Columbia Memorial Hospital | Health Compass | Winter 2022

Over the past 18 months, masks have become commonplace. We see them not only in hospitals, but also in grocery stores, schools and even outside, in crowded areas. What we don’t see as often are the smiles hidden behind those masks. We wanted to use this edition of the Compass to celebrate and honor the health care heroes who wear these face coverings day in and day out to protect themselves and our community from the spread of COVID-19. The pictures to the right represent only a small percentage of the more than 725 caregivers at Columbia Memorial Hospital (CMH). Most of them work in departments that never used to require a daily mask, let alone having to continually wash, sanitize and clean their workspaces. They didn’t used to go home and worry about what germs could be clinging to their clothes. The pandemic is daunting and scary, and the caregivers at CMH have changed their daily work to keep all of us a little safer. In their words During the pandemic, other caregivers shared their thoughts about this unprecedented time: “It is hard seeing how this has affected the staff but also nice to see people coming together to help each other out.” “We are trying to maintain the same environment as much as possible so people feel safe and normal while in the hospital.” “When I leave at the end of the day, I feel good knowing that I have done everything I could to keep the patients and staff safe.” “It is rewarding when I am on a call and I hear a person’s fear turn into reassurance. I am grateful to be able to do that for people.” “Protocols such as masking and social distancing make it difficult to give personalized care, but person-centered care is still important to me and my co-workers.” “I feel close to my work and home family because we are all having to lean on each other.” “We have to take things as they come, go with the flow and support each other through this new normal.” “People have been willing to sacrifice for each other so that we can maintain the same level of efficiency with less resources.” “People tend to overreact when the things you normally count on change. I’m just trying to be present and recognize what I can and cannot control.” “I worry about spreading the germs to my family. We are all being very careful and cautious, not just at work but in every part of our lives.” Caring from the heart CMH caregivers go the extra mile every day to keep our community safe and healthy. Behind their masks, they are true heroes. 2 HEALTH COMPASS WINTER 2022