ENGAGE-1

How One Idaho Environmental Services Colleague’s Contributions Exemplify Caring Like Family

Posted by HealthTrust Workforce Solutions on Jun 15, 2021 1:10:56 PM

"I never thought an EVS employee could be up on that award wall, much less me.”

Irene Salazar had an established career as a cosmetologist when she put it on hold to care for her husband when he had a stroke. She was his caregiver until he was well enough to return to work. But instead of returning to her former career, she joined the environmental services team as a housekeeper at West Valley Medical Center in Caldwell, Idaho.

Since assuming this new role two years ago, she’s come to love it for many of the same reasons she enjoyed her previous work: people.

“I have a service-oriented heart,” says Irene, an active church member who tries to model her Christian faith. “It’s not just housekeeping. It’s not just a job. It just blesses me that I get to go around and say, ‘Good morning. Good morning. How are you?’ I get to bring love and joy to people, and they delight in it.”

From the start, Irene noticed the lobby wall that held photos of  West Valley colleagues recognized for demonstrating a commitment to a positive workplace culture. She imagined her own photo on the wall. Now her dream has come true.

A physician nominated Irene for the We Are West Valley award after witnessing her assist a patient with their shoes one day. Five other colleagues had also nominated Irene for the quarterly recognition. The hospital reviews all quarterly honorees, then selects an annual winner. This year, it was Irene.

“I couldn’t believe it. I was shocked. I have never gotten recognition like this — ever,” she says. “When I started on the night shift, I cleaned the lobby first and when I would dust the award wall, I would pray and say, ‘Lord, I know an EVS (colleague) can do it.’”

Her supervisor, Carlos Vazquez, says, “When I first met Irene, she was that type of person who made you feel like your mom was there. She was able to jump in and take care of everything and we have seen that continue to blossom. She rises to the occasion every single day.”

 

Carlos Vazquez, director of Environmental Services, Irene Salazar, award winner and Housekeeper

 

Care like family

Irene says the most rewarding aspect of her job is when she gets to interact with patients in their rooms.

“They ask me to pray with them. They want hugs or just to be listened to. During COVID-19, they couldn’t have visitors, so they were so happy to see me,” she says. “Even on my lunch break, I would go back and visit with them because they were really missing family. Here at West Valley, we always say ‘Care like family.’ For me, that’s the highlight of my day, to see patients. Honestly, that’s why I’m here. I love it.”

Carlos says that Irene’s warmth and dedication is in demand throughout the hospital.

“Throughout COVID-19 she is one of those people who has kept things together for our team. Oftentimes, people come and praise our team for her efforts. She was helping out in the ICU recently and the nurses and physicians said they loved her and wanted her moved to their area,” says Carlos. “Irene is assigned to the behavioral health unit and checks all public areas such as restrooms and lobbies, but she is so invested we don’t even classify that as ‘her area’ ― the whole hospital is her area.”

“She would frequently sit and pray with COVID-19 patients who were in MICU or med/surg before they went on the ventilator. She had that opportunity to be with those patients and often comforted them before they went back or they were alone.”

 

Healing through service

An additional unexpected outcome of her career switch came in the form of emotional healing. The heavy burden of caring for her ill husband and the loss of her job as a cosmetologist were very difficult, and Irene found herself struggling with depression. When she began working at West Valley two years ago, she was assigned to the hospital’s mental health unit where she at first felt challenged, but where she soon found a sense of support.

“It was the hardest thing for me to see – but I had to. I couldn’t let it become my crutch,” she says. “I’m actually finding the freedom to speak about my depression because I was embarrassed about it. But I’m overcoming that.”

Irene also tries to inspire her fellow colleagues through leading by example.

“I always tell them, look for the opportunities that you’re missing. It’s not just a job,” she says. “I’m a housekeeper, but I understand how important it is that everything is clean and sanitized for patients. I really tell them how much it means to me that I get to clean their rooms.”

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Topics: HCA Healthcare

HCA Healthcare Shines a Spotlight on Heroism of Urgent Care Colleagues During Pandemic

Posted by HealthTrust Workforce Solutions on Jun 7, 2021 11:17:21 AM
Each May, in honor of Urgent Care Awareness Month, we recognize the pivotal role of the compassionate colleagues working in our CareNow Urgent Care clinics play in the lives of millions of Americans. Their selfless dedication and tremendous sacrifice were exemplified this past year as patients came to our clinics for COVID-19 testing and care. Last month, we celebrated the thousands of physicians, clinicians and team members who provide quality, convenient and patient-centered care every day in our urgent care clinics.
Pictured left to right: Laurel Lidman, MA, Dr. Ramon Fernandez-Valle, Janie Croft, center manager, Tyler McCurdy, radiology technologist, and Brianna Hasselle, patient rep, at CareNow DU Neighborhood in Denver, Colorado.

“Our care teams made Olympic efforts throughout the pandemic,” says Tim Miller, president of HCA Healthcare’s urgent care services, which include 157 clinics and 2,000+ colleagues in 10 states. “Our CareNow clinics went through the H1N1 swine flu in 2009, which led to patients swamping our clinics, with lines out the door. But that is not what happened last March. Many people stayed home with minor symptoms and sheltered in place.”

Tim recalls urgent care reaching the lowest point of patients being seen on April 9, 2020. “We were averaging 16 patients a day. It was a substantial drop.”  Instead of laying off or furloughing colleagues like other healthcare systems, HCA Healthcare implemented a pandemic pay program which guaranteed that full and part-time colleagues in clinical and non-clinical support services who could not be redeployed to other facilities would continue to receive 70% of their base
pay if they were not scheduled for their full shifts. In 2020, this program has helped more than 127,000 members of our HCA Healthcare family continue to support themselves and their families.

“The way that HCA Healthcare handled the pandemic was so different – really taking care of and protecting employees. It was such an impactful message for anyone working for HCA Healthcare,” says Jaime Bailey, area practice manager for Charleston, South Carolina, and Jacksonville, Florida, in the South Atlantic Division.

HCA Healthcare has 157 CareNow locations in 10 states.
Urgent care fills the gap between primary care and hospital emergency rooms offering increased convenience. When a patient has a medical condition that cannot wait for a scheduled appointment with a primary care physician, such as cuts, sprains or fractures that do not require a visit to the emergency department, CareNow’s urgent care centers are equipped with X-ray, laboratory services and quality providers who are always available to perform minor procedures like suturing. Patients can also choose Web Check-In® and skip the line by waiting at home. Our CareNow clinics also offer virtual care, allowing patients to check-in online and receive a link to set up a virtual visit with a provider.
Sheena Wellito, medical assistant at the
CareNow West Round Rock Clinic in Austin, Texas, with a COVID-19 test.

But by the summer of 2020, patients were presenting to our CareNow clinics in large numbers. “Last July our patient volume spiked by 70% — a lot of that was driven by COVID-19 testing and it kept going up. The surge was beyond anything I’ve seen in close to 30 years in urgent care,” recalls Tim. “We were able to adapt quickly. Urgent care is always there for patients whether it is allergies, physicals or the flu. Urgent care is convenient so someone can see a provider quickly. What we needed last spring was a way to respond to the massive demand for COVID testing. Our teams had to respond and get creative to find other lab partners, so we could give patients what they needed when they needed it.”

 “Thanks to a collaboration with our divisions, HealthTrust and the lab service line, we were eventually able to obtain the rapid test in our clinics, and we were one of the first clinics in the country to do it,” says Tim. As of December 2020, HCA Healthcare urgent care clinics cared for more than 2 million patients and performed more than 706,000 COVID-19 tests.

“We leveraged a really great idea by our operations team to do curbside swabbing for COVID testing on the hour, which kept it really efficient for staff. Our team shared their viewpoints and thoughts because they know they are valued, and we were able to better serve our patients because of it,” says Jaime.

“Also, urgent care services had the technology built for web check-ins – but we needed to set thresholds to manage the volume of testing. We engaged with our developers in HCA Healthcare’s Information Technology Group (ITG) and within a matter of days they were able to set controls at the market and clinic level. This allowed us to effectively manage the work flow and available testing supplies,” says Tim. In 2020, 840,000 patients used web check-in at our CareNow clinics. More than 1.7 million people visited the COVID testing page on CareNow.com in 2020.

Tiffany Ridley, director of urgent care operations for the Gulf Coast Division, says the web check-ins also helped our teams manage social distancing.

“Since Houston was one of the hot spots early on in April and May, HCA Healthcare teams were mobilized to support us,” Tiffany said. “Colleagues across the country in Denver or Dallas were picking up phone calls from patients or helping us with web check-in. I have tears in my eyes thinking about the incredible support we received.” But across the Gulf Coast Division’s 19 locations, they still had people lining up before clinics opened each morning throughout the summer. “Between 15 and 30 people would be waiting ꟷ just wanting to come in. Our urgent care team developed a QR code for patients to scan so they could register, and we would get them in every 15 minutes. It also allowed people to come back for testing and that worked very well.”

CareNow colleagues exemplified selfless dedication this past year
as patients came to urgent care clinics for COVID-19 testing and care.

“We didn’t have virtual care before COVID in our clinics, but we were able to stand up telehealth in all of our clinics within a week or two thanks to our collaboration with ITG. A lot of patients wanted to come in to be tested for COVID-19 but for those who couldn’t get in due to capacity, or they were afraid — we could still help those patients in their time of need,” said Tim.

“We did a soft launch one weekend in Charleston to prepare for adding telehealth and went live the following week,” said Jaime. “Now in 2021, we still see 20-30% of our patients through telehealth. I believe it will help us reach even more patients, long beyond the pandemic.”

As of December 2020, HCA Healthcare’s telehealth utilization increased 485% from previous years, with 1.23 million telehealth encounters in 2020. HCA Healthcare added 3,000 additional hospital-based telehealth services and supported an additional 6,000+ providers through our telehealth services and network to meet the demands from social distancing and quarantine mandates.

In 2020, HCA Healthcare also distributed nearly 1.2 billion pieces of PPE. This includes 5.7 million N95 masks, 1 billion pairs of gloves, 55 million masks and 1.1 million face shields.

“Our staff was fully protected thanks to HealthTrust and our supply chain sourcing so quickly,” says Tim.

“From gowns, gloves, masks ꟷ it was incredible to be able to have everything for the team and to be able to encourage universal masking without worrying about supplies,” says Jaime.

Pictured left to right: Hannah Sparks, FDC, April Clark, MA, Dr. Thomas Struble, MD, Carla Helmuth, CM, and Schieler Yuker, MA, at CareNow in Hermitage, Tennessee

Tiffany says the resiliency of the Gulf Coast Division CareNow team was astounding. “The staff were amazing as they managed extremely high-stress levels. There were a lot of support conversations. HR was providing resources for mental health. We pulled staff from other clinics, PSG and division teams so we had an additional team member to support if someone was out. There was a lot of intrinsic motivation,” she said. “During our team huddles, we would ask, ‘Are you guys OK? We know it is stressful. What do you need?’”

Karlyn Hunt, medical assistant at CareNow in
Brentwood, Tennessee, administers a COVID-19 vaccination.

“We have opened up COVID vaccination appointments now for patients, and we are so grateful for our hospital partners. They were willing to teach us their best practices to offer the vaccine to the community. They show us what works, how they run scheduling, and it’s been a tremendous help,” says Jaime.

Looking towards the future, Tiffany said, “Now it’s time to get back to basics. The pandemic put a wrench in everything — it was all COVID. So now that we have normalized COVID processes, we can do orientations and ongoing training with new staff on what to do when you see a patient who comes in with strep or a bicycle injury. We’ve also developed partnerships with radiology schools for our medical assistants to get X-ray trained. We have pathways for our colleagues to learn, develop and pursue leadership opportunities.”

“It is hard to put in words just how proud I am to have been able to serve the community and see all of our colleagues step up and thrive in taking care of patients and each other. We were close before the pandemic and now there is an unbelievable bond,” says Jaime.

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Topics: Healthcare, HCA Healthcare

Certified Nurses Day 2021: Celebrating and Supporting Lifelong Learners

Posted by HealthTrust Workforce Solutions on Apr 7, 2021 2:00:51 PM

Certified Nurses Day occurs every March 19, celebrating the birthday of Dr. Margretta “Gretta” Madden Styles, RN, EdD, FAAN, a visionary nursing leader and scholar.


Kenneth Wall, a nurse at HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake in Texas, recently achieved his Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) certification. (left to right) Donna Baptiste, Dr. Karanja, Kenneth Wall, Jennifer Gonzales, Laurie Roth, Yvette Greer.

Florence Nightingale once said, “Let us consider that we are never done as nurses…we must be learning all of our lives.” Like Florence, HCA Healthcare and HealthTrust Workforce Solutions recognize the unique and intrinsic worth of each individual by supporting lifelong learners. On National Certified Nurses Day, we celebrate HCA Healthcare nursing colleagues who have demonstrated advanced skill, knowledge and practice by earning a professional certification in complex nursing care specialties.

“The value of a specialty nursing certification is becoming more important as healthcare becomes increasingly complex and challenging,” said Steve Tarkington, vice president, HCA Healthcare Center for Clinical Advancement.

As a part of our organization’s robust clinical education offerings and support, HCA Healthcare provides qualifying nurses who wish to pursue a specialty certification the opportunity to take advantage of discounted rates, a voucher program and reimbursement upon successfully completing the certification exam.

In 2020, more than 3,753 HCA Healthcare-affiliated registered nurses expanded their professional expertise and advanced their professional skills through the voucher program to earn certification in specialty areas, including:

  • Emergency Services (BCEN)
  • Critical Care (AACN)
  • Surgical Services (CCI)
  • Medical-Surgical (ANCC)
  • Medical-Surgical (ONCB)

According to the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, the benefits of obtaining a nursing certification include:

  • demonstration that the nurse cares enough to be tested against rigorous standards, confirming their knowledge and skills in a specialty area;
  • creating an environment of professionalism, contributing to staff retention and patient safety;
  • serving as a role model for professional development, lifelong learning and dedication to excellence in patient care, and
  • a sense of pride, fulfillment and empowerment, as well as career advancement. (Research shows nurse leaders prefer hiring a nurse who is certified.)

Thank you to certified nurses across HCA Healthcare and HealthTrust Workforce Solutions for your extraordinary contributions to patient care and your commitment to advancing the nursing practice. Meet a few lifelong learners below…

Cori Morrison, oncology certified nurse at
HCA Healthcare’s Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada

“To effectively care for patients, I want to be as educated as possible in all of aspects of nursing and treatment,” said Cori Morrison, an oncology certified nurse at HCA Healthcare’s Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. “Being certified helps me achieve this and stay in-tune with the ever changing facets of the oncology world.”

Callie Ballenger MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, NPD-BC, division nurse residency coordinator,
HCA Healthcare’s MidAmerica Division

Callie Ballenger, division nurse residency coordinator for HCA Healthcare’s MidAmerica Division, has a background as a Nurse Practitioner and recently achieved her Nursing Professional Development Certification. “I believe in the importance of lifelong learning and always being the best that I can be. I learn a lot from studying for certification exams. I also think it shows the patients that you are caring for and people that you work with that you are dedicated to the profession,” said Callie.

Jenny Weir, double-certified clinical nurse coordinator at
HCA Healthcare’s Los Robles Health System in Thousand Oaks, California

“I love to learn, and our field is ever changing,” says double-certified clinical nurse coordinator Jenny Weir of HCA Healthcare’s Los Robles Health System in Thousand Oaks, California. “I’ve been a labor and delivery nurse for more than 30 years and got certified shortly after in inpatient obstetrics. About two years ago, I achieved certification in electronic fetal monitoring. I wanted to show my peers, doctors and patients my specialized experience and that I meet a national standard of excellence. You can always sharpen your skills and be a resource to others.”
 
Holly Toscano, certified in Maternal Newborn Nursing, serves HCA Healthcare patients at
Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada

“With evidence-based practice, nursing is constantly evolving to create better patient outcomes,” said HCA Healthcare colleague Holly Toscano, who is certified in Maternal Newborn Nursing. “As a charge nurse, my certification helps me stay current so I can be a better mentor and resource for our care team and our patients.”

Newly certified nurse Jennifer Gonzales, celebrates with her peers at HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake in Texas. (left to right) Beatriz Zamora Leon,
Jennifer Gonzales, Donna Baptiste, Barbara Gonzalez
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Topics: Healthcare, HCA Healthcare, Certified Nurses Day

Louisiana Nurse Gives Back With Convalescent Plasma Donations

Posted by HealthTrust Workforce Solutions on Apr 5, 2021 2:14:43 PM

Lakeview Regional Medical Center nurse Leslie Goertz knows first hand what patients are going through in the COVID-19 unit, after battling the virus herself last April. Once she recovered and returned to work, she wanted to extend her care to the Louisiana community by donating convalescent plasma. Leslie has been donating convalescent plasma every few weeks for the past eight months.

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Topics: Healthcare, HCA Healthcare

HCA Healthcare Named a 2021 World's Most Ethical Company

Posted by HealthTrust Workforce Solutions on Feb 23, 2021 2:03:12 PM

Infosys_ethical_company_wQVN4el_202102HealthTrust Workforce Solutions is proud to share that our parent company, HCA Healthcare was recognized for the 11th time by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, as one of the 2021 World’s Most Ethical CompaniesHCA Healthcare is one of only seven honorees in the Healthcare Providers category.

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Topics: HCA Healthcare

A Letter of Gratitude For Exceptional Care

Posted by HealthTrust Workforce Solutions on Sep 30, 2020 4:08:36 PM

Here is a personal story from one of our own HWS team members. Read as he shares his experience being the recipient of care at an HCA Healthcare facility where we truly care like family.

"I am writing this as a gesture of gratitude toward some truly exceptional people.  I am 4 weeks past the most challenging, life-changing experience of my life.

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Topics: Healthcare, HCA Healthcare, HealthTrust Workforce Solutions

HCA Healthcare Named a Best Employer For Veterans by Military Times

Posted by HealthTrust Workforce Solutions on Sep 2, 2020 1:33:09 PM

Military

HCA Healthcare announced today that it has been recognized by Military Times as one of the country's best employers based on the organization’s military-connected employment programs, benefits and support efforts. Since 2012, HCA Healthcare has hired more than 39,000 veterans, active-duty personnel and military spouses.

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Topics: Healthcare, HCA Healthcare

A Note Of Thanks To My Colleagues: Honoring Our HCA Healthcare Heroes During National Hospital Week

Posted by HealthTrust Workforce Solutions on May 14, 2020 3:47:25 PM

Every one of our approximately 280,000 colleagues—whether providing direct patient care or supporting those who do—play a critically important role in helping to ensure our patients receive the best possible care. This National Hospital Week, May 10-16, we pay tribute to all our talented and compassionate team members who work together each day to advance healthcare across our organization and throughout the communities we serve.

Even in uncertain times, the one true constant has always been our people, and within the last few days, we have received an overwhelming response from colleagues across the country who have submitted thank you notes in recognition of their fellow colleagues who have stood tall and bravely faced this global health crisis head on.

Here are just a few of the many notes of appreciation received to date.

Frontline Fighters

“Thank you all frontline fighters for being so brave and decisive to battle against the effects of this pandemic. Not too many have the courage to go to battle and not knowing where the enemy is, even though you hear and see the damage and pain it is causing. Not too many risk their own life to exhaustion, while leaving their loved ones at home, waiting for your return. Thank you for keeping us, our friends, family and community alive and healthy! You are all in our prayers, with admiration and pride. Thank you!” – Camilo Giraldo, HealthTrust Workforce Solutions, IT Analytics

“Thank you to all of our healthcare workers who are selflessly dedicating their time to help others. You are heroes for choosing to be on the frontlines every day during this dangerous time. Sending peaceful vibes your way, and hoping for positive news to come.” – Kellyn Johnson, Parallon, Learning & Development

“I would like to thank all the nurses, doctors, healthcare providers on the frontlines that are working diligently to take care of our patients and their families. I appreciate all you are doing for all of us.
Thank you for keeping us all safe!” – Lisa Garcia, HealthTrust Workforce Solutions, Verified Professionals


Information Technology (IT) colleagues and patient care providers
at affiliate Del Sol Medical Center in El Paso, Texas.

Unsung Heroes

“Our Environmental Services Teams are another group of unsung heroes! You make a hospital a safe place for someone to walk into when he/she needs care. You make a room like new between patients, so the next person admitted has a feeling and experience like he/she is the first person to ever occupy it. You make an ICU a safer place for healthcare providers to work day in and day out. You go into battle against infectious organisms so that people who enter our hospitals—to give or receive care—can afterward walk back out of those doors and take in the gift of a deep breath once again. Thank you for showing up and doing the painstaking work every day that benefits all of us.” – Josh Sadler, Corporate IT

“Thank you to our incredible Employee Health department! These nurses have been working behind the scenes to provide care like family for our caregivers since day one. We are so lucky to have our Employee Health nurses, Brandy and Beryl, who are always a calm presence in the midst of an ever changing environment.” – Jennifer Iller, Medical City Arlington, Human Resources

“I would like to thank all the wonderful healthcare colleagues that work at HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe! During my 15+ years with HCA Healthcare, I have seen our employees step up to the challenge time and time again, and 2020 has been no different. Each person’s commitment to HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe has created a great culture and our employees raise the bar every day in their care for our patients and each other!” – Diana Howell, HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe, Human Resources

Resilience and Compassion

“Remembering my time in the military during the event of 9/11, I noticed thousands of individuals were inspired to join the military. Now, during this unprecedented event, I am certain your sacrifice is inspiring a new generation across the globe to join the healthcare provider field. Thank you so much for all of your hard work and sacrifice!” – Neal Rigsby, Corporate Litigation

“Thank you for the resilience and compassion you bring forth every day. It’s an honor to support you in your service to patients and their families in these challenging times.” – Kelsey McManus, HR Shared Operations

“I want to offer my admiration and gratitude to all of our caregivers. The strength of the HCA Healthcare culture runs deep throughout this organization. It is our caregivers who carry this on through their compassion, courage and commitment to excellence. Thank you for caring like family every day and living the commitment to our mission!” – Charlie Toney, HR Employee Benefits

“You are our heroes 365 days every year. But during these days, it seems what you’ve signed up for places you in harm’s way more than ever. ‘Thank you’ seems woefully inadequate, so I add my prayers for your well-being…emotionally, spiritually, physically and in every other way possible. Thank you!” – Dennis Morgan, ITG Talent Acquisition


Colleagues in the OR at affiliate TriStar Centennial
in Nashville, Tenn.

Flower Power

“A Blooming Tribute at the Bradford Robertson Color Garden’s arches at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens in Nashville, TN, has been purchased in honor of HCA Healthcare heroes. It is my way to say ‘Thank you.’ My hope is you will be able to get out there and enjoy it with your families soon.” – Susan Kirk, HR Employee Benefits

Express Your Gratitude

If you would like to share your appreciation of our healthcare heroes, submit a thank you note on the “Thank You, Healthcare Heroes” page. Let our healthcare heroes know that their courage, diligence, selflessness and passion makes you proud to be part of HCA Healthcare and HealthTrust Workforce Solutions.

HealthTrust Workforce Solutions is proud to be a part of HCA Healthcare, one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services, comprising 186 hospitals and approximately 2,000 sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding ERs, urgent care centers, and physician clinics, in 21 states and the United Kingdom.

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Topics: HCA Healthcare, Health & Safety

Flattening the COVID-19 Curve

Posted by HealthTrust Workforce Solutions on Mar 18, 2020 2:29:42 PM

To slow the spread of COVID-19 through communities, the U.S. CDC has encouraged Americans to practice "social distancing" measures.

While these mitigation strategies can be disappointing in the short-term, they come from a scientific viewpoint. Infectious disease experts stress the importance of reducing opportunities for person-to-person transmission to delay the spread of the virus. Taking action to slow the spread of #COVID_19 is especially important to help keep our infrastructure strong, particularly in healthcare, so we can continue to provide exceptional care for all patients.

Everyone has a role to play. Click here to learn what steps you can take to help flatten the curve and slow the spread of #COVID_19 in our community. 

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Topics: HCA Healthcare, Coronavirus

HWS Stands with HCA Healthcare: Resilience

Posted by HealthTrust Workforce Solutions on Mar 18, 2020 2:22:42 PM

At HCA Healthcare and HealthTrust Workforce Solutions, we’re no stranger to threats. We deal with them daily.

Infectious diseases. Natural disasters. Unspeakable emergencies.

Some may say that managing life-threatening situations is part of business as usual for an advanced healthcare network like HCA Healthcare. And it’s true.

Thankfully, that’s exactly what has helped us build a sharp set of best practices and a robust network of response teams, who help us mobilize quickly and scale accordingly in times of need.

As the threat from the COVID-19 virus is amplified, so too are our efforts. Here are just a few of the steps we are taking to assure uninterrupted care:

  • We’re limiting entry into hospitals and clinics so anyone who enters into patient care areas can be carefully screened, and masks can be provided to those who need them.
  • Every employee, caregiver, and physician has been asked to follow a self-screening procedure, because protecting our patients starts with protecting our people.
  • Precautions taken to treat patients with COVID-19 are similar to those taken to treat patients with influenza, with restricted visitation to limit exposure. This is commonplace procedure for us during any flu season.
  • As always, cleaning to prevent the spread of infection is occurring throughout all of our care sites.
  • To date, there have been relatively few patients with COVID-19 who require hospitalization. Those who do are cared for in isolated areas of the hospital, so we can safely provide continuous care for all other medical needs.

As this latest threat evolves, we are collaborating with federal and local health agencies, providing timely and practical updates that will help contribute to accurate reporting and consistent guidelines. While our immediate priority remains on the well-being of our patients and people, we know that sharing insights can impact care far beyond the communities we serve.

In the face of a threat, we don’t panic, we prepare.

In the weeks ahead, and as always, we are here when you need us.

 

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Topics: HCA Healthcare, Coronavirus

  

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