Why I’m worried about the Newton community

Thirty five years ago, when my future wife, Tricia and I were growing up in Newton, I remember feeling the deep sense of safety and security that comes along with growing up in a tight-knit community, where everyone knows each other’s name and is always willing to lend a hand to a neighbor. But today our community’s safety and security is being put at risk by the spread of COVID-19.

Unfortunately, Newton is not immune to the effects of the pandemic; just in the past two weeks alone, 523 new COVID cases were reported in the Jasper County. We are seeing this upward trend in COVID-19 cases in communities across the state, as well as record high hospitalizations.

What you might not realize is the toll these high numbers are taking on the health care system including MercyOne Newton Medical Center, where my father, Ron, was a long-time administrator and mother-in-law, Donna, was an ER nurse. Hospitals across the state have already started changing their operations to ensure adequate bed space and staffing to care for patients with critical care needs. But this may not be enough unless we are able to immediately reduce COVID-19 numbers.

At University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, we are the state’s only academic medical center, which means we are often transferred patients from across the state with the most complex health care needs. Where Tricia and I work as a nurse and laboratorian, we are seeing firsthand the toll that COVID-19 is taking on Iowans and hospitals across the state. The full scope of the problem requires consideration of much more than COVID-19 hospitalizations—our hospitals are also full with an unprecedented volume of non-COVID patients. Even more worrisome is that our hospitals are under this much stress even before we enter the busy cold, flu, respiratory illness season.

Maybe you are fortunate enough to have not known anyone who has become severely ill from COVID-19. There are very few people left who haven’t had a family member or friend infected with this virus. Regardless, your health may be impacted indirectly — as hospitals are dedicating limits our ability to care for patients with other health care needs. This is not ideal — we know that delaying care can have a negative impact on health care outcomes.

I know that many of you want COVID-19 to go away and for things to go back to normal. I do, too. But if we want to keep schools and businesses in Newton open, we must stop the spread of COVID-19. This means making personal sacrifices and following safety guidelines even when we are tired of it.

It’s hard to imagine Thanksgiving without being surrounded by loved ones. It’s hard to decide to not attend a wedding or celebration because of the pandemic. It’s hard to not visit friends and family in long-term care. Yet it is by making these sacrifices that we can protect our hospitals and health care workers, so we can be here when you need us the most.

If we want to keep our community and loved ones safe and healthy, we must stand together. I have faith that the people of Newton will do their part to protect your neighbors. Our Iowa hospitals are here for you, and we are thankful we can rely on you to be here for us … by doing your part to stop the spread.