On Friday, Santa Clarita Mayor Bill Miranda hosted a Facebook live with Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital staff to check-in and offer gratitude to the healthcare workers in our community.
“Our frontline medical workers have been working for months upon months in our community, for our community members in our time of need,” said Miranda. “These nurses, doctors and other hospital staff are now stretched thin and are overwhelmed, emotionally and physically. Today we want to let those essential workers know how much we appreciate the work that they’re doing.”
The City and Saugus Cafe, a local classic eatery, provided meals for hospital staff this thanks for the hard work they have been doing for the community over the past several months, especially in the face of rising hospitalizations and deaths.
For the past nine months, the medical workers at Henry Mayo have worked tirelessly in the face of one of the most difficult medical emergencies the nation has ever faced, with no absolute end to the COVID-19 pandemic in sight, although recent developments might offer hope.
On Thursday, Henry Mayo Newhall ICU employees were administered with the first round of COVID-19 vaccinations, with the second dose set to be administered in three weeks.
“This week we got our vaccine. So our staff have it a little extra pep in their step for sure. Said starting yesterday,” said Jennifer Fitzpatrick, ICU director at Henry Mayo. “We started vaccinating our frontline healthcare workers, and it’s really given all of us a lot of hope that we see a light at the end of the tunnel for this.”
Henry Mayo CEO Roger Seaver noted that in conversations he had with ICU nursing staff, there was a great focus on community support, as well as worry for what the amount of staffing could mean for patients.
“They do feel stressed because of the shortage, (which) is actually in qualified nurses all across the country. There’s really no adequate way that we can keep the staffing to the level that the patient needs over the long term. So what it means is people are working extra and they are tired at times,” said Seaver, “They want to do it though. The most common comment I heard from the staff is ‘this is our community, I live here, and I’m going to take care of everybody.’”
Henry Mayo officials cautioned Santa Clarita residents to continue using caution this holiday season in hopes of curbing the spread of coronavirus, which has surged in the aftermath of major holidays throughout the year.
“The strongest data we have is after every holiday the incidence of diagnosis and need for hospitalization spikes. So there’s a huge concern over this holiday that if we have the same spiking, it will totally overwhelm California,” said Seaver. “It’s really at a breaking point as far as having enough people to take care of those who actually contracted the disease, it’s a very serious issue. I know the belief is hard, this is an invisible enemy.”
In closing, Mayor Miranda acknowledged the reservations that some members might hold towards taking the COVID-19 vaccine themselves.
“I know some people have some reservations about taking the vaccine, that’s an individual thing,” said Miranda. “If you feel you don’t want to take it for whatever reason and you know, you have that right but I as your mayor I’m recommending.”
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