Health care workers around the country are working tirelessly to help patients who are sick with COVID-19 get better. That is in and of itself an incredibly tough job. But, a quick conversation with a health care provider or a skim through Twitter shows that our health care workers have more on their minds and in their hearts as they take on COVID-19.

Health care workers worry about how to protect themselves. They worry about what will happen to their patients and communities if they get sick.

They worry about how to protect their families. They want to make sure they do not bring COVID-19 home to their spouses, children or parents. They worry about what will happen if they get sick and cannot care for their children.

They are exhausted. Shifts feel harder and longer because there is so much sickness and so many new challenges. And on top of treating patients, they are quickly becoming the support system for patients who can no longer see their loved ones.

Yet, despite all this, our health care heroes continue to show up. And, they don’t just show up in their own hospitals and health systems, they have responded to calls from New York and Detroit for volunteers to help fight COVID-19 in those hotspots.

Doctors, nurses and specialists from Intermountain flew to New York City to assist overwhelmed hospitals. Two buses filled with doctors, nurses and other professional staff traveled from Cayuga Health in upstate New York to assist with the pandemic in New York City. And, teams of caregivers from Cleveland Clinic have traveled to Detroit and New York.

These individuals are amazing. Each day, in every way, they continue to be our most valuable resource to stopping the spread of COVID-19. We echo the heartfelt gratitude expressed across the country for these health care heroes.

And, we are doing all we can to protect them through our 100 Million Mask Challenge – which includes more than increasing the production and supply of critically need personal protective equipment. We have joined partners around the country to support health care workers. For example, we’ve partnered with Hilton and Marriott to provide special rates for those needing a home away from home during these difficult times.

Hotel, airline and other corporate discounts, may not be top of mind for our health care heroes, as they concentrate on saving lives. But access to hotel rooms and other special discounts are among the numerous things we can help do to make their difficult assignments just a little bit easier. Just as they continue to show up, let’s make sure that we continue to show up to protect and support our health care workers in every possible way.

Priya Bathija is vice president, strategic initiatives for the AHA. For more information on the 100 Million Mask Challenge, please visit 100MillionMasks.org or email 100MillionMasks@aha.org.

Related News Articles

Headline
The Senate Finance Committee Feb. 4 voted 14-13 to advance Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. A…
Headline
The AHA Jan. 31 commended Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., John Cornyn, R-Texas., and Michael Bennet, D-Colo., on draft legislation…
Headline
The AHA Jan. 28 voiced support for bipartisan legislation to reauthorize for five years the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, which provides…
Headline
Respiratory illness activity remains high across the country, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seasonal flu…
Headline
In the latest issue of AHA's Trustee Insights newsletter, James Liggins, Jr., 2025 AHA Committee on Governance chair and board chair of Bronson Healthcare…
Headline
The AHA Center for Health Innovation released a new report to guide hospital and health system executives on using artificial intelligence and AI-powered…