By Shawna Grieger
Colorado’s construction industry has always valued our local hospitals as essential partners in safety plans and strategy to keep our workforce employed. Construction is physical work that takes long hours and has several risks. Effective health care is important in ensuring employees can do their job and projects in the community can move forward.
During COVID-19, construction continued in Colorado to provide the infrastructure and buildings anticipated during this pandemic. And with not knowing if the hospitals would be able to care for the anticipated numbers of COVID positive cases, it became even more evident the need for health care access in the event a worker was injured or required hospital treatment.
Medical centers moved mountains to provide care for every patient coming in their doors. They rushed into action to treat thousands of people with COVID-19 while still helping people with other medical issues. Their efforts saved lives, including some of our industry’s employees and their family members who caught this virus. Through it all, contractors knew that emergency care and other services were still readily available as the industry continued essential work.
We can hope that Colorado will soon put COVID-19 behind us. When we do, we shouldn’t forget what our hospitals meant to us when we were in crisis and what they continue to do for patients and our economy every day. The WCCA contractors and families thank the hospitals, care centers and the health care workers for your role in keeping our workers safe during the pandemic and always.
Shawna Grieger is Executive Director, Western Colorado Contractors Association