Yesterday morning, I jumped on a plane to New Jersey to help with the COVID-19 crisis. I felt this was a perfect opportunity for me given that I have no children at home and my husband, Ray, (I know some of you are skeptical that he even exists) has been isolating away from our house for the past month. This pandemic is unlike anything I have seen in my time as a physician and of course, I hope never to see again, that being said, I'm interested in being a part of it.
It is amazing how quickly things can get done during a pandemic. Those that are reading this in the medical field will attest to the fact that normally it takes up to six months to get a medical license. Well, I got an emergency license in two minutes and credentialing at the hospital in a day!
I showed up at Beth Israel Newark at 9am to get my badge, scrub access, and orient to the hospital. The physicians, nurses, CRNAs, anesthesia techs, and scrub techs were great and very appreciative of my arrival. I spent the day hanging out with the physicians that were on call for the OR, intubation team, and critical care. They told me about the last month at their hospitals; 12 hour shifts intubating patients young and old, knowing that the last person the patient might see is their face. They described the overwhelming emotional burden of taking care of so many people who were likely going to die , including two of their own GI doctors that they intubated. They had just intubated and sent a man to the ICU, who was desperately trying to get ahold of his wife to give her an update on his condition, only to find out that the reason they couldn't get ahold of her was because she was intubated in an ICU across town. They told me if people believe this is just like the flu, they should come see what they're dealing with. At one hospital, dead patients, because the morgue is full, are kept in the doctors parking garage. At the other hospital in town, the dead are kept in a refrigerated trailer. Their ICU's are full, PACU's are being used as ICU's, codes and respiratory emergencies are being called around the clock. Despite the chaos, they are using every measure possible to stay safe. As a group, they have implemented all the best practices and have avoided anyone in their team getting sick. This is the result of their vigilance and dedication. I am honored to be here with them and know that I will learn things applicable to my own practice. Thats all for now.
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