Change Is the Only Constant

As I sit in my home office to write this blog, I realize that I have spent more time in this room in the last month than I have in the previous 3 years combined. The mitigation efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 have impacted us all and in so many different ways.  

Parents have become teachers in addition to their daily work. Much of the workforce is working remotely from home, often searching for a small space of quiet where they can distance themselves from the typical noises of a family. And some are able to continue their essential jobs but in a much different environment with a new set of procedural rules. 

Change is the only constant in life, and we are forced to adjust our personal, family, and work lives accordingly.  Fortunately, we are resilient as a society and will continue to find solutions for what lies around every corner. 

Our Medical Community

The desk chair in my office was a gift from the medical school to every graduating student that year. When I see it lately, I think about my classmates from med school with both respect and worry.  

The amount of time spent together in med school is tremendous, and many close bonds develop. Fifteen of my closest classmate friends keep in touch with a group text, and the string has gone on for years. Recent events have us all communicating frequently, oftentimes over 20 texts a day.  

Our group has gone into many different specialties and are scattered throughout the East Coast. Hearing parts of their individual experiences caring for patients during this pandemic is eye–opening. Two of my friends have already contracted COVID-19, and, fortunately, both have recovered.  

The common theme of many of the texts is the cooperativeness of the healthcare workers and support team, that the hospitals have been more collegial than ever, and that a feeling of kindness floods the halls. While the news may seem like a constant barrage of grim statistics and negativity, it’s important to recognize the many good deeds that go unnoticed and the examples of the goodness in people that go unreported. My thanks and admiration for my friends, classmates, and all health care workers on the frontline in this battle are immense, and we should all hope and pray for their safety every day. 

Changes at Rockmore Plastic Surgery

We at Rockmore Plastic Surgery are changing and adapting as well. While procedures and injectables aren’t something we can perform at this time since our physical office is closed, we remain committed to providing the best care possible for our current and future plastic surgery patients throughout the Albany, NY region.  

As part of our adaptation, we now offer virtual consultations and appointments to patients. Virtual consultation is done through our HIPAA–compliant electronic medical records software and can be conducted from the comfort of your own home. You can use your phone or tablet for the virtual consultation, and you can schedule your appointment by calling our office at (518) 328-3330.    

Before your virtual consultation as a new patient, please upload pictures of the area you would like to address via the Symplast app (for Apple and Google Play). For those of you we have previously seen, pictures of any areas of concern are helpful as well. 

This is a period of change for us all, and by adapting together, we can weather this storm a bit more easily. 

Stay safe and healthy, 

Jeff Rockmore