POTTSVILLE, Penn. (WBRE/WYOU) — There are thousands working in health care to test, treat, and now, vaccinate amid a pandemic.

Thousands more make up the logistic ‘backbone’ of hospitals and clinics nationwide and keep everything running.

When you drive around northeast and central Pennsylvania, you see the ‘heroes work here’ signs in front of medical facilities. For places like the Lehigh Valley Hospital in Pottsville, that means everyone contributing to the cause.

It’s everything from housekeeping and laundry to maintenance and food services. Thousands of those in supporting roles have seen their workload explode since COVID-19 hit the nation and the Keystone State.

If you ask people like facility manager Mark Curran, they’ll tell you that they are tired and frustrated, but most importantly, in it together.

“Basically we’re coming into an environment that could be potentially more unsafe because of the COVID concerns, we all come in every day and perform our job and do the best we can,” Curran said.

Deborah Kintzel, patient service manager at LVHN Schuylkill echoed the sentiment.

“There are many times I think you’d say ‘I give up I give up it’s too much,’ but they’re, they’re here every single day family comes first for everybody, whether it’s a personal life, whether it’s your work, family, or whether it’s the patients,” she said.

Many of the men and women filling these roles have been dedicated well before a pandemic.

They tell NewsNation affiliate WBRE/WYOU-TV that while they take pride in the work they do, it’s going to take more of a community effort to get to the light at the end of the tunnel.

Many of the support staff at Lehigh Valley Health, Schuylkill and others across the region said they regularly exchange shows of support with the medical staff because, without each other, we’d be in a far worse place than we are now.