A Message from the Board

A Simple Ask

It is our sincere hope that 2021 finds you and your loved ones happy, healthy, and safe, and that together, we can look forward to more hopeful times.

We share the optimism of many that with the widespread distribution of the Coronavirus vaccine in the months to come, we will not only seek much coveted protection from COVID-19, but we will also slowly and cautiously begin to return to a more social lifestyle, one which has been the cornerstone of what has made our local community so inviting.

However, for now, we are still in the throes of the pandemic, with the multitude of stressors that COVID has brought upon us. We are not only concerned about the health of our local residents, we are deeply alarmed by the growing stress the Coronavirus has put upon our healthcare system nationwide. Over and over again, we have witnessed hospitals across the country reach capacity, many having to turn patients away because they no longer have the beds or the staff to treat them. This crisis is not just prohibiting COVID patients from receiving timely care. It is a national health emergency where anyone with an illness or injury may not be able to receive the treatment they need when they need it.

We have heard people comment that they feel safe in Brunswick County, as if our community is its own COVID bubble. However, this is a flawed perception that could ultimately cause harm and perpetuate the spread of the Coronavirus due to a false sense of safety. Many rural areas across the US, such as ours, have gotten hit hard for a multitude of reasons, including transmission through small, seemingly safe gatherings.

While many of us are feeling what has been described as "COVID fatigue," we urge you to remain vigilant with your efforts to practice physical distancing with others who are not members of your household, and to please wear your mask. The scientific data is there to support community masking to reduce the spread of COVID. When you consider that wearing a mask could potentially save thousands of lives right here in Brunswick County, it is a small ask.

When masking helps keep a community safe, it not only protects your family and friends. It is protecting local healthcare workers. As the front line workers of the pandemic, it is of grave importance that the Dosher staff along with hospital staff everywhere remain healthy, allowing us to continue to care for those who need us.

Now is the time for us to demonstrate how seriously we take this disease and how committed we are to being a part of the solution. Our community has always supported Dosher Hospital, and this is the moment, more than ever before, that we need your help.

Thank you for working with us to make a positive impact. You have always had faith in Dosher, and today, we return that gesture of faith in you, knowing that you will work with us to collectively help shape a healthier, happier future, for each other, our patients, and our community.

With thanks,

Brad Hilaman, MD, JD, FACOG CEO/CMO Dosher Memorial Hospital

Lynda Stanley, FACHE President, Dosher Memorial Hospital & Foundation