Health is where the Heart is.

2020 is a year that many of us may prefer to forget about and simply move forward. But taking time to look back upon the year past provides an opportunity to both learn from the challenges of the  year, as well as celebrate our successes, no matter how big or small they may be. In particular, it provides an opportunity to recognize how the healthcare system responded to the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic; otherwise known as annus horribilis.

As we examine the national and global response it is critical to remember that at its core, it’s comprised of people; caring, compassionate, dedicated individuals who risk their own lives to care for perfect strangers. What we have seen this year in the midst of the pandemic has showcased not only the dedication and passion of our healthcare professionals, but also the extreme selflessness and heroism to alleviate and contain this virus that has so deeply affected our world. They have put our lives before their own and assumed all the risks that come with patient care in a fragile world.

This is no less the case than with my own organization, Cambridge Medical and Rehabilitation Center. More than 550 dedicated and selfless healthcare professionals continued to provide care and support to our most vulnerable patients and their families. Day-in and day-out, our healthcare staff did not just “show up,” but they endeavored to empathically provide outstanding care and heartfelt compassion to our patients and their families while placing themselves and their own families at considerable risk. To witness their quiet commitment is to be humbled.

In this era of global capitalism, it has often been said that altruism is dead. I now beg to differ. Countless acts of selfless humanity abound throughout the world as witnessed daily during this pandemic. Although there are no words to assuage the grief of the families who lost more than a million loved ones around the world due to this scourge on humanity, we have, indeed, witnessed our better angels. From those dedicated frontline staff endeavoring to keep our healthcare facilities clean and infection-free, to the doctors, nurses, and allied healthcare professionals who have placed the care of patients above concern for themselves, I offer a deep and resounding sense of gratitude. 

Healthcare has always been about the human connection. It is easy to forget this truism as we, as patients and clinicians, become engulfed in the whirr of the latest technology focused on life-saving interventions. And yet, at the beginning and end of each shift, it is the compassionate smile of a nurse, the touch of a healthcare professional, working to make that moment of suffering a bit less sad. 

In this extraordinarily uncommon time, I find much to be thankful for as a leader, a husband, a father, and a son. I am thankful that we now have safe and efficacious vaccines to ward off COVID-19, and I am thankful we have a better understanding of how best to manage patients suffering from this insufferable contagion. Perhaps what I am most thankful for is the quiet, selfless, commitment of our healthcare professionals. For without which, the world would be in a much darker place. 

I believe that these acts of selflessness need to be spotlighted now more than ever, which is why I am proud that CMRC will be recognizing some of our star performers every month over the coming year. Through our #HealthcareHeroes #ThankYou #UAE #KSA #COVID19 #HealthcareProfessionals #HealthcareWorkers #Healthcare campaign, we aim not only to recognize our wonderful staff, but also to commemorate their services, expertise, and overall commitment to making CMRC feel like a patient’s second home. 

May you and your families enjoy a safe and joyous holiday season. And when you come across a healthcare professional please wish them a simple, humble, “thanks.”

Dr. Howard S. Podolsky, MD JD MBA FCLM

Group Chief Executive Officer

Cambridge Medical and Rehabilitation Center

The United Arab Emirates and The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia