EDITOR’S NOTE

arely had Jesus called Peter and Andrew and the brothers Zebedee to leave their fishing nets behind when they gathered for a first meeting of apostles at the home of Peter. The least important person in that household — the old mother-in-law — ordinarily B would have served the men some refreshment, but, as Peter explained to Jesus, she was ailing with a fever. Jesus healed her and she immediately got up to serve them. The evangelist Mark, who recounts this event, is known for his abbreviated versions of the gospel stories, but this is particularly terse even for him. Two sentences, no dialogue, done.

The writer Joan Didion de- mother-in-law’s motive or her expectation, only scribed her state of mind after that she did it. Just as we don’t know as much as losing her husband in a book she we should about the caregivers who are there for titled The Year of Magical Think- us in emergency departments, eldercare facilities, ing. I would name the 12 months urgent care clinics, intensive care units, mental we’ve just lived through “The health crisis centers, and in the home care the Year of Living Mutely.” Beyond people who love them give frail elderly, severely MARY ANN my lapses on Zoom (“Mary Ann, you’re on mute!” or worse, “Mary disabled or people with dementia. We do know they are there when we need them.STEINER Ann, mute yourself!”), I have felt, This issue of Health Progress explores how to and often wanted to be, muted. I take better care of the caregivers who fulfill the experience this in family and friends too. As much mission of Catholic health care. We have tried to as we miss each other, some of us are hard-pressed unmute the conversations that need to take place to put words to what we’re feeling, thinking or about overly stressful working conditions and praying. I keep handing things up wordlessly, relief for caregivers in terms of regular breaks, wondering if maybe later I will find the words. respite spaces and channels to express frustra-

The caregivers who are tending the sick, the tions and requests for help. There are important dying, the families and each other during the pan- suggestions about self-care, but also a recognition demic often have been profoundly muted. Pro- that self-care only works when it is supported fessionally, they adhere to all the protocols and with strategic institutional commitment. In the PPE that make communication with patients and pages that follow there are wonderful examples families so difficult; and there’s so little time to of how some of our members are doing exactly rest and talk things over with colleagues. It has this: moving beyond recognition and gratitude to been even harder for them personally: what to system-wide strategies to hear, respond and put tell the people who love you about the disease firmly in place best practices for caring for their that could take you down; how many deaths you caregivers. witnessed this week; how it feels to have your job At this point in the Editor’s Note, I usually on the line when you’ve already given so much; thank the authors who have provided the articles how close you are to cracking. Some of us were so that raise important topics and expand our undermoved by the nurse who explained this in a New standing. While I do that most gratefully here, let York Times story, I thought you might want to see me also thank the many authors I’ve worked with the video too: https://www.nytimes.com/video/ over the years: so generous and insightful and opinion/100000007578176/covid-icu-nurses- courageous when offering honest critiques to the arizona.html. ministry they love and represent. I will be retiring

Just as Peter’s mother-in-law got up to serve from CHA at the end of April, so this is my last opthe new apostles after Jesus healed her from her portunity to write these things to you. Let me just illness, we know many caregivers serve their pa- tell you this: I have loved preparing these issues of tients, residents or loved ones with brief recov- Health Progress for the people of Catholic health eries from their own illnesses, traumatic events, care, and I have treasured your companionship exhaustion and anxieties. We don’t know the along the way. Godspeed, I will miss you.

HEALTH PROGRESS®

VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING BRIAN P. REARDON

EDITOR MARY ANN STEINER masteiner@chausa.org

MANAGING EDITOR BETSY TAYLOR btaylor@chausa.org

GRAPHIC DESIGNER LES STOCK

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2019 AWARDS

Catholic Press Association: Magazine of the Year, First Place; Editor of the Year, First Place; Best Special Issue, Third Place and Honorable Mention; Best Regular Column, Second Place; Best Essay, First, Second and Third Place; Best Feature Article, Third Place and Honorable Mention; Best Reporting on Social Justice Issues, Third Place; Best Writing Analysis, First Place; Best Coverage of Immigration, Second Place; Best Coverage of Disasters, Second Place. Association Media & Publications EXCEL: Best Special Issue, Bronze

Produced in USA. Health Progress ISSN 0882-1577. Spring 2021 (Vol. 102, No. 2).

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