Courtesy of Dr. David Tannehilll
In March, as Mercy hospitals prepared for the onset of COVID-19, Dr. David Tannehill lost 12 pounds in three weeks. “I view that as a good thing,” jokes the physician, who serves as Mercy’s clinical director of critical care.
His all-consuming goal: help about a dozen Mercy intensive care units across Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma acquire enough extra beds, equipment, and know-how to handle a wave of severely ill patients. That task has Tannehill putting in 14- to 18-hour workdays. After each shift, he reenters his home through the basement, bags up his clothes for an immediate wash, showers, engages with his wife and kids if possible, and then tries to rest—but sleep eludes him. “That’s new for me,” Tannehill notes. “It’s hard to get the mind to stop.”
For support (and, sometimes, a reality check), he texts night and day with fellow intensivist Dr. Ashok Palagiri. The vice president of Mercy Virtual inpatient services, Palagiri lauds his friend for navigating the uncharted territory of this pandemic. “He’s not a 50-, 60-year-old doc who’s been doing this a while,” says Palagiri. “I’m sure the older docs are amazed at how strong a leader as he is.” The 44-year-old Tannehill describes his state of mind as nervous but focused. “I’m fueled by caffeine and fear,” he says. “I just keep working.”
