CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER , PIEDMONT ATLANTA HOSPITAL
COVID showed up unannounced as an unwanted visitor that has way outstayed its welcome . While Piedmont Atlanta Hospital ’ s staff are trained to care for patients with communicable diseases , this one has been different . With influenza , we all know what to expect when fall comes : get our shots ( required !) and when caring for people with flu , wear our masks and wash our hands . Tuberculosis is rare in our population , so caring for the occasional patient isn ’ t overwhelming . Thank goodness we actually never saw a case of Ebola , although we were prepared .
COVID has been different . We watched the healthcare systems in China , then Italy , then New York City be overrun with the large numbers of patients . Our first patients arrived in early March , and the projections were that our entire hospital would be overwhelmed . We felt the fear of the unknown , but also the excitement of doing what we ’ re here for : taking care of others . We had to husband our N-95 masks , and worry if they were enough . COVID can infect without symptoms ; did this mean my coworker could infect me ? Was I infected , and now bringing it home to my family ? Overlaying all of this is our commitment to being in healthcare : take care of those in need . We held group meetings to talk about our fears and anxiety . We kept up a continuous stream of communication about the virus , the strategies for taking care of our patients , and the guidance for protecting ourselves . Then , to make a hard situation even harder , we had to restrict basically all visitors from the hospital ; the risk of transmitting COVID to them , or of them transmitting it to the patients or staff was just too great . We are used to caring for patients ’ families as part of delivering care . We are used to the families providing support to the patients in their time of need . Not having this added yet another layer of stress to an already stressful situation . We work to help patients maintain this contact , and to do what we can to substitute . We hold a lot of hands ( followed by good hand washing , of course !).
As healthcare workers , we focus all of our attention to our patients , but too often forget about ourselves . Being an effective caregiver requires experiencing the joy and sadness of our patients and , when we know we can ’ t change the reality of their illness , we can still do what we can to be as comforting as possible . When we are aware of this , we are taking care of ourselves as much as we are our patients . Small acts of kindness and attention remind us that we have feelings too , and that we are more than just caregivers ; we are part of the patient ’ s journey . This identification enables the staff to continue their mission for another day . I am reminded of an aphorism from over 100 years ago , “ To cure rarely , to heal often , to comfort always ”. While we cannot stop the outcome of COVID , we can always preserve all of our patients ’, and our , dignity and humanity .
That peoples ’ lives are sometimes ended prematurely by COVID is a tragedy . That their family cannot be with them when they pass is truly awful . But the way our staff embraces and cares for patients with COVID is truly special , makes me proud of Piedmont , and proud to be a part of the Piedmont family .