The last year has been full of ups and downs. 

In addition to taking care of COVID-19 patients, we’re trying our best to get patients vaccinated while sifting through a cloud of misinformation. Our current situation is unsettling, but it still shouldn’t deter those in need. I have personally observed many people avoiding care, allowing chronic illnesses to grow worse. Sometimes patients even discover they have a completely new undiagnosed condition. 

Delaying and avoiding care due to fears of COVID-19 exposure has led to poorly controlled diabetes, worsening blood pressure, unchecked high cholesterol and late cancer diagnoses for so many.

Preventative care visits are still important. I know many of you reading this are scared of contracting COVID-19 but allowing your existing condition to deteriorate will only make things worse, especially if you were to be hospitalized with COVID-19. We need to see you. 

We are making sure there are no new concerns and that chronic conditions are controlled. We screen for various cancers and it’s an excellent time to make sure vaccines are up to date.

While COVID-19 certainly has not gone away, we are constantly learning more about the virus. As we learn more about how to mitigate the virus, new strategies are implemented to keep patients even safer. We keep symptomatic patients separate from all other patients. We continue to require masks for everyone in the building. 

I personally feel safer coming to work where I know I will be in contact with COVID-19 positive patients than I do going almost anywhere else. We have the proper precautions in place where other places do not.