Re-tooling critical care to become a better intensivist: something old and something new.

Developments in recent years have placed powerful new tools of diagnosis, therapy, and communication at the disposal of medicine in general, and of critical care in particular. The art of healing requires not only technical proficiency, but also personal connection, multidisciplinary teamwork, and commitment to the venerable traditions of our profession. The latter often seem to be under assault by today's high-pressure, high-efficiency, and increasingly business-driven hospital environments. Re-tooling critical care for the future generations of caregivers requires something old--empathetic connection--as well as the exciting newer technologies of our science and practice.