This article is one in a series of articles about what life looks like in Butler County ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026. Stories in this series aim to showcase what it’s like to live, work, play and serve in Butler County during this moment in history.

Years after the COVID-19 pandemic, its impact on the workforce remains.

During the earliest days of the pandemic, employees were either furloughed or forced to work from home. Many businesses relied on advancements in modern technology to keep their companies afloat.

Once COVID restrictions had loosened, those who worked from home for months slowly began trickling back into the office. Countless employees worldwide had been accustomed to working from home, and many who reaped the benefits were reluctant to return to working in their offices.

Currently, several companies are eliminating remote work and hybrid options, and employees everywhere are being forced to adjust to their terms of employment before the vast impact of the pandemic. Earlier this year, PNC Bank was one of the larger businesses to eliminate remote work options for their employees.

Perhaps the health care industry is one of the most critical areas that was affected by COVID, during which time their services were needed more than ever.

Benjamin Veres, a doctor at AHN Wexford Hospital, talked a little about the recent shifts within the industry.

“Telehealth has had more widespread use since COVID. That has ranged from home nursing to PCP appointments,” he said.

Telehealth has enabled health care providers to cover more ground when it comes to patient care and to provide more efficiency in the hospital setting, according to Veres.

“It has also helped physicians and nurses to reach patients who might have limited means of transportation, which is a substantial portion of our population,” he said.