HOPE Ahead

HOPE Ahead

For those who work in healthcare, we must accept that treating patients with COVID-19 will be just another one of the many illnesses we will see on a regular basis.

However, the availability of the vaccine and booster shots, along with new and evolving treatment protocols, gives us renewed HOPE that we can resume many of the things we all have missed, like traveling and gathering with family and friends.

I think we all can attest that the past 20+ months have been hard for all of us. And especially hard for Memorial’s Healthcare Heroes. Our team has endured a gamut of emotions—grief, anger, exhaustion, sadness, uncertainty, fear, joy, satisfaction, and accomplishment. They’ve stood by as patients said goodbye to their loved ones; they’ve comforted and held the hands of dying COVID patients, so they didn’t have to die alone. They’ve also experienced happiness as COVID patients recovered and were discharged from the hospital. Through it all, our dedicated team of healthcare professionals remains hopeful.

Over the past several months, our primary focus has been on COVID response, caring for this region’s sickest patients. As we look toward 2022 with optimism and HOPE, physician recruitment, expanding services, and investing in new technology to provide you and your family with the best in medical care close to home are among our top priorities.

Memorial is your trusted healthcare partner. Earlier this year, Memorial Foundation took the lead to help improve the vaccination rates in St. Clair County, particularly in underserved communities. The Foundation’s significant investment to raise awareness and provide grants to community-based organizations to Vaccinate St. Clair County is moving the mark in a positive direction. (Learn more about this important campaign on page 9.)

As your trusted community partner, I invite you to support Memorial’s mission by considering Memorial Foundation in your year-end charitable giving plans. For your convenience, a postage-paid business reply envelope is included. You also may donate online at memhosp.org/donate. If you have
any questions, please contact the Foundation office at 618.257.5659.

Your support means so much, and I thank you in advance.

As this year comes to a close, I wish you and your family good health and a blessed holiday season.