Year of the Nurse - May 17, 2020

Year

of the

Nurse Supporting Nurses and Healthcare Workers Brought to you by The Republican and MassLive.com

YEAR OF THE NURSE

S2 | SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2020

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Honoring

Nurses

This special section honors the nursing profession, whose members have put their lives on the line for months now, day after day, to care for perfect strangers.

They richly deserve the recognition.

the danger we’ve put them in.

They have been wearing disposable masks that once were used for a single visit with a single patient, but now might be used for a week. It would have been so much better if we had not allowed our emergency stockpile of masks to dwindle, or if we had begun to refill those stockpiles in January, when the disease first became widely visible, instead of in March.

They have been working in hospitals and other facilities so crowded with needy patients that some nurses say they have to go to work even They are going to work every day completely aware of when they themselves are ill.

It would be infinitely better the risks, not just to themif we had taken steps sooner selves but to their families. to reduce the spread of the Many are scared. They have disease, so our hospitals never seen colleagues die. Nevergot overloaded. theless, they do what their Many have been worksenses of duty and compassion compel them to do. That ing in wards where it’s not clear which patients have is the essence of heroism.

It would be infinitely better, COVID-19 and which do not. though, if they did not have to It would be so much better if we had provided them with be heroes. And calling them enough test kits to help them heroes does not relieve us of our responsibility for reducing manage those risks.

These goals are not beyond our reach. Many other nations achieved them, including South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Germany. They did it by maintaining strong public health capabilities, by responding quickly and energetically at the first signs of danger, and by taking steps to get ahead of the virus – testing for infection, tracing contacts of infected people,

cases, with the world’s largest COVID-19 death toll, and with medical staff who were forced to become heroes.

Our medical teams, of course, reacted skillfully from the start. The proof of that is in our relatively low fatality rates per case. But by the time they were pressed into action the virus had infected so many people that the spread could be stopped only through

that handled the outbreak more competently. We can gather the protective gear and test kits, and build the contact-tracing capability that we need to control the spread of the virus. Then we can start the process of returning to whatever “normal” means.

Firemen who rush into a burning building are heroes, too. But far too many people have died in burning build-

It would be infinitely better if we had taken steps sooner to reduce the spread of the disease, so our hospitals never got overloaded. and quarantining potential carriers before they could infect others.

Our failure to do those things left us with the world’s largest number of coronavirus

drastic social distancing, which shut down most of our economy.

Having done that, we’re now in a better position to follow the lead of other nations

ings. That’s why we require fire alarms and sprinkler systems. Similarly, it’s not enough for us to admire our caregivers. We have to help them, too.

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Cooley Dickinson Celebrates the Year of the Nurse

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ADVANCING CARE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES

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Love, caring keep Cooley nurses focused on positive Registered nurse Amanda Dixon, shift charge nurse in the Cooley Dickinson Hospital Intensive Care Unit, kneeling second from left, is surrounded by her fellow care-givers. Dixon shares her perspective about working on the front lines during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. (COOLEY DICKINSON HOSPITAL PHOTO)

“What has come out of witnessing the worst of this illness is the light that can still shine despite these dark times.”

Amanda Dixon, Cooley Dickinson Healthcare, shift charge nurse, ICU Weeks ago, the Intensive Care Unit at Cooley Dickinson Hospital was empty. The preparations had gone well, equipment gathered, staff at the ready and we waited.

A few weeks later our unit was full and looked like a war zone. It looked like nothing we had ever seen before. The goal posts had moved, the

rules had changed, routines disappeared, barriers were crossed and we adapted to the chaos. Everyone had risen to the challenge, and no one person or department was more important than the other.

Everyone was working hard and voluntarily above and beyond normal requirements.

The maintenance and biomed teams had swiftly moved heavy furniture to the attic, created negative pressure rooms, nailed up extra communication poster boards on the walls, hooked up extra cables, lines and monitors and acquired extra IV poles, and pumps. They worked really hard to make our extra rooms into an extension of the ICU. From the environmental team rushing around trying to keep us clean and safe, the linen room workers washing

our gowns rather than sending them out for cleaning, the supply team going above and beyond to get us supplies to make our new systems work, to all the nurses, doctors and respiratory therapists deployed from other areas, there was a sense of urgency and transparency.

The doors were closed, the masks and gowns went on and everyone was working as hard as they could to try and save lives.

The true frontliners, the Emergency Department and the medical floors, were receiving many more patients than the ICU and were rapidly adapting to the influx of patients, as were members of the psychiatric team with their particular added implications and stresses for their patients.

Everyone was out of their

comfort zone but were showing up for work anyway.

As the dust settled and the crisis plateaued, we could take a breath and reflect. Some of our patients who came to the ICU survived and a few have already gone home. We stood in the hallway and clapped as one person, who felt so ill at one point he asked to die, went home to his spouse who had also been a patient. Some patients are still with us after weeks of care.

Despite our dedicated and skilled team of providers, some are not healing. We are left feeling deeply sad and somewhat hopeless. There is no quick fix. This disease makes some feel so ill they can barely talk anymore and almost give up. It has robbed the suffering, the families, friends and care givers of the

most basic human relief of seeing a comforting smile and the touch of another.

Husbands and wives who have been together for over 50 years are now apart. It is heartbreaking to see them separated and so lost from not being together at the worst time in their lives. This is the pain that we see, and this is what keeps us awake at night, the anxiety of not being able to do what we are used to doing. Not being able to sit with a patient’s loved one at the bedside while they cry. Instead they call on the phone, sometimes they call several times before we can sit and talk to them. They try and envisage and understand what is said but it is so hard to comprehend and feel reassured.

What has come out of

YEAR OF THE NURSE

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witnessing the worst of this illness is the light that can still shine despite these dark times. The positivity of coming together, breaking down hierarchy, being respectful to each other for all we bring to the table. The ideas, creativity and enthusiasm to do the best we possibly can is so evident.

Every day someone comes up with a new idea to improve care. Seeing the smiles when a cart comes down the hall with specially prepared food from one of the local restaurants, taking off our layers and enjoying a break with our red noses showing from the tight masks. The flowers that our neighbors send over, the chance encounter of a stranger in a supermarket paying for all the groceries in a nurse’s cart, a nurse who signed up for 13 night shifts in a row or another who came to work at 3 a.m. and left 17 hours later, doing whatever she could to get her patient transferred to Boston.

The daily huddles and communication surge to make us a better and safer team.

The ‘dance it out’ towards the

end of a shift to shake off the stress, even those who don’t dance are smiling. The fear on the faces of in-coming staff from other areas who brave the ICU because they will do anything to help. The goofy video from the team to their colleague at home alone on her birthday. The arduous process of wearing up to 10 layers of protective equipment, feeling like you are going to pass out with the heat in a patient’s room, but still able to laugh about it.

This abundance of love, humor and caring keeps us positive about the future, knowing that our humanity will get us through. The community should feel reassured that if you get sick, and need us we will be there for you and give you the best care possible.

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Thank you to all the nurses who work without celebration to keep us all healthy!

We salute you!

Amanda Dixon is shift charge nurse for the Intensive Care Unit at Cooley Dickinson Healthcare in Northampton. To learn more about Cooley Dickinson, go online to cooleydickinson.org.

Thank you to our healthcare workers... we will get through this together.

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Angela Belmont

Florence Nightingale’s legacy lives on

Brittany Egerton, respiratory therapist, Westfield Growing up I had severe asthma, so bad it made me miss my junior year of high school.

often indispensable. Among other things, we manage the mechanical ventilator, sometimes known as the breathing machine, or life support.

Every time you set up a ventilator, you are doing it to save a life. With coronavirus, inserting or removing the breathing tube can also cause a lot of viral material to be released into the room. It’s high stakes for all of us, patients and caregivers alike.

There’s one patient I I was in and out of docremember especially well, tors and constantly needing because I worked with them breathing treatments. from start to finish. It started So after high school I with an emergency room started nursing school, but visit; no need for respiratory then decided to become a respiratory therapist. I had al- help. A few days later, you ready learned a lot about that could see they were having work. And that led me to the a little trouble breathing. front lines of the coronavirus We tried a nebulizer, which is a gentle way to help open epidemic. breathing passages. It wasn’t Tough problems always enough. We put them on require treatment teams. oxygen, which helped for We are key parts of many awhile. Before my shift endteams even during normal ed, though, I got a page. Their times. For treating critical cases of COVID-19, we’re condition had worsened. I put

them on a Bipap, which helps with breathing non-invasively. That, too, began to fail. We had to insert a breathing tube and put them on a ventilator.

I often checked in on the patient and their family members throughout the hospital stay, because I’d developed a strong connection with them right from the beginning. As medical professionals we’re often treating the family, too. We know how hard it is to see your loved one struggling.

The ventilator worked. The patient stayed on it until they could breathe unassisted.

Eventually I watched the patient walk out of the hospital and back to their family and their life. I still hear from the family from time to time, and it warms my heart to know that I made a difference in their lives.

I always look back on that story when things get tough, like they are today.

Today is the start of a week of recognition for the important work our nurses do every day. We had great plans to celebrate the Year of the Nurse and Midwife and, although we cannot get together physically to celebrate, we will celebrate the commitment, courage, competency and compassion our nurses and midwives have shown to our patients through this COVID-19 coronavirus crisis. We are still planning our Nurse of Distinction ceremony together as soon as we can.

I know these days have been quite sobering and difficult to process. There are so many unknowns to this crisis, but what I do know is that so many of our team have followed through with a nurse’s calling to take care of patients with courage, strength, dedication, leadership, and have fought to push through this pandemic.

These very characteristics is what should give us hope for our future.

As we celebrate this week, it is also Florence Nightingale’s 200th birthday. She paved the way during the Crimean War, setting aside fear for bravery. We have learned so much from her, and I believe we will pass on our lessons learned to the next generation of nurses for their challenges ahead.

Today my message is clear – it is one of gratitude and thanks for all the work by our nursing staff. The community has depended on our nurses to help them through these uncharted waters. We have received so many cards, letters and emails of thanks for your commitment. Our nurses and midwives have made a difference one patient at a time. They were there for our patients when their families couldn’t be – helping them through technological avenues to connect with loved ones using iPads, helping to get patients strong and home to their loved ones again and even being with them for their last breath when no one else could.

I hope all our nursing staff feel supported, encouraged and empowered to continue to do this sacred work. I am proud to lead this nursing team! Thank you just doesn’t seem like enough.

Be safe, feel proud, stay well and never stop being you!

Angela Belmont is chief nursing officer and vice president for patient care services at Cooley Dickinson Healthcare in Northampton. To learn more about Cooley Dickinson, go online to cooleydickinson.org.

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Mercy Nurses

‘sharing the care’ As a former trauma nurse, I belonged to teams whose members understood that the greatest accomplishments come when we pull together and tackle a common objective. I’ve been recalling these memories as we battle COVID-19. Celebrating small wins for our patients and one Darlene Cunha another brings the joy we strive for in our work.

At the front line of care, nurses often feel joy when they provide care in an environment that is focused on healing and the relationships they develop with their patients. COVID-19 challenges this paradigm, as patients are Amidst this pandemic, our community has come togeth- quarantined and interactions are focused and purposeful, er to celebrate and recognize leaving very little time for the work being done by our socialization. Nurses and extraordinary caregivers all caregivers thrive on their across all departments at Mercy Medical Center. Great connections with patients, things are accomplished when and their professional vow to people work as a team. provide the best possible care.

What better time to celebrate joy in nursing than now?

Nurses Lindsey Gamble, Jeremy Kele and Joe Scheer are among the team at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield. Darlene Cunha, chief nursing officer, says, “‘Sharing the care’ and other team-based care interventions (are bringing) joy back to the bedside” during the pandemic.

(MERCY MEDICAL CENTER PHOTO)

Mercy Medical Center nurses, including, from left, Kate Welch, Christa Murray, Karla Schoenthal, Lynn Garreffi, Lindsey Gamble, Joe Scheer and Jeremy Kele, are among the region’s nurses bringing care to patients at the Springfield hospital. (MERCY MEDICAL CENTER PHOTO)

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Vital. Strong. Healing.

Caring. Inspiring. Dedicated.

Courageous. Compassionate.

The year 2020 has been designated “The Year of the Nurse.”

Now, more than ever, we express profound gratitude to the more than 3,000 nurses in Trinity Health Of New England who have devoted their lives to caring for our communities.

Please join us in thanking our extraordinary nurses for the work they do today, and every day.

(MERCY MEDICAL CENTER PHOTO)

recognize and celebrate the work and accomplishments of our workforce with high visibility; and • Transparency: Mercy President Deborah Bitsoli provides a daily update on regional and local work to keep colleagues informed. She also shares her communication with the board, demonstrating alignment and accountability from the boardroom through the front lines.

These actions support our nurses, and all caregivers, as they strive to provide outstanding care during these difficult days – and we are grateful for the professionalism and compassion they demonstrate in every patient encounter. The COVID-19 crisis is challenging us, but we will prevail – together.

Darlene Cunha is chief nursing officer for Mercy Medical Center in Springfield. To learn more about Mercy and its work, go online to mercycares.com.

THANK YOU For your help, support, and compassion today and everyday.

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There is robust evidence to prove that “sharing the care” and other team-based care interventions bring joy back to the bedside. I am proud to say that Mercy Medical Center has implemented the four key components of effective, high-reliability organizations that drive joy in the workplace.

• Continuous learning: Dr. Robert Roose, our chief medical ffficer, leads a daily COVID update call and shares key information and learning materials, as well as industry wide research that is being done to combat this disease, and how Trinity Health Of New England is engaged in this work; • Improvement: Our quality and infection control leaders provide daily quality and infection prevention updates and tips to keep our staff y Medical e’ and other informed and safe; • Teamwork: Our directors, andemic. managers and educators collaborate on emerging new and rla Schoeninnovative ways to provide gion’s nurses care that is evidence based and patient centered. We also

trinityhealthofne.org

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Registered nurse Christa Murray is among the nursing and caregiving team at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield.

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HOLYOKE MEDICAL:

We are so proud of our nurses Above: Registered nurses Kyle McNamara and Kelly Mejia Martinez are among the nursing team members at Holyoke Medical Center’s Emergency Department. (HOLYOKE MEDICAL CENTER PHOTO) Right: Registered nurse Brian Couchon works in the Holyoke Medical Center Birthing Center which was repurposed during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic as a unit to house residents from the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke who had tested negative for the virus. (HOLYOKE MEDICAL CENTER PHOTO)

Colleen Desai

The year 2020 has been designated the International Year of the Nurse by the World Health Organization.

We at Holyoke Medical Center want to take this opportunity to celebrate our nurses and recognize them for their dedication and tireless efforts every day and particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our nurses don’t hesitate to do whatever is necessary to ensure that our patients are well cared for. They overcome their personal anxieties, they accept assignments that are outside of their comfort zones, they bear the skin irritation associated with the

many hours of having to wear PPE, they work long hours and sacrifice time with their own families.

Our nurses do all this with tenacity, optimism, creativity, love, compassion and an overarching sense of humanitarianism. They epitomize the words of Florence Nightingale, “I am of certain convinced that the greatest heroes are those who do their duty in the daily grind of domestic affairs whilst the world whirls as a maddening dreidel.”

Our nurses are the best, and we are so proud of them.

Holyoke Medical Center recognizes the contribution that our nurses make to the success of our organization. In addition, the members of our community know that they are fortunate to have our nurses ready to care for them at a time in their lives when they need caring the most.

On behalf of the Holyoke Medical Center family and the community at large, we want to say thank you for all you do each and every day. We

are blessed to have you on our team and in our lives.

Holyoke Medical Center would not be the same without each and every one of you.

Happy Year of the Nurse!

Colleen P. Desai is chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care services at Holyoke Medical Center.

To learn more about Holyoke Medical, go online to holyokehealth.com.

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“For the sick it is important to have the best.”

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HNE Nurses

help manage care Educator.

Advisor.

Investigator.

lations,” says Breault. “Some of our members are significantly at risk. Cancer patients.

People with heart failure and diabetes. We’re doing calls much sooner than expected because we want to educate them, inform them and make In the words of Maria Breault, the nurses working as sure they’re safe.”

The care management team part of Health New England’s Care Management team wear of nurses and care coordinaplenty of different hats at once tors works remotely, speaking with between 30 and 50 – especially in the midst of a members daily, according to pandemic.

But as Case Manager Team Beault. On these calls, the team addresses a variety of Lead for the not-for-profit issues relating to the current health plan, Breault says pandemic, some of which her team’s response to the extend far beyond giving COVID-19 pandemic was medical advice. simple: to take a proactive, “We need to think about technology-driven approach to addressing member needs. whether members can get out of their homes safely or “People have fears. They have everything they need to don’t want to go to the self-isolate. We need to think emergency room and be exposed. As a result, our care about whether members have access to food and medimanagement team has seen cation,” she explains. “We an increase in call volume.

But we’re also increasing our have a deep partnership with outreach to vulnerable popu- the behavioral health team,

who we work side-by-side with every day and can refer members. This enables us to actively support mental and physical health.”

Breault, who joined the organization in November 2009, notes that Health New England has provided care management services for many years, allowing members to access telephonic advice, clinical programs, care planning needs, education and other services.

At the end of the day, Breault says she believes one of the biggest differences between Health New England and other health plans comes down to the company’s commitment to the community.

“We’re a team of care coordinators and nurses. Our manager is a social worker.

We have a well-balanced team. We’re not in California or Florida. We’re right here in the community. It’s the difference between calling an

Above: Maria Breault, case manager team lead for Health New England. A registered nurse and certified case manager, she leads a team of nurses and care coordinators who address the calls from members seeking advice on physical and mental health concerns. (HEALTH NEW ENGLAND PHOTO) Left: The team of nurses and care coordinators for Health New England has been working throughout the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic to address an increase in call volume from members seeking advice. They are also increasing outreach efforts to vulnerable populations, including cancer patients and people with heart failure and diabetes. Team members seen here include front, left to right, Judith Howard and Carmen Ivonne Gutierrez, middle, from left, Tammy Hallihan, Vivian Williams, Juliana Evans and Eileen Lavoie, and back, from left, Lindsey Grimaldi, Jeanette Cruz, Robin Wysocki, Maria Breault and Nicole Szarkowski.

(HEALTH NEW ENGLAND PHOTO)

800 number and a local number,” says Breault. “We don’t just come in Monday through Friday doing outreach calls.

We develop relationships.

Members come first.”

The care management team is supported by one of their own at the helm – Health New England’s president and CEO Marion A. McGowan, who is a registered nurse with four decades of experience.

McGowan began her career as a nurse in 1981, rising to

clinical executive leadership positions in nationally-recognized healthcare systems for over 30 years.

“I am proud of Maria and her team, and the time they share with Health New England members,” says McGowan. “Their efforts to provide high quality care are essential to our mission to be the most trusted and valued health plan in the communities we serve.”

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YEAR OF THE NURSE

To the healthcare workers committed to our communities.

For all you’re doing to help.

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‘Can do’ attitude drives Baystate nurses

Nancy Shendell-Falik

As the country celebrates Nurses Month in the midst of an unprecedented coronavirus global pandemic, no time could be more appropriate in the observance’s more than 60-year history to honor and support the crucial role of nurses in providing safe, quality care.

At no time in living memory have our nurses faced such challenging life and death circumstances on the front lines of caring for people who are fighting for their lives. This year’s Nursing Month theme, “You Make A Difference,” is a testimonial to their tireless efforts to save the lives of people suffering from COVID-19.

I am tremendously inspired by the “can do” attitude of our Baystate nurses during the pandemic. They continue to demonstrate a resiliency, fortitude and commitment to their patients and one another as they step up in what is a truly alarming environment.

They are the true heroes, asking for no recognition and the first to tell you, “I’m just doing my job.”

As a nurse leader, I have lived through two American tragedies while working at hospitals in New York and Boston during 9/11 and the Boston Marathon bombing.

Now, as president of Baystate

Medical Center, I join with our other nurse administrators in leading our nursing team through uncertain times.

It is our role as leaders to provide a sense of stability and hope for our nurses amidst an environment of unpredictability due to this deadly virus. It is truly gratifying for me to see how our nurse leaders at Baystate have responded to the crisis by advocating for their nurses and making sure they have what they need to provide exemplary care for their patients.

And, it is now our task to chart a future for our nurses in what will be a “new normal” in the delivery of health care.

In addition to Nurses Month, the nursing profession is celebrating a milestone in 2020. This year has been declared the “Year of the Nurse” in honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. While

the profession has seen many changes for the better over time, one thing has remained constant – the qualities of a good nurse.

At Baystate, we want to attract the best and brightest through our doors – caring, compassionate, knowledgeable professionals with critical thinking skills to problem-solve in advance for what their patients need and to act quickly when one suddenly becomes distressed.

It is my hope that after reading some of the touching and insightful nurse profiles in this special section of The Republican, those women and men who want to make a difference in the lives of many will be inspired to become a nurse. I could never have imagined the amount of joy, passion, and fulfillment I would feel as a nurse, which today is recognized in a yearly Gallup poll as the most trusted profession.

Nurses play a key role today

in educating patients about illness and healthy behaviors. During the coronavirus pandemic, those behaviors include staying home, social distancing, wearing a mask, washing your hands often, and covering coughs or sneezes with a tissue. As our nurses, doctors and other caregivers are risking their physical and mental health to save lives during the pandemic, it is our social responsibility to adopt these behaviors to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Together we can win this battle.

Nancy Shendell-Falik is president of Baystate Medical Center and senior vice president of hospital operations for Baystate Health.

To learn more about Baystate Health, go online to BaystateHealth.org

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A Heartfelt Thank You To Our Nurses

Together, their COURAGE, DEDICATION, COMPASSION and TEAMWORK is helping to make a difference in the lives of our patients and their families.

Join us in giving a heartfelt thank you at BaystateHealth.org/Heartfelt Natasha Vasylyshyn

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Emergency Department BAYSTATE NOBLE HOSPITAL Registered nurse Natasha Vasylyshyn dreamed of becoming a nurse as a young girl when her brother was diagnosed with cancer.

“When my brother was sick and couldn’t go to school, I would visit him to see how he was doing and to pass along messages of support from everyone at school,” says Vasylyshyn.

Today Vasylyshyn works in the Emergency Department at Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield.

“My co-workers are family, and our job is not just work, but our passion. People come to the Emergency Department because they aren’t feeling well and it’s usually when they are at their worst. We try to make the experience as supportive and comforting as possible. Many times we have spent that extra time at a patient’s bedside holding their hand when they needed us most,” she says.

But, today’s COVID-19 environment has changed some things. ”The precautions we take for patients with COVID-19 make it a little more difficult to be personal – be it an encouraging smile or the touch of an ungloved hand. However, our unseen smiles are there and the health and well-being of our patients is always our main concern,” Vasylyshyn says.

Recently, Vasylyshyn went the extra mile as so many nurses do and set up a video chat so a very sick elderly COVID-19 patient could see his family.

“The patient had a hard time speaking with his oxygen mask on, so I stayed by his side and relayed all that was said to the granddaughter. As soon as the patient saw the great-grandchildren, there was an evident spark in his eye that conveyed hope that one day they would be together again,” she says.

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1359 Wilbraham Rd., Springfield (413) 783-5883 (next to WNE) 1 6 a c r e s g a r d e n c e n t e r. c o m

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Jennifer Barrett Emergency Department BAYSTATE MEDICAL CENTER When registered nurse Jennifer Barrett comes to work at Baystate Medical Center in these challenging times, she says a prayer.

“Working on a COVID-19 unit can sometimes be scary and anxiety producing. I believe in the power of prayer and usually say one in my car on the way in,” Barrett says.

“When I step into my unit – despite wearing all of the additional personal protection equipment needed to care for COVID-19 patients – I’m the same nurse that I’ve always been. My goal, as with any patient, is to help them get better and when they are healthy enough to return home, then give them the tools they will need to contincontin ue to improve,” she adds.

Barrett, from Springfield, graduated from the Baystate School of Nursing, a diploma program which closed its doors in 1999. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Massachusetts at Amehrst and a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Hartford. Most of her 30-year career at Baystate has been spent delivering quality, compassionate care to medical-surgical patients.

“I admired other family members who were nurses. I always enjoyed helping people and I saw nursing as the perfect opportunity to open my heart and share my talents nursing people back to health,” says Barrett about entering the profession.

Today when Barrett leaves the hospital she says she “thanks God” for completing another day on the front line of caring for COVID-19 patients, and for returning home to her family and keeping them safe.

Kate Cook

Medical Surgical Telemetry Unit BAYSTATE FRANKLIN MEDICAL CENTER While growing up, Kate Cook had a few strong women in her life that were nurses, one of them, her mother.

Now a registered nurse at Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, she remembers walking the halls of the hospital as a child visiting her mother as she tended to patients. She recalls the hard work, the passion and the commitment it took to be a nurse, and she knew then that nursing would also be her path in life.

“When walking the halls now, I still get the same feeling of ‘home,’” says Cook, who works on the Medical Surgical Telemetry Unit.

Known as a team player, Cook is supportive of her co-workers.

“I feel that during the COVID-19 pandemic this quality has become exponentially important. Because of what we are going through with COVID-19, we rely on each other as a team more than ever. We support one another as we provide great care for our patients. I wouldn’t have been able to get through a single shift during this time without their support and collaboration,” she says.

It’s been said that being a nurse is a privilege, and Cook couldn’t agree more. She remembers helping a patient who needed oxygen to transition from a face mask to a nasal tube.

“When the patient was finally settled, he looked at me and said, ‘I couldn’t have done it without you.’ The next morning when I arrived at work, I saw the patient’s smiling face and he said, ‘I’ve missed you,’” Cook says. “Interactions like this remind me why I love what I do.”

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Laura Charron

Emergency Department BAYSTATE MARY LANE OUTPATIENT CENTER Caring for patients in the Emergency Department at Baystate Mary Lane Outpatient Center in Ware has put registered nurse Laura Charron on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s an honor to work the front lines with my teammates. Just when I think I can’t possibly handle anything else, my inner strength and faith gives me what I need to push further,” she says, citing her favorite Bob Marley quote, “You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.”

“This virus is so new and treatments to fight it are evolving and changing daily,” she says. “Our team knows that it is crucial that we all work together for the benefit of our patients and each other to keep everyone safe.”

Looking back at the memorable moments in her professional career as a nurse, Charron remembers one instance that “touched my heart.”

“There was a woman who brought her husband with cancer to the ED. She was visibly exhausted and was praying for his life,” Charron recalls. “Before her husband was admitted, she handed me a religious metal of St. Benedict as a token of her appreciation. She told me that it would protect me from all bad things, and I keep it on my work badge and think of her often. I feel a little safer because of her and her kindness.”

Being a part of Baystate Mary Lane has helped Charron become “the nurse I am today.”

“I have learned something special from every manager, every nurse and patient care technician because at Baystate Health we are not only a team, we are a family,” she says.

Susan Keenan Surgical Services BAYSTATE WING HOSPITAL Susan Keenan, a registered nurse in surgical services at Baystate Wing Hospital in Palmer, remembers when she first gave thought to becoming a nurse.

“As an adolescent I was hospitalized for a week and saw for the first time what nurses did for patients. When I began to think about a profession, nursing had left a positive impression on me. My mother was compassionate, kind and would have made her a wonderful nurse. My father was charitable and used his skills to help others. Surgical nursing seemed to combine traits I acquired from both my parents,” she says.

Keenan describes what she calls “working outside normal roles in these abnormal times” of COVID-19. “I am in awe of the tenacious dedication required to care for patients while wearing respirators and other PPE. Respirators are painful and exhausting and the best part is actually taking them off,” Keenan says.

“Staff ignore their own discomfort and enter patient rooms cheerfully, staying as long as needed to care and comfort their patients. I am so incredibly proud of all the staff who have ignored their fear and reticence to work in environments that are foreign to them, and to pitch in and help unburden their colleagues,” she adds.

Keenan notes it has been 40 years since she began working as a nurse.

“I remember a time not so different than this when HIV-AIDS was the invisible enemy, causing fear and panic, changing dramatically the way we delivered care.

There was no internet for research,” she says. “Still, nurses stepped up and cared for patients despite the unknown. This same commitment is evident today in so many settings where the need is great.” “I am proud and humbled to be working for Baystate Health and proud to be a nurse,” she adds.

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Firefighterparamedic adds

two bachelor sports biolog emergency m management She started firefighter-pa with the thou she would pu degree. She m Aldrich, who paramedic. T and now have Madison, 3, a years ago, as beginning pre decided it wa encourageme husband, she accepted to th program.

“I’ve been w it as long as R me,” she said

RN to her frontline credentials

forward. I ha who had gone program and a lot of time,” she says, refer- Aldrich loves working in her corny, but I loved ‘Rescue 911’ highly of it.”

Aldrich, wh ring to decontaminating the chosen field. She has been as a kid,” she says, referring vehicle. “Then, we change our fascinated with the medical to the early 1990s reality TV old when she uniform and we’ll shower. It is profession since she was a show about first responders. school, found interesting, but it is stressful teenager.

Aldrich grew up in Agawam. program to b rigorous and a great progra “They are no they tell you t apply yoursel Aldrich des for many hou immersing he program whe working her j er-paramedic of my kids’ fir because I wa (interactions in healthcare said.

Aldrich pra sors for their and it’s time consuming.”

“All of it started when I was After graduating from the for- to supporting Despite the challenges really young and I thought mer Cathedral High School in “They’ve all g and inherent risks many about going to medical school. 2000, she went to Springfield personal pho healthcare professionals face, This is going to sound so College and in 2004 earned That’s not ge

Monica Aldrich, a firefighter-paramedic and STCC nursing student, stands in front of her home in Agawam. (SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE PHOTO)

“One of my big longterm aspirations is to take part in disaster planning as an RN (registered nurse) for hospitals. I can put all my past experience to use while working as a nurse.”

Monica Aldrich, Springfield Technical Community College nursing student Springfield Technical Community College nursing student Monica Aldrich is no stranger to working on the front lines during a pandemic. Aldrich has served as a firefighter-paramedic for the

town of Amherst for the past 14 years.

“I worked two 24-hour shifts each week throughout nursing school,” says Aldrich, an Agawam resident who will graduate at the end of this month. “That does give you a different perspective as a student. It’s different when you go out and see what’s happening, as opposed to being confined at your home.”

Over recent months, she has transported COVID-19 patients to the hospital. When a patient is suspected of being ill with the coronavirus, Aldrich and her colleagues put on personal protective equipment, including goggles, a full gown and often a full face shield. They must wear the highly protective N95 masks on COVID-19 calls.

“When we come back, ‘deconning’ the ambulance takes

Over recent months, she has transported COVID-19 patients to the hospital. When a patient is suspected of being ill with the coronavirus, Aldrich and her colleagues put on personal protective equipment, including goggles, a full gown and often a full face shield.

ds

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two bachelor’s degrees, one in sports biology and another in emergency medical services management.

She started working as a firefighter-paramedic in 2006 with the thought that one day she would pursue a nursing degree. She met Richard Aldrich, who also works as a paramedic. They got married and now have two children, Madison, 3, and Jacob, 5. Two years ago, as her oldest was beginning preschool, she decided it was time. With encouragement from her husband, she applied and was accepted to the STCC nursing program.

“I’ve been wanting to do it as long as Rich has known me,” she said. “He pushed me

but it’s vital and important,” Aldrich said.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, STCC temporarily restricted access to campus and transitioned to remote learning for the remainder of the spring semester. Nursing students on the cusp of graduation had to adjust to a new way of learning.

“It was definitely not the way I envisioned finishing nursing school – at home at a computer,” she says. “I think the professors have done a really good job at trying to integrate (computer applications and remote instruction) to give us a clinical aspect when we obviously can’t be in the clinical field.”

After earning her degree,

“It was definitely not the way I envisioned finishing nursing school – at home at a computer,” she says. “I think the professors have done a really good job at trying to integrate (computer applications and remote instruction) to give us a clinical aspect when we obviously can’t be in the clinical field.”

Aldrich will start looking for work as a nurse. Her goal is to one day work in an emergency room or an intensive care unit. “One of my big longterm aspirations is to take part in disaster planning as an RN (registered nurse) for hospitals,” she said. “I can put all my past experience to use while working as a nurse.”

Lisa Fugiel, director of nursing at STCC, says she was impressed with the way Aldrich juggled working, parenting and schooling.

“The nursing program is a full-time commitment,” she says. “We suggest to incoming students that they work less than 20 hours a week. Monica is one of the few who worked full time. That’s a credit to her stamina and determination to push herself and do her very best. Any healthcare facility will be lucky to have her as part of their team.”

To our Nurses:

We salute you.

You are the cornerstone of our public health infrastructure, promoting healthy lifestyles and educating communities. In the face of war, natural disasters, and pandemics, you bravely and selflessly serve on the frontlines, risking your own safety and wellbeing for that of others.

It couldn’t be a more fitting time for the World Health Organization to declare 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife in honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, matriarch of modern nursing.

Whether you provide care across our country or are one of thousands that does so right here in western Massachusetts, today and every day, we thank you. You truly are the heartbeat of healthcare.

Sincerely,

Congressman Richard E. Neal

3134595-01

forward. I had a few friends who had gone through the program and they talked very highly of it.”

Aldrich, who was 35 years old when she returned to school, found the nursing program to be as advertised: rigorous and demanding. “It’s a great program,” she says.

“They are not kidding when they tell you that you have to apply yourself.”

Aldrich describes studying for many hours and fully immersing herself in the program when she wasn’t working her job as a firefighter-paramedic. “I missed both of my kids’ first days of school because I was doing clinicals (interactions with patients in healthcare facilities),” she said.

Aldrich praises the professors for their commitment to supporting students.

“They’ve all given us their personal phone numbers.

That’s not generally done,

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Soon-to-be HCC

grad works in pandemic’s shadow Tallon Tomasi, of Holyoke, a student in the nursing program at Holyoke Community College, stands outside the Leavitt Family Jewish Home in Longmeadow, where she works as an LPN. (HOLYOKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE PHOTO)

“I want to do something to help people stay healthy, to educate people about how to protect themselves.”

Tallon Tomasi, Holyoke Community College licensed practical nursing student Amid the nagging anxiety, the routine provides some comfort: the vigorous hand-washing; temperature and oxygen checks; questions about travel and possible exposure; another round of hand-washing; and, finally, the donning of personal protective equipment – the gown, the gloves, the mask, the face shield.

Every time she starts a shift

as a licensed practical nurse in the dementia unit at the Leavitt Family Jewish Home of JGS Lifecare in Longmeadow, Tallon Tomasi knows she’s at risk. That’s what life is like now, working under the shadow of COVID-19.

“Some people are scared, you know, because nobody wants to get sick,” says the 26-year-old Holyoke resident and graduating registered nurse student at Holyoke Community College. “Nobody wants to bring it home to their families, and nobody likes to see their patients not doing well. Nobody knows how long this is going to go on. Nobody knows. It’s difficult, in that sense, but everybody is trying to remain calm and be optimistic and provide the best care they can.”

Nursing homes nationwide have been some of the hardest hit places amid the

pandemic – “hot spots.” At Leavitt, for example, a skilled nursing and long-term rehabilitation facility with hundreds of beds, “Everybody lives in close proximity,” says Tallon, “and you need to get close to provide good care.”

The risks are real. According to a family letter posted on the JGS Lifecare website,

of those tested were asymptomatic.

“When we first heard that we had it here, it felt like doomsday,” Tallon says.

Patients were quickly quarantined by floor and, later, by room. One of the most difficult parts is the no-visitors policy, though staff do facilitate phone calls and Facetime

receives from her employer.

The experience has not at all deterred her from her career goal of working in public health. As evident with the COVID-19 pandemic, she notes, treatment is often more expensive than prevention.

“I want to do something to help people stay healthy,”

Nursing homes nationwide have been some of the hardest hit places amid the pandemic – “hot spots.”

21 residents at the Leavitt Jewish Home had died from COVID-19 as of April 10, and more than half of the nearly 300 tests conducted on residents and staff there up to that point had returned positive results, though many

sessions for residents with their families.

Tallon credits facility managers for swiftly enacting strict safety protocols that give her peace of mind, and she appreciates the extra hazard pay and free groceries she

Tomasi said, “to educate people about how to protect themselves.”

To learn more about the nursing program at Holyoke Community College, go online to hcc.edu.

meadow,

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When to use soap and water, and when to use hand sanitizer In the wake of the global COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020, millions of people across the globe found themselves scrambling for hand sanitizer.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that cleaning hands at key times is one of the most important steps people can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs, there are differences between washing with soap and water and washing with alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

The CDC notes that preventing the spread of sickness through handwashing is most effective when people know which method to use when cleaning their hands.

When to use soap and water

cages, or animal waste · After touching garbage · If your hands are visibly dirty or greasy

The following are common situations when the CDC advises using soap and water to clean hands.

When washing with soap and water, the CDC advises people to wet their hands with clean running water (warm or cold) and applying soap. Lather the hands by rubbing them together with the soap, making sure to scrub all surfaces of the hands, including palms, backs, fingers, between fingers, and under the nails.

Scrub for 20 seconds before rinsing hands clean under running water and drying your hands, be it with a clean towel or air drying.

· Before, during and after preparing food · Before eating food · Before and after caring for someone who is sick · Before and after treating a cut or wound · After using the bathroom, changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the bathroom · After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing · After touching an animal, animal food or treats, animal

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avail · If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol, and wash Hand sanitizer should not be with soap and water as soon as applied to hands that are dirty you can. or greasy. Hands that become dirty or greasy after activities such as gardening or fishing should be cleaned with soap and water. The CDC advises using alcohol-based hand sanitizer:

Children should always be supervised when applying alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Clean hands can prevent the spread of disease. Knowing which hand cleaner to use in · Before and after visiting a friend certain situations can be an or a loved one in a hospital especially important prevenor nursing home, unless the person is sick with Clostridium tative measure.

difficile (if so, use soap and water to wash hands).

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How communities can recognize nurses Simply put, our nurses, heroes everyday but more so now than ever.

Thank you and good health to you and your families.

God Bless.

Respectfully, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno

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Nurses play essential roles in their communities.

Nurses interact with and assist their patients in many different ways.

Donate in tribute

Nurses are the foundation of most successful social healthcare programs, and they are often the powering force behind implementing private- or government-funded universal health plans. In addition, a 2015 report in the International Journal of Community Based Nursing and Midwifery found nurses are key players in community health awareness and promoting preventative health measures.

People who recognize the impact a great nurse can have may wonder how they can honor this special person. While nursing organizations offer prestigious awards for nursing excellence, a community-based or individual recognition may be just as meaningful.

Volunteer services

School nurses day School administration can set aside a special day each year, whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in May on National School Nurses Day or another time of year, to pay homage to the school nurse. Children can be urged to draw thank-you cards, and parents can chip in for a special luncheon or gift.

Honor a special nurse by making a donation in his or her name to a charitable healthcare organization.

Honorees may receive a listing on a website, notification of the tribute, official certificates of honor, or a letter of honor sent to his or her place of employment.

Pitching in may be a big help to a dedicated yet overworked nurse. Volunteering at a hospital or health center can show a nurse how much he or she is appreciated.

Offer gifts People who want to thank a nurse who has provided exemplary service may want to offer a gift to the nurse directly or provide something for the entire medical office or hospital floor. Catered food, flowers, gift cards, candy, or similar gifts may be appreciated.

Offer a public thanks In an era of social media posts, someone can share with the community (and the world) how a nurse impacted his or her life for the better.

Thanking a nurse online can be a way to start a positive pay-it-forward movement.

Nurses work long hours for the benefit of their patients.

Offering a word or gesture of thanks can mean the world to these dedicated individuals.

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To the many nurses and healthcare workers we

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Thank You From your friends and proud supporters at

Our Heart Beats With Yours healthnewengland.org/heart

COM 4161-0520