Hailey Bates

RI, USA
ASE/BBS 2020

“My favorite aspect was the Capstone Project, where a single person from every session met to come up with a solution to some aspect of COVID-19. Being able to hear a variety of viewpoints, ideas, and values was an unmatched opportunity, and something I now see as essential to making a difference in our world. I believe the collaborative atmosphere of YYGS not only delivered a message about the collaboration our generation needs to carry into the future, but it was also what made the program so special.”

In the continuous aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is one victim that has often been overlooked: the US healthcare system. As I’ve spent this fall working towards my Emergency Medical Technician license, almost every lesson and technique included a “covid alteration”, which began my query as to how healthcare providers in the United Statres have had to alternate care to accommodate this new world we live in.

As I began researching, I was shocked by how greatly all levels of treatment and care in the US have been affected by the pandemic. EMS workers are among the first to be infected, nurses and doctors are struggling both mentally and physically to keep up with the increasing number of cases, and hospitals overall are in complete disarray.

My school requires that we write a senior paper as a graduation requirement, so I in the process of writing my paper on COVID-19’s impact on the healthcare system in the United States, and what people can do to help their local healthcare workers. When I am done, I plan to share what I find with a larger audience. Though the vaccine is now available, from what hospitals will most likely still have a long road to recovery. I am working with the head of the oncology department at my local hospital, family members who work as nurse, and hope to interview my EMT instructor as well.

Ambassador Year: 
2020