As featured in The Spine Health Journal: Dr. Jazini’s Letter From The Editor

In the latest edition of The Spine Health Journal, a publication created by the National Spine Health Foundation, Dr. Jazini had the honor of being the Editor In Chief. The subject for this edition was ‘Spine Health in the Covid Era and Beyond’.

Letter From The Editor
COVID-19 Did Not Stop Us From Treating Our Patients

Ehsan Jazini, MD
Editor In Chief, National Spine Health Foundation
Spine Surgeon, Virginia Spine Institute

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was felt around the world. If I think back over the past year, I initially recall all of the negative aspects of the pandemic, including the people who contracted the virus and became ill or could not overcome it, the overload of sick patients in the hospitals, the concerns for limited medical supplies such as hand sanitizer, masks, and ventilators, and the shortage of, or limited access, to healthcare providers. In addition, social isolation worsened mental health issues, impacted those in the education system, and caused many people to lose their jobs and sources of income. The stress levels sky-rocketed. Yet, I can also find some positivity that is also directly related to the pandemic.

We were forced to get back to the basics of life, and essentially unplug from so many of the various roles and responsibilities we assumed over the years. For example, families had more time to spend together and simple walks or hikes became regular activities when organized activities were shut down. Many people that previously relied on eating out for their meals, learned how to cook at home. Suddenly, there was time to pick up that hobby, read that book, complete that DIY project around the house, develop a home exercise program, or listen to that podcast when there was never enough time before.

Even though most people remained masked up, socially distanced, and washed their hands repeatedly, this didn’t stop spine patients from having spine problems. Similarly, the coronavirus did not stop me from treating my patients. We became savvy with reaching patients through Telehealth visits when they could not come into the office. We kept our doors open for those patients that were having enough issues to make the trip into see me worthwhile. We were diligent with sanitizing, hand washing, and wearing protective gear. We provided masks to our patients if needed, and followed the basic steps of verifying those that entered the office were not sick or exposed to others that were sick. This approach was essential to providing the care to patients who needed me the most.

The National Spine Health Foundation is dedicated to improving spinal healthcare through education, research, and patient advocacy. During the pandemic, the Foundation was hard at work expanding their research efforts and also pivoted to provide a wide array of virtual content to the spine community, such as the virtual gala, Spine Talks Cities, the Spine Health Ambassador program, and the Get Back To It Podcast.

The year 2020 will go down in history. We will remember both the good and bad times for generations. I am proud and honored to continue providing exceptional spine care to my patients and reaching out to the larger community through the Foundation, no matter what challenges arise. In this issue, we will hear from a variety of experts and learn some of the challenges they faced and how they overcame them. We will also be informed on some of the latest advances in surgical and other treatment options, which thankfully continued this past year in spite of the pandemic.

– Ehsan Jazini, MD

To read the full edition of The Spine Health Journal, click here.

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