I remember standing in my dining room on March 9, 2020, when I learned that COVID-19 was very real and that it was coming to our community. The San Mateo County Health Department called in the early evening and shared that federal authorities were sending two of the suspected COVID-19 passengers from the Grand Princess Cruise Ship docked in Oakland to Sequoia Hospital. They were in the ambulance, on their way, and we had about 30 minutes to get ready. Eventually, we learned that those first patients did not have this new and frightening disease, but over the coming weeks, months and years, we cared for many COVID-19 patients and our larger community was impacted in ways that we could never have imagined. This month, we recognize the third anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a global pandemic as well as the recent end of San Mateo County’s COVID-19 state of emergency. Ironically, after avoiding the disease for three years, it finally found me. Aside from some mild cold symptoms and quarantine boredom, I am fine.
Bill Graham
Sitting at home gave me time to look back and reflect on where we have been as a community these last three years. My illness is a success story, representing the success of our collective San Mateo County community. When we were asked to shelter in place, we did. When we were asked to practice social distancing, we did. When we were asked to vaccinate, we did. It was not easy and not without sacrifice, but we did it. We placed our trust and confidence in each other and so often placed the needs of our community above our own. Many still got COVID-19 and many sadly lost their lives, but so many more were able to delay the disease until we could limit its devastating impact. The risks are still with us and are especially concerning for the most vulnerable in our community. We have accomplished a lot, but cultural and racial barriers to health care still exist. Addressing these inequities will take our entire community to solve, but we are all stronger when every member of our community has access, trust, and confidence in our health care system.
On this third anniversary of the pandemic, thank you to the amazing team at Sequoia Hospital. You have given much and your community is better for all you do. Thank you to our county leadership, public health department and Health Plan of San Mateo. When asked to lead, you did and you continue to do so. Thank you to the larger medical community of hospitals, physicians, post-acute providers, home health providers, mental health providers, and so many more. We collaborated in ways we would never have considered before. Thank you to our first responders and to everyone on the front lines. Even when the risks were great, you were there. Thank you to our business community. So many of you found paths to success and created opportunity for others to succeed. Thank you to the people of San Mateo County for placing your trust in each other and in our leaders. It has been a challenging three years, but our community is very strong.
Bill Graham is the president of Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital.
Mr. Graham, thanks for your letter but unfortunately, we see all too well the damage done to poor kids due to ill-conceived shelter in place, social distancing, vaccine and vaccine mandates that were not based in science. At the beginning, when the virus was new and unknown, I’m sure folks did their best but… Why did Democrat governors send seniors infected with COVID back to senior homes to infect our highest risk folks - other seniors? Why did we continue to focus on ill-advised policies regarding masking and so-called vaccinations that didn’t vaccinate? What was done for treatment? Why weren’t proven effective medicines not prescribed, leading to increased mortality?
Unfortunately, as LittleFoot mentioned, the medical system became too politicized. Instead of following science, they followed emotion, especially those at the CDC. There are still plenty of lessons to be learned – the question is whether folks are willing to learn from those lessons.
Having very wonderful friends in the medical profession, I can only say how grateful I am to everyone who gave their all to help keep people alive. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you to each and every person seen and unseen who helped us through this terrible time.
The medical system has been politicized and has become more of an insidious joke than the court system. Unfortunately, none of these unelected bureaucrats and so called "pundits" can be trusted anymore. We must all think and do for ourselves.
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(4) comments
Thank you for the reminder of how much the medical community did for us during the pandemic all at great risk to themselves and their own families.
Mr. Graham, thanks for your letter but unfortunately, we see all too well the damage done to poor kids due to ill-conceived shelter in place, social distancing, vaccine and vaccine mandates that were not based in science. At the beginning, when the virus was new and unknown, I’m sure folks did their best but… Why did Democrat governors send seniors infected with COVID back to senior homes to infect our highest risk folks - other seniors? Why did we continue to focus on ill-advised policies regarding masking and so-called vaccinations that didn’t vaccinate? What was done for treatment? Why weren’t proven effective medicines not prescribed, leading to increased mortality?
Unfortunately, as LittleFoot mentioned, the medical system became too politicized. Instead of following science, they followed emotion, especially those at the CDC. There are still plenty of lessons to be learned – the question is whether folks are willing to learn from those lessons.
Having very wonderful friends in the medical profession, I can only say how grateful I am to everyone who gave their all to help keep people alive. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you to each and every person seen and unseen who helped us through this terrible time.
The medical system has been politicized and has become more of an insidious joke than the court system. Unfortunately, none of these unelected bureaucrats and so called "pundits" can be trusted anymore. We must all think and do for ourselves.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.