Introduction

Nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers are no strangers to sickness and death. Their jobs can be stressful even during normal times. But as the COVID-19 took hold in America, the challenges healthcare professionals faced became even more acute. Hospitals are fuller than usual, more of these patients need to go to Intensive Care Units (ICUs), and the amount of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that healthcare workers need to wear has grown. This has made this fight against COVID-19 extremely stressful.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the way healthcare is practiced in and out of the hospital. Healthcare professionals are actively protecting their patients and the public from the coronavirus with PPE, treatment, and public announcements calling for people to stay home. This exhibit shines a light on the different perspectives involved in healthcare throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The themes range from the experience of healthcare workers, to the usage of face masks, to the perspective of the public. Together these stories paint the picture of Milwaukee’s healthcare response to the COVID-19 pandemic.