Page 9 - Delaware Medical Journal - July/August 2020

PRESIDENT’S PAGE
JOSEPH J. STRAIGHT, MD
MSD President Joseph J. Straight, MD
is a Primary Care Sports Medicine Physician with First State Orthopaedics.
The Perfect Storm
As each of the Presidents of the Medical Society of Delaware (MSD) assume their new position, they willingly accept responsibility for the unknown that may face them during their term. I am sure each of our past Presidents has a story to tell that kept them up at night.
As summer has come and I am halfway through my term as President, I reflect back on how unique the first six months have been for me. There have already been a few stressful days and sleepless nights. The rare combination of circumstances that we have recently seen and experienced has created the perfect storm. For MSD, it is important to meet it head on, steer through, and not go adrift.
With my initial goals of progressing primary and mental health care in Delaware and devoting my energy
to expanding MSD’s community programs, such as the OBVIOUS Campaign for Kids, the Apollo Program, and school health initiatives, I was abruptly halted by the coronavirus pandemic to which all of us suddenly awoke.
Over the past few months, this unexpected and unprecedented crisis has seen many become ill and lose their lives to this dreadful virus. Our state and its many medical organizations have come together, working endlessly
to develop plans and protocols to stop the spread and further contain this disease. Significant changes have occurred throughout our community, especially in the health care system.
As we all have experienced, technology has provided us a means to remain relevant while stay-at-home orders
are in place. Meetings are held via telephone or on virtual platforms.
We have become more reliant on
the capabilities of telemedicine to provide access to care for our patients in order to protect them and our employees, as well as ourselves, from further unnecessary exposure to the coronavirus. Our office practices have also significantly changed. Going in to work now requires a few more action steps before you can start your day. Following screening protocols, using appropriate PPE, and reducing our daily patient load to limit exposure in our waiting rooms and exam rooms
is now second nature for us. We have also been working hard to address
the backlog of needed office visits, procedures, and surgeries that were postponed in the early months of the pandemic.
COVID-19 has also caused anxiety and struggles in the management of the business of our practices. Many of us had to reduce staff, furlough employees, and reduce salaries. For some, securing loans and grants
Del Med J | July/August 2020 | Vol. 92 | No. 4 153