Louisville Medicine Volume 68, Issue 12 | Page 6

BEHIND OUR MASKS ARE SMILES AT LAST

May 2020 : uncertainty . May 2021 : cautious optimism .

Reflecting on the events of the last year , we have grown and learned a lot over this pandemic . We have seen this virus bring our community to a halt . We have lost patients , friends and physician colleagues to this virus . Those who have recovered from COVID-19 have continued to show fatigue , shortness of breath , loss of smell and taste , sometimes even brain fog .
November brought the worst months for COVID-19 cases in our community . December brought our first sign of hope , the first approved vaccine from Pfizer , followed by Moderna . From our vaccine campaign , those most at risk were vaccinated first , helping to cut down the number of COVID-19 cases . From January to March , our vaccine doses have drastically increased . We went from health care workers waiting anxiously for a vaccine in January , to opening the vaccination to everybody 16 and up in April . Some milestone events are possible now , but still in a cautious way . Thunder got all split up , the Mini with a weird course , Derby boxes only half full but folks betting with both hands , nonetheless .
Moving forward , we will take the best things we have learned from COVID-19 and combine it with what we once called normal . Virtual meetings have allowed us to connect and make options more accessible for individuals who face hardship to meet in person . We have learned that the constant go , go , go scheduling is not necessary . We have learned to prioritize what we find most important .
As your President , I hope I have done justice to our voice . I have been able to represent our voice in forums with Mayor Fischer , the Courier-Journal , JCPS Board of Education , and on various media outlets . As your medical society , we have been able to schedule virtual meetings in regard to physician wellness and improving equity in medicine sessions for you . We have completed these sessions in partnerships with Northern Kentucky Medical Society , Lexington Medical Society and the Health Enterprise Network .
We ’ ve written three editorials for the Courier-Journal to educate the public about the pandemic in collaboration with Falls City Medical Society and the Louisville Board of Health . The GLMS Foundation has been proactive for our physician practices with their PPE drive to help provide gloves , masks and hand sanitizer .
Our Foundation has made public service announcements to encourage the public to get COVID-19-vaccinated . We move forward together , and our efforts for vaccination locally , nationally and globally will affect how long this pandemic will last . May we continue our resolve to beat this virus and stay safe .
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to be your President this year . It has been my honor and privilege . I hope this year has challenged you , opened your eyes to new perspectives , and helped show folks your medical society is here to help get us through anything , together .
Thank you to my family , my friends , my partners and Norton Healthcare - all have helped to make the last year possible . Most importantly , thank you to my patients who have graciously shared me with the community .
Dr . Monalisa Tailor is the Executive Medical Director , Primary Care for Norton Medical Group and is a practicing internal medicine physician at Norton Community Medical Associates : Barret .
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