After a COVID-19 scare, 23-year-old nurse reflects on staying safe

Published: April 6, 2020 | Updated: December 15, 2020

Sarah Cohron, R.N., is a new nurse at Norton Hospital. Her letter to Norton Healthcare President and CEO Russell F. Cox:

Dear Russ,

My name is Sarah Cohron, and I am a 23-year-old new graduate nurse. I exercise regularly and I don’t have any medical conditions that put me at risk for developing COVID-19, so I didn’t think I’d develop any sort of respiratory illness this spring. I was surprised to be sent home from work on March 27 with a high temperature, and I was even more surprised when I began experiencing shortness of breath a few days later. I was diagnosed with mild pneumonia in my left lung, but thankfully, my test for COVID-19 was negative. These findings were only possible because Norton Healthcare has created such an amazing emergency response system. I wanted to share a list of a few specific things I wanted to thank you for:

1. Thank you for the 24-hour Employee Health Helpline. When I reported shortness of breath that seemed to be worsening, the staff made me an appointment with occupational health for 30 minutes after I called. Knowing that there was someone on the other end of that line 24/7 has been so comforting, especially because this is the first time I’ve ever experienced respiratory symptoms.
2. Thank you for the nightly videos. It’s so empowering to get information straight from the source rather than relying on the rumor mill.
3. Thank you for offering the paid furlough. I closed on my first home about two weeks before COVID-19 made its way to Kentucky, and I’m so fortunate and grateful that I don’t have to worry about whether or not I’ll make my first mortgage payment.
4. Thank you for providing employee lunches. Because of this, one less thing every employee has to worry about right now is packing their lunch.
5. Thank you for taking measures to ration our supplies proactively.
6. Thank you for valuing employee safety so much.

It’s hard to express how grateful my family and I are for how Norton Healthcare’s actions have affected my little corner of the world. Not all hospitals in the area are doing half of what you all are doing, and this creates added stress and anxiety for their employees. Thank you again!

Sincerely,

Sarah Cohron