Riverdale Parents in Healthcare Work On the Front Lines During the Pandemic
Dr. Eric Neibart, who specializes in infectious diseases, has direct responsibility in the care of Covid-19 patients.
Photo courtesy of Savannah Neibart
During last spring and summer, sounds of clanging pans and cheering New Yorkers filled the city’s streets every night at seven o’clock to thank the healthcare workers who have been risking their lives to keep us safe. That daily moment of unity instilled hope during a time of fear and isolation. While this tradition no longer occurs at the same magnitude, healthcare workers continue to sacrifice so much for the betterment of their patients and the general public.
Senior Molly Langer shared her own experience of having a father working on the front lines. “My dad is a neurosurgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital. He was asked to step out of his specialty for a couple months to learn a whole new way of working. His responsibilities during the pandemic included learning how to be a trauma doctor and helping people on the front lines. He was helping all of the nurses, among other things,” explained Langer. “It was super stressful. I was terrified because I really didn’t want him to get [Covid-19], and he has asthma.” Amidst all of this stress, Langer shared a way that has helped her cope: “This is just general advice about emotions, but I would say just let it out because there is no point in bottling it up inside.”
Dr. Eric Neibart, father of junior Savannah Neibart, is an infectious disease doctor at Mount Sinai Hospital who worked on the front lines throughout the pandemic. He is also a member of the hospital’s Cardiovascular Institute. His main responsibilities currently include direct patient care of Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 patients, helping the cardiovascular unit continue to function, and helping to educate residents, fellows, nurse practitioners, and physicians’ assistants on diagnosis, prognosis features, and therapy.
“The sheer volume was unbelievable,” Dr. Neibart noted. “You never saw such a severe constellation of illnesses at the same time. There were so many people who were severely ill and their families couldn’t even see them…There was one guy with a four-to-five year old son who specifically came to Mount Sinai instead of going to one of the state hospitals. He teetered near respiratory failure and needed a ventilator for around ten days, and we just kept telling him every day that he was going to go home and see his son.” Dr. Neibart explained what is important for people to understand about the nature of the healthcare system during Covid-19: “This is a new phenomenon, and we are learning a lot as we go, and people need to understand that the knowledge is changing all the time.”
Neibart and Langer both agreed that they have come to a greater understanding of their parents’ line of work through this experience. As Neibart explained, “we have definitely started talking about what he does a lot more. It's a topic that is interesting to my family and everyone, since this is something that touches our own lives and everyone's lives so much.” For Langer, her father’s experience of adapting to a temporary new position has taught her that “just because you’re a [specific kind of doctor] doesn’t mean you can’t contribute in other ways.”
It is important to recognize and appreciate all that healthcare workers do for us. Neibart expressed the importance of “understand[ing] that it's a greater sacrifice and that it's helping so many people.” For those with parents in healthcare, she said that “[students] should just be proud.” Every act of gratitude and consideration towards others is one step closer to the unity needed to defeat this pandemic.
