A Moment with Melissa: Courage, Care and Compassion Amidst COVID-19: Marking One Year
Today marks one full year since the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic. It has been one of the most difficult years many have faced both personally and professionally, one filled with loss for far too many.
At St. Joe’s, we have cared for 359 inpatients with COVID-19 in the past year, the first inpatient on March 17, the day our Premier declared the Emergency Order for Ontario. 70 patients with COVID-19 have died here. Those are statistics, far from representative of the courage, care and compassion you have given to these patients and their families, and each other.
Let me share with you a quote from a study led by Joe’s intensivist Dr. Deborah Cook, about the experiences of clinicians caring for patients dying during the first wave. This statement from a doctor stands out to me:
“When we first told him that his family wasn’t able to come in and visit, he just took my hand and looked at me and he goes, ‘Don’t worry, I’m never going to be alone. You’re my hospital family.’ I thought that’s what we are – hospital family – and we’ll be with him every day and even if it’s just sometimes, sit in the room and hold his hand.”
For many, “family” has taken an extended meaning. Next week, we’ll be giving voice to some of our people at St. Joe’s, asking them what they want to say about the past year. We’ve already recorded some of the messages from our staff that we’ll share on social media and on our website. So many staff in those recordings talk about both the support of their families at home, and their work family at St. Joe’s.
This from ICU Nurse Jason Jansz:
“I’ve learned to be strong. It’s been a hard road through the past year … What I’ve learned is that the team doesn’t only exist of doctors and nurses. I have to give credit to our respiratory therapists, to our housekeepers for keeping the place clean, the physios and OTs. We’re one big family, and what it’s done is brought all the different disciplines together as one.”
So, while I reflect upon loss, I also want to give voice to gratitude and hope. I am so incredibly grateful for every one of our teams. They have led us through this time with strength and sacrifice and fortitude.
And I have hope. We have opened our West 5th Vaccine clinic to those most vulnerable 85 and older and elderly Indigenous peoples. Our long-term care and high-risk retirement homes have received first and second doses of the vaccine. And we are increasing the pace of getting vaccines into the arms of our patient-facing and critical-to-operations healthcare workers. A third wave may be coming, but we are in a far, far better place than we have been at any point in this past year to face it.
Additionally, Sister Anne Anderson, Chair of the Board of Directors, St. Joseph’s Health System, Winnie Doyle, Interim President and CEO, St. Joseph’s Health System, and Sera Filice-Armenio, President and CEO, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Foundation, offer their reflections, gratitude, and message of hope below.
I encourage you to also pause, and perhaps watch this video on reflection from Critical Care Services Ontario. Please see the video HERE.
I will end with the words of Sr. Anne, Winnie and Sera.
Sr. Anne Anderson, Board Chair, & Ms Winnie Doyle, Interim President and CEO, St. Joseph’s Health System
As we recognize the 1-year anniversary of the Covid 19 Pandemic, we want to add our deep gratitude on behalf of the St. Joseph’s Health System. The pandemic has imposed loss and hardship, and it has demanded sacrifices. Despite these challenges St. Joe’s teams have made a difference in thousands of ways. They have made differences to patients, differences to families, differences to colleagues, and differences to our community. The spirit and strength of the Sisters’ Legacy has been present throughout. The pandemic has demanded strong leadership, oodles of generosity, great science, and superb teamwork from everyone. We have been tested, we have excelled, and we are facing the future knowing that we can endure. To each one of St. Joe’s teams, sincere thanks and admiration for all you have given.
Ms Sera Filice-Armenio, President & CEO, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Foundation
There’s no doubt, it’s been a long year. One filled with change, uncertainty, and anxiety, too. Here at the Foundation, we’ve had the privilege of seeing another side of the pandemic. We’ve been awed by the courage as St. Joe’s teams stood strong in our fight against a new and unknown virus. We’ve been inspired by the way our community came together even though we were kept apart. We’ve been humbled by the drop-offs of food, coffee, flowers, chocolate, masks, gloves, gowns and more to thank staff and physicians for their tireless efforts. And we continue to be so grateful for the generosity of our donors who are helping to fund equipment, research, supplies, mental health care and more. Looking back, the past year has united us in a common battle to recapture the little things that mean so much: things like hugs, family dinners and seeing a friend’s or a loved one’s smile. Looking forward, collective efforts and those of the people involved in our new vaccine clinic are giving us renewed hope that recapturing those things is within our reach. Until then, stay strong, stay safe and thank you for your sacrifice and service.