Southeast Georgia Health System issued the following announcement on May 12.
There are no gold medals or television moments of glory for those who work in the Immediate Care Centers of Southeast Georgia Health System. They will never be called Olympians, even though they were tested to the limits of their endurance for the last two years.
“Our team members give their best even when working 12 or more hours a day. At times, they are overwhelmed, but come back the next day with smiles, to give their best to our patients,” says Department Support Coordinator Gina Pyles. She serves as the front office coordinator for the Glynco and St. Simons Immediate Care Centers (ICCs).
The Right Place at the Right Time
Her team doesn’t perform ski jumps or triple axels, but their performances are equally impressive. They mend broken bones, cuts, scrapes, strains and sprains. They perform the EKGs and COVID-19 tests that could save someone’s life. As Clinical Team Leader Cindy Butler, BBA, R.T. (R)(QM) says, “My technical skills can impact a patient’s life – from assisting with diagnosing COVID pneumonia to broken bones. There have been many instances of being in the right place at the right time that proved to me I am in the best location for my skill set.”
While it’s fulfilling to use her technical skills, what really matters to Butler is uplifting others. “A smile, laugh or kind word can do wonders for an individual who is sick, worried or could use a boost.”
The Smallest Thing
Tasha Marion-Williams, RMA seconds that opinion. The registered medical assistant helps out at all three clinics. “The smallest thing you say or do could make a positive impact on s omeone’s life. You never know what a person is going through.”
Like a professional athlete, these women cultivate a mindset that withstands emotional and physical exhaustion. “Each day, we walk in the door preparing for another busy day. We do it together, giving 200 percent, staying positive. At the end of the day, no matter how tired we are, we try not to let patients see us fatigued,” Marion-Williams says.
Olympians set high standards for themselves. So, too, does the Immediate Care Center staff. “My primary goal is doing my job to the best of my ability. The example I set helps everyone,” says Medical Office Assistant Andrea Jackson. She values her team’s ability to “work together to ensure the best outcome for the patient.” Jackson does operational support and administrative duties, but she shares the medical team’s philosophy. “Approaching the patient with kindness and understanding, and accommodating their state of mind, is crucial to providing the highest level of care.”
Keeping Everyone Safe
The team, led by Daniel Miller, M.D., Manager Beth Hall, R.T.(R), and Pyles, played a pivotal role helping the Health System and community navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. For the last two years, they focused on caring for patients infected with the coronavirus, while still treating other medical issues. “The ICCs take the stress and overwhelming pressure off primary care practices when it comes to caring for COVID patients, allowing other departments and team members to focus on non-COVID related illnesses and conditions. Less COVID exposure in other departments gives us the opportunity to keep everyone safe to the best of our ability,” Marion-Williams says.
She recalls an exhausted, dehydrated patient so sick with COVID he could barely walk. He had not been eating or drinking at home and refused her offer of a wheelchair when he arrived. “I immediately grabbed a Gatorade and expressed how important it was to hydrate,” Marion-Williams says. The patient greeted her advice with a look of indignation. When his wife told Marion-Williams her husband would not drink the Gatorade, the contrarian patient looked at his wife, grinned, and started drinking. “His wife said she needed me at their house because he does not listen to her. We all laughed, and they thanked me. After two weeks, his outcome was amazing. It was joyful to see his recovery,” says Marion-Williams.
Never Too Busy to Care
Those successful interactions make up for the long hours, added stress and fatigue. Despite pressing demands and supply shortages, this team still prioritizes the human side of medicine. Pyles talked a patient through a distressing situation, and in the process, might have averted a disaster. “The patient lived out of town, wasn’t feeling well and was distressed and lost looking for the emergency room. I suggested they come to our clinic ASAP and stayed on the line until they arrived. I met them in the parking lot with a wheelchair and assisted with paperwork until a nurse came. Based on the circumstance and their distress, the patient may not have arrived to the emergency room without having an accident. I could not bear the thought of being too busy to assist her in a time of need.”
Knowing they can rely on each other, the team achieves together what they could not do alone. It’s a performance worthy of gold, but it goes on, day by day, with little fanfare. “It is rewarding to serve our community. We look forward to giving our best to patients in their time of need,” Pyles says.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Southeast Georgia Health System
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