One Good Thing
Improving the Work Experience at UCSF

Issue 104
To make our True North "Our People" efforts more visible at UCSF, this communication provides a highlight of one enhancement, story or tip intended to improve the work experience for clinicians and faculty at UCSF Health.
From UCSF Medical Center's Facebook Post 3.19.20 "Dr. K. Pallav Kolli has played a key role in COVID-19 preparedness work in our radiology department. "When faced with a patient who potentially had the virus, he selflessly insisted that our fellow sit outside of the room and did the procedure without him, so that he did not have to be exposed as well," Dr. Kolli's colleagues say."
See more of our colleagues and the social media post here .
You Have Actually Already Done This...

Today, I'd like to share an excerpt from this beautiful letter that was written by Dr. Carson Lawall, a Neurologist in Oakland, to his colleagues in healthcare, reflecting on his experience as a non-ER doctor in mass casualty situations, as that relates to our current situation. It was shared on social media by his colleague and wife, Dr. Rita Ng, the Physician-in-Chief at Kaiser Permanente, East Bay.
See the full post here .  

For me, no matter what role each of us is in right now, this was incredibly validating for the feelings the last two weeks have raised. Thank you to Dr. Lawall for writing and sharing this, and to all of you for stepping up and being your amazing selves. There is no community I'd rather be with right now than here with all of you.


1. You have actually already done this.
You have already had call nights that have been miserable. You have already had to triage things that are “untriageable,” like 3 (or more) immediate/time sensitive emergencies that have to be treated right away, but there is only one of you. It feels awful. Your choice is the right choice, because any choice in this circumstance is actually an illusion (there is no actual choice, just a bad situation). The situation is what it is. What you decide is right even if someone else would have done it different because you are the one doing the work, not them. You are always better than no one (a lot better), and the reality is that if it isn’t you, there might be no one to do it.
It feels bad, the outcomes will not be perfect--the outcomes may even be bad, but you are doing the right thing.

2. Practicing outside your area of specialty is incredibly uncomfortable.
I’m a neurologist. Blood is not my thing. Even now, it still isn’t my thing. Viral pathogens are no one’s thing. There is a lot of fear working in an area where you essentially have medical student level of knowledge. You will feel awful, and stupid (if you are a normal person—I envy those who always think they are right), but you will still get things done. It is ok to feel bad, and you will feel bad—just expect it. Later you will joke about it .... keep reading.

Wishing everyone warm energy and good health as we continue on.