"I just wanted to send a quick message to say a heartfelt thank you for all that you're doing. I know, at least in Texas, we're in the midst of our third surge, and this has been even more difficult than the first two.
We have nursing shortages. We have bedding shortages. There are just patients everywhere and it's gotten challenging -- emotionally, physically, psychologically. This is just a hard place to be when we thought we were done with this a few months ago, and it there's no foreseeable end in sight.
It requires more than just resilience. It requires just energy and passion and a constant reminder that we are all in this together and really cheering each other on to, to keep up the work and to keep going, because our patients really need us right now.
I was reading online about how many emergency physicians- in addition to having exhaustion and a hit to their own mental health and physical health- they're losing their own friends and family members to COVID. This hits home closely for many of us who are experiencing this firsthand, not just as physicians, but as patients.
I just wanted to say that that really breaks my heart because I feel the sentiment from people of ‘feeling alone.’ And the message I want to send today is that you are not alone. We are all here with you, whether or not we are there physically. We are here in spirit. We are here psychologically. We are here with a number of resources to be an army of colleagues and friends to support you and get you through this.
So thank you for continuing to push the envelope, for giving it your all, for showing your patients and our community and our college what emergency physicians are all about.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all that you're doing."
