March 2020 COVID Update
I hope this note finds you well.
Has there ever been so much meaning behind that simple phrase?
As the far-reaching coronavirus outbreak continues to dominate the news and disrupt our lives, we wanted to share what LifeFlight is doing in response.
COVID-19 has reached Maine.
LifeFlight is supporting our EMS and hospital partners across the state in caring for and transporting critically ill patients, some of whom are in respiratory distress. We’re also working daily with colleagues across the country and the world to refine best practice and ensure we’re following the latest science-based guidance on how to care for and transfer patients with COVID-19.
We are working with our teams and partners to keep our providers healthy and able to respond to emergencies. In addition, we’re supporting the larger healthcare community’s efforts to keep people from contracting the virus and limit its spread by sharing with our colleagues across Maine our experiences in managing these complex patients, our standard operating procedures, and our best practice guidance.
COVID-19 is bringing the world unprecedented challenges and with them, new opportunities to ensure our well-being—as individuals, as families, and as communities. In a time when “social distancing” has become the watchword, the real key is physical separation not social separation. In fact, we all need to redouble our efforts to support the fabric of our communities.
In this time of uncertainty and concern, community is more important than ever. The good news is that we are ‘ of Maine’ –where people are known for their community-mindedness and willingness to lend a hand. We’re lucky in our line of work to see first-hand just how often Mainers are ready to jump in and help. Dealing with COVID-19 and its societal effects is going to require teamwork. We’ll need to rely on each other and our LifeFlight community we address the needs of the larger community.
If there is anything we can do to help you, let us know. In the meantime, we hope all of you stay safe and close to home as we weather this emerging challenge to our way of living. Thank you for being part of our extended LifeFlight family and making sure we are there when needed. Thank you for your past support and your current well wishes. We are all in this together.
Wishing you all safety and good health,
On behalf of the LifeFlight team,
Thomas Judge, Paramedic
Executive Director
Norm Dinerman, MD, FACEP
Medical Director
