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COVER STORY: Nurses Serving Through COVID-19

President of Administration, Doctors Hospital. From laborate closely on order sets that address the specific
Memorial Health Care System: Shelly Delfin, APRN, MSN, needs of these patients, and we've been successful in dis-
NP, Memorial Regional Hospital South and Memorial charging many patients who initially came to us testing
Rehabilitation Institute; Leslie Pollart, Memorial Regional positive for the coronavirus. These are the ultimate vic-
Hospital; Denise Reynolds, Memorial Hospital West; and tories for our team, and we take time to acknowledge
David Starnes, Memorial Hospital Pembroke. From Tenet and celebrate those wins."
Healthcare, Armando Aguilera, BSN, RN, Nurse Manager, AGUILERA – “At this moment I have the role of
Coral Gables Hospital. Assistant Nurse Manager at the ER at Coral Gables
Hospital. We do huddles in the morning prior to start
the shift and discuss difficulties we might have had the
WE ASKED: day before in order to be better today.”

You and your staff are under extraordinary How are you caring for patients who do
stress … what are you doing to take care of Shelly Delfin Denise Reynolds not have the coronavirus?
yourselves?
DURBIN – "Our census of patients who do not have
MELISSA DURBIN – "We are supporting each other. Our COVID-19 is down at this time. These patients are sep-
leadership is present around the clock – days, nights and week- arated from patients with COVID-19 and are cared for
ends – to ensure that our nurses have everything they need. This by nurses who are not treating patients with the virus."
includes training, assistance, encouragement and proper equip- AMADO TATE – "We have established special, dedi-
ment, such as PPE. This level of support has provided our team cated care environments for patients with COVID-19,
with a sense of comfort." and our patients who do not have the virus are treated
DIANE AMADO TATE – "We take time to celebrate the vic- in a separate area."
tories. We are working as a team, looking out for each other and LESLIE POLLART – "We're providing the same level
making sure everyone takes time to reenergize. As a faith-based of patient and family-centered care Memorial Healthcare
healthcare system, we also pray every day, and this has been System is known for, but have implemented COVID-19-
immensely helpful during this difficult time." David Starnes specific measures to reduce anxiety for patients who
SHELLY DELFIN – "At Memorial Regional Hospital South, we Leslie Pollart don’t have the virus. We test 100 percent of admitted
were working on balance and healthy resilience before the pan- patients and have designated specific units and operat-
demic, but have obviously increased that of late. We start our daily huddles with ing rooms whose use is determined by whether someone is positive or
a mindful/grateful minute, our psychology department has been doing mindful negative for coronavirus. Restrictions on visitation have been a major
meditation by WebEx, and we have prayer time every Tuesday and Thursday. I source of anxiety for patients, so nursing has partnered with our infor-
personally make sure that I round daily to look for signs and symptoms of over- mation technology team to use iPads for video conferencing so patients
burden and stress, and we make sure to have healthy nutrition around. Also, a can communicate with their families, and families can participate dur-
little humor goes a long way!" ing physician and nurse rounds. Using technology in this way signifi-
DENISE REYNOLDS – "We've mostly focused on the health and well-being cantly improves communication and decreases the isolation of being
of frontline doctors, nurses, and support services. The response to a twice-daily hospitalized during the pandemic."
community prayer for healing and protection has been overwhelming. We’ve AGUILERA – “All patients are screened for the disease, now those
also converted an area of the hospital into what we’re calling the 'Hero's Lounge.' patients who do not show signs and symptoms of it will be placed in a
It's a place where licensed clinical social workers and mental health counselors separate area in the ER. We let the ER physician know to expedite their
from our Behavioral Health team are available to staff for two to three sessions a care.”
day, serving both day and night shifts around the clock. Memorial has also Armando Aguilera
offered hotel accommodations to employees who have small children or elder How do you determine which patients
parents at home to lessen their fears of bringing the virus home to them. need greater care than others?
"Last, but certainly not least, I can’t forget to mention the support we’ve felt from the
community. Small and large businesses, restaurants, faith organizations, first responders,
and the Chinese-American community have reached out to feed our staff, pray, donate REYNOLDS – "People infected with this virus require a medical/telemetry level of care
valuable personal protective equipment, and send us cards and letters of encouragement. or critical care. Our early preparedness activities have positioned us to meet the needs of
This support has been so uplifting. Our employees KNOW they are doing meaningful and both types of patients, while also caring for patients with non-COVID illnesses and other
important work, and that is what inspires them to keep going." health emergencies. We know people in the community are somewhat fearful of coming to
DAVID STARNES – "We conduct multiple prayer vigils each week and the Memorial the hospital now, but we’re here to care for them as we always have, which includes pro-
Healthcare System has redeployed outpatient behavioral health staff to the hospital to act tecting them from spread of this virus."
as counselors. It's important that staff are able to release their anxiety, since much of what AGUILERA – “Clinical expertise is the key to this. After taking vital signs and triaging
nurses do is very personal.” the patient then a nurse for sure will know to which area of the ER the patient belongs to
"We've decorated our main hallway with a 'Hero Hall' theme by placing large cutouts of receive proper care.”
superheroes for staff to see when they come in the front door. We're not only caring for the
community during the crisis, but are also susceptible to the virus ourselves, which elevates Has anything gotten easier/better since this has started,
tension, so it's super important that we continue to focus on our people's needs and sup- e.g., perhaps better procedures or a more efficient process?
port them during these historically difficult times."
ARMANDO AGUILERA – “It is not a secret to anyone that this COVID-19 pandemic DURBIN – "Processes have improved because recommendations from the CDC and
has taken a toll on all healthcare personnel ranging from doctors to janitors. The way I other agencies have become more consistent. The protocols we follow have always been at
personally get rid of stress it by reading. I will be graduating with a master’s degree in 2 the highest level."
weeks from today, so I have a lot of reading to do preparing for my finals.” AMADO TATE – "The Doctors Hospital team spent a lot of time preparing to receive
COVID-19 patients, so we were ready. For example, our facilities department constructed
What has been your main function in patient care? tents outside our hospital, and walls and partitions within our hospital, and established
negative pressure units to isolate the infectious condition. Our leadership team enacted
DURBIN – "My main focus is to ensure all patients and staff are safe. Our nurses are emergency preparedness protocols, and our amazing providers have consistently delivered
highly trained to practice the proper protocols and have everything they need to keep the very best care."
themselves and patients safe. COVID-19 patients are separated from the general population POLLART – "If there’s a silver lining in all this, it might be the acceptance of telehealth
of patients. They are cared for on separate floors within our hospital and by a team of select as a viable alternative to the traditional in-person office visit. This virtual care platform has
nurses." been quickly adopted by physicians, patients and their insurance companies out of neces-
AMADO TATE – "My main role is the oversight of patient care – ensuring that every sity. Patients have embraced this technology due to its convenience, efficiency, and lower
patient receives the highest-quality care. We have highly skilled and competent nurses car- cost, and the pandemic helped break through the barriers that were affecting reimburse-
ing for our COVID-19 patients. I make certain that our nurses feel safe by providing them ments. It has served as a catalyst to transform healthcare, and telehealth will continue to
with a safe practice environment and the supplies and equipment they need to deliver out- gain traction."
standing patient care." REYNOLDS – "As testing has become more widely available, we have certainly seen less
REYNOLDS – "We focus on timely evaluation of sick patients who come to the hospital of the 'worried well' population coming to our ER. The people who are coming now, almost
for care and treatment, determining early on if a set of symptoms is related to COVID-19 universally, have a real health concern for which care, treatment, and perhaps, hospitaliza-
or not. This allows us to take early action implementing infection control measures that tion is necessary."
protects the staff, while also triggering early clinical interventions that can influence the STARNES – "Memorial Healthcare System continues to offer new and rapid COVID-19
severity and progression of the patient's illness. The good news, if it can be called that, is testing strategies for patients and staff members. This allows us to better understand where
that this illness follows a similar pattern in patients, both those with other co-morbid con- the virus is and make quick clinical decisions to keep patients and our frontline employees
ditions, and without, so we know what to look for. Our medical and pharmacy teams col- safe. Throughout this crisis, MHS has been at the forefront of testing, and it's been a bless-
ing to be part of such an inspiring and unique organization for the past 20 years."

24 May 2020 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News