Page 9 - Delaware Medical Journal - March/April 2021
P. 9
PRESIDENT’S PAGE
MATTHEW J. BURDAY, DO
Matthew J. Burday, DO is an Internal Medicine Hospitalist and the
Director of Medical Student Education for the Department of Medicine at ChristianaCare.
The Power
of Engagement
As I write this, we are approaching the one-year anniversary of
the world shutting down for
on what we faced during the last 12 months and what we will likely continue to face going forward, I think about
our colleagues, family members, and friends who have either struggled with COVID-19 infection or have lost their lives to it. Many will continue to have prolonged symptoms, many will wonder when their lives will return to normal, vaccinated, or they may decide against
humbled by the unknown.
Vaccines are slowly arriving in our cities and towns, and we are unsure if supply can keep up with demand. We worry we will become infected, or that our colleagues and loved ones will be next to develop infection. Some of us are suspicious of the pandemic and
the vetted treatments and preventive measures. Many of us continue to ask questions and become frustrated when there are no answers. For example, we wonder why we continue to need to wear masks. Why are the COVID-19 vaccines so slow to arrive, and when and where can we get one? When will the pandemic end? Can we choose the vaccine we want or not? These questions are not
unreasonable, but answers are not always readily available to us. As physicians,
we have a goal to not only try to heal,
but to be supportive and aware of the accumulating data that can help us when our patients ask. Being open and honest is extremely important as we navigate these challenging times with our patients.
The Medical Society of Delaware has been very active in the process of supporting patients and physicians with answers. We have established relationships with various hospital systems in the state to deliver vaccines. We have worked with Westside Family Healthcare to vaccinate health care professionals at the MSD headquarters. Our e-News & Views weekly email, frequent COVID-19 Update emails, Practice Matters communications to our members’ practice managers, and frequent question and answer conference calls
Health have provided valuable, timely, and critical information.
We have heard physicians’ frustrations aired and worked tirelessly to offer potential effective solutions. Yet I’m nagged by the thought some have raised that MSD has not done enough. Even prior to the pandemic, there have been questions about the value of joining MSD, from employed physicians to those in independent practice. Now more than ever, the tremendous value of being an
Del Med J | March/April 2021 | Vol. 93 | No. 2 57
