- Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogOn Florence Nightingale’s 200th birthday, President and nurse Sherry Perkins praises today’s nurses for the incredible work they are doing. Today is the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birthday and the end of Nurses Week. The World Health Organization (WHO) named 2020 the Year of the Nurse in recognition of Nightingale – the founder of modern nursing. The WHO could not have predicted what nurses and their teammates would see this year with COVID-19, nor the new definitions of health care heroism. In a recent interview with the media about our nurses and the AAMC team, I was proud to tell our community, “They aren’t just heroes; they’re superheroes.” I am often asked to describe patient care; how to do that? In contemplating Nurses Week, I can think about important life events: emergency room visits, a parent in an ICU, the birth of a baby – a nurse is there with a team. A nurse is there knowing and caring, linking tenderness and mastery. Nurses know what it means for humans to be old, sick, weak, complex, and vulnerable. Nurses know how to prevent and treat infections, manage pain, teach, rescue, heal, console, and see problems before they occur. Nightingale was quoted as saying, “Live life when you have it. Life is a splendid gift – there is nothing small about it.” On my first day of work less than four months ago, I described the AAMC team this way – “the unique mixture of science and caring…progressive expertise of our physicians, the dedication of our nurses, the excellence of our interprofessional clinical support partners, the acumen of our leadership and administrative team, the compassion of our auxilians and volunteers, the devotion of our patient and family advisors, and the governance of our board.” Each of you makes AAMC a unique place for our patients and our community. Even more I am awed by what a team you are. Florence Nightingale would be proud. I know I am. Thank you for what you do for each other and for our patients and families.
- Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogIn honor of Nurses Week and Hospital Week, Victoria Bayless, CEO of Luminis Health, expresses her appreciation for our health care heroes during these uncertain times. In the world of health care, May is typically a major month for celebration. It is the moment each year when we honor our nursing staff during Nurses Week and follow with an even larger gathering to honor all staff members during Hospital Week. But this is not a typical year, and no one knows that better than you. Like health care workers across the nation, we are witnessing how every facet of our lives has been dramatically altered by this virus. We know that communities need us now more than ever. While this is a point of pride, it also is a heavy responsibility. You answer the call every day to help patients and support their families, all the more challenging because no one knows when the ferocious hold of this pandemic will subside. So it hardly feels like a time to celebrate. This May will stand out like no other in the chronicle of modern health care. As you each take your rightful place in this historic moment, there is no greater time to acknowledge the extraordinary commitment of each of you – for your unselfish duty to your profession, your compassion for those who are suffering, and your unparalleled commitment to one another. And you do all this while bearing concerns about your families and your own well-being. In past years this month would prompt a “theme” to play out across each of our campuses. If we had a “theme” this year, it would be a short, simple, two words. You would hear it when you go into every patient room, from every corner of every ICU, every nursing station, supply room or underground hallway – and we would say it over and over again. Thank you. Thank you for showing up each day. Thank you for wearing the protective gear that sometimes feels cumbersome or worrisome to your patients. Thank you for working with uncertainty, for not knowing if or how you can help the next patient, for accepting that despite all your remarkable skills and best training, no one has seen what you are seeing now. Thank you for demonstrating care and concern not just for our patients, but for each other. We see you and all that you are doing. You’re doing a good job. Take a look for yourselves. Whether you are doctor, nurse, therapist, pharmacist, dietitian, aide, housekeeper or volunteer, we know that your compassion for our patients – and the extraordinary acts of courage and compassion you show for each other – is what will see us through these coming days. As the famed American author, poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou wrote, “We need joy as we need air. We need love as we need water. We need each other as we need the earth we share.” You are what brings joy to this month of May. Thank you, Tori Bayless, Chief Executive Officer, Luminis Health
- Cancer Care, News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAnne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) has earned CEO Cancer Gold StandardTM accreditation for its work to reduce the risk of cancer for its employees and covered family members. AAMC is recognized for encouraging healthy behaviors and improving health outcomes for employees by promoting prevention measures, encouraging early detection through cancer screenings and ensuring access to quality care. “Anne Arundel Medical Center is honored to be among the leading organizations to achieve the CEO Cancer Gold Standard Accreditation™,” said Sherry B. Perkins, president of AAMC. “We strive to provide the highest quality of care for our patients and are equally committed to promoting the wellbeing of our employees and their families. We offer the latest technology in diagnostics and treatments, with access to innovative research and clinical trials to deliver care and support that comes with compassion. Cancer is not only treating a disease, it’s caring for each person throughout his or her journey.” The Gold Standard accreditation recognizes AAMC’s programs to reduce cancer risk by taking concrete actions in prevention, screening, cancer clinical trials, quality treatment and survivorship, and health education and health promotion.
- Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThe 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.
- Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3Blog‘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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