KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The COVID-19 pandemic challenged the University of Tennessee Medical Center again and again. Restrictions limited the number of visitors that could pass through its doors, and rising cases limited the number of beds they could give to people in need.
Staff were faced with new kinds of challenges and worked long hours to keep up with the community's health care needs. Thousands of people died because of the pandemic across East Tennessee. So, the UT Medical Center wanted to remember them and recognize the impact the pandemic had on people's lives.
They unveiled a new piece of artwork on Wednesday. It is predominately wood, with smaller drawings attached to it that depict moments in the hospital throughout the pandemic. A doctor tightens their mask while treating a patient, while a model of the coronavirus is displayed in the bottom right.
The artwork will be displayed at the medical center as a way to capture the journey that the staff and the community have been on during the pandemic, according to officials.