For many of us, COVID-19 seems to be all we hear about or can think about; it is our constant reality. My wife is an occupational therapist and she works at a state funded, COVID-19 rehab center. Every day, she dons two sets of PPE after leaving “the clean room” and sets about treating patients for a solid eight to nine hours; she eats lunch in a special area where each clinician sits at their own table; she documents cases in a room similarly set up; then showers before leaving for the day. She doesn’t even bring the shoes she wears all day out of the facility. It’s an intense, fully focused day.
I recently contracted and then recovered from COVID-19 myself. I actually was exposed at physical therapy clinic getting treatment for a bad back. I wore a mask, as did my therapist; yet four days later, after receiving an email stating the therapist just tested positive (he was asymptomatic), I came down with a high fever, body aches, fatigue and other related symptoms.
I’m fortunate. I recovered within a handful of days; the virus did not infect my lungs, a worry of mine as I have had pneumonia the last two winters. I am one of the lucky ones.
My exposure to this terrible virus, along with my wife’s daily experiences, gives me direct visibility into something that, based on travel restrictions and social distancing, I should normally get to see firsthand while visiting customers. Our healthcare workers are, most assuredly, making tremendous personal sacrifices to provide care for those suffering. We don’t get to see the lengths they go to in an effort to comfort, care for and assist patients and families. As a veteran, I can honestly say that their willingness to serve others is quite congruent with the sacrifices soldiers make to serve our country. Putting yourself in harm’s way to help someone else is unnatural; it takes a servant’s heart and a level of determination and perseverance. More than anything, it requires resilience, a quality that has become a commodity these days.
As we scour the industry and solicit input from our customers, our primary focus at Picis remains providing solutions to help our customers deliver the best care possible. I am immensely inspired by the work our caregivers do every day to be there for patients, in spite of the obstacles and the risks. As we continue to deal with the virus, my hope is that each of us at Picis can emulate the resilience we see in our customers, even if we can’t see it directly with our own eyes.
COVID-19 will eventually be gone or a vaccine distributed globally, but at some point, something else will take its place. We are all so very fortunate to have dedicated, highly trained professionals ready to help us heal. If you get a chance to thank a healthcare worker or someone who works at a healthcare facility, please don’t miss the chance to take a moment and express gratitude for their perseverance and resilience. One day, your recovery or a loved one’s may depend on them.
-Marcus Perez, EVP
