We are thankful for all our health care heroes. Here’s a summary of shout outs featured in the Daily Updates from April 2-8 and a few of our favorite photos from the week.
Thanks to these awesome UofL Health team members who are doing extraordinary things during this time of crisis:
April 2
- I want to give a” SHOUT OUT” to the Supply Team at Jewish Hospital. This team is awesome. They are working together to ensure all areas are provided with the PPE needed to perform their jobs safely. They check on the awesome front line teams regularly, display faith and encourage the #PowerofU daily.
- Beverly Trimble in CVICU never fears any type of patient diagnosis. She has always been a team player and when another nurse needs help, Bev has your back as a work sister.
- CVICU House Supervisor, Janean Lamio, has been my mentor/teacher my entire career. She is fearless, compassionate, an awesome team player and deserves a Purple Heart award. Janean goes out of her way to buy, provide and even deliver coffee to staff who she knows is in need of energy. I simply admire and respect her.
April 3
- I want to give a huge shout out to the IT team at UofL Hospital and in particular our desktop support. They have worked tirelessly to help get staff set up to work remotely for those that have been asked to do so in such a quick timeframe. In addition, they continue to come to the hospital as needed to assist our end users who aren’t able to stay at home, including the technology needs for the tent outside the ED. Thank you for all this team does every day!
- Dr. Jason Miller, anesthesiologist at Mary & Elizabeth Hospital, has gone to great lengths to protect and prepare our staff in caring for known or suspected COVID-19 patients. He has offered money out of his own pocket to provide staff with necessary supplies in caring for our patients in the coming weeks. He is passionate about our mission to provide the best care our patients deserve and an extraordinary leader in extraordinary times. Thank you Dr. Miller!
- Chris Burchett has been instrumental in easing the fears of staff. He has provided constant and consistent communication as soon as it’s available. He works tirelessly to make sure we are informed any time there is any update and if he doesn’t have the answers he finds them for us. I feel better knowing he is helping to make decisions with both the staff and patient’s safety in mind. Even though he is being pulled in a million directions, I have yet to see him frazzled or in a bad mood. He is always trying to uplift everyone and engages the entire team with his Facebook posts. He makes me proud to work for The U!
- While working on our COVID-19 unit, a patient’s call light and bed alarm were sounding. The patient’s nurse was on the phone with a MD. There were multiple people in the area but KALYN CHURCHILL RN a member of our Float team jumped into action even though this was not her patient! She donned her appropriate PPE and entered the patient’s room just in the nick of time preventing a fall and or serious injury! Great job in keeping our patients safe even in hectic times!
April 4
- I would like give a shout out to the entire radiology and cardiopulmonary team for dealing with the difficult changes that can occur hourly and putting themselves in the line of fire with every patient they see. Also during this time of being slow they have stepped up in a non-selfish way to budget themselves or have a plan that is fair for the entire department. I couldn’t ask for a better team and I greatly appreciate the work they do on a daily basis!
- The families of our Frazier employees are so thoughtful – sending in treats for the staff. Melissa Smith’s mother sent in a bulk package of chips to thank them for their care of our patients, and Stacie Bowman’s family bought pizzas for the entire staff.
- Farrah Faulkner with the interventional pulmonary team truly embodies what it means to be a compassionate, kind, honest, respectful, trustworthy human in general. If it weren’t for her, I would not have found my footing as easily as I did. She has sent an innumerable amount of encouragement cards to patients she knows are struggling physically, mentally or spiritually – just out of the kindness of her heart. Farrah, I hope you know that you are whom I aspire to be like one day.
- I want to give a shout to 8 South nurses and Cathy Barth. They are doing their part of trying to cut down on the number of essential staff going into COVID-19 rooms. The nurses will collect blood. They never complained once about doing this extra task. And they do it, with a smile! The lab loves 8 South nurses!
April 6
- GREAT BIG shout out to Shawn Heilman at Mary & Elizabeth for going over and beyond for getting the PPE supplies for our hospital. She has really gone over and beyond to get what is needed. Thanks, Shawn for your hard work!
- Shout OUT to my wonderful team of ART THERAPISTS and ACTIVITY THERAPISTS at Peace Hospital moving and bringing creative expression, therapy and fun to our patients! They are highly dedicated to their work as servants to our people! I am so grateful for such a tremendous team!
- I want to give a SHOUT OUT to all my team members at SUNVALLEY. The providers and team members are my heroes! Vicki, Kim, Connie, and Marsha all have willingly and without complaint have transitioned to TELEHEALTH. Jennifer, Cassie, and Jewel have stayed calm, compassionate, and caring while taking care of patients. Dr. Edwards, Dr. Alberteris, and Gina Laughlin ARNP have been our anchors during this storm, filling us with hope and encouragement, and calming our fears. I am blessed to have such awesome work family!
- Shout out to Kimberly Eubanks RN, JH peri-anesthesia department. Kim works primarily in the Main JH pre-op area, but floats to Heart Lung pre-induction area, as well as JH PACU. She is willing to alter her schedule to help the department. She has also volunteered to help with night shift call, in the PACU, during this difficult time, since our night shift travelers contracts have been eliminated. She does this with a willing heart and a smile on her face. She is soft spoken, kind, and pleasant to work with. Her patients are very complimentary of her.
April 7
- I want to recognize Monty Gleitz, who personally donated 200 hundred masks to UofL Health, and also had a personal contact that was able to procure an additional 2200 N95 masks for UofL Health!
- I would like to give a shout out to the Uof L Health, ULH, and Jewish Campus operators. These ladies have been instrumental in making sure that our visitors and patients remain calm and as informed as possible. They take the distraught callers who just want to know what to do, who to call and how their loved ones are doing. They assist anyone who needs help locating someone, dispatch all emergency codes and answer around 3,000 calls a day. That’s a small part of what they do every day and I am truly amazed by each of them. They are working 10-12 hour shifts and several days in a row due to being short staffed. They come in every day knowing that without them our communication would fail. Thank you for all you do. You all are awesome!
- Shout out to Amy Jo Devault, manager of 8 South at UofL Hospital. Her floor is the designated COVID unit. Her leadership during these tough times has been phenomenal. She has been seen side by side with her staff and meeting the needs of our patients. She has led her team and met this challenge head on. Her and her team never complains and always take on tough days with a smile on their face!
- I would like to give a shout out to the ULH Guest Services Team. They are right up front with the check point staff and assisting any way they can. I appreciate their willingness to be there for our visitors and patients even though they are putting themselves at risk. The ladies are always looking for ways to make things cohesive and ensure that correct information is given. Thank you Phileda Keeylen, Julie Smith and Cheyenne Little. You all have been amazing!
April 8
- We have a COVID positive patient who speaks a very rare language with no interpreters through our main national, secondary vendor or other local vendors. Her son is a patient on another floor and speaks that language, along with Spanish, but not English. Thanks to Sarah McClymonds, we were able to arrange a conference call with the mother and son through a nurse on another unit, and conducted a 3-way call to successfully interpret. This is a great demonstration on the importance of teamwork and collaboration to meet the needs of our patients!
- I want to give a HUGE shout out to AMY CAPPS, manager of the Shelbyville Hospital ED. While we may have a decrease in volume, as the only hospital in Shelby County, our community calls the ED with questions and concerns. She is constantly working with EMS in Shelby and our surrounding counties to make sure that all the patients are being triaged in a manner that is safe for the patients and employees. She is always positive and is always willing to help. She coordinates with other leaders to confirm that we are meeting the needs of our community. I appreciate her dedication and hard work, and am proud to be a part of a great time here!
- I just wanted to give a shout out to the entire ED staff at UL Hospital. Trauma season is in full swing, despite the growing pandemic, and they are really rising to the occasion every single shift. The teamwork is amazing and they are continuing to deliver excellent care, with a good attitude! Thank you to all of the ED nurses, physicians, techs, RTs, radiology techs, phlebotomy, you guys are awesome!
- I would like to give a shout out to every single hospital employee, top to bottom. The doctors, nurses and clerical staff that are the occupants of the first and most direct encounters, and the environmental employees who come in next to address any potential hazard, making it safer for all of us. Further, a huge shout out to Engineering, from downtown to the ambulatory facilities who continue to maintain the infrastructure. If need be, the engineers head inside of air handlers that have returned air from patient rooms, work on exhaust fans specifically designed to evacuate air and anything in it from rooms that might have been compromised, and continue to come to work to make sure the hospitals are safe and working for all of the aforementioned people. Any room that is pressurized, any area that is comfortable, there is someone from Engineering behind it willing to take the risk and make sure it all remains safe for those in that area.
Are you seeing co-workers turn into healthcare heroes during this time of crisis? Give them a “shout out” so we can all recognize their extraordinary actions. Simply email marketing@uoflhealth.org with their name, department and how they are making a difference. Be sure to note “Shout Out” in the subject line.
