By Dave Herwitz, Director, ABC Training Center
As I write this, the Tri-State area is still recovering from Hurricane Sandy. Many homes are still without power. Parts of Queens and Staten Island look like war zones. The geography of the Jersey shore is changed forever.
Amid all of the storm’s destruction and aftermath, we all heard stories of bravery and heroism from first responders. No surprise here as these men and women constantly put their own safety aside in order to help those in need. They’re truly a special breed. And every day we saw stories on television and in the papers chronicling what they did for countless New Yorkers.
However, there is another group of people who I consider to be just as important to the well-being of our citizens in times of crisis: health care workers. While Sandy was battering the area, thousands of health care workers reported for duty to look after those who could not look after themselves: the sick, frail and elderly. I’ve heard so many stories of Nurse Aides, Health Aides and Medical Assistants who went out and dutifully reported to work. Many of these folks pulled double and triple shifts. Many camped out and slept in their place of work. Many did so while being away from their own families, who were home contending with property damage, power outages, etc. And all of this was done for the sake of patients who would otherwise be complete strangers. To the countless patients and nursing home residents across the area, the continuity of care was there and was never disrupted.
Our healthcare workers in a time of crisis, like many a tough New Yorker, didn’t miss a beat.
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