We are entering the third year of this pandemic. Vaccines have been available for over a year – a turning point we anxiously waited for as 2020 came to an end. But 2021 was not the turnaround year we had hoped for. Over 840,000 people have lost their lives in our country since the start of the pandemic – the majority of people who died of COVID since this summer were not vaccinated. Anti-vaxxers proudly proclaim their resistance and misinformation continues to spread. Our health system and healthcare workers are under incredible strain. Hospital leaders are pleading with their communities to get vaccinated and boosted.

It is hard to be optimistic at times.

Those who can continue to work remotely. Kids are in classrooms and used to wearing masks with parents and grandparents viewing school holiday concerts over Zoom. Families cautiously gathered over the holidays or changed plans at the last moment.

We crave normalcy and getting out in the world to do the things we enjoy – spending time with family and friends. live music, sports events, travel and more.

We tend to look ahead to the new year with hopes and dreams of a better year. We ask ourselves how can things get worse? We make resolutions.

David Muntz, my StarBridge Advisors colleague, recently wrote a blog post, “12 Steps to Prepare for 2022 – Big Challenges – Bigger Opportunities” that was far more than just a professional health IT perspective and advice. As this year comes to an end, I leave you with a few excerpts from his steps 1 and 12:

“Treat yourself, all your stakeholders, and everyone else you meet with mercy and compassion. If you don’t pay attention to yourself, your ability to help others will be diminished. Be merciful and compassionate to patients, families, employers, employees, payers, vendors, and strangers. Forgive yourself and others who may stumble or request assistance. Remember that you and everyone you meet has lost a job, family member, friend, or business associate or knows someone who has. Help them. When you ask how someone is doing, don’t let “Fine” get in the way of the truth. Ask questions to get at the truth, but don’t let your desire to help violate their privacy. Model that behavior by thinking about the positives in your life and, when appropriate, opening up to your friends and family. It’s often a gift to them when you ask them to help you when you need it.

Summon the strength to seek professional help, if necessary, to modify your own behaviors to provide the support they need, to help you and them cope more effectively, to make sure that you all will weather the resurgence of the original storm and come out stronger when the pandemic finally ends (I pray) or morphs into a more manageable endemic. In a digital world, the human elements are essential.”

“Do a self-assessment. Use the new year as an opportunity to inventory both your personal and professional life. Create a Life List (not a bucket list) of what to do with a fresh restart. We can all be our better selves. You may expect the best from others, but it’s more important to demand the best of yourself. Invest in yourself. Learn, teach, work, play, sleep, laugh, cry, talk, listen – exercise your mind and body. Sometimes the most selfless thing you can do is to focus on your own well-being. Become your best self, and if you fall short occasionally be as compassionate and forgiving of yourself as you are of others. Commit to a regular review of your life-work balance. Adjust as necessary. A better you makes a better us. A better us provides better care.”

I couldn’t say it any better than David if I tried. Take care of yourself, both your physical and mental health, so you can take care of others who need you. May 2022 be a better year for all.