Preserving Programs while Persevering through a Pandemic by Lauren Yeoman

We all know by now that things do not always go according to plan, to say the least as we approach the one-year mark of the pandemic. My time thus far with the National Health Corps has been spent quite differently than those in my role previously. I serve at the Stephen and Sandra Sheller Family Health Service Center (aka 11th Street) where my position description transformed from interacting face to face with patients in the clinic lobby to now meeting through Zoom while in my living room alongside my two guinea pigs who are also getting used to their new roles as coworkers. 

Unfortunately, COVID has resulted in restrictions on 11th Street’s facilities usage. This has greatly impacted the community given the resources it provides such as a fitness center, creative arts therapy rooms, and a yoga studio to name a few that have not been available to our patients. As I have spent more time learning about the ways the clinic operated before arriving post-pandemic adjustments, the more I’ve realized that 11th street is not only a place for treatment and medical care, but a center to create connections with fellow community members and a hub for resources and learning. The loss of having this as a constant in one’s day-to-day life has been challenging.

My position specifically supports our health and wellness programs which are usually offered in the center but are now held through Zoom, as is much of our world is today. This has definitely presented its challenges as accessibility is still a question at large when it comes to the transition into online programs. Patients and I fumble through the frustrating zoom passcodes, microphone malfunctions, and meeting ID miscommunications, but the spirit of the community members preservers.

If we’re being transparent, I did not have the highest of hopes in expected participation when I was told all our programs were now virtual. Pleased is not a strong enough word to encompass what I felt when I logged into the first class I was assigned to support. On my screen, I was met with patients excited to see one another and eager for the program to begin. The topic was nutrition and was being presented in an interactive method filled with question and discussion topics for the attendees to answer. It was truly inspiring to see the spirit which those who have been with 11th Street before the pandemic have spoken about transcending into this new virtual normal. While transitions are seldom smooth, this one, in particular, has been an immensely challenging one across the board. But seeing the enthusiasm to persevere and preserve hope is something I greatly admire in the 11th Street community and will be a constant reminder as I go through the remainder of my service term with the National Health Corps.