ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES Health and Wellness for All Arizonans Home About ADHS RSS AZDHS.gov An appeal from our medical community: ‘Help us help you’ Home/Preparedness/An appeal from our medical community: ‘Help us help you’ Previous An appeal from our medical community: ‘Help us help you’ This week, hospital medical leaders and I joined Dr. Richard Carmona, the 17th U.S. Surgeon General and special adviser to Governor Ducey on public health emergency preparedness, to share ways we can work together to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Arizona. Hospitals are stretched thin dealing with seriously ill unvaccinated patients, while attending to the health needs of others. The unvarnished truth these chief medical officers shared is gripping. But don’t take our word for it. Hear it yourself on our YouTube page and see clips on our Twitter and Facebook accounts. Dr. Keith Frey of Dignity Health compared the medical community’s response to a rubber band that is close to reaching the limits of its ability to stretch. “Exhausted nurses, exhausted doctors,” Dr. Frey said. “Please help us help you so we can continue to be here for you. That’s what we’ve been called to do.” Dr. Alyssa Chapital of Mayo Clinic in Arizona described a “careful dance” hospitals are following now to help non-COVID-19 patients avoid delaying care — and as a result having more complications later. “But we also are treating those COVID patients that have long lengths of stay and that are filling up our ICUs, and they’re preventing us from taking care of all of the other patients that have needs,” Dr. Chapital said. Noting that we remain at war with COVID-19, Dr. Carmona called on those who haven’t been vaccinated to recognize their responsibility to others. “People say, ‘I’m an American. You can’t tell me what to do,’” Dr. Carmona said. “What we’re doing today is pleading with that American that it’s not about you. It’s about you, your family, your community, our state, the nation, and the world.” It means a great deal to me that these extremely busy leaders came together with a unified message and explained how Arizonans can do some simple things to help doctors and nurses continue to give everyone they care they need: Get vaccinated: azhealth.gov/FindVaccine; get kids ages 5 and older vaccinated: azhealth.gov/VaccinesForKids; get your flu shot: azhealth.gov/Flu; mask up, physically distance, keep your hands washed, stay home if sick, and follow other prevention steps detailed at azhealth.gov/COVID-19; and if you contract COVID-19, get tested early and see if you qualify for monoclonal antibody treatment to reduce the severity of your illness: azdhs.gov/mAbs. By Don Herrington| November 26th, 2021|Preparedness|Comments Off on An appeal from our medical community: ‘Help us help you’ Share This Story, Choose Your Platform! Facebook Twitter Linkedin Google+ Pinterest Email About the Author: Don Herrington Don Herrington, Interim Director, has been with ADHS since 2000. During this time he has served as the State’s Food Safety Manager, the Office Chief of Environmental Health, Bureau Chief of Epidemiology and Disease Control Services, Acting Assistant Director for Public Health Preparedness, Assistant Director for Public Health Preparedness. Herrington is currently the department’s Deputy Director for Planning and Operations. In this role he oversees policy development, hiring professional and support staff and the department’s budget. During his time in public health, Herrington has served on numerous councils, commissions and committees on behalf of the Director of ADHS, including Chair of the Arizona Sanitarians’ Council, Chair of the Arizona Infection Prevention and Control Advisory Committee, and as one of five voting members of the Arizona Emergency Response Commission. 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Get tested if you have symptoms. Get tested… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 8 hours ago Help hospitals help you by curbing the spread of #COVID19. Get vaccinated/get your booster and take steps proven to… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 12 hours ago ICYMI: Dr. Richard Carmona on @FOX10Phoenix: "People say, 'I'm an American. You can't tell me what to do.' What we'… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 14 hours ago © 2015 - Arizona Department of Health Services