Portraits of the Frontline
With courage, compassion and commitment, workers at UW Medicine care for our communities in the time of COVID-19.
The University of Washington’s swift and expert response to the global pandemic would not have been possible without thousands of dedicated professionals who adapted, collaborated and overcame fear when their work changed in an instant.
This work is far from over. As the COVID response has transformed from a sprint to a marathon, these heroes have found ways to not only persevere in the face of adversity, but to give thanks, gain strength, remain hopeful, and feel deep pride in the work they do and those who serve beside them. At UW Medicine clinical sites across Seattle, these doctors, nurses, food service workers, custodial staff, security guards, technicians and office staff reflect on showing up every day to ensure that our communities are well cared for.
I applaud everyone that works in the frontline. From hospital workers to grocery clerks to bus drivers. And the fact that people are still able to say hi and smile at you ... that just melts my heart. It's a scary, unknown world out there. But I feel that this is the moment where I have seen so much compassion from everyone.
We are facing something new and unknown ... Nonetheless, we have a duty and responsibility to our community and those who need us. Sometimes, after being on our feet for 12 hours straight and thinking a thousand miles a minute, we may just want to come home, sit on the porch and listen to the birds chirp.
So many medical workers across the country have had to reuse PPE — or even worse, not have PPE. UW Medicine has done an amazing job in keeping their frontline workers as safe as possible given the circumstances.
The uncertainty of the world and where we are headed as a nation is unnerving, and I feel it daily.
It’s our passion and our privilege to help people. There’s no greater love than a compassionate hand.
Yo tengo fe que muy pronto vamos a tener una vacuna y todos los días pido a Dios que le de mucha sabiduría a las personas que están trabajando para que pronto tengamos la vacuna. I have faith that we will have a vaccine very soon, and every day I ask God to give a lot of wisdom to the people who are working to quickly get us the vaccine.
The selfless team approach that it takes to care for the critically ill touched me. We can’t do this alone. The doctors relied on the amazing work of the nurses, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, pharmacists and environmental services workers to do our jobs.
I find that I am taking more time to express my gratitude and appreciation for my colleagues. I am impressed with everyone who works on this unit. I’m so proud of the work we are doing and how we continue to adjust and be flexible. Everyone continues to do their jobs while practicing patience, showing grace and having a sense of humor during some of the especially difficult days.
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Janelle Carroll, R.N.
Mobile COVID-19 Testing Van
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Whitney Fortson, Campus Security Officer
Harborview Medical Center
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Marc Tolle, Patient Service Specialist
Harborview Medical Center
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Becca Moore, Phlebotomist
UW Medical Center-Northwest
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Bernardo Riomalos, Housekeeper Lead
UW Medical Center-Northwest
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Martha Waldron, R.N.
Pioneer Square Clinic Testing Site
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Hani Ismail, R.N.
Harborview Medical Center
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Nathalie Sekula, R.N.
Harborview Medical Center
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Theresa Thomas, Lead Imaging Technologist
Harborview Medical Center
Row 1 (L to R): Janelle Carroll, R.N., Mobile COVID-19 Testing Van; Whitney Fortson, Campus Security Officer, Harborview Medical Center; Marc Tolle, Patient Service Specialist, Harborview Medical Center
Row 2 (L to R): Becca Moore, Phlebotomist, UW Medical Center–Northwest; Bernardo Riomalos, Housekeeper Lead, UW Medical Center–Northwest; Martha Waldron, R.N., Pioneer Square Clinic Testing Site
Row 3 (L to R): Hani Ismail, R.N., Harborview Medical Center; Nathalie Sekula, R.N., Harborview Medical Center; Theresa Thomas, Lead Imaging Technologist, Harborview Medical Center
We are leaders in health care across the nation and worldwide. We showed the world that innovation and taking initiative saves lives, even when it was unpopular. We have the brightest minds, the most indomitable spirits and the biggest hearts.
Originally published October 2020
