Commentary: Are you alive? Maybe you should thank your doctor

As a contagious virus abates, another contagion spreads — a groundswell of gratitude for Wichita’s area health-care workers.

While talking with Buster Fairleigh, owner of Buster’s Burger Joint, I asked him why he’s grateful for them.

He responded: “They’re everything to everybody. They just need to be recognized.”

Wednesday, Doctor’s Day, is an excellent opportunity to recognize our medical community.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wichita Hearts for Healers formed to show our local health-care workers — including the doctors we celebrate today — that we appreciate them, value their sacrifice, and are beyond grateful that they continue to care for our community.

We’ve sent those thoughts in countless cards and digital messages, chalked encouraging words on the sidewalks of our local hospitals, held events to cheer the workers on and handed out hundreds of stickers with our symbol of support, the Wichita flag emblazoned with a heart and medical cross.

Why are we so grateful?

Well, physicians care deeply for their patients.

They are our neighbors, our fellow congregants, and participate in our community. They share our families’ successes as well as our losses.

Doctors give generously of their time, energy, and dedication — often taking time to listen to our stories or taking an extra step to research a rare condition.

Our docs also share their expertise. They’ve spent at least seven years in post-graduate education and continue studying to better serve their patients.

But with all that doctors give through compassion, dedication, and expertise, their own need for support continues.

The past two years have been stressful for everyone.

Physicians have focused on healing others while experiencing those same societal stressors themselves, compounding their level of fatigue.

COVID has not eliminated other medical conditions, and doctors have been treating COVID patients on top of their regular caseloads.

COVID necessitates that physicians study even more than usual, requiring hours of extra reading and research so that they better understand the virus’s dynamics and interactions with patients’ other conditions.

This extra work means less time with family and less time to recover from the stresses of what they’re seeing and investing in emotionally.

There are several ways that we can support our physicians.

Few things heal a heart like expressions of gratitude and a simple thank-you note means a lot.

Our docs want us to take care of ourselves and seek preventive care. Since many people put off care for so long, physicians are now seeing patients whose conditions would have been more treatable if caught sooner.

Doctors want to see us healthy.

Lastly, please be kind. Be gracious with other Wichitans and encourage compassion in the community, because caring neighbors make a healing environment.

Let’s spread gratitude through Wichita and help it reach more people than any virus.

To our local doctors, please know that you’re on our hearts.

The Wichita heart flag symbolizes that all of the Wichita area’s health-care workers are in our thoughts and we’ve been engaging with both individuals and businesses to spread this symbol of gratitude.

Visit wichitaheartsforhealers.org to reserve your sticker.

This story was originally published March 30, 2022 at 5:12 AM.