Tucson ER doctor joins conversation with frontline workers during Democratic National Convention

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - “It’s heavy.”

That’s what Tucson emergency room physician Dr. Bradley Dreifuss said during a conversation with other frontline workers during the first night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday, Aug. 17.

Hosted by Olympian Megan Rapinoe, Dreifuss joined a paramedic and two nurses to discuss the handling of the pandemic.

“I’ve left the emergency department in tears and so have a lot of my colleagues,” said Dreifuss. “People are exhausted and we’re looking at the tsunami that’s coming this winter with COVID and influenza and I think all of us are wondering, how is our system not going to just collapse? Because if we’re not there, when people come with their broken arms, or they come with their heart attacks, strokes or appendicitis., we’re not going to be there.”

HCW Hosted Co-Founder Dr. Dreifuss at the Democratic National Convention
We were thrilled to have our co-founder, Dr. Brad Dreifuss, join two nurses, an EMT, and Megan Rapinoe for a frontline healthcare worker check-in at the Democratic National Convention tonight. "I've left the emergency department in tears, and so have a lot of my colleagues. People are exhausted. We are looking at the tsunami that is coming this winter with Covid and influenza, and I think all of us are wondering how is our system not going to just collapse?" Healthcare worker voices matter--the whole team. And we need to step up as a community to support our healthcare workers with enough high quality PPE to keep them safe, mental & physical health support, and an evidence-based plan to contain the pandemic so we don't work them into exhaustion. We need to all be on the same team. Sign up for services, share your healthcare worker story, or donate to support our work: hcwhosted.org
Posted by HCW Hosted on Monday, August 17, 2020

Dreifuss is also the co-founder of HCW Hosted, a grassroots, community-based organization that has come together to help healthcare workers in Tucson.

The organization helps coordinate housing, health check-ins, emotional support and more.

He spoke with KOLD News 13 in July from the AirBnB he had been staying in for weeks while fighting the coronavirus. At the time, he said the healthcare system needed to be re-evaluated and prepared to respond if another situation, like the pandemic, were to happen again.

“This has become a never again situation, where the battle cry needs to be, this never needs to happen again,” said Dreifuss.

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