A few days before I was set to begin my service as president of Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, little did I know the following months would be a tumultuous journey that would test our team’s resolve, courage and strength. As the pandemic swept across the United States, Adventist HealthCare had to make important but difficult decisions to care for our patients and employees. Over the last several months, we: closed our doors to most visitors; postponed elective surgeries; hired and oriented nurses in a short period of time; found alternate ways to acquire additional personal protective equipment (PPE) and supplies; and worked with the state to open additional hospital beds to our community. During this time, we have been blessed to receive an outpouring of community support. Restaurants and civic organizations donated thousands of meals to our hard-working teams. Farming groups provided fresh vegetables to hundreds of team members who didn’t have time to grocery shop. We’ve also received generous donations of PPE from our community to help us ensure the safety of our caregivers. It’s an honor to stand beside the incredible team who are showing their bravery and heroism during this challenging time. They’ve spent time away from family, celebrated patients’ birthdays when they could not have visitors and stood beside patients as they passed. We look to the future with optimism at White Oak Medical Center and ask for your continued prayers as our team brings care and healing to the surrounding community. —Anthony Stahl, CEO of White Oak Medical Center.
