#5SmartReads - July 20, 2022

Hitha on this current COVID wave, the women of IndyCar, and the future of abortion training

July 20, 2022

Wondering what living with COVID will look like?

Well, you’re living it right now.

“More variants mean more infections; more infections mean more variants. It’s true that, compared with earlier in the pandemic, hospitalization and death rates remain relatively low. But a high rate of infections is keeping us in the vicious viral-evolution cycle. “The main thing is really this unchecked transmission,” says Helen Chu, an epidemiologist and vaccine expert at the University of Washington. We might be ready to get back to normal and forget the virus exists. But without doing something about infection, we can’t slow the COVID treadmill we’ve found ourselves on.”

I’ve certainly relaxed some of my precautions thanks to a bit of infection-conferred immunity right now, and because I’m tired of pandemic life. But I can’t wait for COVID to become a more manageable and predictable virus.

Until it does, I’ll be rocking my KN95 masks in crowded indoor spaces, opting for outdoor gatherings whenever possible, and will be the first in line when second boosters and Omicron-specific boosters are authorized for my age group.

I had the great privilege of connecting with Dr. Beau Wangtrakuldee, Ph.D., during Project Entrepreneur two years ago, when she was a part of my mentoring group.

Dr. Wangtrakuldee did not need much mentorship from me - rather, I learned SO much from her. And I’m blown away at how she’s scaled AmorSui - which manufactures and sells reusable PPE - to the business it is today.

“It’s important for leaders to really consider the end user. A lot of the healthcare industry cares more about their bottom line and it ends up hurting the people in the organization. A lot of healthcare workers quit the workforce because they don’t feel appreciated. Hospital leaders need to come back and be open to having more conversations about how they could be better in terms of sustainability and inclusivity to retain staff and keep them happy.”

I feel this quote - especially the first two sentences - so deeply, and I can’t wait to see what leaders like Beau will do to improve this industry and put the ‘care’ back in healthcare.

I understand we are all sick of living in a pandemic and the rush to “normal life” is so appealing, but I hope you take the time to read this article and learn how taking precautions to keep yourself, your loved ones, and your community out of the emergency department is SO important. Especially right now.

My brilliant friend and mentor Meg has spent her career in different parts of healthcare, as a nurse, in leadership roles both in biopharmaceuticals and distribution, and as an academic. She brings this wide perspective to every article she writes, and her assessment of the state of emergency care is spot on - and surprising, as she outlines the mental health crisis we aren’t talking about nearly enough and how it’s adding more stress to our already fragile system.

“There is positive news, and indication of relief, on the horizon. Congress is set to vote on an $8 billion package with bipartisan support that would allocate funds to national mental health initiatives. States would receive funding for certified community behavioral clinics that provide mental health and substance abuse care. In addition, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently extended telehealth services to add a patient’s home as an acceptable site for treatment of a mental health disorder. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is looking to expand access to mobile crisis services in high-need communities.”

This is the Mental Health Justice and Parity Act of 2022, and I encourage you to adapt one of Emily’s scripts to call your reps and ask for them to vote in support of this important bill. While it’s not perfect, it is a place to start and build upon.

My newfound obsession with “cars so fast!” (as Rhaki calls it) is solely due to Lily Herman (go subscribe to her amazing newsletter and listen to her podcast - links are in her Instagram bio).

She told me to watch an IndyCar driver’s YouTube channel, and now I can’t stop. I also am all in on catching up on IndyCar as I wait for F1 races, and especially the WOMEN in this race circuit.

This is more a smart watch than a smart read, but it’s Wednesday and each day this week has felt like a full week, so tuck in with your favorite beverage and enjoy this video. I certainly did!

Filed under “consequences of banning a safe, effective, and necessary medical procedure for a subset of people who are choosing to get it and making it harder for anyone who needs it to get it in 24 states in the country”, I have a new addition for you.

“Nearly half of the nation's accredited obstetrics and gynecology programs are in states that are certain or likely to ban abortion. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education recently proposed changes to its requirements that would replace hands-on training for students who can't find a facility that offers it.”

Virtual learning is incredibly valuable and I see it growing, but it’s no replacement for hands-on training that teaches trainees what to do in emergency situations.

And birthing people will suffer - and die - because of it.

We need to codify a person’s right to have control over their reproductive healthcare into law, if we are truly to be pro-life (as well as a whole slew of other things).

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