Rebound Five: Dr. Toni Zink

Dr. Toni S.

Zink is chief medical officer for the Samuel U.

Rodgers Health Center in Kansas City.

She took her children to Texas to stay with their grandparents while she fights the coronavirus pandemic on the front lines in Kansas City, Missouri.

NOW TO THE REBOUNDKANSAS CITY -- OUREFFORT TO HELP OURCOMMUNITY RECOVERFROM THE IMPACT OF THECORONAVIRUS.TONIGHT -- WE BEGIN AWEEK-LONG SERIES OFSTORIES -- HIGHLIGHTINGEVERY DAY PEOPLEMAKING A PROFOUNDIMPACT DESPITE THEEFFECTS OF THEPANDEMIC.YOU'RE ABOUT TO MEETDR. TONI ZINK.SHE'S THE CHIEF MEDICALOFFICER AT THE SAMUEL U.RODGERS HEALTH CENTER-- AND A MOM WHO'SCALLING HAS NEVER BEENMORE CLEAR.WE'RE GOING FOR A WALKIN DR. TONI ZINK'S SHOES.Dr. Toni ZinkChief Medical Officer, Samuel U.Rodgers Health Center"This is a time where we haveto step up in the medical fieldand we have to show, even ifwe don't have the answers tothe questions, we're stilllooking, still searching,thinking outside the box andtrying new things.""I think in the beginning wefumbled a lot because we justdidn't know."NOW -- IF YOU MAKE A TRIPTO THE SAMUEL U.RODGERS HEALTH CENTER-- THERE ARETEMPERATURE CHECKS --MASKS AT MEETINGS --AND THE NURSES STATION.A NEW NORMAL --BECAUSE OF THE NOVELCORONAVIRUS."Initially just having the PPE,like the masks, the faceshields, the gowns, thegloves.

Having those things inshort supply, we'd neverexperienced that before.""What this has shown us isthat we were not prepared.We weren't ready."AS SCHOOLS ANDBUSINESSES SHUT DOWN-- DR. ZINK WAS FORCEDTO MAKE MOST DEFICULTDECISION OF THE PASTFEW MONTHS."The hardest day?

Driving mykids to Texas.

Don't make mecry.""Sorry... It was hard because Ilove my children.

But I'mmaking a sacrifice not just forthem, I'm making a sacrificefor my patients."SHE TAKING IT ONE STEPAT A TIME -- CLOCKINGCOUNTLESS HOURS AT THEHEALTH CENTER -- IN THEFIGHT TO SLOW THESPREAD OF COVID-19."It forced us to step up.

Wehad to put a team togetherthat just went out to docommunity testing.""We started out with a measly120.

Now they're sendithem in by the thousands.""The MPCA, that's thMissouri Primary CareAssociation, they have done awonderful job getting PPE forus through the government.Once they were able to get tothat supply, they've beengiving us everything that weneed."HEALTH CARE WORKERS INOUR COMMUNITY ARECONFRONTING THECORONAVIRUS HEAD ON --FIGHTING TO SAVE LIVES."I learned that I'm resilient.""When the going gets tough,the real leaders step up."DR. ZINK KNOWS HERDEDICATION IN THISJOURNEY COMES AT ACOST -- BUT EVEN NOW --IT'S A PRICE SHE'S WILLINGTO PAY."The best decision for themwas for them to be with myparents because my parentscan give them that one-on-oneattention that they sodesperately need right nowwhile I'm giving attention tothe pandemic.""It feels like a good sacrificeoflove."THIS WEEK -- STAY WITHUS AS WE INTRODUCE YOUTO PEOPLE RIGHT HERE INOUR COMMUNITY --IMPACTED BY THECORONAVIRUS INDIFFERENT WAYS.WE HOPE BY SHARINGTHEIR STORIES -- YOU'LLSEE A BIT OF YOUR OWN --SO WE CAN REBOUNDTOGETHER.THIS WEEK -- STAY WITHUS AS WE INTRODUCE YOUTO PEOPLE RIGHT HERE INOUR COMMUNITY --IMPACTED BY THECORONAVIRUS INDIFFERENT WAYS.TO GET CONNECTED WITHINFORMATION ANDRESOURCES THAT COULDHELP YOU -- HEAD TO OURWEBSITE KSHB DOT COMSLASH REBOUN