wife greeted me at the door as I returned from being dragged around the
block. Her face was ashen as she pointed me back into the garage, away
from the kids.
Oh, no. Who has it?
"The governor is closing the state's wine and liquor stores tomorrow," she
said while placing car keys in my hand. Forget toilet paper. Working par-
ents who shelter in place with two young children stockpile quarantinis.
When news of the coronavirus outbreak developed quickly, our editorial
team adjusted on the fly. We hustled to interview surgical leaders for this
month's cover story, a topic we had no idea we'd be covering just a few
weeks ago.
I connected with Beth Hogan, clinical director of nursing at Northern GI
Endoscopy Center in Glens Falls, N.Y. When we spoke, she was alone in a
facility that days earlier had been bustling with patients. The center was
temporarily shuttered, her staff furloughed until further notice.
Beth was trying to maintain some sense of normalcy in these trou-
bling times. She watched webinars about how to cope with the out-
break, monitored news reports and kept her physicians aware of the
latest developments. Like all of us, she's mostly trying to navigate a con-
fusing and stressful time.
During our conversation, Beth told me tens of thousands of retired nurs-
es and physicians in the state of New York have volunteered to help care
for stricken patients, and that some members of her sidelined staff have
offered their services to the local hospital.
In a time of great uncertainty, it's comforting to count on the passion
healthcare providers have for their true calling. You can force them to
stop working, but good luck getting them to stop caring. There's no doubt
we'll get through this crisis. You and countless other
brave and dedicated health professionals will see to
it.
OSM
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