The CEO for Southern Health-Sante Sud expressed a level of concern during last week's virtual annual meeting about the toll the pandemic has taken on healthcare providers in the region.

Jane Curtis noted, the length of the pandemic, the new challenges it's presented, and not knowing what tomorrow brings weigh heavily.

"We certainly are trying to ensure that we take care of our staff in the best way we know how," she explained. "We know that there's community resistance out there, but we also know that there's a lot of supportive community out there whose support has never waivered. We still get messages of thanks every day, and I think that keeps us going, and also the fact that we have really important work to do."

Also during the Q & A portion of the event, the region's Chief Medical Officer addressed the COVID-19 vaccine concerns in the region.

"We will have to be listening, listening intently to the concerns of people who are hesitant or wondering about the vaccine," said Dr. Denis Fortier. "We will need to be offering credible information so that people can make an informed decision, and that you can't do region-wide or province-wide."

Fortier noted, this effort will take time, a lot of energy and a lot of credible physicians, nurses and allied healthcare providers.