Meeting the Needs of those with Chronic Disease During the Pandemic

It’s clear that people are heeding the call not to come to Emergency Departments (ED) with non-emergent needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. GBMC and the other ED’s in our area have seen around a 40% reduction in visits. Since people are also staying away from physician offices, we should be concerned that those with chronic disease may have needs that are currently not being met. GBMC Health Partners has made fabulous progress in improving the health of patients with diabetes, for example. How can we assure that these gains are not lost? Our nurse care managers and care coordinators have been reaching out to those with chronic disease on the phone and our providers have done more than 2,600 video visits over the last three weeks! What a great testament to our core competency of redesigning care to meet the needs of those we serve regardless of what comes our way.

Earlier this week, our Marketing Department coordinated three Facebook Live interviews, one of which included our Chief of Endocrinology, Dr. Ruth Horowitz. Dr. Horowitz provided some very important information for those with diabetes about why it’s important to take extra precautions during the COVID-19 outbreak. If you are interested, click here.

Walking for A Great Cause!

To follow social distancing guidelines and avoid bringing a large group of walkers together, we decided to do this year’s Walk a Mile in Their Shoes event VIRTUALLY.

Walk a Mile in Their Shoes, hosted by the GBMC Foundation and presented by the GBMC Volunteer Auxiliary, financially supports our Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) and Domestic Violence (DV) Program. This event has continued to grow over the years and I am hopeful that, despite these unprecedented times, this year will be no different.

So, I ask everyone to walk or run a mile (or more) and to encourage their friends to do the same, anytime between now and Saturday, April 4, for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. Our goal is to reach 725 virtual miles in recognition of the 725 patients who received help from the SAFE and DV Program in 2019. There are three simple steps to take:

1. Take a photo or video of yourself walking or running a mile (or more!)
2. Post the photo or video on any social media platform (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) - use hashtag #GBMCWalkaMile, tag GBMC HealthCare, or email socialmedia@gbmc.org so we can feature you!
3. Complete this form to let us know how many miles you walked/run so we can meet our goal of 725 miles. (And we’ll mail you a T-Shirt!)

We are so proud of our SAFE and DV program, and with your help, we can continue to be a leader in this area by serving those in need and educating the community.

If you’re interested in participating in our virtual walk or want to donate to our SAFE and DV program, it’s not too late. Please visit www.gbmc.org/WalkaMile for further details.Thank you!

Doctor’s Day 2020

March 30th (this past Monday) was the annual Doctor’s Day. On this day we thank physicians for their commitment to serving those in need. I’m honored to recognize our doctors who, despite the risks that they face, continue to serve on the front lines to care for people and help to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The pandemic is taking an emotional toll on all, and that includes physicians. Healthcare workers across the country are sacrificing for others. If you are looking for ways to make a difference, please consider a donation to our HealthCare Workers Fund to support those on the front lines who are making these sacrifices to keep us safe. Thank you!