Advice From Doctors on the Front Lines

Rob Pasick’s Leaders Connect Zoomcast last week featured four physicians on the front lines in the battle to subdue the coronavirus. Dr. Stephen Aronson (Psychiatrist, VA Hospital), Dr. Lee Benjamin (Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Medical Staff Officer, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System), Dr. Keenan Bora (Emergency Medicine Physician at Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital) and Dr. Rob McCurdy (Senior Vice President – Envision Healthcare Ann Arbor, MI). A full video fo the zoom cast is available HERE.

Here are some of the main points:

From Dr. Bora

• This is a public health problem not a personal health issue. The asymptomatic carriers are the ones who will spread the virus around. Your decisions do not just affect yourself; they affect anyone you come into contact with.
• We are all experiencing different kinds of grief.
• Age is the largest risk factor, then obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.
• Antibody testing is testing your body’s response to the virus.
  • What level of antibodies in your body is considered “immune”? – Science doesn’t know that right now.
  • Antibody testing may or may not tell you if you have had the virus. The number of antibodies your body produces varies.
  • Testing is not perfect.

From Dr. McCurdy

• Don’t be afraid to see the doctor or go to the ER. It is safe to go to the ER, and do not ignore your emergencies. We are at a steady state with supplies of PPE and critical care supplies/staff.
• Focus on and maintain on your well-being and mental health.

From Dr. Aronson

• This virus does not just affect the elderly or people with preexisting conditions.
• “This is a virus that is writing its own rules every day.”
• Be mindful of medical staff burnout.
• Try to remain as connected with others as much possible while staying safe.

From Dr. Benjamin

• Try to control any underlying medical problems.
• Say “thank you” to your medical staff (nurses, supply chains, pharmacists, doctors, etc.) to help re-establish that sense of purpose.
• Be thoughtful of how you’re acting (washing hands, wearing a mask, going places you do not need to go).

From Dr. Pasick

• Set goals for the time you are isolated.
  • Write them down.
  • Share them with your partner.
• Sleep 8 hours a night (on a regular schedule).
• Learn something new. (My mother-in-law is teaching me mahjong)
• During this extended time, know we’re all going to screw up sometimes.Learn to apologize (How to Apologize and Why It Matters by Brene Brown).