigger—a multidisciplinary team where every voice matters. Listen, respect, and lead with empathy.
3. Communicate with compassion. Families and patients depend on you not just for clinical care, but for clarity, honesty, and hope in moments of crisis.
4. Take care of yourself. Burnout is real. Make time for reflection, wellness, and joy. A healthy intensivist makes better decisions.
5. Be global in your thinking. Whether you work in a major academic center or a rural hospital, your contribution matters. The critical care community is vast, and your voice has the power to influence change far beyond the bedside.
Above all, remember you are choosing a path where every decision can mean a life saved. That is a sacred responsibility and a powerful privilege.
What do you see as the most challenging issue facing critical care?
A few stand out as particularly urgent:
- Resource inequity: There is a significant gap in access to critical care services between high-income and low-resource settings. Many patients worldwide still lack access to basic ICU support, trained staff, or essential medications. Closing this gap is not only a medical challenge but also a moral obligation.
- Workforce burnout and retention: The intensity of critical care impacts healthcare professionals. Burnout, staffing shortages, and the emotional demands of the ICU threaten the sustainability of our workforce. Supporting well-being and building resilient teams must be a global priority.
- Sepsis and delayed recognition: Sepsis remains a leading cause of death worldwide and, in many settings is underrecognized and undertreated. Improving early detection and applying evidence-based protocols, especially in low-resource environments, is critical.
- Data and quality improvement: Many ICUs lack real-time data systems and standardized outcome measures. We need improved surveillance, registry systems, and quality frameworks to guide decision-making and enhance care.
- Preparedness for emerging threats: The COVID-19 pandemic exposed how fragile health systems can be. Critical care must remain at the center of future emergency preparedness, pandemic response, and climate-related health crises.
These challenges are complex, but they also create opportunities for innovation, global collaboration, and systemic change. Through organizations like SCCM and the international critical care community, I believe we can address them together.
What are the top advances in critical care since you started your career?
Since graduating in 1994, I’ve witnessed tremendous advances in critical care. Highlights include the adoption of evidence-based protocols like the Surviving Sepsis Campaign, lung-protective ventilation strategies for acute respiratory distress syndrome, and the rise of point-of-care ultrasound at the bedside. We’ve also seen major progress in organ support technologies like extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and continuous renal replacement therapy and a shift toward multidisciplinary team-based care. Most importantly, global access to critical care education has expanded, helping improve outcomes even in low-resource settings.
What industry trends excite you about the future?
I'm excited by the growing integration of AI and predictive analytics in ICU care, the global push toward personalized and precision medicine, and the expansion of telecritical care to reach underserved areas. These trends have the potential to transform outcomes, reduce disparities, and make critical care more proactive and equitable worldwide.
What do you love about SCCM membership?
I love the profound sense of purpose and global collaboration SCCM provides. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I had the privilege of serving as an instructor in SCCM's educational initiatives, an experience that strengthened the Society’s dedication to knowledge sharing and real-time support for frontline clinicians worldwide. Today, I am honored to serve as a cochair of the Sepsis in Low-Resource Settings Task Force, a role that enables me to contribute to one of SCCM’s most impactful efforts: improving sepsis care and outcomes globally, especially in vulnerable health systems. Through SCCM, I’ve found not only a professional home but also a platform to help shape the future of critical care. The access to cutting-edge science, peer exchange, and educational innovation is exceptional, but it’s the collective dedication to saving lives that makes SCCM truly unique.
Connect with @Jorge Hidalgo!