Love in the time of Coronavirus

“The Coronavirus pandemic has brought with it many challenges, fear and uncertainty. But, alongside the challenges, fear and uncertainty, it has also brought love.

I see love in the Beacon associates who selflessly volunteered to work on the COVID units, from nurses, to therapists, physicians, aides, respiratory therapists, environmental services, nutrition services, pharmacists, technicians, and many more.

I see love in the nurses, nursing supervisors, case managers and chaplains who work tirelessly to connect our patients with their loved ones using iPads, during a time when visitors are not allowed in the hospital. This group provides love and compassion when family members cannot be by their side.

I see love in the team of environmental services associates who work diligently to keep our hospitals clean and our patients and associates safe.

I see love in the teamwork within and among departments, with associates giving each other shout outs for working extra shifts, or stepping in to help prone a patient in the critical care unit, or just being there to listen when someone is having a challenging day.

I see love from our Beacon associates who provide drive-up COVID testing in several locations, no matter the weather.

I see love from our community who stands by our side, calls us heroes, and provides us with meals and signs to show their gratitude for our work during this pandemic.

I see love in our procurement specialists who make sure our Beacon associates have all the personal protective equipment needed to keep them safe, and ensure our patients have all the necessary medications to help them heal and recover.

I see love in our Beacon Medical Group associates and physicians who were nimble, and quickly adapted to provide care for our community through telemedicine visits.

I see love in the countless hours spent by our communications associates making sure information is shared with our associates and our community.

I see love in the way a pandemic crisis can bring a health system like Beacon together to provide the strength and direction needed to see us through an unprecedented time. These last several months have stretched us all and have put our health system to the test.

It is easy to focus on the challenges, and only see this as a coronavirus pandemic, but instead, I choose to also see love.”

Written by Maria Behr
Executive Director of Operations
Elkhart General Hospital