Superheroes of Western Tidewater 2020

MAY 2020

SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

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of Western Tidewater

A special supplement to Suffolk News-Herald The Tidewater News The Smithfield Times Windsor Weekly

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The true superheroes

Nothing we could ever print could even come close to expressing our gratitude to the people who have emerged as superheroes of the COVID19 pandemic.

How could we possibly say enough about a group of people who save lives and improve quality of life, every single day?

The people honored in this section are the people keeping our society going every single day. We may not always think about them, but where would we be without the nurses, the doctors, the police officers, the electric linemen, the dispatchers, the restaurant workers, the truck drivers, the grocery store workers?

It’s one thing to ponder the implications of how those people’s lives intersect so much with ours on a regular basis, even when we may not realize it. It’s another thing to realize how much they truly have been keeping us going during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many of these professionals have continued to show up to work despite great personal risk. They have gone above and beyond to heal, to comfort, to clean, to inspire, to keep order and just to be there.

Superman and Wonder Woman are no match for the heroes you will find on these pages.

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SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

Nurses

Superpower: Caring for us

Eve Newell Eve Newell has been a nurse working with COVID-19 patients at Sentara Obici Hospital throughout the pandemic.

As a registered nurse, Newell usu-

ally works in the Nursing Resource Pool, floating to the unit with the most need. During the pandemic, she has been on the unit for COVID-19 patients quite often. She has

worked for Sentara since 2012 and until 2016 worked on the oncology unit at Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk.

Like all nurses, her job has changed radically. There are

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SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

more mandatory trainings specifically for pandemic, rotations and shadowing higher-level care units in preparation for patient surges.

She also has learned and implemented new procedures for personal protective equipment and has to maintain professional safety in order to decrease her risk of exposure.

However, Newell doesn’t see herself as a hero. To her, the real heroes are someone else.

“The real heroes are the family members worried about their loved ones

while hospitalized and unable to visit,” she said.

“I also believe health care workers’ family members to be heroes, as they sit at home wondering each day if their spouse, daughter, son, mother, father, etc., will be exposed and fall ill.”

Newell also said she sees silver linings amid the pandemic.

“More patients have recovered than have not,” she said, adding that the Obici family’s teamwork has also become more fine-tuned. ~By Tracy Agnew

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N H K A T O U Y

Design a SUFFOLK SUPERHERO Coloring Card!

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WE THANK THE SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER FOR THEIR SERVICE. We hope that you and your families are safe, healthy and creative during these unprecedented times. Suffolk Center's Staff is working hard to virtually reinvent everything we do, to continue to share the ARTS with Suffolk, Smithfield, Fr Franklin and all the communities we serve . . .

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Thank a SUPERHERO by creating a Coloring Card for Hospital Staff, First Responders, Letter Carriers, Delivery Drivers & Grocery Store Workers!

To Create: Cut along the dotted line • Fold in half to create front & back • Grab your art supplies • GET CREATIVE • Give your card to a SUPERHERO.

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SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

MAY 2020

Environmental Services Technicians Superpower: Sanitizing

Shameka Britt Shameka Britt has worked at Bon Secours Southampton Memorial Hospital for seven months, the past two of

which have been during the COVID19 pandemic.

As an environmental services technician, she is responsible for providing

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MAY 2020

firmed or suspected COVID-19 patient may have touched in the hospital’s emergency room.

“I do terminal cleans of all suspected COVID-19 patients in the ER and help whenever I can with terminal discharge cleans,” Britt said. A “terminal clean,” she explained, involves washing every surface in the room twice with an approved cleaner, to include the ceiling, the entire wall, bed, medical instruments and all other surfaces. Working nights, she typically handles two or three terminal cleans each eighthour shift, but has done as many as nine with the help of a coworker.

When doing a terminal clean, she wears all required personal protective equipment, including double gloves, an N95 mask, isolation gown, face shield, shoe covers and a hair cover to ensure nothing gets

SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

into her hair when mopping the ceiling. “ W h e n I get h o m e, I strip a n d showe r, ” Britt said. “I leave my shoes outside and I put all my clothing in a separate laundry bag.”

“I don’t feel like a hero,” she added. “I just like doing my job and try to do the best I can every day. I just love helping people.”

“To me, she is a hero,” said Britt’s manager, Brenda Iles. “Every day, she goes into these rooms without any visible fear. She has a smile on her face, even though you can’t see it through the mask. She helps her co-workers complete their terminal cleans and between all of this she is constantly going into the lobbies and restrooms to wipe down the surfaces that might have been touched by a positive patient.” ~ By Stephen Faleski

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Nurse Practitioners Superpower: Treating us

Stacy Brinkley When COVID-19 started to spread outside of China, Stacy Brinkley expected it would only be a matter of time before the United States was affected.

Now the cardiopulmonary nurse practitioner at Bon Secours Southampton Memorial Hospital has found herself on the front lines of Virginia’s battle to

beat the virus.

“I see cardiology patients at SMH, including those who come in with chest pain, heart rhythm problems or congestive heart failure,” she

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said. “I also see patients who are COVID-19 suspected or positive that have underlying cardiac conditions, or that the virus may have affected their cardiovascular system.”

Brinkley has been with Southampton Memorial Hospital for eight years, the past two of which she has spent providing inpatient cardiology services through James River Cardiology. She now must wear a mask all day, every day, whenever she is at the hospital. When seeing a patient who is confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19, she dons head-to-toe personal protective equipment.

“This includes a hair bonnet, a full face shield, a N100 respirator, a gown, double gloves and shoe covers,” she said.

“When I come home, I leave my shoes outside, remove my clothes and immediately take a hot shower.”

“I think it’s easy for us to get comfortable in our daily routines and never think something like this could happen,” she added. “But I am not sur-

SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

prised that it did.”

Asked if she felt like a hero, she replied, “Not at all.

I am doing the work that I love,” but added, “I consider the entire SMH interdisciplinary team to be heroes. Everyone has pulled together, bravely stepped up to the plate and courageously accepted this challenge to provide excellent, high-quality care for our patients in an unprecedented time.”

“My faith in Christ has given me strength on days when I have felt weak or discouraged,” she said.

“The prayers, love and encouragement from my family, friends and church family (Kingdom Life — Southampton) have been invaluable.

The generosity from the local community in their gifts of masks, headbands, windshield PostIt notes and meals have been so wonderful and appreciated. It has been motivating to see the community come together to support health care workers.” ~ By Stephen Faleski

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SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

Cooks

MAY 2020

Superpower: Sustaining us

Walter Chinchilla Preparing food for others does not put suspected criminals in jail, perform CPR or douse flames. What it does, though, is no less important. For example, rolling out dough, sprinkling with toppings and baking it into a pizza nourish- es hungry c u s -

tomers, many of whom could be first responders.

But Walter Chinchilla doesn’t equate his work with their mission.

“No, I am not a hero. I’m here to serve our community,” said Chinchilla of Joe’s Pizza and Pasta Palace on Carrsville H i g h w a y.

Thank you

“Heroes risk their lives — doctors, nurses, first responders like police.”

He continued, “We’re here to serve them, our friends, family and community.”

Because the COVID-19 pandemic has temporarily stopped in-house dining, the only options are delivery and take-out.

Customers may also wait outside if they don’t feel comfortable coming inside.

He assures everybody that the restaurant staff is taking the necessary extra steps for cleanliness.

“We’re taking all the precautions. We have a limited number of employees here at the same time — we’re keeping a safe distance [from one another] — but all are still employed.

Cleaning is done regularly after each use.”

Chinchilla said, “We’re doing everything to be as open as possible.

Business has decreased because we’re missing everybody here to give them the service they need. We’re still getting a lot of support in this time of need. Customers always thank us.” ~ By Stephen Cowles

MAY 2020

SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

Surry County

wishes to recognize and express sincere gratitude to all our Hometown Heroes who have put their

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Linemen Superpower: Powering us

Erik Thiede During the pandemic, there have been a couple of stormy days that created a good deal of work for those who keep the power on. When storms come through during a pandemic and

the power goes out, quarantine at home becomes even more uncomfortable.

However, linemen across the country are helping keep the lights on for others, even

though it’s difficult for them to practice social distancing as they do so.

“It’s definitely a way of life,” said Erik Thiede, a journeyman lineman for Community Electric Cooperative. “It’s

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not a normal job.”

Safety is always a focus as a lineman.

“The main thing they drill into us is safety,” Thiede said. “You definitely have to depend on your crew. In our line of work, a strict set of steps have to go in that order.

You get things out of order, you can get things wrong quick.”

But a whole different aspect of safety has affected their jobs since the start of the pandemic, as well.

Community Electric Cooperative has kept different crews together so workers are with the

SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

same people every time and has spaced out shifts so that different crews don’t interact with one another in between. But that’s basically all they can do, Thiede said — when two men are up on the pole or in a trench, it may not be safe in other

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ways to stay six feet apart.

“The distancing is awful hard in our line of work,” he said. “We’ve pretty much become a family, we’ve worked together so long.”

Fortunately, Thiede said, all of his coworkers are being good about staying home when they can so they don’t have too much unnecessary contact with others.

Thiede got into being a lineman because his father was a high-voltage electrician at the shipyard.

“It’s one of those jobs you always know are

To All Our Essential Workers...

going to be stable,” he said. “It’s a pretty good career, and it’s needed everywhere. I enjoy working outside, and it’s something different every day.”

Thiede said while he doesn’t see himself as a hero, he does get a sense of accomplishment from making that final connection and seeing the lights come on. He and his crew also appreciate the gratefulness of residents when they see them out working.

“It’s pretty awesome,” he said. “People are pretty good to us.” ~ By Tracy Agnew

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SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

Food delivery Superpower: Helping us self-isolate

As with so many other folks, the staff at Costa del Sol in Windsor do not think of themselves as heroes. They simply are doing what’s necessary to serve their customers, and if that means delivery to their

homes or even to their cars in the parking lot, so be it.

That was the case on May 5, better known as Cinco de Mayo, which commemorates a victory of the Mexican Army over the French during

MAY 2020

ies, Yancy Amaya said, “Some people are very nice.”

Megan O’Brien, another server, said that in her experience, the customers are “very appreciative of the work we do. I wouldn’t consider myself a hero. It’s more risky [making the deliveries during the pandemic], but we do what we can for the customers.”

Randall Phelps Jr. of Windsor said he’s there every other day.

“The food is relatively good, generous portions and the price very reasonable,” said Phelps.

“The staff is attentive and considerate. They’re not pushy or hovering.

It’s a nice experience, it’s comfortable.”

One family that’s downright enthusiastic is the Nanevilles of Windsor, Joe and Kaye-Kaye, the latter of whom repeatedly said with emphasis that Costa del Sol is “THE BEST.” “We’ve been coming here every week [since the pandemic started],” said Joe. She added, “It’s not just the food, but also the people.” ~ By Stephen Cowles

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in 1862. For the past two years, the restaurant has set up a tent outside for the celebration. Because of COVID-19, this year’s mood was anything but festive. No tent, no food, no drinks, no music. But, at least there was a long line of hungry customers — all spaced six feet from one another, of course.

Staff members such as Marisol Rodriguez, Yancy Amaya and Maria Amaya could often be seen carrying large bags to keep the food hot for the deliveries.

“Because of the pandemic,” said owner Ricky Velasquez, “A lot of people are scared to go out.”

He added that the staff will even take the meals to the customers right outside the restaurant.

Yancy Amaya, speaking for Rodriguez and other coworkers such as Nery Lopez present at the interview, said the pandemic has definitely affected their earnings. “We’re getting less money,” she said.

Rodriguez said she’s not been able to work full-time, usually just halfdays two or three days a week.

Asked about people’s reaction to the deliver-

SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

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MAY 2020

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Grocers

Superpower: Feeding us

Donati High Donati High is the head store manager of the Kroger grocery store in downtown Suffolk. Like many other essential services, High and his grocery store staff have

been hard at work since the coronavirus pandemic began hitting the region.

Their No. 1 priority has been the safety of both their associates and their customers, High said in

a phone interview.

Kroger associates have been wearing masks to reduce the risk of contagion, and employees have new emergency leave policies.

The company

Thank you

to our Home Town Heros!

From the Bodacious Bazaar family we want to thank our essential workers going out to serve our community everyday. From the doctors and nurses, to workers delivering goods, to our first responders and all those who can’t work from home during this difficult time, we want to thank you.

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has also adjusted store hours Tuesday through Thursday to help keep high-risk individuals safer, like seniors and the immunocompromised, High said.

“We’re really proud of how Kroger and the team in Suffolk have been able to adjust,” he said. “Our associates have worked extremely hard to ensure our pickup, delivery and shipping services are operational and available to the customers.”

High said they work hard to truly be part of the Suffolk community, as Kroger Mid-Atlantic does its part to serve the region. Kroger MidAtlantic has donated $300,000-plus towards hunger relief efforts in

SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

the region and has also hired 3,900 employees since March 22, according to High.

The North Main Street Kroger itself h a s hired 2 4 new associates, he said.

“We’re trying to do our part to help the community, and we truly appreciate the opportunity to service those in the Suffolk area,” he said.

He and his team also appreciate the community kindness in return.

For example, the River Stone Chophouse restaurant on Harbour View Boulevard recently provided lunch for workers at his story, according to High.

Then there are the kind gestures from the store’s very own customers.

“Their presence, their thank yous, and their engagement with us is what really continues to drive us,” High said. ~ By Alex Perry

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SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

Dispatchers

Superpower: Communicating

Terry Rose During the stress of a crisis such as the current COVID19 pandemic, people look to others as heroes.

One example to consider is Terry Rose, though she does not seem to possess super-

human strength like Super Girl or Wonder Woman.

There’s been no leaping of tall buildings in a single bound or deflecting bullets with wristbands — at least none that anyone’s witnessed.

Yet many other ordinary mortals might think of her as a heroine. After all, she’s one of the people who gets the phone calls and, with lightning speed, tells Southampton County deputies,

We Are So Proud of Our "SUPER HEROES"

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EMTs and firefighters where and why they’re urgently needed.

Rose doesn’t think of herself as a heroine of any kind. As the senior-most communications officer for the Sheriff’s Office in the county, she said she’s “just doing my job.”

“The heroes are truly the first responders,” Rose continued. “I would never consider myself a hero.

My hat’s off to the deputies. I could never do what they do.”

During this pandemic, she’s not yet had any calls related in any way to the novel coronavirus, but has in the past experienced extra stressful times through what Rose said were “really bad calls,” such as tragedies in accidents or by crimes.

Developing an emotional “turtle shell” and not taking personally any angry or rude callers has become a necessity.

As a dispatcher for nearly 30 years come December, the born-andbred Franklin native has grown with the profession.

In the beginning, she recalled, “I had a radio and a teeny microphone and a red rotary phone for the emergencies.

There was no 9-1-1 then.

SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

When I started I was first challenged when it came to directions. Addresses then were box numbers.

There was a paper map and I would study it.”

With the establishment of 9-1-1 and the advancement of technology, two computer monitors were set up to speed things along. At her work station today, she uses six monitors to help her receive, process, locate, record and dispatch calls.

With seniority and exemplary service have come offers of a permanent day shift or supervisor’s position, but she has rejected them. She evidently prefers to be a conduit between the caller and first responder. Her career remains a welcome challenge, though, because “there’s always something new every day … you’d be surprised.”

“I truly love the job,” Rose continued. “We have a great group of people here. We work together and look out for one another like family.” She added praise for her “very qualified” 9-1-1 manager Shana Rollins and co-worker Christie Byrd, who works with her in the same room. ~ By Stephen Cowles

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MAY 2020

Environmental Services Techs Superpower: Sanitizing

LaDonna Moseley If someone wanted to call LaDonna Moseley a hero of the COVID-19 pandemic, she wouldn’t object.

After all, as an environmental services tech

at Sentara Obici Hospital, she’s still on the front lines of America’s fight to defeat the virus, just like every other health care worker.

Like doctors and nurses, she begins

her day by donning the proper personal protective equipment, which in her case includes a gown, gloves and a face shield.

She’s also been instructed to take

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U O Y K N A H A PROUD T NE TO OUR ELL DO ON A JOB WPER HEROES OF BRAVE SU ATER & BEYOND EW WESTERN TID

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extra safety precautions patients are scared,” she such as hand washing, said. “We talk with them not touching her face and more because they do questioning the nurse on not have visitors or get to duty before entering a see their families. I really try to make them smile.” patient’s room.

“We have to deal with Though Moseley’s duties are mainly janito- the challenge of the nursrial in nature, she and her es being extremely busy fellow environmental ser- just as I am myself busy,” vices techs still interact she added.

ANGELA MARIEN GOMEZ PERSONAL TURNTINE with patients — someAsked what keeps her LINES AGENT PRINCIPAL AGENT Protect Your Loved Ones HOME BUSINESS LIFE each day during times even helping AUTO them going ANGELA MARIEN GOMEZ PERSONAL TURNTINE LINES AGENT PRINCIPAL AGENT COVID-19 set up video chats with the Protect Yourcrisis, Lovedshe Ones LOCALS CHOICE answered, “Being able to loved ones.

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MAY 2020

Nurse Practitioners Superpower: Treating us

Kara Hearn

Health care workers have been elevated to the status of heroes in many Americans’ eyes over the past two months as they risk their own health to care for those afflicted with the

COVID-19 virus.

But Kara Hearn, a board-certified acute care nurse practitioner at Sentara Obici Hospital in Suffolk, doesn’t see herself that way.

“We take care of

people when they are ill,” Hearn said.

“I just feel like I am doing my job.”

That job has, of course, changed since the pandemic began.

“The biggest change has been

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wearing masks and eye shields constantly,” she said. “This has made conversations with patients more challenging, especially those that are hard of hearing. The worst part of this situation has been family members not being able to come into the hospital.

We are spending a lot of time trying to keep family updated and coordinating video visits between patients and their family members.”

Hearn typically works 15 to 16 days a month, usually in 12-hour shifts.

In addition to using masks

and eye protection for all interactions, Sentara personnel are using gowns and gloves when interacting with any patients that have tested positive for COVID-19 or who are suspected of having the virus.

“I have started to wear scrubs throughout this pandemic,” she said. “I shower and change when I get home, but I haven’t quarantined myself from my family. I expect this situation to go on far too long to make that feasible.” ~ By Stephen Faleski

A SPECIAL SALUTE TO OUR SUPER HEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER & BEYOND

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SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

MAY 2020

Respiratory Team Coordinators Superpower: Helping us breathe easier

Mackenzie Tuennermann M a c k e n z i e Tuennermann, respiratory team coordinator at Sentara Obici Hospital in Suffolk, doesn’t equate herself with Superman for working with

COVID-19 patients, but does have one thing in common with the DC Comics hero — they both must change their clothes before they can go about saving lives.

In Tuennermann’s case, that means a new gown, mask, goggles, head covering and gloves for each patient, never knowing how many she will see each day, and how many

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of those will test positive for COVID-19. She knows she is at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 simply by being around patients who have tested positive for the virus.

She also knows that each patient she sees needs her care, a fact which has kept her going in the two months since the pandemic reached Virginia.

“At the end of each shift, the feeling of helping just even one single individual makes everything better,” Tuennermann said.

When she arrives home, her scrubs and shoes stay in the garage. She then sprays her work bag with Lysol and wipes down her car with sani-

tizing wipes.

“Then I head straight to the shower before I can relax and wind down for the evening,” she said.

“My husband has been great support and always has dinner ready and the house clean to ensure I can relax before my next shift.”

“I personally never thought something like COVID-19 would happen here in the U.S.,” she added. “Sentara Obici has done a great job preparing everyone for this pandemic … I am only doing my passion, which is caring for the sick in a time they really need us.” ~ By Stephen Faleski

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SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

Paramedics

Superpower: Rescuing us

Roger Stinnette Lt. Roger Stinnette Jr., a paramedic with Suffolk Fire and Rescue, has found it harder to connect with patients since the outbreak of coronavirus, and it has forced adjustments in the way he and other members

of the department serve residents and a change in their mentality.

They’re so used to getting to the person as quickly as possible, but with COVID19, they have to take a brief step back and prepare before mak-

ing their approach.

“For me, I just want to make that connection as soon as possible,” said Stinnette, who earned the department’s paramedic of the year in 2019. “If I can get eyes on somebody from the doorway

MAY 2020

MAY 2020

of the room that they’re in, I can immediately ascertain whether it’s truly a sick, sick person or whether or not we’ve got some time to play with.

“So, at least getting eyes on the person as quickly as possible was always paramount. Now, with this pandemic, we’ve had to really sort of be a little bit more surgical in what we’re doing.”

If it’s a suspected COVID19 call, they’ve got to make sure they have the right personal protective equipment on — a mask, eye protection and a gown, if necessary.

While it’s an added step, Stinnette has responded to enough suspected COVID-19 calls now that it’s second nature.

As a department, it had more than 250 instances in about a month in which it has responded to calls where people were exhibiting possible COVID19 symptoms, according to Fire Chief Michael Barakey. Barakey said the department has used PPE on the more than 1,200 calls it has responded to since March 6.

“During, it really isn’t

SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

a challenge,” Stinnette said. “You just let the gear do its work. It’s going to do the majority of the work just simply by the fact that you’ve got it on and got it on correctly. It’s going to provide the protection that it’s advertised to.”

He said there’s an increased stress level on both sides — from patient and first responder. He said there used to be just one to two calls per year in which they worried about an illness from a patient that was truly transmissible.

He said many just need to feel a connection.

“I think now, it’s even more imperative that we get that connection than it ever was before,” Stinnette said, “because you’ve got to put yourself in their shoes. The stress level is definitely elevated, I think, for those patients.”

He said the pandemic has brought emergency care back to the forefront, and he expects the new normal to bring with it new positive habits for both first responders, and the public. ~ By Jimmy LaRoue

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MAY 2020

Truck drivers

Superpower: Delivering

Kyle Jemison Like many others who are working hard to make sure the essentials run smoothly during the pandemic, Kyle Jemison doesn’t consider himself a

hero.

“I’m just doing my part to contribute to society just as much as anybody’s job during these times,” he said.

Jemison is a truck

driver for Titus Transport, which drives for Kroger grocery stores. He’s one of many making sure essentials like food and, yes, toilet paper make it

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to grocery stores.

Jemison has been a truck driver for almost 14 years now and has been delivering to Kroger stores for four years. He estimates he drives about 4 0 0 to 450 miles per day, visiting stores all over Virginia. He is one of about 110 truck drivers that service Kroger in Virginia.

He said the work feels about the same as it did before the pandemic, but he knows people are counting on him more than ever before.

“Besides it being a little bit busier, and getting the feeling of desperate times and uncertain times, the work’s kind of the same as it had always been,” he said.

Still, a few people have gone out of their way to show appreciation.

“I’ve stopped in a couple places for coffee and there was two incidents where somebody came up to me and said thank you for what you

SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

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Personally, I just feel like it’s a normal, everyday thing. I don’t feel any more special than anybody else.”

Jemison said that people can help him and his fellow truck drivers all of the time by being more aware of the drivers on the road.

“When you’re driving, you have to have such confident awareness of everything going on around you,” he said.

“You always have to be aware of everybody. That would be one thing (that people could do) — for people to be more aware of us.” ~ By Tracy Agnew

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MAY 2020

Police

Superpower: Protecting us

Paul Jones Smithfield Police Officer Paul Jones doesn’t see himself as a hero, and he doesn’t see his work as heroic, not even during the coronavirus pandemic.

Rather, it’s a job he has always wanted.

“Just personally, the question, do I feel like a hero? I’d say no,”

Jones said. “That’s my answer. Being a police officer, this is exactly what I signed up for when I put on the badge. I pretty much knew exactly what I was getting myself into, whether it be extended shifts, holidays, working during the (coronavirus) pandemic, it’s

what I wanted to do.”

Jones, 29, who has served with Smithfield Police since June 2018, said that while he has the potential to come in contact with people who are carriers of the virus, it’s nothing compared to people who work at hospitals who are, potentially,

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in constant contact with COVID-19 patients.

“We may come into contact with them for a moment, but my hat definitely goes off to the nurses, the nursing staff, the hospital, doctors,” Jones said. “They’re actually on the front line, around COVID patients 24/7.”

He said policing has changed since the start of the pandemic.

The Smithfield Police Department has an emphasis on community partnership, but displaying it has taken on a different dimension.

“With the whole pandemic, we’ve had to modify certain aspects of policing,” Jones said “As a police officer, you’re accustomed to showing empathy and being close to individuals, but understanding, of course, with the pandemic, we have to maintain certain distances. That eliminates the personal touch, the personal comfort, especially in dealing with a tragedy.”

Still, the outpouring of support from the Smithfield community has been immeasurable.

Local businesses have been bringing, on a daily basis, lunch, dinner and snacks. Members of the community have donated

SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

handmade masks, and Blue Sky Distillery has donated hand sanitizer it has been making to police, the rescue squad and fire department.

While Jones and other officers have had to train themselves to put on their personal protective equipment and keep their distance whenever possible — including handling some non-emergency calls over the phone rather than in person — they appreciate the opportunity to serve the public.

“Anytime they call the police, usually it’s not for a good reason,” Jones said. “That definitely puts a limitation on our ability to give some comfort and empathy. I know for me, it’s a second nature instinct to want to comfort individuals during their time of need.”

But Jones and the other officers have adapted, and they have seen some good come as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s unfortunate that a pandemic arose,” Jones said, “but … this has brought us closer as a community,” Jones said, “and I believe there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.” ~ By Jimmy LaRoue

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Proudly Saluting Our Super Heroes of Western Tidewater

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Nancy Bird says hello to “Stuart” the West Highland white terrier. ”We make sure that a dog feel special," she said.

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Teachers

Superpower: Inspiring children Teachers all over Western Tidewater have been superheroes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the early days, they put together packets of information for students

to review material at home. When they learned students would be out of school for the rest of the year, they started figuring out how to teach remotely, using tools like Zoom and Google

Classroom to make sure they could still provide their students with academic instruction.

Georgie D. Tyler Middle School math and science teacher Laura

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Tu m m i n e l l o has made an effort to stick to her normal school schedule.

She still wakes up early, starts her day with a cup of coffee, and by 10:30 a.m. can be found giving math and science lessons to her students, just like on any regular day of classes.

Except now, instead of being in her classroom, she’s seated on a sofa at home, speaking into her computer’s web camera and microphone.

For Carrollton Elementary School kindergarten teacher Elizabeth Mann, teaching has been about trying to keep a sense of normalcy for her students.

“I have personally been very proactive in making videos daily to send to my kids since the quarantine began to help keep some sense of normalcy for them,” Mann said.

But it’s not all about academics. In March, teachers at several schools in Suffolk paraded through the neighborhoods served by their schools

SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

so they could wave at their students in person, albeit from a distance, and provide e n c o u rage ment.

“I miss your hugs and your smiles,” read the message on the car of Florence Bowser Principal Melodie Griffin, who said the caravan among the neighborhoods was a big boost to both her staff and the children.

Kilby Shores Elementary had its own motorcade of Sharks as more than 30 vehicles with teachers and staff rode through about 10 different neighborhoods near the school to wave at students, according to Principal Lorri Banks.

Standing on their front lawns, students and their parents were excited to see their Kilby Shores teachers again.

Marcus Johnson has three children who attend Kilby Shores, and they were excited to see their teachers drive down the street.

“They were really excited,” Johnson said.

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To All the Workers on the Frontline

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SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

MAY 2020

Doctors

Superpower: Healing us

Dr. Carlton Stadler

Dr. Carlton Stadler is an emergency physician at Bon Secours Southampton Memorial Hospital in Franklin, and just like at most other hospitals across the country, Dr. Stadler and his colleagues are facing the day-to-day changes of the coronavirus pandemic head-on.

Some patients with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, don’t even exhibit symptoms as they’re spreading the virus. As Dr. Stadler wrote in an email, “we are learning as we go in a lot of ways,” and “flying this plane while we’re building it.”

“It’s very common from one 12-hour shift to the next that the standards have changed, or the testing policies have changed,” he said in a phone interview.

An emergency room physician doesn’t typically treat a patient with fear of catching what the patient has, but that’s now a danger during this pandemic.

“This is one of the most unnerving concepts in treating this disease in the emergency room,” Dr. Stadler wrote. “We deal with motor vehicle accidents, gunshot wounds, heart attacks, but rarely if ever have a fear of any of these affecting us, until now.”

On top of that danger, there’s wearing personal protective equipment for long 12-hour periods as the hours go by, and it gets hot and harder to breathe. They’re washing their hands constantly, and rarely sitting down to get a bite to eat, because that only adds to their risk of exposure in the hospital.

Stadler said, “the biggest resource we have is our people, because they are the hardest to replace during this pandemic.”

“That is to say that there’s been a lot of focus on other resources, (such as) facemasks, gowns and ventilators,” he wrote.

“But our most important resource are the front line personnel of doctors, nurses and EMS. We can replace a face mask or a ventilator within a day that may affect one or two people if it breaks down, but if one of those frontline providers get sick or in the worst-case scenario

dies, hundreds of people are affected.

“In these instances of a pandemic, my providers on the front line on my most important resource, as they are not replaced overnight.”

Dr. Stadler works on the floor, but is also the regional director of four emergency departments in the Bon Secours Mercy Health System in Virginia.

He described how he’s had to sit down with his wife to make sure their life insurance was set, along with end-of-life plans.

He said that this same conversation is happen-

MAY 2020

SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

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ing with nurses and physicians “across the spectrum” of emergency medicine. He remains in close contact with his providers, reaching out to them every couple of weeks to see how they’re doing, he said.

“This not only affects providers on the front line, it affects their families,” he wrote. “These are unprecedented times. We are all going through a lot and our mental well-being and the support of these frontliners needs to be palpable.”

But there’s still revelry in the success of patients being discharged from hospitals, and from the support that they’ve received from the community, like meals, kind notes, and even people who

have driven to t h e hospital to sit in their cars and pray for them.

“We celebrate these victories to supplement our day to day energy to continue fighting this,” he wrote.

Stadler would not call himself a “hero.” He personally reserves that word for soldiers. For Stadler, medicine is a “social contract” to serve the community.

But all the same, he is grateful for the community giving back to their hospital staff.

“They’re not looking for the appreciation, but it certainly means a lot for the community to come together and do what they’re doing,” he said. ~By Alex Perry

THANK YOU

We’d like to recognize those in our communities who are doing what they can to keep us going! To those in the Medical Field, 1st Responders, Grocery Stores, Truck Drivers, Local Businesses; it’s because of you our community will stay strong and survive!

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SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

MAY 2020

YOU!

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SUPERHEROES OF WESTERN TIDEWATER

MAY 2020

Respiratory Therapists Superpower: Helping us breathe easier

Scott Johnson As a respiratory therapist at Bon Secours Southampton Memorial Hospital, Scott Johnson cares for patients who have trouble breathing — from chronic respiratory diseases like asthma or emphysema, or acute diseases like COVID-19.

Keeping track of which patients have tested negative for COVID-19, which are positive, and which ones can have COVID-19 ruled out as the cause of their difficulties is essential.

“There are different protocols for each,” Johnson explained. “That being said, we have to determine the proper therapy regimen based on the current treatment modalities at the time. Things change every day as more information is learned about the virus, therefore we have to remain flexible and stay on top of the latest CDC

(U.S. Centers for Disease Control) guidance.”

This also requires donning and doffing personal protective equipment multiple times each day, he said, including gloves, gowns, face masks, face shields or goggles and surgical caps.

“I double check myself before going in and out of any patient rooms as to decrease the risk of transmission,” Johnson said.

He is also very much aware of the increased risk he and his family face for contracting COVID19, given that both he and his wife are health care workers. As such, both have taken a methodical approach — wearing street clothes to work, changing into scrubs once they arrive, and then changing back into street clothes at the end of their shifts.

“When I get home, my

scrubs immediately go into the washing machine, and I take a shower,” he said. “My work shoes stay in a box in the trunk of my car and are sprayed with Lysol before and after each wearing.”

“We are constantly cleaning and disinfecting at home,” he added. “Our

children are young adults, so social distancing is much easier for us and we stay at home as much as possible.”

Still, he says he doesn’t feel like a hero.

“I am simply performing the job in my chosen profession,” Johnson said. ~ By Stephen Faleski

We would like to extend our gratitude to our readers, advertisers and staff members who make our publications like this one possible.

Thank you for your continued support of local journalism and helping us to provide the stories of our communities to the residents of Western Tidewater. suffolknewsherald.com

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Heroes come in many forms.

To our more than 40,000 U.S. team members, thousands of American family farmers and our many other supply chain partners who are fighting COVID-19 by keeping food on tables across America during these unprecedented times, our gratitude knows no bounds. We thank you for nourishing our bodies and our hearts.

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ASK US FIRST

SENTARA MEDICAL GROUP CARES ABOUT YOUR SAFET Y If you are not feeling well, have a chronic condition such as hear t disease, asthma or diabetes, or need medical advice, your Sentara Medical Group care team is available 24/7 for all your healthcare questions and needs. We provide virtual and in-office appointments, so always ask us first to get the care you need.

ContactUs UsatatSentara.com/SMG Sentara.com/AskUsFirst or Contact or CallYour YourProvider’s Healthcare Provider’s Office Call Office

SENTARA MEDICAL GROUP IS TAKING EVERY SAFETY PRECAUTION BY: • Providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to caregivers & patients • Screening of providers & office staff • Ongoing cleaning & sanitizing of all areas • Pre-screening patients before arrival • Screening patients for fever & symptoms at the front door

MAY 2020