It was with great sadness that the World Federation learned of the passing of its Immediate Past President Dr José Besso following a long battle with an illness he faced with great courage and fortitude. Dr Besso died peacefully at his home in Caracas on Wednesday, December 9th 2009.
José Besso Menahem was born 30th September 1948 in Alexandria, Greece but was a citizen of the Republic of Venezuela. He received his medical degree from the Universidad Central de Venezuela in 1974. His subsequent Post-Graduate training included a 3 year Residency in Internal Medicine at the Maternidad Concepcion Palacios, Caracas, Venezuela; a 2 year Clinical Fellowship in Nephrology at the Hospital Universitario de Caracas, Venezuela, and a 2 year Clinical Fellowship in Critical Care Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA under the direction and leadership of Dr Hal Weil and where his contemporaries included Jean-Louis Vincent MD.
Dr Besso completed additional training in Critical Care Medicine, in Cardiovascular Medicine, in Pulmonary Medicine and in Trauma Medicine. He also held a number of academic appointments which included Clinical Instructor in Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA and Visiting Professor at the University of Toronto in Canada.
He was a member of several Scientific Societies. The Venezuelan Society of Internal Medicine, The Venezuelan Society of Critical Care Medicine, American College of Chest Physicians (FCCP), American College of Critical Care Medicine (FCCM) and Regent of the American College of Chest Physicians. In 2006 he was awarded the prestigious honour of Mastership of the American College of Physicians (MACP). Also in that year the Venezuelan Society of Critical Care Medicine paid him the tribute of naming their Annual Congress in his honour at Margarita Island, Dr Besso had served as President of the Society. He was also President of the Pan-American and Iberic Federation of Societies of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine from 1999 to 2003.
In 2001 at the 8th World Congress in Sydney, Australia he was elected to the Council of the World Federation of Societies of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine and was subsequently elected President from 2005 to 2009. He marked his period in office with many important and significant initiatives such as the launch of an annual International Symposium which has since been held in Brazil, India and Dubai. He was a passionate supporter of the main mission of the World Federation and he travelled extensively throughout the world to promote the highest standards of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine for mankind, without discrimination.
José Besso was a physician who was totally devoted to his craft and to his colleagues and was a model Intensive and Critical Care practitioner, teacher, and an international ambassador for his profession. As a person, he was warm, considerate, respectful, learned, and above all a true gentleman. He will be greatly missed but his memory will have both an enduring presence and lasting influence on the worldwide critical care community. He was, quite simply, the best of men.
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