In Their Own Words

In Their Own Words Five local physicians share their feelings on the realities of a persistent pandemic.

Introduction by Michael Baxter, MD

As SARS-CoV-2 resurges due to the Delta and more recently the Omicron variants, we are about to enter the third year of the Covid-19 pandemic. The suffering and lives lost and the economic and social disruptions that we have experienced would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. In the midst of this medical and social turmoil stood thousands upon thousands of health care workers around the world who have placed their own lives and their physical and mental well-being at risk. All this while facing the trauma of watching patients succumb to this disease and experiencing endless hours/days of exhausting and exasperating work treating disease and mending the lives of countless affected patients. And after all that they have experienced, the end is not yet in sight.

In this issue of the Medical Record, we have asked five of our local physicians from the disciplines of Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics, Family Medicine/ Community Health, Hospital-based Internal Medicine and Addiction Medicine to describe their experiences over the past two years. Here is their response “In Their Own Words.”

Emergency Department (ED) staff have borne the brunt of this pandemic for over 18 months. Our staff is exhausted. Exhausted from patients refusing testing to get admitted. Exhausted of patients who refuse to get vaccinated, but then end up in the ED needing lifesaving and heroic therapies. Exhausted from seeing colleagues quit the front lines because the mental and emotional toll has been too high. Exhausted from patients and families screaming at staff because of the results of their Covid test. Exhausted from staff shortages. Exhausted at going from being a “hero” early on to being a “zero” now. Exhausted that there are people still convinced that this is no worse than the “flu” (big hint—it is worse!). Exhausted that there is no end in sight, despite a vaccine to reduce the need for ED and hospital interventions. Exhausted at a vaccination rate that isn’t “good enough” to help the population be safe from this virus. — (Prefers to remain Anonymous)

Wave four Omicron—the wave that was not supposed to be. We had the miracle vaccine and enough to vaccinate the country. Anyway these pandemics burn themselves out at 18 months, right? Yet here we are, in the perfect storm of a hospital financial crisis, critical staff shortages, following lay-offs and better salaries elsewhere, with a more infectious variant with a predilection for those who did not buy into the science behind vaccines, who now seek care while frequently challenging our medical decisions at every turn. It’s almost as if someone made a sequel to a bad movie that you disliked the first time but find yourself watching with buyer’s remorse. Same plot, mild new twists, but compounded with emotional exhaustion. — Anthony Donato, MD, MACP

Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program Reading Hospital/Tower Health

At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic many of us in Primary Care watched as our colleagues in long term care facilities, hospitals, and emergency rooms were overwhelmed as they struggled with the increasing number of patients becoming ill. In December 2020 when the first Covid-19 vaccine was approved under emergency use authorization, Federally Funded Community Health Centers knew we had a very important role to play in the battle against Covid-19 by providing access to the vaccine and testing— both critical steps in keeping our communities safe. Since our vaccination effort began, we have vaccinated over 20,000 patients. We realized that inequities in health care are often exacerbated during periods of crisis and we were determined to address such disparities. Recognizing that the homeless population most likely would not come to vaccine clinics we went to them. Understanding that there was distrust among underrepresented minority groups, we partnered with the Latino connection and African American churches to bring vaccines to their sites. We sent vaccine teams to the homebound, to jails, local school districts and partnered with dialysis and drug treatment centers. As Berks County’s only Federally Qualified Health Center, we did our best to address the needs of Berks County and especially our underserved population.

Like many others during this pandemic, my family and I faced our own health struggles. I lost both my mother and mother-inlaw to cancer and my family battled Covid-19 infections. As Chief Medical Officer at the Berks Community Health Center, one of my primary roles was to put protocols in place to protect patients and staff from the virus; however, I never felt 100% safe. In spite of all of my efforts, one of my children brought Covid-19 into the family. Although several of his friends developed mild cases, his was more severe with many sleepless nights monitoring his condition, listening to him cough, and watching his pulse oximetry fluctuate. Fortunately, he recovered but then my husband and I both contracted the virus and dealt with many stressful moments although we were able to recover at home. During my illness, I spent time isolated from my family and watched my mother’s health decline. I recognized that neglecting my own health put me at further risk.

Why do I share this? Because I have read on social media posts about how kids were able to get together all summer and no one got sick. I know that is not true. I lived with the fear that someone in my household, even I, would become even sicker and die, an event experienced by all too many. Because I want all to recognize that these are not normal times and we all must change our behaviors to decrease our risk of Covid-19 and to understand that wearing a mask is not a political statement but a sign that you care about your community as is a decision to get vaccinated. Because I realize that every death represents a life, a story of a grandparent, a child, a spouse or a friend. Such suffering and pain are immeasurable. Finally, I share this to thank all of our medical community who have worked so hard and never stopped putting patients’ needs above their own.

— Mary Kelleher, MD Chief Medical Officer Berks Community Health Center

I don’t know how to put into words how busy and overwhelmed we have been. We are discouraged by all the people who are not willing to do their part to end this pandemic. The people who made masks optional at schools and the people who refuse to consider vaccinating to decrease the load of really sick people hitting our hospitals and infecting our families often don’t consider the big picture when making their “personal choices.” We are all resigned to the fact that we will get Covid this go round as it is so contagious. We just hope we don’t all get sick at once as we serve a lot of kids for many reasons besides Covid. We had an 80% positivity rate in the office the other day among the kids we tested. It is the worst we have seen. We also have so many patients struggling with their mental health. The staff at Reading Pediatrics has been absolutely incredible and has stepped up in ways that would amaze everyone. We cannot meet the need right now for answering phone calls or seeing all the patients that need to be seen. We need understanding and support from the community. We had 90 calls at 5:00 PM recently and only two appointments left. People will be disappointed but all the choices we have made collectively as a community have brought us to this point. I have been inspired by all of my medical colleagues all over Berks County and hope for everyone’s sake that this surge settles quickly and that people can bounce back from the extreme stress it has brought upon all of us. — Johanna Kelly, MD, Reading Pediatrics

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