ER Doc and Saint Viator Alumnus on Front Lines of Pandemic in New York

Dr. Michael Lamberta '04 credits his love of science and problem-solving in part to his chemistry teacher at Saint Viator High School, Fr. John Van Wiel, CSV. Now working on the front lines of the coronavirus as an ER doc in New York, Lamberta took the time to thank those who had shaped him, and that included his teachers at Saint Viator.
 
In a letter sent to family and friends, Dr. Lamberta credited his parents, including his father, Frank, a retired orthopedic surgeon, and mother, Laurabeth, as well as his former teachers and even teammates. Dr. Lamberta played soccer all four years, including his senior year when his team traveled to Europe the summer before and returned to win the school’s first state championship. Dr. Lamberta also wanted to reach out to his biology teacher, Mrs. Eileen Cairo, his religion teacher, Mrs. Rita Boeke, his Italian teacher, Mrs. Mirella Rullo, his soccer coach, Mr. Mike Taylor, and Mrs. Eileen Manno, then his counselor, among others.
 
Fast forward to the last seven years, when Dr. Lamberta has worked in emergency medicine in New York. He completed his residency at Montefiore Medical Center and now works as an ER doc at Maimonides Medical Center, located in the heart of Brooklyn. 
 
“I have been overwhelmed by an outpouring of concern and support the last couple of weeks,” Dr. Lamberta wrote. “I’d like to thank everyone for the thoughts and prayers that have come in my direction. I want to reassure you that I am well and continue to feel very fortunate to be among a group of compassionate, fearless, and hard-working providers.”
 
Each day, Dr. Lamberta and all of the medical professionals at Maimonides report to work, covered head to toe in personal protective equipment or PPE. He and his colleagues presume almost all of the patients coming through their doors are COVID-19 positive.
 
Their concern is real. The hospital and its triage tents, set up for the worst, have transformed into a “wartime” response, according to one doctor, where the number of “unbelievably sick” patients is relentless. They have been featured on network news stations and in multiple print publications, seeking to report the epicenter of the crisis. 
 
Yet, Dr. Lamberta stresses that he and the rest of his team have not lost sight of their calling. Perhaps drawing on his Viatorian education, he strives to treat every patient with compassion.
 
“As the lens of the mass media has zeroed-in its focus to the nuances of our work — public health considerations, provider safety, ventilator numbers and the obstacles we face in the context of stressed resources — I think it is safe to say that this is the craziest experience I have ever encountered in the ER,” Dr. Lamberta said. “That said, emergency medicine as a discipline thrives in cases of uncertainty, strives to resolve difficult decisions, and gracefully contorts itself to the most pressing needs of the hour, all while seeking to maintain the humanity for every patient.”
 
While Dr. Lamberta concurs that many stories in the media “conjure fear, existential anxiety, and the formidable unknown,” they do reflect the grim realities of his daily work. However, he gets through it, in part, he says, working alongside his colleagues, “humming the quiet poetry of hope amidst a raucous tragedy.”
 
In parting, Dr. Lamberta wanted to reassure people as much as he wanted to thank them.
 
“I am thankful for the many ways you all have contributed to my development as a family member, friend, relative, teacher, teammate, and physician,” he wrote. “If there is a silver lining in all of this it would be an acute reminder about how everything/everyone is related in our world, and we have a decision at every moment to be grateful, giving, and compassionate.”
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Located in Arlington Heights, IL, Saint Viator High School is a private, co-ed, Catholic school for grades 9-12. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.