We’re now racing toward the end-of-year holidays — and are definitely racing against the pandemic and its associated demands. On one hand, COVID-19 continues to accelerate at unprecedented rates. Families are being forever impacted and our hospital professionals continue to be pushed to their limits. At the same time, holiday gatherings threaten to place additional strain on health care workers who have been at the forefront of this fight for nearly a year. Conversely, there are miracles to be celebrated every day.
Members of our teams received the first allocations of the groundbreaking Pfizer vaccines last week to protect as many frontline health care workers as possible. This is a result of science and dedication by our medical and research communities. While the hard-fought battle against COVID-19 is far from over, the vaccine marks an important milestone.
I have special appreciation for the nurses, doctors, allied professionals and support staff who bravely and tirelessly continue to serve our communities. They are the most valuable resource we have. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the cavalry is coming to take the pressure off. Hospitalizations are zooming upwards across the country, and we’ll likely need to pull through with our stalwart heroes. Hats off to them, again.
At this time, know that the HASC team continues to work with our partners at CHA and in the community to advocate on your behalf on a range of issues — including nurse staffing flexibility and regulatory challenges. We will continue to energetically advocate for your needs through the duration of this crisis.
Best holiday wishes to all, to your teams, families, partners and friends. There’s much to be hopeful about as we look towards 2021.
Take care and stay safe. Also feel free to reach out directly to me with your specific issues.
George G.
