August 14, 2020 –
FHN President and CEO Mark Gridley MBA, FACHE, and Assistant Vice President, Behavioral Health Gabriel Gonzalez, MSW, talk about how to deal with the “pandemic time” perception of time moving slowly - or quickly - in the latest FHN COVID-19 update video.
“For many people, this hyper-focused state seems to make time slow down,” Gonzalez said. “The key to regulate that is to find enjoyable things to do, stay busy, and have a daily routine.”
Gridley urges people to acknowledge the stress everyone is under, including being tired of masking and social distancing restrictions.
“We're wearing masks to protect others, and while it is an inconvenience, it is helping to minimize the spread of COVID-19,” Gridley said. “But remember, ‘social distancing' does not mean social isolation. Take the time to get out and enjoy the nice weather with your loved ones, and keep ‘virtually' reaching out and connecting with friends and loved ones, too.”
Gridley also shares an update on COVID-19 in the region, calling the recent uptick in cases “increased activity” as opposed to a surge. Though FHN still is not planning large group events, all the organization's clinics and offices, as well as FHN Memorial Hospital, are open and safe.
Though not all opening guidelines for area school districts are finalized, Gridley hopes to be able to discuss the health aspects of them in FHN's next update video to be released in two weeks.
The video, along with all of the previous weeks' videos, is available on FHN's COVID-19 information site, www.fhn.org/coronavirus.
FHN, a not-for-profit organization with nearly 1,200 employees, is an award-winning regional healthcare system committed to the health and well-being of the people of northwest Illinois and southern Wisconsin. FHN Memorial Hospital has been recognized as one of the state's top hospitals for safety by the Leapfrog group and Healthgrades as well as by the world's largest, completely independent, non-profit product- and service-testing organization. FHN caregivers serve an average of 1,500 people each day across FHN's 19 locations in 5 counties spanning northwest Illinois. Organized in 1995 as an integrated healthcare delivery system, FHN is comprised of FHN Memorial Hospital, the Leonard C. Ferguson Cancer Center at FHN Memorial Hospital, 13 family healthcare centers offering primary and specialty medical care, hospice, and outpatient mental health services. For more information about FHN, please visit www.fhn.org.