"When the delta variant of COVID-19 hit our state, it hit hard. Our healthcare workers weathered the first surge, but were not expecting the second, larger, deadlier surge of COVID patients who ended up in our hospital in fall 2021. While the community at large mostly ignored COVID guidance from healthcare professionals, our frontline workers were frustrated and heartbroken over the death and devastation they saw inside our hospitals walls every day.
For safety, we could not allow outside media into our hospital during the pandemic. To help the public understand the devastating power of the delta variant, we decided to go into our ICUs and tell that story ourselves through the staff themselves.
This four-part series highlights the many areas of University of Kentucky (UK) HealthCare that became overwhelmed with COVID patients. We released the series in parts to great fanfare. Media across the state took this work (and accompanying video) to craft their own stories. Several outlets simply picked up the stories and ran with it. It yielded a major national media hit, Bloomberg News, which highlighted our healthcare system in their own major story.
But most importantly, the staff felt seen. They were given the chance to show the public the harsh reality of treating the sickest of the sick. They shared the story far and wide on social media, and I received emails from other frontline workers from across the country thanking us for making this documentary."
From the Judges
Well-written series that highlights many aspects of your institution, including the brave writers who put themselves on the front lines to tell a story as it was happening.
