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a s s o c i a t e s a r c h i v e s

Raising Bon Secours Associates Artifacts

Hope: Serve Their Communities

Find New Homes
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT NURSE TEACHES When the Bon Secours

OTHERS WHEN TO LET GOD WALK IN FIRST Baltimore Hospital was sold

Excerpts from an article by Shannon Swiger in 2020, it housed many
Courtesy of the Novant Health System beautiful artifacts the Sisters
Published in May 2020
F over the years. The artifacts
of Bon Secours had collected
or community members in Brunswick
County, North Carolina, concerned they
were given to affiliates of the
may have COVID-19, Jo Ann Behounek, RN,
Sisters of Bon Secours, including
emergency department (ED), may be one of the
first faces they see. Jo Ann, a veteran nurse with 33 years Cristo Rey Richmond High
School. Pictured here are a
of experience, works in the Forward Triage Station few of the items that found s
outside the ED, an area she helped set up to test and new homes in hospitals in A framed icon of Our Lady of Bon Secours.
triage patients who may have COVID-19. “When they southeast Virginia, recently
come in, we have to remember they are just as scared acquired by Bon Secours A cross and a yellow stained-glass window.
as everyone else,” Jo Ann said. Mercy Health. s

When people ask if she’s afraid, Jo Ann answers honestly,
“I tell them, ‘I am scared, but we’re going to do this “We have to learn to stop, which is really hard,
together.’ They are relieved to know they aren’t alone.” but it’s the right thing to do not only for that patient
Her empathy is just one reason a colleague nominated but for all of our patients,” Jo Ann said.
Jo Ann as a health care hero.
When some of the younger nurses struggled with this
“As a senior nurse, I have observed a couple of things practice change, Jo Ann told them this: “God walks
about adversity in my career,” Jo Ann said. “We either in first. Whatever higher power you believe in walks
fall apart or we draw closer to each other. Our tribe chose in first while we take that 30 seconds and get ready.
to draw closer for our community and each other.”

Jo Ann says one of the hardest adjustments for ED ‘‘ If you open your eyes, you’ll see humanity
nurses in this pandemic is to pause and put on personal at its best. Do we have this conquered?
protective equipment before entering a room when a Absolutely not. But we’re going to keep
patient with or suspected to have COVID-19 is crashing. taking care of our community until we do.”

An icon of Congregation An icon of Our Lady of An icon of Sr. Angelique Geay.
Thank You! Bon Secours Associate Jo Ann Behounek, for the remarkable difference Founder Sr. Josephine Potel. Bon Secours.

you and your team are making in the lives of the communities we serve!

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