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MercyOne Newton Medical Center has a musical message for the community:
“Just put on your mask and keep your hands to yourself!”
"Keep Your Hands to Yourself"The COVID-19 pandemic is an incredibly serious situation, especially for the health-care providers who face it every day. Our CEO challenged us to come up with a lighthearted reminder on keeping ourselves and our colleagues safe while continuing to give our patients high-quality care. So ... we did! MercyOne Newton Medical Center presents: "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" featuring Dave Goos
Posted by MercyOne Newton Medical Center on Monday, December 14, 2020
The message is serious, but the way it was communicated as a spoof of The Georgia Satellites’ 1986 southern rock hit was purely lighthearted.
Laurie Conner, president of MercyOne Newton Medical Center, said a comment she made during a daily safety huddle inspired the video. The title of Georgia Satellites song, “Keep Your Hands To Yourself,” certainly resonated with staff.
When a staff member sent Conner a link to the song she had referenced in the huddle, she challenged them to take it a step further and write new lyrics that pertained to COVID-19.
Shortly thereafter, nurses and doctors found themselves watching Goos’ sing-along. Conner asked that photos of staff be intercut in the video, too. Some were shown holding signs explaining why they wear masks.
“Overall, I think it has lightened the mood a little bit,” Conner said. “We continue to take it extremely serious, and the message and the song is still very serious.”
David Goos, a local musician and a longtime supporter of the hospital, penned the parodied piece and appeared in the accompanying music video posted Dec. 14 on MercyOne Newton’s Facebook page.
The video has since garnered more than 10,000 views.
Sporting a panama hat, a red Hawaiian shirt, gold-rimmed sunglasses and a black blazer in the video, Goos sings of the health care providers’ struggles combating the coronavirus and the importance of following CDC guidelines.
“No huggy, no shaky until we get a vaccine.”
Goos has lent his talents to MercyOne Newton several times in the past. Conner said he used to sing Christmas carols in the hallways and has often volunteered with the hospital’s annual gala fundraiser.
“I also do a variety of programs for the seniors and senior communities… I do a lot of singing and a lot of singing at our church,” Goos said, noting he attends First Lutheran Church in Newton. “…I love to sing and I love to entertain.”
With Goos’ penchant for community concerts and his 20-year stint as a singer in the now-defunct 8 Track Band, MercyOne Newton couldn’t find a more a perfect person to express their playful-yet-urgent message.
Goos just wants the lyrics get the point across.
“We need to take the virus seriously and how to prepare for it and how to protect ourselves,” Goos said. “But sometimes I think we take ourselves too seriously, so I think this kind of helps people realize that.”
Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com