Methodist Healthcare System | Keeping Well | Summer 2020

Methodist Hospital | Northeast team prays together to overcome pandemic together METHODIST HOSPITAL | NORTHEAST’S emergency room nurses begin their shift with a daily prayer. The last several months have not been easy, but our team members know they are not fighting this COVID-19 pandemic alone. One of our ER nurses, Courtney Ibarra, R.N., captured this intimate moment of her team uniting in prayer led by her fellow co-worker, Andrea Campos, R.N. “I’m proud to work for this hospital and this team of healthcare workers, including housekeepers and dietary, because of the people,” said Ibarra. She described the generosity and compassion they not only extend our patients and community to keep them safe, but also to each other. Ibarra is currently pregnant with twins and while she does not ask for special treatment, her Methodist Hospital | Northeast team cares for her and her babies as if they are family. Ibarra continued by sharing, “I’m thankful and grateful to work for a team of wonderful people that put their lives at risk so others can go home. I love my co-workers—they are my family and friends. I am proud to work with every single one of them. COVID-19 will not win at this hospital nor in San Antonio on our watch.” THE BENEFIT OF an established healthcare system is the camaraderie created between multiple hospitals. Each Methodist Healthcare hospital has its own specialties that set it apart, but all of them have the same goal: to collaborate while keeping patient safety and care at the forefront. As Methodist Hospital planned for a surge of COVID-19 patients, it was obvious the focus needed to be on three areas: space for the sick, the medical and personal protective equipment supply, and staffing. The coronavirus is not affecting the pediatric population at the same rate as adults. Realizing the care teams in the adult hospital would appreciate any assistance they could get, nurses in Methodist Children’s Hospital and the Women’s Services department were ready and willing to train for the challenge. “Our pediatric and women’s nurses are extremely passionate about what they do,” said Jennifer Shelby, Director of Education. “They have expressed that they want to serve in any way possible. They truly care about our hospital, our patients and families, and their co-workers.” More than a dozen pediatric and women’s services nurses cross-trained to provide care in several adult specialties. While the fundamentals of nursing are the same across specialties, how you treat and manage adults and children can vary greatly. “The biggest need was in the intensive care unit,” Shelby said. “They learned anything from the basic mechanics and flow of the unit, to adult disease pathology and how those diseases are managed and treated, and how the medication regimen is managed. They’re reviewing any skills that would be needed for varying disease processes, and the measures it takes to keep our adult patient population safe.” In addition to the cross-training efforts, many pediatric nurses stepped in to fill new roles created during the COVID-19 response. Patient intake slowed down once the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recommended hospitals across the country cancel elective surgeries. In order to avoid furloughs, pediatric nurses served as health screeners at the hospital entry points, providing temperature checks and masks to patients, visitors, staff and physicians. They also joined to help distribute appropriate quantities of personal protective equipment, around- the-clock, to all of the departments in the hospitals. “Many children’s hospitals across the country were in a position where furloughing pediatric nurses was their only option,” said Court LeMaistre, Chief Executive Officer for Methodist Children’s Hospital and Women’s Services. “We’re grateful to be a part of a healthcare system that allowed for these cross- training opportunities. This ensured as many nurses as possible weren’t without a job or income during this unprecedented time.” Pediatric andWomen’s Services nurses cross‑train to provide critical care for adults METHODIST HOSPITAL SUPPORTS ITS STAFF When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Methodist Hospital was ready to help those on the front line cope by helping them provide for their families. An internal employee supply drive was organized to provide staff essential supplies, including toilet paper, soap, hand sanitizer, diapers, formula, and food. Methodist Hospital launched an Employee Grocery Marketplace in the cafeteria, allowing frontline employees to purchase staple items, such as dairy, bread, deli meats, canned foods, toilet paper, bleach, and sanitary wipes. HR STAFF HOSTS LUNCH At Methodist Hospital | Specialty and Transplant, the HR team coordinated lunch for the entire team. They ordered Whataburger for everyone in place of the hospital’s annual celebration. “We wanted to do something to bring the employees together,” said Imelda Guzman, Vice President of Human Resources. “This was our way of saying thanks for the amazing work they did in 2019. We look forward to continuing that tradition of excellence.” es S U M M E R 2 0 2 0 7 K E E P I N G W E L L