G. Joseph Beirne, DO, FACOEP-D
Hello ACOEP family! As you read this, it will be Spring, but as I write this article, it is Sunday, February 27, 2022. A few days ago, we had sleet and snow. Today, it is sunny and near 50. And by March 3, we will have temperatures near 70 degrees, here in St. Louis! I know it may not stay that way, but this time of year always brings my focus towards Spring — a transition towards warmer weather, sunny days and the renewal of the spirit.
Over the last two years, our profession has dealt with a pandemic that we will hopefully never see again in our lifetime. As the pandemic unfolded, I told one of my colleagues during a shift in the ER “this is our 1918” (in reference to the 1918 influenza pandemic). We had to be quick learners to combat COVID, to learn how to deal with the devastation of this virus — and we did. We utilized all of our skills as ER physicians, and as we move towards Spring, it appears the battle is being won more every day. Case numbers continue to decline, and our hope is that we may be seeing the beginning of the end of this difficult time. How did we respond? We did not give up; we forged on and made a difference. We take solace from the lessons we learned about COVID and continue to renew our commitment to providing excellent care for our patients.