Doctors are quiet heroes in these trying times
This is not a drill. With 303,178 cases and 12,962 deaths worldwide and 24,119 cases with 288 deaths and 4,736 new cases in the United States as of 1:36 p.m. March 21, the coronavirus threat is our new normal.
I’ll admit it. I’ve felt the panic. A hundred thoughts run through your mind as you think about how this will affect your family, your community, your country. We ask ourselves, what can we do? I’m a mom, writer and former teacher. What can I do?
Just a mom? I’ve spent 30 years working to protect my children and with the grace of God, I’ve seen them through a serious car accident, blood clot, surgery, a head injury, and of course, childhood illnesses. What served me then?
An ability to question, research and assert myself. I still remember when my son was hospitalized with a life-threatening condition. The hospital staff kept insisting on a risky procedure even though I declined it after talking to the specialist. They actually pulled a gurney into his room to take him away even though I said “no” to four doctors.
At that point, I had done all I could, short of blocking the gurney. I had no fight left. Unbeknownst to me, a watching nurse called the specialist and that dedicated doctor stopped them. He came in on his day off.
Why do I share that now? We need to be on alert and do all that is humanly possible for our loved ones, but we’ll also need to count on the quiet heroes, whether they’re in a hospital or our community.
So I return to my question. What can I do? Just a mom … but also a writer. In that spirit, I reached out recently to Dr. Vesta Sandoval, chief medical officer at Lovelace Medical Group in Albuquerque.
My first concern was testing. Prior to March 13, there had been only 69 tests in the state. Lovelace knew that testing was paramount, but as Sandoval said, there were “a lot of pieces to fit together.” All along, the testing component has been a major issue confirmed by Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. We’ve all seen the clip with him saying, “It’s a failing.”
So even as hospitals rally, testing continues to be a contentious, bottlenecked and disturbing piece of the puzzle with reports of people being denied testing who met the criteria.
When I asked Sandoval, she shared that her facilities are trying to adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention forms, evolving on a daily basis. At that point, 1,300 people had been screened through Lovelace’s drive-thru. Of those, 900 were tested.
We all know people who’ve been turned away, people unable to reach the hotline, and the inaccurate, conflicting information is adding to our collective anxiety. I’ve found some solace in social media connections and I asked for questions, some of which came too late.
But one question I did get to ask was what the hospital is doing to prepare for what many believe will be a devastating shortage of hospital beds, staff, protective coverings and ventilators.
Sandoval addressed reports there will be a devastating shortage of beds, staff, ventilators and personal protective equipment, saying they are bracing for the impact, taking it very seriously. “We’ve done our disaster drills and completed a city drill last year with a viral scenario.”
In addition, Sandoval noted they have an emergency plan, acknowledging “this is a crisis in our country, and we will have to be creative.” She advised that they have 30 critical care beds and across the three hospital system and 75 ventilators.
When people don’t understand the unfathomable crisis ahead, I’m surprised. A glance at the numbers reveals the problems. With some experts estimating that up to 214 million Americans could be infected, it is clear our country has a dire shortage of beds. The New York Times has reported the number of beds to be 2.8 per 1,000 people with 925,000 staffed beds.
It’s not a big leap to realize hospitals are setting up protocols for wrenching patient decisions in worst-case scenarios. We have to look at the facts and assimilate them without being paralyzed by fear. These facts need to inform our daily actions in the days ahead. And we need to keep asking questions. Who’s in charge?
I still don’t understand all the shortages and the misinformation, and we don’t have a lot of time to make up for the “failings.” I’ve gotten over my childhood belief that doctors are gods. I know they are fallible. I know they make mistakes. But I want to believe Sandoval, the earnest-sounding doctor on the phone. I want to believe she is a future hero who will “use creativity” to solve the multitude of cascading problems. I am hoping she will be just one person from all across our country whose knowledge and abilities will make a difference at this critical time.
Em Powers Hunter is a writer whose work has appeared in over 50 publications including the Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, Hu≠ington Post, and USA Today.