An Inside Look at our Frontline Heroes

Recently, members of the St. Joseph’s Health Foundation team, and other non-clinical departments, were asked to volunteer in non-clinical roles at our campuses, as a high amount of staff were out sick with Covid-19. Many of us jumped at the chance to support our medical staff who have been working tirelessly since the beginning of the pandemic to care for those in our community. To say I was in awe of what I witnessed would be an understatement. I watched as doctors, nurses and PCA’s worked tirelessly to care for their patients, many of whom were COVID positive. They covered shifts for their co-workers and worked late to make sure all of their patients were cared for. Some were recovering from COVID themselves or were staying in local hotels, so as not to infect their families at home. Many had not sat down to eat a meal or take a breath of fresh air, after wearing multiple masks all day. I watched as they moved swiftly from patient to patient, administering medicine and drawing blood samples, all the while consoling the patients emotionally, knowing there would be no visitors allowed as the policy would no longer allow it. I watched as a doctor held a cell phone up to the glass door for a son to see his father for one last time. I helped answer the phone calls of family members asking for updates on their loved ones, and watched as the nurses paused from their duties to comfort and console those who were desperate for any shred of information that would indicate their loved one would be ok.

On my way to my volunteer shift each day, I would buy coffee or healthy snacks to share with the department I would be assisting that day. It may have been a small gesture, but to our staff who had been working all day when I arrived, it sent the message, “I see you. I appreciate you.” In the weeks since the surge began, the Foundation has been working with hospital staff to deliver hot meals donated by local restaurants, healthy snacks bought with donations to the COVID-19 Response Fund and more.

As I go about my day now, I think of the employees I witnessed working selflessly to care for our patient community, all the while keeping a sense of humor and treating their co-workers like family. I hope you will do the same and consider making a gift today to the COVID-19 Response Fund so we may continue to support our staff through this surge and beyond.

Kim Reckler, Manager, Annual Giving