ALUMNI FEATURE
Our Heroes:
SJND Alumni on the Frontlines of a Global Pandemic Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School is immensely grateful to all of the heroes amongst us, those selflessly serving as first responders and essential workers during this global crisis. From caring for sick patients, to educating our children through distance learning, leading emergency operations, and keeping citizens informed and the supply chain moving, SJND Alumni are serving important roles on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this feature, we speak with a few of those individuals about how their jobs and daily lives have been affected by the virus, and why their drive to serve others hasn’t wavered.
Hospital Physician
Dr. Alvin Rivera ’98, M.D.
Dr. Alvin Rivera ’98, M.D. Hospitalist Physician, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center (Oakland, Calif.)
Q: Much of life and work as we’ve known it has changed due to COVID-19. How has your job and the work you do been impacted by COVID-19? What does a normal day at work look like now? A: We have never seen anything like 16 Saint Joseph Notre Dame
COVID-19 before, so that put our hospital on high alert since cases started to grow here in the United States. We did not want to become Italy. We did not want to become New York. Hospital policy changed to limit unwarranted exposure by stopping elective procedures/surgeries and even prohibiting patients’ loved ones and family members from visiting the hospital. Then, shelter-in-place became mandatory, which further lowered our patient census. For what it's worth, it is my belief this saved lives and allowed us to be better prepared for what we all felt was just the calm before the storm. I took care of my first COVID patient in early March. Much has changed since then in regards to testing, protective personal equipment (PPE), and patient management. At one point, testing took almost one week to get results. Now, most can be resulted by the next day, and in some cases, even 20 minutes. Abundant PPE remains a constant concern, but fortunately we did not have to resort to garbage bags. We have a better understanding of the
clinical course of COVID-19, so we know what to look for in making an initial diagnosis and even what to look out for should someone traject towards intensive care. Everything is fluid. This is a novel virus and disease. We have to keep up with the current research and literature knowing that what was true weeks ago might not be true today.
"...I have always felt that being a physician is a privilege. This has not changed....I am proud of what I do and I understand that I have a very special role in all of this. " One of the most striking challenges of COVID-19 is the impact of isolation. It's hard enough to be hospitalized, but harder to go at it alone. Communication with patients, family and loved ones has become that much more key. My normal day has two different flavors while in the hospital since it's divided into "admit days" where I admit patients from the emergency room to the hospital floors and start the initial care and workup for the patient. On those days, I wear my N95 throughout my shift since I spend the majority of my time in the emergency room. I'll take off my mask to eat and/ or chart. On my "rounding days," I am the attending physician for typically 10-15 patients where my responsibility is to continue the care you need and ultimately get you home safely. For my COVID patients, as long as they are stable, I reserve seeing them last as to limit any potential exposure. After
