TO OUR VALUED MIDDLETOWN MEDICAL PATIENTS:

When I started Middletown Medical over 35 years ago, it was with the goal of creating a healthcare organization that would always go the extra mile. Now, as another year comes to a close, I take this time to reflect on how we have delivered on that promise to our patients, our employees, and ourselves.

Like the rest of the world, Middletown Medical has had its share of tragedy and triumph, joy and pain, and success and struggles throughout 2020.

Here, patients are like family, and we have felt the sting of loss watching those we have spent years caring for suffer or succumb to the COVID-19 disease. For some, we were able to join in their celebration as they recovered. Others, we witnessed fight bravely and valiantly, only to be overcome by the failure of their hearts, lungs, and kidneys. In those moments, our hearts suffered, too.

I personally have never seen physicians grieve as much as I have this year. As physicians, we felt the imminence of danger to our own health and that of the ones we love. This same fear was a burden for all of our employees.

Week in and week out, we wondered if we’d carry the disease home to our loved ones, or if we ourselves would be the next one to be fighting for our life.

It was the moments of triumph that kept us going.

One of them was a gentleman I met 30 years ago, Gary Texter, the former HONOR Director of Community Outreach in our region. I initially met Gary when I served as his mother’s doctor, to then later become his doctor, as well. He was one of the first to suffer in the many rounds of victims of COVID-19. It was a grueling nine-month-long battle, during which Gary’s faith, friends and loved ones, and dedicated healthcare professionals provided him with the courage and strength to persevere. I am pleased to share that Gary was able to reunite at home with his wife Beth last week, nothing short of a Christmas miracle.

Through all of this, Middletown Medical has continued to persevere and be there for our patients. We have added new services, done more testing than any other provider in the region, and have created a dedicated respiratory and flu clinic at 35 Maltese Drive in Middletown.

We know there is still work to do. Our call center has suffered through this pandemic, and we are working hard to remedy the situation. Due to social distancing and other COVID-19 safety requirements, we are unable to staff our call centers as adequately as we would like. As always, we are open to your feedback and welcome any suggestions. If you have any thoughts to help us, please let us know.

I close this by saying thank you. To our patients, to our employees, and to our friends. Without whom, we could not have carried on. We appreciate your support. Be sure to cherish, love, and care for one another as we enter 2021.

Raj Gulati, MD