22 minute read
Our Heroes
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 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.
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
seeing all my patients, I then spend the rest of the day charting and updating families and loved ones. No matter my admit or rounding days, I change into hospital scrubs prior to my shift. I change out of those scrubs at the end of my shift. When I get home, I don't let my family come near me until I head straight to the shower.
Q: How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted you personally?
A: I have been fortunate to have my parents be a source of child care for my three children. Since shelter-inplace, I have separated myself from seeing my parents and my extended family for the real risk of bringing the virus home despite taking all appropriate precautions. The guilt of passing on the virus to my parents or other family members via my children is something I don't think I can handle. My mom has survived a ruptured brain aneurysm and even breast cancer. She's told me herself she is not sure she can take a third insult.
Q: Has this crisis swayed how you feel about your career choice, in one way or another?
A: Prior to COVID-19, I have always felt that being a physician is a privilege. This has not changed. This is a novel disease I never imagined facing in my lifetime as a physician. But I am here for it. I am proud of what I do and I understand that I have a very special role in all of this.
Q: In your own words, what is something we can all do to lift each other up and support one another during this unprecedented time?
A: My profession asks that I be responsible for the health and safety of people I have never met before. You do not have to be a physician or healthcare provider to do the same. Be responsible for each other. Watch out for one another. And please, wear a mask.
Clara Castillo ’12
Second Grade Teacher, Our Lady Grace School (Castro Valley, Calif.)
Q: 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: My job has completely changed due to COVID-19. We have had to go completely virtual and teach from our computers. Teaching seven and eight-year-olds on Zoom and Google Classroom is definitely not the ideal situation. At the elementary level, one-on-one interaction and support is a huge part of the learning process. Students and teachers have lost this in a sense. I have been trying my best as a teacher to try and create as much of a normal classroom experience as possible.
A normal day now consists of recording lessons on my computer and posting them to Google Classroom for my students to view. My students have daily schedules that mimic what we did in the classroom that they follow. I meet with students individually to give
Second Grade Teacher Clara Castillo ’12
them one-on-one support with their academics or in small groups to learn new topics.
Just like in the classroom, I provide fun projects for students to complete. For example, writing their own fiction books and kitchen science experiments. It also is important to provide social Zoom calls and fun opportunities for students to interact with their peers.
The students, especially at the elementary level, have struggled with distance learning.
They miss their friends and their teachers and they need time just to be together. My motto in my classroom is that “Learning is an Adventure,” and adventures should be fun. I have been trying my best to keep the fun and the joy alive in my virtual classroom as well.
Q: How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted you personally?
A: I think like many others, it has definitely impacted my mental and emotional health. As a second grade teacher, so much of my life involved
".... the impact that we have on people is amazing. ... We are literally saving lives, day by day, and if that doesn’t make you feel good about yourself, then I don’t know what will. " — Carlos Rodriguez ’14, Emergency Department Technician
being with my students and interacting with them in the classroom. It brought me so much joy. I felt as though I was grieving the loss of my school year and the time with my students, which weighed heavily on my heart. In addition, not being around my family and friends was very hard. I had to take active steps to take care of myself and find the joy in the simple things like Zoom calls, walking my dog, and spending time with my fiancé. I was very lucky to not be financially impacted by the pandemic, as so many others were, and to be able to continue to do what I love even though it was in a different format. I am also blessed with an amazing support system that helped me stay positive throughout this time.
Q: Has this crisis swayed how you feel about your career choice?
A: This crisis has definitely solidified my choice of becoming an educator. I know without a shadow of doubt that being a teacher is what I was meant to do. I did not realize just how much I loved it and how important it was until it was gone in some sense. Many people are now realizing the important job that schools and teachers play. Not only are we educating students on how to read and write, but we are helping form their social and emotional development, as well as helping teach them how to be kind and loving members of this world. It also has become very clear how much value there is in having students in a classroom learning together. I love being a teacher and I could not imagine myself doing anything else.
Jeff Gorell ’88
Deputy Mayor of Public Safety and Homeland Security, City of Los Angeles
Q: 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: In late February, I was asked by my boss and friend, Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti to lead the City's day-to-day operations in response to COVID-19. It was an all-consuming mission, literally around the clock, seven days a week. It changed everything about what was "normal" in my life and routine, as it did for everyone on the planet. Rather than City Hall, I began working out of the City's Emergency Operations Center where we coordinated the launch of 10 free COVID test sites for the public; opened COVID shelters in recreation centers for people experiencing homelessness; overhauled the Los Angeles Convention Center into a massive overflow hospital; and oversaw the difficult orders for businesses to shut down and for people to shelter at home. I believe these efforts and interventions save thousands of lives.
Q: How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted you personally?
A: For me, it is more than my job, it's personal. My father contracted COVID-19 very early in the pandemic and was sick for about four weeks, including one trip to the ER. I want to do what I can to prevent that experience from happening to other families. Although he survived and is better, it was very scary, especially given that people were not allowed to visit their loved ones in the hospital at that time.
Deputy Mayor Jeff Gorell ’88
Q: Has this crisis swayed how you feel about your career choice?
A: I operate well, professionally, during stress and crisis. I suspect that my two tours in Afghanistan as a military officer have given me the ability to remain calm under pressure and jump into the challenge of making hard decisions under extreme conditions. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else than in this role during the pandemic.
Q: In your own words, what is something we can all do to lift each other up and support one another during this unprecedented time?
A: Mental health is critical to our personal health and the health of our communities. Check on one another. Emotions are high while we tackle three simultaneous global crises: racism, economic and public health. At a time when we are told to avoid contact with one another, we need that contact more than ever. Express your love and show your support for every single person in your life who has some importance to you, and watch for signs of extreme trauma. You can help the healing and maybe save a life. God Speed Pilots.
Malcolm Hoyle ’08
News Producer, KTXL FOX40 News (Sacramento, Calif.)
Q: 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: The day to day goal of my job has not changed. I need to have my newscast written and completed for 6:00 p.m. However, the circumstances of how I do that have completely changed. I am now working from home, producing a 6:00 p.m. newscast for FOX40 in Sacramento on a laptop. All of our meetings are now conducted virtually. I also think our job as journalists has become more important during this pandemic. We went from airing normal newscasts with a variety of news, to every story being COVID19-related in a matter of days.
News Producer Malcolm Hoyle ’08
Q: How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted you personally?
A: Things have been stressful. It is my job to be informed, which means knowing everything there is to know about COVID-19, including death tolls and the strain the pandemic is having on our economy. As much as I would like to unplug and focus on other things, I can’t. I am also concerned for my wife who works in the medical field, and my two-year-old son who has been staying home with me as I work.
Q: Has this crisis swayed how you feel about your career choice?
A: I love what I do, and I am very appreciative to still have a job as many others have lost theirs. I got into journalism because I like helping others and like keeping people informed. I take great pride in knowing my work is hopefully helping others stay safe.
Q: In your own words, what is something we can all do to lift each other up and support one another during this unprecedented time?
A: We have to understand we are all in this together. COVID-19 is impacting us all whether we have had the virus or not. I think the best way to support each other is to find ways to stay connected. Reach out to not just the family members and friends you always speak to, but others who you may not have spoken to in a while. You never know how much of an impact a random check-in can have on someone.
Carlos Rodriguez ’14 Emergency Department Technician, Sutter Health (Burlingame, Calif.)
Q: 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: My job changed from one day to another. We were briefed by infectious disease [experts] that a new upcoming flu-like, respiratory virus was emerging rapidly in Wuhan, China and that the hospital was keeping a close eye on the disease. Within two weeks or so, we were full-blown quarantining patients left and right, and completely revamped our screening process. COVID-19 made us rethink how we go along treating patients while protecting ourselves, all while receiving mixed messages from the CDC, and the WHO, one saying it’s not airborne, others saying it’s only droplet; one saying you can wear a simple mask, others saying you need to fully gown
E.R. Technician Carlos Rodriguez ’14
up and wear N-95... it was frustrating. Changes occurred every single day, revealing a new process, new flow to the screening process, and even reviewing what Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was needed in case we needed to intubate a patient. A normal day in today’s age includes my coworkers and I wearing an N-95 particulate respirator pretty much for the entire shift, protecting ourselves from a disease that is easily transmissible. We have enough PPE, which puts me at ease, but that doesn’t mean we had it easy from the beginning! PPE is gold, and we are encouraged to “extend wear” masks which means that once you put your mask on, if you do not touch it, you can keep it on until you take it off, and once you do so, it’s time for a new mask.
Q: Has this crisis swayed how you feel about your career choice?
A: Not at all, quite the contrary, as a matter of fact! During the shelter-inplace order, my hospital’s community gathered together and raised over $75,000 to feed different parts of the hospital for breakfast, lunch, and dinner... all while buying from local businesses to keep them afloat, a task that nobody has ever dealt with before. This pandemic has made me realize that I am in a field that will always be needed, and I am in a field that, even though it may be a thankless job, the impact that we have on people
is amazing. I wouldn’t want to do any other job. We are literally saving lives, day by day, and if that doesn’t make you feel good about yourself, then I don’t know what will. The selfgratification I get at the end of the day makes this job worth it!
Q: In your own words, what is something we can all do to lift each other up and support one another during this unprecedented time?
A: There will be new cases of COVID-19, that’s a fact. However, if you test positive, take a moment to gather yourself. It is NOT a death sentence. The media has portrayed this disease to be extremely-deadly, and that anyone who comes across it will die. It’s not true. Yes, people have died from COVID-19, but it’s not a death sentence if you contract it. Take your necessary precautions, and do the things you normally do in public at ease. I think it’s important during this time of such sorrow, and sadness, and uncertainty to take a second out of our day and to say a quick prayer. Believing in God during this pandemic has gotten me through with my head up high knowing that at the end of the day, Jesus is there to protect me in my line of work, and that God knows everything. He hears our cries, and he hears our hearts. Let us all be at ease knowing that God is in control, always and forever. He has never, and will not ever forsake us, for He is good. I rest in my faith confidently, and I believe
Director of External Affairs Francis Zamora ’96
that we will get through this stronger as a society more than ever. We will get through this.
Francis Zamora ’96
Joint Information Section Chief, San Francisco COVID-19 Emergency Operations Center Director of External Affairs, San Francisco Department of Emergency Management
Q: 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: As the Director of External Affairs for the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management, my role during “normal times” is to educate and engage the media, elected officials and the general public on the city’s emergency preparedness programs and activities.
Since January 27, 2020, the day San Francisco activated our Emergency Operations Center (EOC), working with my colleagues to coordinate San Francisco’s response to this global pandemic has been my full-time job. Specifically, I lead the Joint Information Center (JIC) which is part of San Francisco’s EOC. Our role is to develop and push out timely, accurate and accessible emergency information. At the peak of San Francisco’s response to COVID-19, the JIC facilitated daily press conferences, fielded a steady stream of inquiries from local, national and international media, and pushed out health and safety information in English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Russian and Arabic.
Q: How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted you personally?
A: The time away from my family and friends is what has impacted me the most. Sixty to seventy-hour weeks was the norm. Leaving the house before my five-year-old woke up and coming home when she was already asleep was my new reality. Not having the 50th anniversary celebration we planned for my parents was heartbreaking. But while I was physically and mentally exhausted, I could not help but feel inspired. My wife, Christine, kept our family strong and our daughter engaged, and coordinated care for our parents from afar— all while working from home. My siblings and cousins organized and looked out for all of the aunties and uncles who were isolated during shelter-in-place. In the EOC, I was surrounded by people who were just as tired and had similar circumstances, but continued to come to work every day to slow the spread of the virus and care for San Franciscans impacted by COVID-19.
Q: Has this crisis swayed how you feel about your career choice?
A: I chose a career in public service because it gives me the opportunity to do something meaningful for my community. It is truly humbling to serve alongside people committed to making our city stronger. In response to COVID-19, my colleagues and I developed medical surge plans and testing sites, launched food programs for the city’s most vulnerable residents, kept the public informed, supported small businesses and set up shelters for people experiencing homelessness. I love my job and enjoy the people I work with.
Q: In your own words, what is something we can all do to lift each other up and support one another
during this unprecedented time?
A: As a community we are struggling with the weight of not only a global pandemic but the sins of generations of institutional racism. We face this on top of whatever personal struggles we may have. Be kind, be emphatic and look out for one another. Your actions could be that timely ray of light that everyone needs.
Vanessa Jackson ’94, LCSW-R
Psychotherapist & Psychoanalyst Director, One Year Program in Psychoanalysis & the Sociopolitical World at Manhattan Institute for Psychoanalysis (New York, N.Y.)
Psychotherapist & Psychoanalyst
Q: 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: I have a private practice in Manhattan, where I also teach at a psychoanalytic training institute. As the city began shutting down, I started seeing my patients remotely by video and teaching via Zoom. Working remotely, we lose the visceral quality of nonverbal and unconscious communication, and the emotional regulating power of physical presence is muted. My more vulnerable patients have struggled and there have been some crises to manage. Fortunately, most of my patients are long-term, and having an established relationship helped with the transition. They have also now all met my cats, who like to walk across the screen occasionally, and this has brought a new kind of intimacy.
Q: How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted you personally? Has this crisis swayed how you feel about your career choice?
A: NYC has striking disparity in terms of wealth and access to resources. This is something I have never felt at ease with, having come from a working class background. The historical structures that perpetuate this divide are even more evident now, which is a good thing. Many New Yorkers have lost jobs and businesses, others have had to work even harder. I feel grateful every day to still have the life and career I worked very hard to build. My first jobs were in public psychiatry and community mental health, which I found profoundly fulfilling. I wish psychoanalytic treatment, with its commitment to truth, humanity and mutuality, was more widely available to those who are excluded from so many parts of society. Between the normalizing of remote therapy and the more humane pace of life, this pandemic has provided a portal to evolving the way I practice. I will be able to reach more people who feel forgotten.
Q: In your own words, what is something we can all do to lift each other up and support one another during this unprecedented time?
A: From my perspective, there are two important things we can do to support one another now and beyond this crisis. First, go inward and decide what matters most in this life and live according to that awareness. Then, be present with the people around you, especially the ones you usually take for granted. Make eye contact, see them, pay attention. Know that the way you live your life has an impact on everyone you come into contact with.
Kevin Kelly ’79 Chief Executive Officer, Emerald Packaging, Inc.
Q: 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: Keeping COVID-19 out of the factory became a full-time job: moving most of the office staff to remote working, rolling out new health and safety protocols week after week, doing over 80 plant meetings to talk about the importance of living smart during these times. I was one of the eight that came to the office every day. I work from home for a few hours then come in. I know I’ve become a greater presence in the factory, which I think has helped keep us COVID-free. With 250 employees, not a bad record.
Q: How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted you personally?
A: There’s an emotional strain that can’t be denied. Work for the last three months has been unbelievably stressful. Keeping the factory running (we’ve had record orders) and keeping it safe takes its toll. I know that. So I have to remind myself to breathe and take a few moments to appreciate the work we’re doing. Still, the idea that someone may get COVID-19 working [at Emerald Packaging] haunts me.
Chief Executive Officer Kevin Kelly ’79
Q: Has this crisis swayed how you feel about your role and the work you do?
A: I’ve had to lead as never before. Believe me, I enjoy that. And I know the product we produce— packaging— has become crucial to the global food supply chain.
