COVID-19 pandemic headlines are everywhere we look these days. “Stay Home Stay Safe” guidelines have become the directive for cities and states across our country.

Here at Physicians First Messages, the Doctors’ First Choice Medical Call Center our clients are living those headlines as they transition to telemedicine, work remotely, or rotate hospital shifts caring for the afflicted. Your patients and callers are living them, too, as demonstrated in the associated increase in our call volume and the level of those calls.

We check in with our operators every day to ensure they are able to process the additional stress and strain we’re all facing in these uncertain times. I’m so proud of my team. They have really stepped up for our clients, their patients, and for each other. What I am hearing from them more than anything is the shared awareness of the human condition, and how much we rely on each other. It’s a truth that was easy to forget before we all learned about COVID-19.

Now that truth is relayed as simply as two words, said spontaneously: Be Safe.

We say it to our clients who have to close their office and find a way to work remotely. Be Safe.

We say it to the patients who are concerned about their, or a loved one’s, symptoms. Be Safe.

We say it to the doctor who has just pulled an 18 hour shift in at the hospital and is signing out for 30 minutes before volunteering for another 4 hours. Be Safe.

We say it to each other when we sign off at end of shift. Be Safe.

Now more than ever, I know we’ll get through this, together.

Be Safe, and Be Well.

What a day! Get on out there and enjoy it: we've got you covered!

To our friends who observe: Physicians First Messages wishes you a Hanukkah full of beauty and light. Happy Holidays!

It's not something we think about very often, but today on #NobelPrizeDay, we thought it would be a good time to remember Italian Guglielmo Marconi, winner of the Prize in 1909 as the inventor of the wireless telegraph. We've sure come a long way in how we send messages and information to each other!

Where would we as a society be today without the groundbreaking inventions and discoveries of the Nobel Prize winners? 

Holiday Season Is Here! Here Is A Quick Tip Of Safety.
I love December! It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.
 
I have fond memories of the holiday season, especially since it’s a time to not only catch up with family, but friends as well through dinners, parties, informal get-togethers and maybe even a vacation.
 
Physicians First Messages wants to encourage you to make the most of this holiday season, especially if you’re going to take part in one or more of the aforementioned functions over the next few weeks.
 
But we’d also like to remind you to please celebrate the holiday season responsibly … for the sake of your well-being and others. 

Specifically speaking,  we implore you to never drink and drive, no matter how careful you might think you are. For various reasons, conditions on the road are already borderline dangerous at times, so why make matters worse when you can hurt yourself, or more importantly, someone else.
 
Furthermore, is it worth the embarrassment of getting yourself in trouble with the law should you get pulled over and fail a sobriety test?
 
Come on, you know the answer to that!
 
Here’s a couple of cold, hard facts about the dangers of driving drunk, according to the website about.com:
1.   Motor vehicle wrecks are the leading cause of death in the U.S. for persons under 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Reports. And of those deaths, more than 40 percent are alcohol-related.
2. An estimated 40 percent of all persons in the U.S. will be involved in a traffic mishap blamed on alcohol at some point in their lives.
3. A driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.10 or greater is seven times more likely to be involved in a fatal motor vehicle crash than is a driver who has not consumed alcoholic beverages. And, that a driver with an alcohol concentration of 0.15 or greater is about 25 times more likely.

Basically, the more you drink, the more likely you are to have an accident, and a fatal one.
 
Bottom line is, play it smart this holiday season. If you’re going out and planning to drink, bring a designated driver, plan to take car service or get on a bus … whatever it takes.
 
Physicians First Messages would love to see everyone play it safe during the holidays and beyond. You owe it to yourself, your family, your friends and society in general.
 
Won’t you please do your part?

Sincerely,

John Calhoun
CEO, President @ Physicians First Messages, Inc.