COVID-19
Michele Tangeman, Pierre Manirakiza and Brittany McKay outside St. Luke’s Hospital.
Healthcare Heroes
Frontline team members reflect on COVID-19 surge When COVID-19 started its spread in March across the United States, UnityPoint Health doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, techs and over 3,000 team members working in the hospital and clinics stepped forward to care for their neighbors, friends and loved ones. The important work continues but for those that bravely worked the frontlines in St. Luke’s COVID-19 unit it’s a time they’ll never forget.
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“The first time I walked into St. Luke’s COVID-19 ICU, it reminded me of a MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) unit,” recalled Michele Tangeman, St. Luke’s ICU nurse. “The typical layout of our unit changed to accommodate the negative airflow setup, which was needed to keep everyone safe. There were initial bumps and the energy and stress levels were high. But as the days went on, our innovations soared. During each shift, a nurse would think of a more
