MOLINE, Illinois — We enter a third year of the pandemic with frayed nerves.
"We are certainly understaffed, undermanned, underwomanned with respect to the needs that are before us," said the incoming president of the Illinois State Medical Society Dr. Clarence Brown.
In big hospitals and small, health care workers are facing a public that either doesn't see a need for COVID preventions or, in the case of testing outside Davenport's Genesis Medical Center in early January, people who don't believe the preventions are coming fast enough.
"This week, experienced some patients that were not as kind and some that even became very aggravated, and caught and made contact with one of our employees," said Beau Dexter, Director of Primary Care at Genesis Health.
If you think you're tired of COVID, imagine being on the ront line of health care where nurses and doctors were heroes two years ago are sometimes blamed for the continued pandemic today.
"Regrettably, it is becoming more of challenge on a day by day basis," said Dr. Brown on "News 8 THIS WEEK with Jim Mertens".
You can hear our entire interview with Medical Society President-Elect Dr. Clarence Brown, on THE CITIES PODCAST.
It's been a tough year at hospitals and clinics.
About six in ten health care workers reported impacts to their mental health stemming from their work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"As the pandemic continues, and health care workers feel the stress of the pandemic, that's only exacerbated by the American public taking their stress out on health care workers," added Dr. Brown.
And every day they come face to face with a public that is either skeptical, frustrated, or both.
"Burnout is a serious issue in the health care arena right now for health care workers," said Dr. Brown.
"Not only for doctors and nurses, but all of the staff that supports the efforts that we put forward."
You can watch "News 8 THIS WEEK with Jim Mertens" Sunday mornings at 10 on WQAD News 8.