Mercy Health’s McCowin: Cherishing Time with Family

Heather McCowin, director of nursing at Mercy Health Youngstown, is hanging tough, along with her family. You can read more about Mercy Health Youngstown at its website.

What are some ways the COVID-19 outbreak has changed your work life?

This has really impacted my work life by changing how we communicate and meet with each other.  The days of meeting in the boardroom are gone.  We have really looked at what meetings are necessary and the forum on which they need to be held.  We have become accustomed to Skype and Zoom calls to maintain social distancing and still bring our healthcare team together.

How about your personal life?

I have a daughter that is graduating from high school this year and it has been a difficult time.  I am thankful for the effort the school district put into planning a safe opportunity for the seniors to walk and accept their diploma.  All three of my daughters play sports and spring is a very busy time of year for us.  We miss all their activities, but they continue to work out at home.  We have tried to have our own fun playing games, building puzzles and eating together as a family. We recently adopted a rescue dog, who has been such a blessing and positive addition to our family.  I never realized how many different directions we all run every day.  It was very nice to just stay home and to be at peace with it because we couldn’t go anywhere.

What steps are you taking to hang tough?

I have really tried to stay connected with family and friends while social distancing.  I have the best support system and we stay in touch through FaceTime and Zoom chats.  We spend the time catching up and laughing and I am so thankful for those moments.  Frequent calls from my parents, brother and sister to check in are so special to me.  I think you must keep on moving forward, focus on the positive and be kind.  There are so many positive things happening all around us every day. Our communities are taking care of each other. 

What advice are you sharing with the people you love?

We don’t always understand why things happen the way they do.  But I am very grateful for this time to slow down, reflect on how lucky we really are every day and cherish our family, friends and health.  Focus on the positive and remember “tough times don’t last, tough people do.”  Stay home, stay safe and we will get through this together.  This valley has shown, time and time again, how strong we are!