'I Needed To Do Something': Woman Boosts Morale For ICU Staff

LIBERTYVILLE, IL — Patti Rowles of Lakewood has two close high school friends who work in the medical field and have been vocal about the burnout nurses and doctors are feeling at this point in the pandemic.

"They have been on the front lines for over a year and this phase of the pandemic is so much harder than at the beginning," Rowles said.

After reading a recent Patch article about how the pandemic is affecting area medical personnel, Rowles said she decided she needed to do something to give back to those who are feeling overwhelmed and stressed after months of working with COVID-19 patients.

• 4th Surge Leading To 'Burnout' For Doctors, Nurses

Earlier this month, Rowles organized an event at Zumbier Brewery in Park City. There was musical entertainment and food. The event raised $500 from ticket sales, donations and raffles. Hospital personnel got in for free, Rowles said.

Nothing Bundt Cakes donated 100 mini bundts and gift cards for the raffle. Zumbier donated the space to host the event, WXLC ran advertisements for free a week beforehand, and several Gurnee businesses donated gift certificates for the raffle. The musical entertainment was also a donation.

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"Everyone involved was more than willing to help support the event. It was fantastic to see that kind of collaboration," Rowles said.

Rowles, who lives in Lakewood but spent 16 years in Gurnee where she raised her children, used that money to pay for 75 individual Subway meals for the intensive care unit staff at Condell Medical Center. Subway provided the meals at a discounted price.

"I know they aren’t the only hospital staff suffering from this burnout," she said. "I just wish I could do more for other hospitals too, and we are currently trying to figure out other ways to help."

She said an article Patch published in early September made "their voices heard," and she hopes more can be done to support medical staff at this phase of the pandemic.

In that article, Dr. Dipul Patadia, chief medical officer for Advocate Condell Medical Center, spoke about the latest COVID-19 surge. At that time, he said there'd been a 12-fold increase in patients admitted with COVID-19 since the beginning of July across all Advocate Aurora Health hospitals.

During the recent surge, nurses and doctors saw more children becoming sick and treated mainly unvaccinated patients, as well as many in their 20s, 30s and 40s. The daily work, he said, was very "polarizing" for many in the medical field who believe the virus is preventable.

"I couldn't be prouder of our team. They have risen to every challenge and demonstrated courage, compassion and resilience over the last 18 months," Patadia said. "This surge has certainly placed a huge demand and burden on them, which is why we are prioritizing team members' well-being and resiliency, and we are committed to supporting our team members with resources to help manage their stress and anxiety."

Rowles says she hopes efforts from community members, such as herself, can help boost morale for burnout staff.

"I have volunteered for the American Red Cross in my past and my mother was a nurse. I also have two friends from high school, one who is a nurse and one who is an ER doctor. They both have been quite vocal about the pandemic burnout situation in my hometown and after I read your article, I had to do something," Rowles said.

"I needed to do something to help instead of being an armchair quarterback," she added.

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