One Day More, Coronavirus: A Letter

Erica Harding, MD

In today‘s Alumni Profile, Erica Harding (JYF 1998-99) reminds us of the incredible bravery and awe-inspiring dedication shown by members of the medical community in fighting the Coronavirus pandemic. She encourages us to look steadfastly to the future by riffing on the lyrics of the musical tune “One Day More”. 

One Day More, Coronavirus – An Open Letter to My Office

Erica S. Harding, MD 

Staff Physician, Clarkston Medical Group

April 13, 2020

Dear fellow employees,

We are rolling into month two of the pandemic, and it’s a fight every day. I was listening to a little Broadway and came across “One Day More” from Les Miserables. In the song, each character asks him or herself what the next day will bring and whether they will stay to fight in the Revolution or run away to safer places. I couldn’t help thinking of you.

One day more, I ask of you, my coworkers who are at home, to wait to join us again. I miss the hard work you put in helping with those mountains of forms, prior authorizations, phone messages and refills that keep our patient’s needs met. One month more and we’ll be ready to meet the backlog of appointments, physicals and immunizations we’ve put off, just in time for back to school physicals. We’ll nip it in the bud together.

One day more, our nurses who are on the phone, taking care of our patients with chronic conditions, calling our patients with their test results. What comfort you bring with just a phone call.

One day more, medical assistants and phlebotomists. Every day you must ask yourself “do I stay?” and every day we ask you “will you take your place with me?” At the barricades of the office, taking temperatures not letting fevers in. In the trailer where social distancing is a luxury. In the office helping patients “(oh my gosh he coughed on me, how did he get in here!), why can’t I work from home?“

One day more, Covid-task force, there’s a new world for the winning, 3 weeks ago we could only dream of 24-hour turn around testing. Let’s push to get more testing. One day to a new beginning, there’s a battle to be won.

One day more, financials and billing, you’ve kept the lights on. Instead of saying “we can’t” you’ve helped us answer “how can we”, when everything changes daily.

One day more, reception, hey now we’ve got a hotline, thank you for your patience and flexibility. Rise up, to answer the calls of the sick and scared.

One day more, support staff, thank you for staying, thank you for finding masks and gloves and computers and endless running, catch us as we fall.

One day more, my fellow band of providers, raise your shields and N-95 masks high. Take your place with me in the rain, sleet and snow. One more day before the storm, hospitalists, let’s get these admissions done. My place is here, I’ll fight with you.

Tomorrow we’ll discover what God in Heaven has in store, one more dawn, one day more, and then one after that. Coronavirus never had a chance. Thank you will never be enough, there’s no one I’d rather have on my side. Let’s do this CMG.

Credit: “One Day More” music by Claude-Michel Schonberg, English lyrics Herbert Kretzmer

Erica shared her Open Letter via Facebeook where she keeps far-flung friends and her local community alike informed about developments she observes on the ground in the fight against the coronavirus. We welcome your contribution to our communal story telling through the AYF Alumni Profiles Project page!