Statement from Dr. David Ellis, chief medical officer, Pardee UNC Health Care:
Dec. 22, 2020:
As we head into the holidays, simultaneously watching the number of COVID cases increase daily within our county and in our hospital, I wanted to take a moment to share my thoughts and a personal request.
The wave of COVID patients expected 8 months ago has now arrived. Today, Pardee has 44 patients hospitalized for COVID-19. Over the past week, we’ve seen our case counts rise dramatically and we don’t see that changing in the near future. Unlike the spring, we are not experiencing PPE shortages and we have treatments and therapies in place to care for hospitalized COVID patients.
For now, we are managing this increase in COVID cases. Thankfully, we have a team of dedicated clinicians, including RNs, CNAs, and CMAs, along with physicians and non-clinical staff who have stepped up to address the immediate needs at hand. I thank them for doing their part to take on roles and responsibilities outside their normal routine. They really are our heroes.
I have a request now for our community.
Please be leaders and set the example for our community and our region. I know that COVID-fatigue is real; we all have it. Thankfully, we have a vaccine and with each day, we’ll be able to vaccinate not only our co-workers, but the community as well. But as you know, this will take time. Until we reach community vaccination levels, we must do our part.
Your personal behavior and actions are important. Whether you choose to gather with folks from outside your immediate family, wear your mask in public, or physically distance from others in public, your actions have consequences not just to you, but to your family and friends. When you choose to continue to adhere to the 3Ws and avoid holiday gatherings, you’re helping us gain traction needed to turn the tide on this growing wave of patients. That’s the sort of help we all need right now.
Thank you,
David Ellis, MD, Chief Medical Officer
Pardee UNC Health Care
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