Hope for a Better Tomorrow

We can lead by example by getting the vaccine and sharing the facts

By Michael K. Lauf, President and CEO, Cape Cod Healthcare

We at Cape Cod Healthcare have been embroiled in this fight against COVID-19 for almost a full year. Today, we see there is light at the end of tunnel. We have and continue to err on the side of safety while doing everything we can to be there for our patients and our community. Defeating this virus by caring for our people who are currently have it and helping our community to recover from it, is now our top priority.

With the development and rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine comes hope and an opportunity to lead this fight. And every one of us plays a crucial role. By getting the vaccine, sharing facts about the vaccine, talking about it with others and helping to ensure those around us understand the importance it, you are helping to protect yourself, those around you, our patients and our community.
We will continue to lead with science, and we will continue lead with compassion, and those two thoughts will intersect. We know the vaccine is both safe and effective, and we know it is key to protecting our community and our most vulnerable populations: those with comorbidities, those who are immunocompromised, those in communal settings and those who are of the age most impacted by this terrible disease.

Cape Cod Healthcare will continue on its mission to vaccinate each and every one of our employees – and we will partner with the county to vaccinate all of our citizens on Cape Cod. Our hope is that by late spring/early summer, we will be getting back to our lives the way we used to live them - celebrating with each other, sharing company with each other and enjoying, once again, all of the beautiful things Cape Cod has to offer.

There is a light on the horizon. To get there though, we must continue to focus on the things that we know work – paying attention to personal hygiene, wearing masks when appropriate, not going to work when we are sick. These are the types of behaviors that we know can protect us and help slow the spread of this disease.

We will continue to do what we have always done – we will focus on the health, safety and wellbeing of our patients and each another; and we will spare no expense to do just that. Looking ahead, we will create more opportunities for students, for our own employees and physicians, and for our community members to help deliver and receive healthcare. And each day we get one step closer.

In the meantime, I encourage you to weigh pros and cons of getting the COVID-19 vaccine, to take the vaccine if given the opportunity and use your powerful voice to help others and ultimately, help us all overcome this tragic pandemic and look to a better tomorrow.