Columbia Memorial | Health Compass | Summer 2020

COLUMBIA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL 2111 Exchange St. Astoria, OR 97103 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Walla Walla, WA Permit No. 44 Find us on social media! @cmhcommunity @cmhcommunity linkedin.com/company/ columbia-memorial-hospital @cmhcommunity By Kristen Moss, SEE MORE of our caregivers’ perspectives at columbiamemorial.org/ person-centered-care/pandemic-perspectives . Patient Experience Manager Our caregivers have been called heroes and essential workers during the coronavirus pandemic. The truth is, most caregivers don’t feel like heroes or even think they are doing something extraordinary. “This is just what I do every day,” says Ryan Taggart, a nurse in the CMH Critical Care Unit. Kevin Levi, a social worker, says, “I’m just trying to stay present and recognize what I can and cannot control.” “The word hero implies that we are infallible and unaffected by the chaos around us, but we are experiencing it just like everyone else in the world,” observes Emergency Department nurse Josh Corder. CMH caregivers have truly stepped up during a difficult time, pledging to give their all in the face of illness, uncertainty and discomfort — but they, too, feel the anxieties and uncertainty of the coronavirus. Pandemic Perspectives is a photo campaign that shows what it is really like to work in a hospital during a worldwide pandemic. The purpose of the project is to shed light on the realities of being an essential worker during an unprecedented time. We want to illustrate the good that has been found, the hope that some have gained, and the hard times and even the scary things that go into showing up and helping others, despite personal and global crises. We know that to adequately express gratitude for the health care workers in our community, we must acknowledge that the work they are doing is hard, that it occasionally takes bravery and sacrifice, and that it is important. The goal of this campaign is gratitude, acknowledgment and creating hope amidst a time of uncertainty. Sharing our caregivers’ Pandemic Perspectives