Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Summer 2020 - 37
M e d i c a l R ec o r d F e a t u r e
A Note of Gratitude to our
Community's Physicians
(Written May 1, 2020)
by Gregory Sorensen, MD
Tower Health Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer
Dear Fellow Physician,
As I write this, we are just starting to see the first indications
that COVID-19 may be receding in our region and our nation,
leaving behind it a wake of upended lives, a disrupted economy,
and, sadly, thousands of lost lives and sorrowing families.
Compounding our anxiety and stress is the uncertainty of
COVID-19's future path, and whether the coming year will bring
a resurgence or a vaccine breakthrough.
Whatever the future holds, I feel privileged to work with great
physicians and I am extraordinarily proud of how physicians
and Advanced Practice Providers (APP) in our region responded
to the pandemic. Together we watched with great interest and
intensity when news broke of a novel coronavirus in Wuhan,
China in January. Even before the first cases arrived here, my
colleagues at Tower Health jumped into action. Guided by our
historic experience with infectious diseases, we nonetheless had
to cope with the unprecedented scope of COVID-19's impact:
shelter-in-place orders, the cancellation of elective and outpatient
procedures, quarantining of physicians and nurses, disrupted
PPE supplies, and extraordinary demands for patient testing, and
intensive care resources, just to name a few.
Of particular consequence were the visitation restriction
policies needed to keep our patients and employees safe and
prevent further spread of the virus in our community. As
physicians, we know the benefit that having family members at
the bedside can have for patients as well as their loved ones. Our
patients suffering from COVID-19, often alone and afraid, relied
on you as a surrogate family member for comfort. As you do each
day, in addition to your medical expertise, you provided support,
encouraging words, and relayed messages to family members who
couldn't be with their loved ones.
When COVID-19 is behind us-as it will be someday-
medicine, as we know it, will never look the same. We've long
talked about increasing the use of telemedicine and virtual visits
to meet our patients when, and where, they need it. COVID-19
has accelerated the adoption of these technologies, affording us
the opportunity to care for our patients while they remained
safely at home. These technologies also kept you, our dedicated
physicians, safe from potential exposure.
Physicians and APPs also played a key role as trusted medical
experts educating the community on the importance of staying
home, proper hand hygiene, and practicing social distancing to
"flatten the curve." I can assure you this important information
made an impact on our community and has protected potentially
thousands of lives.
COVID-19 also engendered new levels of cooperation and
support throughout our region's healthcare infrastructure. I
extend my thanks and admiration to the team members at
Penn State Health St. Joseph, Encompass Healthcare, our EMS
Partners, the Berks County Department of Emergency Services,
and our elected officials at all levels for their dedication and
partnership during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our cooperative efforts against COVID-19 will have to
continue for the foreseeable future, even as it seems we are
passing through the initial wave. I am confident physicians
throughout our region will continue to rise to the many
challenges ahead. As we do so, I express my utmost respect for
your dedication to the practice of medicine, your patients, your
staff, and our communities.
With my sincerest regards,
Gregory Sorensen, MD
Tower Health
SUMMER 2020
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Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Summer 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Summer 2020
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