Submitted photo
Shorewood alumnus and emergency physician Peter Schmidt models the personal protective equipment he wears to reduce the risk of contracting coronavirus while diagnosing and treating patients.
When coronavirus cases first began to surge in March, front-line healthcare workers were grappling with a shortage of personal protective equipment as well as a lack of knowledge about the novel virus. For Schmidt, who works with people who have or are suspected of having coronavirus nearly every shift, these concerns were especially significant. “It’s one of the first times where, as providers, we’ve felt … not like we’re in danger, but like, ‘oh, gosh, we could really get sick from this too,’” he says. Along with an increase in required protective gear, Schmidt cites the increased measures and precautions being taken because of the contagiousness of the virus as a change to which he and his colleagues have had to adapt. “As a healthcare provider, you’re trying not to get sick yourself, but also trying not to bring it home or spread it to other patients or staff members in the hospital,” he explains. As an emergency doctor, he is also concerned that the rush in coronavirus patients means people experiencing other healthcare emergencies may avoid the hospital.
Peter Schmidt, SHS ’95
Saving Lives in Seattle BY LAURA OLDFATHER
EDUCATION SPOTLIGHT
In the time of coronavirus, front-line healthcare workers have become society’s most visible heroes. One such hero, Dr. Peter Schmidt, is an alumnus of the Shorewood School District.
Schmidt, SHS ‘95, works as an emergency medicine physician in the Seattle area, the United States’ initial coronavirus hotspot. Schmidt’s main role at UW Medicine-Valley Medical Center is diagnosing patients, something he took an interest in during medical school at the University of Colorado. “I found that I liked the diagnosis part of medicine … It’s kind of like little mysteries, where people come in and you’ve got to figure out what’s going on,” says Schmidt, who also helps treat patients in critical condition.
“Our emergency department, and I know many of the others, at least in the Seattle area, are probably seeing around half of the number of patients that we saw prior to the stay-at-home orders,” Schmidt says. “But the patients that we do see, they’ve tended to be sicker. Now, there is a bit of a campaign to remind people that with serious chest pain and stroke symptoms, for example, you should come to the emergency department.” Though he feels that his life hasn’t changed that much since he still has his regular job, Schmidt continues to spend a lot of his free time outside, getting regular exercise to stay grounded. Most of the trails near him have stayed open, so he is able to spend time hiking and mountain biking. Schmidt says growing up going to school in Shorewood helped shape who he is and what he does. He especially appreciates the uniqueness of having been with the same people from kindergarten through 12th grade. “I think that the sort of community it created, and the friendships, truly lifelong kinds of friendships, were impactful and helpful,” he says. “I had really good teachers and really good experiences coming through the whole Shorewood school system.” n
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