Healthcare Hero: Meghan Ryan, DO
April 10, 2020
In this series, we're introducing the community to some of Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital's Healthcare Heroes. We hope you enjoy getting to know them and learning more about what life looks like on the frontlines of the coronavirus at LCRH.
TODAY'S FEATURED HERO:
Meghan Ryan, DO
Q: What is your role at LCRH and how long have you worked here?
A: I'm a third year internal medicine resident.
Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t working in healthcare?
A: I honestly am not sure what other field of work I would be interested in if I had not gone into healthcare. It was something that I aspired to do since childhood.
Q: What does a typical day look like for you at Lake Cumberland?
A: A typical day at Lake Cumberland includes seeing critical ICU and noncritical patients admitted to the hospital on a daily basis, providing medical care, and working with family members and other team members to ensure each patient's hospital stay is the best that we can provide for them.
Q: How has your day-to-day changed since the coronavirus pandemic?
A: The coronavirus pandemic has changed my outlook on life dramatically. It has made me realize how strong the medical profession is and what we are capable of in times of a crisis. It has also made me realize the importance of teamwork and integrating multiple members of the healthcare team (nurses, respiratory therapists,etc) as we have grown to depend on each other to take care of COVID patients. It has made me appreciate my loved ones and realize that nobody is invincible to sickness. It has also made me realize how strong our community is and the appreciation that others have had for us is something I never knew was possible.
Q: What’s saving your life right now?
A: Taking advantage of the spring weather and the outdoors is saving my life right now. After working 12+ hours daily for multiple weeks in a row in the ICU, if I do not take the time to be outside (running, walking my dog, etc) at least once a day then I believe this would be mentally and physically exhausting.