Text by KATE MILNE
ON THE
HEALTH OFFICIALS COMBAT COVID-19’S IMPACT
A
CROSS THE COUNTRY, doctors and public health workers are overcoming the challenges of the novel coronavirus, and in some cases risking their health to serve their communities. Verde reached out to some of these professionals in the area and beyond to find out how their work has been impacted, what lessons they’ve learned, and how others can help out. v
“Core agencies are designated by your respective county to provide all kinds of services: rent, housing, food, utilities, and advocacy,” Bruce said. The core agency for San Mateo is Samaritan House, the core agency for Santa Clara is Sacred Heart, and the core agency in East Palo Alto is the Ecuminical Hunger Program.
Mike Lynn: Face to face with COVID-19 Janine Bruce: Finding solutions to pressing issues As an emergency medicine doctor in a trauma hospital in Janine Bruce, a doctor of public health and senior research Oakland, California, Mike Lynn specializes in dealing with high scientist at the Stanford School of Medicine, wears many hats. She stress situations. Treating people who come in for a wide variety teaches Stanford residents and explores ways to provide services for of reasons, Lynn has to be ready for anything when the ambulance underprivileged communities. pulls up. However, due to the ongoing pandemic, these emergency “When coronavirus hit, we reached out not only to our com- room situations have an additional layer of risk associated with munity partners but a wide range of partners like schools, food them. community agencies, preschools, to ask ‘What are you seeing and “A lot of times we don’t know what they have; that’s the defihearing?’” Bruce said. “Folks were wornition of emergency medicine,” Lynn ried about shelter in place and while said. “Right now with the COVID-19 It’s really encouraging to staying home how they were going to virus it’s complicated because most pay their rent and how they were going see such great collaboration people don’t present with the textto afford food.” book fever and cough.” and continued desire across To help provide resources such as The population that Lynn serves food and legal assistance to those seeking community partner agencies is having a hard time dealing with the protection from eviction, Bruce reached virus as well as the shelter-in-place to want to continue to work out to organizations in the surroundorders. ing areas and was met with an over- together.” “The peo— JANINE BRUCE, doctor of public health ple that we whelmingly supportive response to the community coalition meetings that are care for are held every couple of weeks. These meetings, intended to mobilize mostly people who are disenfranchised and connect community partners, have started up again due to from the health care system and don’t COVID-19 and were last held during the economic recession of have a lot of access to care,” Lynn 2008. said. “These are folks that are having “We’ve used virtual platforms like Zoom to bring people to- a hard time sheltering in place. They gether,” Bruce said. “Now we have 20 different agencies that par- are people who are dishwashers and ticipate. Word has spread, it’s largely updating one another on street cleaners and care for housewhat kind of needs we are seeing in the community, how things are holds and a lot of them have lost evolving. It’s really encouraging to see such great collaboration and their jobs.” continued desire across community partner agencies that want to Among those disproportioncontinue to work together.” ately affected are the homeless. Bruce thinks that the best way to give back is to donate to “One of the hardest things is organizations that provide crucial services. to figure out where to send people
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FLYER POWER — Janine Bruce (left) poses as she picks up boxes of informational flyers. The libraries volunteered to print them as a show of support. “We’re going to have to continue to work together to figure out how to help families long after shelter in place is lifted,” Bruce said. Photo by Janine Bruce MASK ON — Mike Lynn (middle) dons full coverage protective gear. He is optimistic about the future and what it may bring. “Hopefully we as a society can become closer rather than farther away as we weather this pandemic,” Lynn said. Photo by Jenny Lynn
26 JUNE 2020
