Facing the Surge: Reflections and Resources for Redeployed Physicians in the COVID Pandemic

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By Angela Castellanos, MD |  January 5, 2021 |  0 

While spring 2020 feels like a lifetime ago, COVID-19 is still with us. Unfortunately, this winter has brought more infections, hospitalizations, and death rates that eclipse what many saw last spring. But this time, while the headlines are back about hospitals running low on PPE, ICU bed shortages, and long lines for testing, we now have more evidence for our clinical decisions, a better understanding of the clinical course, and widespread vaccination on the horizon. December’s #JHMChat, focused on the JHM article, “Deployed: Pediatric Residents Caring for Adults During COVID-19’s First Wave in New York City,” and opened the discussion to experiences, reflections, and resources during this surge.

For this #JHMChat, we welcomed the POPCoRNetwork (Pediatric Overflow Planning Contingency Response Network) as our cohost, bringing their expertise as a grassroots organization to help redeployed non-adult providers care for patients in and out of COVID units. Adult ICU physician Dr. Lakshman Swamy and pediatric hospitalist and POPCoRNetwork social media team lead Dr. Anika Kumar joined the discussion and helped lead a conversation among 62 participants with 3.2 million Twitter impressions.

What became clear during the conversation is that many physicians are physically and emotionally tired. And despite the knowledge gained since the spring, both adult and redeployed physicians are still balancing a lot of uncertainty and still looking for resources to help them care for COVID patients. Below are some of the themes and resources I found to be most resonant and helpful through the #JHMChat.

1. Second wave? Try FIRST nationwide wave.

Frontline healthcare workers in New York, Boston, and many other cities hit hard in the spring may consider this winter surge the second wave, but this time, the entire nation is feeling the surge. Some physicians are feeling the weight of that impact for the first time.

2. Burnout is real.

We all know physicians can work long hours under high stress, but this pandemic has provided a relentless stream of high acuity and high volume for nearly a year. The anxious and eager physicians of the spring are now the weary physicians of the winter.

3. While we have learned a lot since the spring, uncertainty remains a constant, so never worry alone.

This conversation was just as much about looking ahead to the long winter months, as it was about reflecting about our collective experiences since March.

For more camaraderie in this time of social distancing, join us for future #JHMChats. We host and announce these monthly interactive discussions over on Twitter through the @JHospMedicine handle.

Check out these resources for physicians caring for COVID-19 patients:

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About the Author: Angela Castellanos, MD

Angela Castellanos, MD is a pediatric hospitalist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. She obtained her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed her pediatric residency at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Her professional interests include medical communication, working with and advocating for Spanish-speaking patients, and health literacy. She serves as the managing editor of Las Doctoras Recomiendan, a Spanish-language pediatric health information podcast for patients and families, and also spent a year as a New England Journal of Medicine editorial fellow. Dr. Castellanos is currently the digital media fellow at the Journal of Hospital Medicine. When she is not in the hospital, editing podcasts, or online, you can find her running, playing tennis, or enjoying music.

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