Our Respiratory Therapy team is made up of many colleagues who have been at MSBI for a long time. They have weathered many storms including 9/11 and hurricane Sandy. Even so, like all of us, they were shocked at the intensity and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic in our region and found themselves right in the center of it.
“If you have COVID-19, you see us,” said Leo Go, respiratory therapist.
This COVID-19 wave hit so fast and so hard that our small team of 15 respiratory therapists had to care for a growing number of patients with no extra help for the first several weeks. There was a steep learning curve in adapting to the rate at which patients needed respiratory care and exhaustion that came with working extra shifts.
Respiratory Therapist Peter Chesney has been here for almost 25 years and shared just how trying this time has been.
“We knew it was going to be a dangerous time for us. We’ve been patient and we’ve leaned on each other for support. When you are trained in respiratory therapy, you learn how to accept death as a part of the life cycle. Even so, this crisis has been an emotional see-saw for those of us trained to be strong,” he said.
When others came to help us, our Respiratory Therapists stepped up to train them while still carrying full patient loads. They have noted how kind and skilled the traveler Respiratory Therapists are, and credit our long history of a culture of teamwork for the success of the larger team.
“They basically saved us after a very challenging month,” said Leo.
“I’ve been here 25 years because of the culture of caring and family. I know of patients who could go anywhere who choose us because of the teamwork and selfless care we offer here,” said Peter.
It is the strong spirit of family that has helped to keep our MSBI family resilient and adaptable during these challenging times. Our Respiratory Therapists exemplify that spirit. I am in awe of all they have done during COVID-19 and always.
We have a more stories about your extraordinary work on Instagram and the MSBI blog.