ACTIVITY UPDATE
by Deborah Shoemaker, Lobbyist
It Is the End of the World As We Know It…But Do We Feel Fine? I started to write this article a few weeks ago when the commonwealth was starting to re-open in phases. Yes, we had to speculate what Red, Yellow and Green meant, but at least we had hope for a phased opening, based on “the science and the medical communities’ recommendations”. Not all citizens, county commissioners, or even state legislators agreed with the criteria that Governor Wolf and Department of Health Secretary Rachel Levine, MD, created based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), medical researchers and epidemiologists or even Anthony Fauci, MD. Our governor took a strong stand to support the science, even providing limited liability protection to health care providers laboring in the trenches during this pandemic. Governor Wolf went further by cautioning rogue county commissioners and businesses who wanted to open early, cautioning against further outbreaks caused by prematurely opening hotspots across the state. Being a businessman, the governor understood the economic losses, the daily increases to the unemployment rolls, and the effects that a partial closure could do to children without in-person schooling, parents now taking over the “teacher role”, trying to put food on the table while staying at home collecting unemployment benefits. His decisions were not popular, but necessary. Both Governor Wolf and Secretary Levine have faced enormous criticism for following the science, even some leaders asking for their resignations and/or impeachment. Regardless of your political affiliation, or your thoughts on the pandemic and how it was handled in Pennsylvania and on the national level, following the science is not always popular but necessary. As a parent of a now-virtually graduated high school senior, I had mixed feelings when the COVID-19 pandemic began in earnest. My first reaction was pride in how your staff worked so closely with chapter leadership and our educational chairs in canceling/postponing/ rescheduling educational meetings – often at a moment’s notice. I know that some were last-minute, but the goal was to ensure the safety of our members, our staff, and our presenters. Everyone has been short of amazing in making decisions, then and now, that will maximize the member educational experience and ensure that they are not causing any undue harm or angst to those involved in providing this important member benefit. My second reaction was concern and angst about the pandemic- how personally it affected my son who now could not play his senior year of lacrosse or graduate with his friends; professionally, how I felt when I knew all of you were exposing yourselves daily to the pandemic – without the proper equipment, without the knowledge of knowing how long this pandemic will last, or if you are exposing your loved ones to future harm. My final reaction was hope in the process, knowing that we were going to roll with the punches and make things
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work, regardless of the actions of the public who chose not to wear masks during the yellow phase, and to advocate for continued use of telemedicine, additional liability protections for all healthcare providers (regardless of the practice setting), and for increased funding for PPE equipment, for additional COVID-19 testing and for enhanced treatment and services for mental health and substance use treatment. However, all my hope and anticipation died on May 25th, when George Floyd lost his life at the hands of a police officer in Minneapolis. Whenever police are involved, my reaction is mixed: wanting all the facts before deciding. I am a police chief’s daughter. However, my father never tolerated profiling, racial injustice, unfairness, or prejudice, nor expected us to stand for it. If he were alive, he would be sickened and embarrassed of his fellow officers. I am incensed. No one should have to die that way, begging for their own life by saying “I can’t breathe” while ignored. I am not naïve to say I will ever understand how George Floyd felt his entire life. I am not a black man. I am a woman, one who has fought for everything in my life, but never at the level of George Floyd, or Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela. Although we were not rich by any means, I never had to stand in a soup line, or beg for mercy for being charged just because of the color of my skin, or face bullying because of my gender preference. I have not yet been truly persecuted because of my religious choice, or because of my political affiliation, or my medical conditions. I try to do my part by joining worthy causes, feeding the homeless, even something as simple as voting or even protesting, but I feel it is not enough. As psychiatrists, you have dedicated your lives to serve the most disenfranchised – those who often cannot or will not speak for themselves. They are daily stigmatized for their biological based illnesses – substance use, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder – you name it – yes they are judged by it. And God forbid, you are LGBTQ, or a man or woman of color, an immigrant, or worst yet, homeless with a substance use issue. Your daily tireless dedication inspires me to be a better person, advocating for true change regardless of the cost. Although often we feel, like the REM song, “it’s the end of the world as we know it”, we can keep striving for a better world. Your hard work, medical expertise and caring is not unnoticed. You fight the good fight without personal recognition, and often at the personal cost of spending time with your loved ones. I am proud that we stand with the APA condemning racism on all fronts, imploring our state and federal officials to end all inequities regardless of race, creed, sexual preference or gender. A copy of their most recent press release is enclosed here. Our own version can be found on our website. www.papsych.org
