To end the pandemic, it is essential that anyone who can receive a COVID-19 vaccine do so. But about a quarter of Americans have expressed hesitancy about coronavirus vaccination. The reality is that the more people refuse the vaccine, the more unlikely herd immunity becomes, creating ongoing risks for everyone…
Read MoreAs Americans receive the COVID-19 vaccination in record numbers, many of us are looking forward to returning to in-person socialization. People are beginning to venture outside of the “pods” they’d created for themselves in the past year, planning…
Read MoreAs more and more people become fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you may have questions about which activities are safe and which pose a greater risk…
Read MoreJoy can sometimes feel in short supply. In times of difficulty and grief, it can feel impossible to access deep and abiding happiness. It is essential to honor feelings of loss. It is equally necessary to eventually reclaim joy.
The months ahead will be about taking back much of what we lost…
Read MorePhysicians’ stories are all the more vital after the year we’ve endured. Today on the blog, I’ve gathered memoirs by healthcare professionals…
Read MoreThis spring is a welcome one. The sun has returned. Flowers are in bloom. We’re slowly and carefully gathering with loved ones again. Still, some of us are understandably wrestling with the facts of the heartbreaking year behind us. As we learn what our new normal will look like, it may take time for some people to trust that better times are ahead. Today on the blog…
Read MoreIn the wake of the shootings in Atlanta, I want to offer love to the Asian community. On Tuesday, March 16th, a Georgia man targeted Asian women working at massage parlors and killed eight people—including six Asian women. Here are the names of those who lost their lives:
Read MoreAt the end of February 2021, the United States passed a grim milestone—more than half-a-million people in the US have died from COVID-19. Flags on federal buildings were flown at half-staff for five days, and people around the country observed a moment of silence at sunset on the evening that 500,000 losses were surpassed…
Read MoreThe first known death from the coronavirus in the United States was on February 6, 2020. Where are we a year later? What have we been through? It’s a year that has left many of us battered, working long hours against a ruthless disease. In the early months of the pandemic, many healthcare professionals worked tirelessly without adequate personal protective equipment.
With the staggering death toll coupled with isolation from family and friends, the weight of the past year is heavy. For healing to begin, we must…
Read MoreAs the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine continues across the country, I’ve gathered some information on the vaccine, how to sign up for an appointment in your state, and what needs to be done to ensure that roll-out is equitable:
Read MoreWe are a full year into the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. It has been a year of challenges. Some of us may be feeling rundown, lonely, in need of care and connection.
One byproduct of the pandemic is that many of us have…
Read MoreIn times of crisis, it can be one of the most important questions you can ask: How can I help?
This is a phrase physicians are familiar with. It is the question that is ever-present at the back of our minds with each patient we meet…
Read MoreEstablished as a federal holiday in 1885, Presidents' Day is celebrated on the third Monday in February. Initially created to recognize George Washington, it is now generally used to acknowledge all United States presidents.
The President has a tremendous deal of responsibility in shaping the country—but so do we…
Read More"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members."
– Coretta Scott King
This virus has shaken so much of the world we knew…
Read MoreOn Inauguration Day, 22-year-old poet Amanda Gorman read her poem, "The Hill We Climb."
As the National Youth Poet Laureate, the Los Angeles native and Harvard graduate is the youngest poet ever to recite at the swearing-in of a President of the United States. And what a gift for us all…
Read MoreThe winter solstice, the longest night of the year, took place on December 21st. Since then, our days have been getting longer. The shift has been incremental and slow, making it difficult to remember the fact of this turning point in the season—there is more light…
Read MoreOn Monday, January 18th, 2021, we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and honor his legacy.
I’ve been thinking of how healthcare professionals can honor the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. If recent years have taught us anything, it is that medicine has a long way to go in addressing its systemic racism…
Read MoreIt’s January! And that means it’s National Blood Donor Awareness Month.
The coronavirus pandemic has taken a terrible toll on many facets of life as we knew it—including blood donation. This has resulted in critical blood supply shortages. Blood drives have been…
Read MoreOn December 28th, residents and staff of Life Care Center of Kirkland began receiving the coronavirus vaccine.
It was a momentous occasion…
Read MoreOne thing I think we can all agree upon: everyone is ready to say goodbye to 2020. It’s a year that has brought many difficult lessons. Though there has been sweetness too, there has been a great deal of sorrow.
I have to remind myself that a magic wand will not wave at midnight. Experts say that, even with a vaccine, we may not return to “normal” until…
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