Are You Masking Up Like Dr. Stephanie Thomas?

475x285 SVH Stephanie Thomas Masks

For as long as she can remember, Stephanie Thomas, MD, a SCL Health Medical Group-Montana Heights Family Medicine physician, has wanted to be a doctor. Being able to use her brain and heart to help others is what drew her to medicine, along with the continued learning. COVID-19 has presented unusual challenges, but has kept her on her toes and given her the opportunity to learn something new every day.

“Part of science is adapting and learning from previous mistakes,” said Dr. Thomas. “One of the things we have now learned is that oftentimes this virus is spread by people who do not yet have symptoms - some go on to develop them a few days later and some never get significant symptoms at all - but during this time, they can infect other people without knowing it.”

As a family medicine doctor, she is continually exposed to both healthy and sick patients all day long. She knows that some of these patients may transmit the virus to her unintentionally, so she has taken special precautions to keep her and her patients safe – like masking up.

“I mask up when I am at work and when I am out in the community,” said Dr. Thomas. “My choice to wear a mask is about trying to limit potential spread to others - not necessarily about protecting myself.”

When she first became a doctor, she took an oath to "Do No Harm" and she takes that very seriously. For her, masking is not about fear or bravery - it's about looking out for each other.

“This year has been challenging for each of us in so very many different ways, but this is one simple thing we can all do to help protect each other and hopefully slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus down,” said Dr. Thomas.

Are you masking up like Dr. Thomas?