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A Letter to our Porter and Wider Community,
I am grateful.  The current Porter Medical Center campus is oddly quiet, but the energy and purpose in the activities that are happening here is truly inspirational.  Every member of this hospital, nursing home and the practices are working tirelessly to prepare for something we can only imagine could be a life changing event in our community. And what is the fuel that keeps us moving forward?  All of you.
I see the signs of community support on the windows of houses, on the trees, and in the yards.  Fuel.  I hear about the construction companies donating masks and the many crafty community members ready to make cloth masks.  Fuel.  I catch wind of the grass roots efforts to electronically connect with our seniors at Helen Porter to give them hope and comfort.  Fuel.  I am certain I have the most sanitized hands in all of Vermont from the generous and quick thinking teamwork of local beverage and soap businesses making sanitizer.  Fuel.  And finally, there are children in our community who filled some of their time last week making posters to put in Porter’s hallways and work stations.  Mega fuel. 
There are so many examples.  It is my hope to continue to write about the incredible gifts that the community shares with our small organization.  We are stronger with your support and recharged by your trust.  
I was never a theater kid, but I always enjoyed a good performance.  For every show, there is the “behind the scenes” crew that make things work.  Props are where they should be, lighting finds the target, and creative set designs make the acting come alive.  At the risk of sounding like a parent with a favorite child, there is a team at Porter that I want to personally thank.  The Plant Operations crew has been putting in long hours and making things happen in preparation for what lies ahead.  Examples of their efforts include the creation of new negative pressure rooms, the overnight construction of tent and treatment spaces, and ensuring safe traffic flow on our campus.  They are the masters behind our scenes and we owe many of our future successes to their efforts.  Thank you fellas.  
Yesterday, I walked by one of our new homemade signs hanging on the wall which read “Be Brave”.  I think it caught my eye because it was in cursive (do they still teach that in school?).  But I also liked the message.   It was simple and it was not a sign meant just for me.  It was a sign for all of us.  Bravery in learning how to home school, bravery in figuring out how to weather an economic storm on your business, bravery in social distancing, and bravery in waking up every day to something that feels wholly unnatural. Truthfully, sometimes I don’t feel that brave, but alas, I am always grateful. 
Amanda Young, MD
Medical Director
Porter Hospital Emergency Department