159: Mary McHale

Physical Therapist

On a routine work day prior to the pandemic, Mary would carry out treatment plans for patients recovering from surgery or a joint replacement. She works in a Post Op Rehab facility. Once the pandemic was here, it all changed. Many surgeries were canceled or postponed. People delayed medical attention, all due to the risk of catching the virus. This meant less patients to care for at the facility.

But they did not shut down. They cared for those who needed it. Those at the rehab did not have visitors but they got the care they needed. Beyond the obvious additional sanitizing and safety precautions, Mary’s role changed quite a bit. She was asked to work in various facilities doing patient screening as well as work at COVID testing sites.

During all this, Mary contracted COVID. It laid her out for nearly a month. Also being a Physical Trainer, she told us, “I went from teaching spin classes to needing to rest after just a few steps. I experienced terrible fatigue like never before.” She added that St. Joe’s treated her wonderfully during this time. Allowing as much time as she needed as well as continuing her pay.

For the most part, overall she saw people acting with much more kindness - paying it forward attitudes, grocery store runs for one another, etc. It’s when politics entered into it that it became ugly. “People were arguing. We had to even shut down patient interactions, just based on political party.” Her wish is: “If it’s a health pandemic, it stays a health pandemic. Not political.”