Letter to the Editor: Sincere appreciation

To the Editor:

In my 37 years of being in the health care field, I have never seen a bigger impact to how health care is delivered than with the changes that have occurred due to COVID-19.

One day Veterans Memorial Hospital is open and access is as simple as going to the front desk or patient room to visit, and the next you are greeted at the only open entrance with a person gowned, gloved and masked. You are asked questions, your temperature taken, and then escorted to where you need to go. It bothered me to have that happen at first, but I have come to realize that COVID-19 is not going away anytime soon.

I have always been proud of the people who work at VMH. I have never worked with a group more dedicated, compassionate and caring. A mask, gown and gloves do not change those characteristics, but highlights them. They care enough about what they do to constantly wear or put on the equipment that protects themselves, their coworkers, the patient, and anyone else they come into contact with. They worked hard to set up a patient care area in the clinic in case we had overflow patients.

Many were asked to stay home on furlough because the volume of patients has decreased. Then when asked to come back, they came back ready to assist in caring for our patients. They are truly outstanding people and excellent team members.

With the input from the Board of Trustees, the support of our provider staff, and the leadership of department heads, we are weathering the storm. There has been financial assistance from the government that has been vital to our efforts. Without that support, small hospitals across the country would have closed. I have appreciated the support of the City Council and Board of Supervisors as well.

Finally, the support of the people we serve has been overwhelming. From sewing personal protective equipment to bringing food for the staff, that support has made a huge difference. As we slowly begin performing elective procedures, we will keep all of you informed of what we are doing.

Thank you for the support you give to Veterans Memorial Hospital.

Mike Myers
Administrator
Veterans Memorial Hospital
Waukon