Carilion gears up for any surge > Carilion Clinic's Senior Vice President of Hospital Operations assumed that role just before the pandemic hit and health systems started feeling the strain. He says they've learned plenty during the past 9 months. Michael Abbott says already being a busy level one Trauma Center hospital meant that Carilion Clinic was perhaps more equipped than some systems to handle coronavirus patients. But there's always room to learn says Abbott, who assumed his role at Carilion a year ago: “stress has been put on America’s health system. I think we’ve learned where the challenges are in our supply chain and our staffing, and our care for patients. There’s a lot of lessons learned around how we scale [up].” The scramble for PPE supplies is not so much of a scramble Carilion now: “compared to the beginning of COVID the supply chain is so much better. At the beginning all hospitals were short on supplies. We were doing a lot of processing, using different methods to re-sterilize equipment. The supply chain is much more stable now.” Abbott says Carilion is not only caring for COVID patients - they are also keeping an eye on frontline healthcare workers who may need some extra attention as well: “we have a lot of support systems in place for our staff. It is a very challenging time for our staff. It is very busy. It can be very challenging.” An employee assistance and wellness programs provide that support. Abbott said the best thing the community can do to show its support for the Carilion staff is follow coronavirus safety protocol for now: wear masks, wash hands frequently and observe social distancing until the all-clear is given. Get the COVID vaccine when available – and a flu shot. “The biggest part of our surge plan is the partnership we have with the community.” The vaccination of frontline health care workers that started in December also helps with employee morale and well-being says Abbott: “the vaccine won’t change [things] instantly but it is the beginning of a new phase of COVID.”
New logo > Citizens Telephone Cooperative in Floyd has introduced a new logo with the motto “New Year. New Look. Same Dependable People. Same Reliable Service.” Citizens is a memberowned Cooperative providing telephone, Internet, and TV to Floyd County, portions of Ft. Chiswell, New Castle, and surrounding communities for over 100 years.
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