Pelton said the national news about the coronavirus crisis is sobering and with it likely to get worse in the Rochester area, he wanted to pitch in.
“Our pastor,” he recalled, “challenged us to do things that are helpful. That’s one of the things that, as a Christian, we should be considering doing. “
So Pelton planned to respond to a new survey sent out Monday by the Monroe County Medical Society which asks who’s ready to step up and provide some more manpower in case a surge of patients hits local hospitals.
Last week Governor Andrew Cuomo asked retired doctors to consider helping but the society says it’s looking for more.
“From physicians, nurse practitioners, position assistance, respiratory technician, EMS folks, anyone who could be willing to volunteer and could be called upon should the need arise,” Christopher Bell, Executive Director of the Monroe County Medical Society. said
“My heart tells me that somehow there are some needs that need to be filled by retired physicians,” added retired Pediatrician Sanford Mayer who also planned to respond to the call.
The Medical Society estimated there are some 300 retired doctors in Monroe County. Some, like both Mayer and Pelton are old enough to be at high risk for coronavirus but they could take other not-contagious patients, do telemedicine or valuable referrals.
“There is a lot of opportunities that would free up some other folks who could go provide face-to-face care,” Mayer said.
“This is an unprecedented time,” Pelton said. “None of us has ever been through anything like this. What I would like to do, and I think others would probably like to do, is to do something that’s helpful. I hope our whole society is spared what some of the doomsdayers say. And I think we will be. I think we will be.”
