Dr. Robert Gore's Dedication Is Medicine for Our Souls

“It helps when your providers understand who you are and where you come from in a different dynamic—when they understand your pedigree and where your heart is because they knew your mother and grandmother. When you have an understanding or seek to have an understanding of what people are going through then that rapport is created, patients understand you have their best interests in mind.”

Practicing in the Time of COVID-19 Now, in his hometown of Brooklyn, Dr. Robert Gore is once again using his training and connections to save lives amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has ravaged New York, especially the black and brown communities. “I’ve spent my career working in black, brown, and immigrant communities,” he explained. “I purposefully decided to work in these communities because I knew they didn’t have access to good, regular, medical care.” He’s hopeful change is coming. “Now, those same disparities can happen to others, and those others are saying, ‘we don’t want that to happen to us.’ So if we don’t fix this situation—particularly as it relates to COVID-19—and make sure people have the support and resources to get better, those individuals are going to come into our spaces, which has a direct impact on our ability to stay well. And when it affects people who have money, different resources are allocated to bring an end to that problem.” And that’s what he’s seeing with COVID-19.

Dr. Rob stresses that COVID-19 symptoms can vary from person to person, and that some are not as well-known as others. “We see the cough, the shortness of breath, the fever, body aches or what we call myalgia, the flu-like symptoms,” he explained. “But some patients are experiencing a loss of smell; some are coming in altered and confused. We’re seeing people with very, labored breath where they’re using all of their accessory muscles in their backs and their shoulders just to get some oxygen and breathe properly.” Those are the people he says need to seek immediate medical attention.

The Importance of Self-Care Since there is currently neither a cure nor vaccine for COVID-19, Dr. Rob stresses the importance of taking precautions to prevent yourself from catching the virus. “I wear a mask when I leave the house and the only time I remove my mask is in the car . . . This is our reality right now.” He also cautions people about misinformation. “When you aren’t well informed or are poorly educated you tend to be hit hardest by these different disease processes. I recommend people get informed (he cites cdc.gov as a reputable resource for the public) and I also recommend people take precautions regarding health and hygiene. Handwashing, eating healthy, minimizing a lot of the chronic stressors are other ways to keep people’s immune systems high.”

Despite his medical training and mental acumen, Dr. Rob is still taken aback by the spread of this virus. “I thought this was going to be like every other viral infection, not thinking this was going to become this global pandemic to where I’d be wearing spacesuits and these futuristic looking Star Wars-esque masks as part of my work outfit every day.” He also has a quirk that actually works in his favor, especially these days. “I’m pretty OCD about health and wellness,” he chuckled. “And because I’m around sick people all the time, this is almost like being in a state of war and I need to be at my best, I need to be ready. Anything that’s going to compromise my ability to do well and perform properly, I try to avoid it.” In addition to avoiding the bad, Dr. Rob embraces the good. “I do daily meditation, I work out every day— even if I only have 10 minutes I still do something. I did an hour-long chi gong session this morning.” He’s an avid snowboarder, is brave enough to skateboard throughout New York City regularly, and enjoys all manners of physical activity. “I do 1–2 hours of physical activity daily to keep my breathing capacity and keep physically fit because if you’re fit you tend to fight off infection a lot better and exercising regularly minimizes cortisol levels. I’m a healthcare provider. So if I’m not healthy, how do I inspire confidence in my patients to believe in what I’m telling them?”

Looking Ahead As if treating patients during a pandemic isn’t enough, Dr. Rob faces additional stressors in his personal life. “My wife being pregnant definitely puts a lot of this in perspective. My main objective is to keep her and our child as safe as possible. I don’t see my parents because they’re older and I also need to make sure to keep them safe because I could be asymptomatic,” he said. “I limit my exposures because I want my family to be around and I want them to be healthy.” His wife, Hibist, owns Bati Ethiopian Kitchen in Fort Greene. “We’re still open,” Gore said wistfully. “We’re doing all orders online for delivery or pick-up. The business has been impacted; it’s not enough to make a living. We’re fortunate I still have a job so we’re able to take care of us and our family, but it is a major stress and strain.”

Gore’s voice perked up as he said, “I saw her (Hibist) the other day from 12 feet away, wearing a mask, talking to her from a distance, yelling through my N-95 mask and my other mask on top. There are definitely some fears involved, making sure I stay healthy. That’s one of the reasons why I’m