Dr. Sevilla: Enjoying Nature, Social Media, Imperfections
Dr. Mike Sevilla, a family physician with the Family Practice Center of Salem, is coming back strong. You can read more about Dr. Sevilla at his Facebook page.
What are some ways the COVID-19 outbreak has changed your work life?
Like other physicians and those in the medical field, we made a rapid change from communicating in-person to digital and online communication. As a family physician in a rural community, it was very important to get the message out that our office was going to remain open as an essential business, and that we would continue to offer primary care services through in-person visits, video visits or telephone visits.
My chief communication with my patients about office issues was through my Facebook page. I tried to record frequent Facebook videos for my community to update them on the status of our telemedicine program, the steps the office was taking to comply with state health recommendations and the continued availability of our physician staff. In addition, I try to keep my Facebook audience updated on the current updates on coronavirus as well as other medical topics like the importance of preventative health visits, cancer screenings and immunizations.
How about your personal life?
I’m not going to lie. In those early days of COVID-19 hitting the Valley, I did have some anxiety of potentially spreading the virus to my family. In addition to my office, I take care of my patients at Salem Regional Medical Center as well as in some local nursing homes. I was especially, especially careful to make sure that I followed all of the recommendations and procedures to prevent potential spread.
Meanwhile, on a very positive note, I cannot give enough credit to my wife, who has been so supportive of me and my work through this pandemic. I have had to lean on her a lot through sometimes some stressful days. I’m thankful for having a great support system through this experience.
What steps are you taking to hang tough?
As a family physician, I really have to practice what I preach. When the weather is OK, I’ve been telling my patients to really try to get outside and enjoy nature. My wife and I really enjoy riding our bicycles and also hiking. In addition to Mill Creek Park, we enjoy many sites in Columbiana County, including Beaver Creek State Park, the Greenway trail from Lisbon to Leetonia and Guilford Lake.
What advice are you sharing with the people you love?
It’s the same advice that I share with my patients and with my community. Yes, we’re living in unprecedented times, but they’re also imperfect times. Sometimes the choices we try to make to get out of these times will be imperfect, but that’s OK. We’re all doing the best that we can every day, but we cannot be afraid to try to get back to some kind of normal life. Yes, there will be some risk to leave your house, but you cannot stay home forever. We WILL get through this together as a community.