Mayor and 1st Responders Praise Martine Center Health Care Staff

In so many areas in and around New York City, people are seen and heard applauding health care workers who are tirelessly on the front lines in today's deadly coronavirus global pandemic. It reminds as all of what happened in terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, when citizens would wave, honk their horns, cheer and thank the police, EMT's and fire fighters for their heroic efforts on that day. This is no different, but now these law enforcement bodies and firefighters are thanking the medics in a fight that's very different than 9/11, but as equal where heroes have stepped from beyond the shadows to save lives. No fire fighter or police officer could have imagined a world of 9/11, now this is health care's 9/11. Yes, they are trained to work with patients everyday and they say that this is their job and this what they do, but no one could have imagined a time where a virus has run and continues to run rapid.

This past Wednesday on the 22nd during the time the shift changes at Martine Center on Tibbits Avenue here in White Plains, Mayor Tom Roach came in his face mask and brought his brave entourage of White Plains' first responders to the facility where police, fire trucks and EMTs sounded their sirens, waved to the Martine Center front line health care workers, saying thank you and the staff waved back teary eyed thanking them as well.

"These folks have worked and continue working so hard for us, this is the least that we can do to tell them how appreciative we are to them in this most unusual time in our lives where the stakes are high, morale can be low, but we are behind them one-hundred percent," said Mayor Roach. "My fire and police can't thank them enough. That's why they wanted to come."

Martine Center, like most long-term care nursing facilities in New York State and throughout the country, have been dealing with COVID-19 patients face-to-face and the staff have been in full New York State Department of Health and CDC guideline Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) since the very start in this pandemic since early last month.

"At this point, it would be hard to find a skilled nursing facility that hasn't been touched by this virus," said Shragi Weisz, Administrator at Martine Center. "Nothing about this virus is beautiful unless you're talking about my clinical, as well as non-clinical staff. We are all in this fight, but from a different perspective but my front line workers know the war they are fighting and it's the hardest they have ever had to do. Nursing homes should be praised, not kicked around."

Before the event began, with Mayor Roach present, an EMT vehicle pulled up in front of the facility doing what they do best, transporting a patient to Martine Center. Weisz pointed out to the Mayor, that these are the hard working people just doing their jobs. In twenty minutes after the Mayor's arrival, it all ended and it was time for work for Martine Center's new shift, while the old shift goes home, taking a big breather, but will be back again on the front lines in the war against COVID-19.