dog. Her biggest motivator in doing this job is the feeling of satisfaction
knowing that she did everything she could to keep a patient healthy and alive
for 12+ hours. “I do this for the moments where I get to see patients come off
ventilators, speak and eat for the first time, and ultimately go home to their loved
ones,” she shares. “It’s definitely the most stressful job in the world but also the
most rewarding.”
Marisol Luna-Pizano
Family Doctor
MD, Kaiser Permanente
North Hollywood Medical
Offices
A family medicine doctor and
physician-in-charge of Kaiser
Permanente North Hollywood Medical
Offices, Marisol Luna-Pizano rotates through the
Emergency Department and triage areas to do all that she can to help
patients in need. The new technology – telemedicine – has allowed
more than 80 percent of the care visits Kaiser Permanente
conducts systemwide to be virtual visits via phone or video. A mother of
two young children who are two and four years old, it has been challenging
for her to isolate from family, however, she protects them by wearing a
mask at home as well. “Wearing a mask around my kids is hard but it’s
important to keep them safe and for that, I will do whatever I have to do,” she
states. “I am realizing on a daily basis everything that is taken for granted –
including my every day, normal routine. I miss seeing patients face-to-face,
without layers of PPE. I miss hiking and seeing my friends and family. I have
also learned how to appreciate the joy and gratitude in simple things.”
Dr. Sylvia Preciado
Internist
Huntington Memorial
Hospital
Dr. Sylvia Preciado along with Dr. Wafaa
Alrashid formed "Operation COVID-19" by
testing their patients along with first responders
who at the time were unable to get tested due to limited
testing in early March. She has also been working closely with skilled nursing
facilities in supplying the proper PPE for the staff.
With the virus getting out of hand, Dr. Sylvia Preciado decided to take upon
herself to begin to test her patients with the assistance of Dr. Alrashid. It came
to her attention that the nurses and even some physicians from hospitals were
unable to get tested due to the limited testing kits at that time, so she volunteered
her time to bring them in to get tested. One of the projects she decided to take
on was with the skilled nursing facilities. She has been communicating with the
SNF administrators to get testing kits to the elderly patients and she donates the
PPE to the nurses.
Gina Marie Torres
Registered Nurse
North Shore University
Hospital
Manhasset (Long Island), N.Y.
A floor nurse on a 44-bed unit, Gina Marie
Torres was one of the many nurses to
contract COVID19. In isolation for the past
three weeks, she tested positive after working with
COVID19 patients for two weeks. “I was frightened, frustrated and felt extremely
isolated and vulnerable,” she shares. “I felt extremely sad not being able to be
on the frontlines helping my coworkers, being there to support them mentally
and physically and ultimately not being to care for the patients.”
A registered nurse for 13 years dealing with COVID patients has been
one of the saddest experiences she has ever encountered. “The patients are
alone behind a closed door, no visitors and are extremely frighten,” she shares.
“I myself was frightened for them, shed a tear with them. I found it hard to find
encouraging words for them without feeling as if I were lying to them. As much
as you want to be there for them as I always am, I was concerned that I was in
the room for too long and possibly expose myself to the virus. (Which in fact I
did) but at the moment you push those thoughts aside and think of them as if
they were your family member and stay in there to lessen their fears.”
Torres will be returning back to work after being off for three weeks
recovering from the virus. She continues to wear a mask at home and along with
her husband, they continue physical distancing as much as they can. “I am
praying that I developed the antibodies to not be re-infected and possibly bring
it home,” she states. “I believe I was made for this job and I am grateful every
day!”
Dr. Monica Miller
Service Excellence
Registered Nurse at
Valleywise Health
“We are the patient advocate,” states
Monica Miller. “I am a nurse but work on the
patient experience.” With all the different
constraints with visitors, Miller assists with family
communication via online and also assists with the communication for the
end of life coordination with families.
“It’s important work and I feel honored to coordinate this for our patients and
bring any communication we can to their families,” she shares. “Right now there
is a big gap, especially because of the restrictions on visitation.”
Miller recommends having a ‘hot zone’ upon arrival at home
and social distancing when in public. Her main tips on staying safe are to
wipe down your phone everyday, wash your hands as much as possible, less
shoe traffic in the house, and increase vitamin c, zinc, and fluids.
LS
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