'The best is yet to come': Thunder Bay ER doctor sings his thanks to family, colleagues

As the chief of trauma and emergency services at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC), Dr. Brad Jacobson is accustomed to action-packed days, and the arrival of COVID-19 has only intensified the situation.

The Emergency Department at the TBRHSC is one of the busiest in Canada with over 100,000 visits per year.

Although admissions to the ED have slowed, from about 300 patients per day to approximately 150, the hospital has seen "a massive change and a massive undertaking in how we try to deal with this pandemic," said Jacobson.

Meetings, reassignment of staff, and new protocols mean Jacobson and his colleagues – doctors, nurses, technicians and therapists, as well as janitorial workers – are still putting in very long hours treating patients, while also adhering to strict guidelines in order to keep everyone safe from the coronavirus.

People are tired, said Jacobson.

"You're wearing gowns and masks and surgical caps and protective eyewear for hours on end and physically that is exhausting, but I'm more concerned that it's taking more of a toll mentally on people, just because of the fear of potential exposure everyday in the Emergency Department."

It's an exposure that could put someone's family or friends at risk of becoming ill, said Jacobson, noting that some healthcare workers eat separately from their loved ones, or have even moved away temporarily,  in order to protect them.

"I think we're taking it in stride, but as each week passes I'm just concerned about the impact that will have."

Jacobson wanted to show how thankful he was for everyone's efforts, but said other than sending a card, his options were a bit limited.

"Can't handshake anymore, hugs are out of the question," he said.

That's why he turned to a classic way of expressing gratitude and decided to say it in song.

After all, music used to be a big part of his life, he said. "I played in bands, I did commercials." 

Jacobson and his daughter took the Bryan Adams song "The Best Was Yet to Come" and tweaked the lyrics slightly, for instance turning the opening into "Just a small town emerge in Thunder Bay, the best is yet to come."

A longtime friend, Sean Gormely, played the background music on the piano, and sent the file to Jacobson who sat down in his basement and recorded himself singing the new lyrics.

Then he posted the video to Facebook as a way of sending a message of hope.

"There is a light at the end of the tunnel and if we do our best in terms of social distancing and isolation and following guidelines," said Jacobson, then "we're going to get through it and the best is yet to come."

He shared the song before Adams's controversial social media posts about the origin of the coronavirus, and Jacobson said he still supports the song, but not the singer.

You can hear the full interview with Dr. Jacobson on CBC's Up North here.