Voicebrook is nothing without people... the people who work here, the people we work with, and the people we serve. As the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads across the United States, we've found ourselves increasingly concerned about the health and safety of everyone in our communities.
Unfortunately, the global crisis of COVID-19 continues to grow, and it's become clear that the only way to truly protect public health is to control the spread of the virus before it reaches epic levels. Once that cat is out of the bag, we won't be able to shove it back in.
Just today, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that COVID-19 is now officially a pandemic. According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, "We have called every day for countries to take urgent and aggressive action. We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear... We cannot say this loudly enough, or clearly enough, or often enough: All countries can still change the course of this pandemic."
So how can we change the course? We all have a role to play in protecting the most vulnerable people from medical crisis. The work Voicebrook does, day in and out, is about helping patients get results. We seek to empower pathologists with the tools to give patients the information they need, with impeccable accuracy and speed. That commitment to health extends even beyond the pathology lab: we can all do our part to help contain COVID-19.
I'd like to share some examples of what Voicebrook is currently doing to help.
For the time being, Voicebrook has suspended all transcontinental travel for employees, as well as all domestic travel for internal company meetings. We are also opting out of any external meetings or events that expect more than 1000 attendees. Staffing at our Voicebrook corporate office will be limited to essential personnel only. This seeks to minimize the risk of viral spread and cross-contamination, while ensuring the continuity of support and maintenance of back-office functions throughout the recommended precautionary period. It's important to note that these changes will not impact the support our clients receive.
At this time, domestic travel for work with clients is permitted, although we are encouraging virtual meetings when appropriate. Voicebrook will offer clients optional remote meetings and services in place of scheduled on-site visits. This may apply to on-premise pre-implementation activities, “go-live” events, or project follow-up. There are plans in place to perform all project tasks remotely, while still maintaining the highest quality of service.
Additionally, all of our Voicebrook employees have been instructed to seek medical care and self-quarantine in the event that they show any symptoms of acute respiratory illness (including but not limited to fever, shortness of breath, and cough), or if they have potentially come in contact with a person who has been infected with COVID-19.
Of course, this is a fluid and dynamic situation, so our leadership team will be frequently reassessing and taking additional constructive steps as needed.
If we all work together to take care of each other, we can make a difference. Be well, stay safe, wash your hands, help out a neighbor, stay out of public places if you're sick, and please don't hoard all of the toilet paper.
Ross Weinstein
