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Infectious Disease
General Page Tier 3
Don’t avoid the emergency room during the pandemic
Don’t avoid the emergency room during the pandemic
Don’t avoid the emergency room during the pandemic
Blog
The current coronavirus pandemic is taking its toll on the community, changing our behaviors in many profound ways. Of all the behaviors the pandemic has changed, seeking care in the ER when you have a medical emergency should not be one of them. It’s troubling to think there may be people who are avoiding emergency rooms even though they may be suffering from serious injuries or illness not related to COVID-19. It’s unclear how many may be suffering at home instead of seeking the essential care they need, but we do know that this is occurring. Perhaps people are misunderstanding the shelter warning or are afraid to come in for fear of catching COVID-19. Or, there may be some who worry they’ll be an unnecessary burden on our health care system and altruistically want us to conserve our medical supplies and resources. No matter the reason, this is resulting in an “I’ll wait it out” mentality that puts your health at risk. Now is not the time to dismiss what could be the early warning signs of a heart attack or stroke. Receiving timely care is essential. Diagnosing and treating heart attacks and strokes as early as possible leads to the best possible outcomes. Don’t dismiss severe gastrointestinal issues, severe pain or shortness of breath. Or, skip seeking care for traumatic injuries and lacerations. Among the symptoms best evaluated in an emergency room are: Chest pain or difficulty breathing Weakness/numbness on one side Slurred speech Seizures Fainting/change in mental state Severe headache (the “worst headache of your life”) Serious burns Severe abdominal pain Head or eye injury Broken bones or dislocated joints Unexplained or persistent high fever Severe cuts that may require stitches Suicidal ideation Vaginal bleeding or abdominal pain with pregnancy When you delay necessary care, you come to us in the ER with a situation that could have been addressed earlier yet is now a much more complicated or debilitating injury or illness. It could be too late to prevent long-term damage or even death. I cannot emphasize enough how much care has been taken to ensure that you are not exposed to COVID-19 while being treated in the ER. Specific processes are in place to separate our non-coronavirus patients from those who are known or suspected to have COVID-19. If you think you may have a medical emergency, you should not hesitate to come to the ER. Your health is too important. Our area emergency rooms are open and ready to provide safe care for you. Author Michael Remoll, MD, is the director of emergency services at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis.
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Infectious Disease
General Page Tier 3
Family Coordinators Become Lifeline Between Patients and Families
Family Coordinators Become Lifeline Between Patients and Families
Family Coordinators Become Lifeline Between Patients and Families
Blog
‘Dad? Can you hear me?’ John* slowly opens his eyes at the sound of a familiar voice overriding the beeping of the medical monitor he’s been hearing next to him for the past few weeks. He is a little weak and has a sore throat. It takes him a few seconds to clear his vision and see the electronic tablet being held in front of him. Blinking quickly, his gaze brightens the moment he recognizes the three eager faces on the screen waiting for a response. Happy tears follow quickly. And they’re not just his. Tears are flowing from him, his family, and Kelly Beraducci, the Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) family coordinator holding the electronic tablet. This is the first time John has been able to communicate with his family since being admitted to AAMC’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with severe symptoms related to coronavirus (COVID-19). The highly contagious virus led AAMC – and many hospitals across the nation – to put visitor restrictions in place for the safety of patients, families and staff. “Having the ability to do these video calls gives patients and their families a sense of hope,” Kelly says. “I get choked up every time I do these. It’s such a wonderful feeling of happiness to witness the moment families reconnect,” Kelly adds. “Some patients cry because they haven’t seen their families for weeks, others pray together and others laugh and joke.” Earlier that morning, Kelly was informed by the patient’s nurse that John was going to be extubated – or taken off the ventilator. She called his family, shared the good news that John’s health was on the mend and sent them the video call details. Throughout the day, she kept an eye on him to see when he was ready to get on camera. “It can be a hard sight for families to see their loved ones with all the medical supplies around them,” she said. “The family had been waiting for a long time for him to get to a point where he could talk and it finally happened that day.” Launching the Family Coordinator Program When AAMC put visitor restrictions in place due to the pandemic, staff in Patient Advocacy and Patient Experience knew this would be a shock for patients and loved ones. That same day, a team – formed by Inpatient Rehabilitation and Patient Relations Senior Director Kamila Frederick; Patient Experience Director Carole Groux; Patient Relations Coordinator Melissa Anderson; and Patient Advocacy, Interpretation Services and Spiritual Care Manager Anita Smith – convened to come up with a solution. Overnight, they launched the Family Coordinator program, which created positions for redeployed employees to facilitate communication between patients, families and staff. From left to right: Melissa Anderson, Ann Barnes, Kelly Beraducci, Janice Adams and Anita Smith. “We realized the restrictions would provoke a lot of anxiety,” says Smith. “We wanted to make sure there was a way we could keep patients and families connected at such a crucial time, whether they were COVID-19 patients or patients in other units.” To do this, the team redeployed a wide range of employees – including nurses, surgical advocates, patient care technicians, interventional radiology techs and more – to cover every unit. To date, there are 23 family coordinators working almost every day of the week. Since the program launched on March 20, family coordinators have been busy reaching out to families and scheduling calls. Working with AAMC’s Information Systems department, Patient Advocacy obtained four electronic tablets for family coordinators to start scheduling video calls. “You take for granted everything you can do by being able to pick up your phone,” Anita says. “Family coordinators and electronic tablets have become a lifeline in a time of isolation.” Becoming a Family Coordinator At 5 am, Kelly’s alarm goes off. She does a quick strength-training workout, showers and heads out the door to drive to the hospital, where she’s been working for the past 22 years. She goes directly to Edwards Pavilion, where she was working as a registered nurse prior to being redeployed as a family coordinator on March 25. The locker with her scrubs, shoes and PPE is still there. She changes her shoes, puts on her mask and heads over to the ICU dressed, with her supplies. By 7 am, she’s ready for the daily nursing report. “There are constant changes that we as family coordinators need to know about,” she says. “We’re learning more and more every day.” By the time it’s 8 am, doctors and nurses have completed their huddle, giving Kelly a good idea of where she should go first that morning. From that moment on, the phones begin to ring. “I get calls until my shift ends at 5:30 pm,” she says. “As nurses become available, I get updates from them to convey to the families. It’s a stressful time for everyone, so I try to be as kind, compassionate and understanding as I can be. I’m lucky to work with other compassionate family coordinators, like Sharon, who started with me. She goes above and beyond to take care of patients and their families.” Kelly calls all the families by phone and schedules an average of eight video calls per shift according to each patient’s condition and availability. Before she sees patients, she joins the video call with their family members. Wearing an N-95 and other protective equipment, she enters the room and greets the patient. ‘Hi, I’m Kelly.’ She tries to give each family at least 10 minutes to limit her exposure, although she lets most families squeeze in a couple of extra minutes. Halfway through the call, her arms become unsteady from holding the electronic tablet for the patient. Once the call ends, it’s time to move on to the next video call with another family patiently waiting to see their loved one. Each video call is different, but one thing that is consistent from one to the next is the patient’s and family’s relief in being able to connect through a screen. Kelly, too, feels the connection. She laughs, cries, celebrates and mourns with them as if they were one of her own. By end of her shift, Kelly’s smartwatch shows that she has walked five miles around her unit. If she has time, she goes downstairs to the post-anesthesia care unit, where there is another family coordinator, and checks on her recovering patients. “I went to see the very first patient I cared for as a family coordinator,” she says. “I cried during her first video call with her family and have felt very close to her since. I wanted to see her through because after so many calls with families and loved ones, you feel part of the family, too.” At a time where there only seems to be bad news everywhere, Kelly says there’s no other feeling like seeing her patients get better and leave happy. This, she says, keeps her going. Kelly works every other day, giving her time to slow down and relax in between her physically and mentally demanding shifts. When she gets home, she leaves her shoes outside and heads straight to the shower before greeting her family and dogs. While she changes, her husband and two teenagers prepare dinner and wait for her so they can eat together. “There is a lot going on,” she says, adding that she went from happy outpatient surgery scenarios to situations that don’t always have a happy ending and seeing families go through a loss without being able to be next to their loved ones. “It’s so mentally exhausting because you’re hearing the family’s anguish in their voices and trying to support them through a phone and screen. But I feel like I’m doing a great service to the families in helping them connect with their loved one.” When she comes into the hospital, Kelly says she approaches every day with compassion and kindness, reminding herself that she, too, has a family back at home waiting to see her at the end of the day. *Names have been changed to protect the patient’s and family’s privacy.
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Behavioral Health, Pediatrics, Infectious Disease
General Page Tier 3
Helping your child disconnect from technology
Helping your child disconnect from technology
Helping your child disconnect from technology
Blog
In the last few weeks, we have all been learning how to live online while being asked to remain at home. Whether it’s grocery shopping, working or browsing the internet, doing so much from home has taught us how to transition into a more virtual world. Similarly, children have felt the frustrations of social restrictions and the challenges that come with adapting to online learning. And whereas before they could go to school or to the playground before, now they are home. It’s easy to scroll through your phone or sit in front of the TV and binge watch new and old shows. And it’s ok to do that once in a while. At the end of the day, we’re all learning a new way of life and how to navigate through a pandemic. But it’s also important to remember that smartphone addiction is a real thing and that balance is important, especially for mental health. Our phones are a big part of our lives. Sometimes, it even feels like they’re an extension of our hand — placing us at the mercy of whomever calls, texts or tags us next. Those posts and messages, despite our best attempts, alter our mood and decisions. Our kids are just as digitally connected, and are displaying a similar, sometimes more extreme, shift in behavior as a result. Studies also show links between social media and depression and anxiety. So how can you help combat this? Encourage your kids to put their phone or tablet down and reroute their focus to the present moment. Although there are social restrictions that limit us from going outside, there are plenty of things you can do with your children to help them disconnect from technology: Carve tech-free time into the family schedule. Make electronic devices off limits at specific times. Dinnertime and before bedtime are a good start, but additional breaks from technology each day is also ideal. You can also limit digital distractions by creating tech-free rooms in the house, such as the kitchen or living room. Designate a drawer, a shoebox or a shelf as the place where everyone puts their phones away for tech-free time. Set your goals. Are you trying to have more family time? Talk about your children’s worries or fears? Decrease the amount of time you’re on your screens? Whatever you’re trying to achieve, make it clear so everyone can participate and work toward the goal collaboratively and intentionally. Use tools for mindfulness. You can create cards with questions that will make your child think and initiate a conversation. For example, ask them about a time they had to handle a difficult situation and how they successfully overcame it. Your child can’t be present if they’re sitting on the other side of the table on their phone. When you’re talking, you’re learning about the other person and, even more importantly, gaining their trust. Trust is essential to a good relationship. Make things fun. Think of fun activities that can replace the time your kids spend on their phone and computer. You can suggest going out for a walk together around the neighborhood. You can also ask them to share their ideas of what you can do together as a family. Think about non-verbal messages. Non-verbal signals, like using eye contact, facial expressions, gestures and body language will help your child recognize emotions and understand the intent of a message. These non-verbal cues are lost when someone’s face is turned down to a screen. It’s a new way of life. We’re all individually learning how to best navigate this time of uncertainty and what works best for us. If you need to scroll through social media and laugh at memes or watch your favorite show, do what feels right to you. Just be mindful to take care of your mental health and the mental health of your youngest family members. What kids are going to remember is how they felt during this time. Carve tech-free time to talk and go over their worries and feelings. Try to make it a positive and rewarding experience for kids as much as possible – it will in turn be a more positive experience for you, too. Author Daniel Watkins is the nursing manager at Pathways, Anne Arundel Medical Center’s substance abuse and mental health treatment facility. You can reach him at 410-573-5434.
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Community, Infectious Disease
General Page Tier 3
President’s Message: A Note of Appreciation for Our Volunteers
President’s Message: A Note of Appreciation for Our Volunteers
President’s Message: A Note of Appreciation for Our Volunteers
Blog
This week is National Volunteer Week, and though the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has kept our team of dedicated volunteers out of the hospital in recent weeks, we remain grateful for all they have done for our community. AAMC President Sherry Perkins shares her appreciation for our auxilians and volunteers. To our wonderful auxilians and volunteers, This week, we celebrate National Volunteer Week. Though our halls are not currently bustling with auxilians and volunteers, we at Anne Arundel Medical Center want to honor your efforts and express our gratitude for everything you do. Just weeks ago, your smiles were the first introductions our patients had to AAMC as they walked through our doors. You provided a warm and welcome distraction when families popped into the gift shop. You supported our staff all over the hospital and beyond by providing an extra component of care and compassion to patients and their families. I know those days will come again. The history of volunteerism here at AAMC has deep-seated roots. When a donated farmhouse developed into our downtown Franklin Street location in the early 1900s, we received incredible support from our community. Now, many years later, and more than ever, we rely on that help. I learned the meaning of an auxiliary in my first 10 years at AAMC – you set the bar for what a Blue Crew looks like! Thank you for teaching me. I’m so proud to be back and work and lead with you. Our community members, including many of you, have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by coming together to make masks for patients, procuring valuable personal protective equipment for our staff, donating food to feed our health care heroes, and working to ensure we can make it through this crisis together. We thank you. Volunteers and auxilians strengthen our organization’s mission to enhance the health of the people we serve. Your assistance in providing patient and family centered, high-quality care is part of what makes AAMC unique. I want you to know how much we appreciate you. And when we come through this, we all look forward to seeing you back in our hallways and beyond again. We miss you terribly. We all love our Blue Crew. And cannot wait to welcome you back with that Blue Crew chant. My deepest thanks and warmest regards for all you do, Sherry
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Community, Infectious Disease
General Page Tier 3
Sewing isolation gowns and surgical caps
Sewing isolation gowns and surgical caps
Sewing isolation gowns and surgical caps
Blog
As our front line workers continue to battle the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we continue to hear requests from the community on different ways you can help. One way you can assist our preparedness efforts is by sewing isolation gowns and surgical caps. This helps augment our supply of personal protective equipment (PPE). Isolation gowns We want the gowns to meet the criteria for Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) Level 2 and 3 isolation gowns. These are often poly-coated to protect against liquid penetration but are light enough to wear for long periods of time. We are most in need of size regular, large and XXL gowns. Isolation gowns should have: Elastic, cuffed or long sleeves with thumb loops, which prevent skin from being exposed Full back coverage, with a slight overlap of material Full coverage to the neck Velcro or tie neck securement that allows for various size necks A tie at the left or right hip, not in the back Long sleeves Longer than knee-length The ability to be washed in 130-degree temperature Here are some examples of some patterns you can use: Isolation gown pattern from Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop Isolation gown pattern from Wyoming Medical Center You may also view this tutorial on YouTube. Surgical caps There are many patterns from which you can choose. The material should be breathable and cover the hair. There are two styles of surgical covers, scrub caps or bouffants. Caps tie in the back of the head, with an open flap for a ponytail. Bouffants may tie or have elastic. Here is one easy pattern to follow for scrub caps and another for bouffant caps. You can also check out this YouTube tutorial for bouffant caps. These items should be delivered curbside to AAMC’s Belcher Pavilion Circle, located at 2000 Medical Parkway, Annapolis, MD, 21401. Hours for donation drop off are Wednesday and Friday from 10 am to noon. A member of the AAMC team will gratefully accept your donation. We sincerely appreciate your help as we work together to care for our community.If you have questions or would like a tax-deductible receipt, please email us. Learn about more ways you can help AAMC as we navigate this pandemic.
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