Letter to the Editor: Unsung Heroes

To the Editor

I have been seeing many posts, media articles, and television announcements thanking and honoring various groups and individuals for their work with coronavirus victims, and striving to keep our community safe. I agree that appreciation for their efforts and dedication needs to be recognized.
However, it seems that society thinks that hospital workers are doctors and nurses.
It’s true that a hospital could not exist without the doctors and nurses, but each and every person employed at the hospital plays a vital role in the provision of healthcare — if they were not needed, they would not have been hired. I would like to give a little insight to the Perry County Memorial Hospital employees who work behind the scenes and give them the recognition they rarely receive.
First of all, there are those besides doctors and nurses who have direct contact with patients and their illness, thus possibly exposing themselves and their families to COVID-19:
Admitting/Outpatient Staff – assure proper identification of patients, and that correct services are provided;
Respiratory Therapists – work therapeutically with people suffering from pulmonary disease;
Radiology & Imaging Technicians – have been taking portable x-rays in the isolation rooms of COVID patients
Medical Labororatory Technologists – who process and test for coronavirus in its most concentrated form;
Phlebotomists - who come face to face with patients each time they draw their blood;
CNAs, nurse aides, and Ward Clerks – attend to the daily needs of the inpatients;
Physical/Occupational/Speech Therapists - help people increase their functional independence in daily life;
Pharmacists and Pharmacy Staff – provide the medications the patients need;
Case Managers and Social workers - ensure that the best care is delivered with the least financial burden;
Housekeeping Staff – clean and disinfect rooms, dispose of trash, even from Covid-19 patients.

Next are hospital workers who may not have direct patient contact but who perform duties essential to keeping the hospital functioning efficiently:
Maintenance Staff – whose services were fundamental in setting up the Sickness Clinic to screen COVID patients, converting ASC into an OB ward, and establishing an isolation ward for COVID patients;
Materials Management Staff – have been diligently researching supply companies to get necessary materials delivered in a timely manner;
Bio-medical Engineers – keep all hospital equipment and telephones in working order;
Information Technology – oversees the exchange of healthcare information, helping to prevent medical errors, and along with Bio-med, assures good communication with physicians and all hospital departments
Central Supply Staff - performs sterilization of medical devices, for subsequent use by health workers;
Dieticians and Dietary Staff – provide appropriate nutrition for patients, and have completely revised their process of serving food to employees, to keep the food from being contaminated by multiple users;
Business Office, Billing Staff, Coders, and Transcriptionists - ensure the financial viability of the hospital so it can continue providing services to the community.
The Management Team - monitors the hospital’s daily transactions and performance, unifies the work of its healthcare professionals, to provide good outcomes for the patients, and keep the staff and community informed.
In conclusion, I not only want to thank all the hospital employees who are dedicated to working together to provide the best healthcare possible for our community.
I just thought it would be nice to give some light to all the unsung heroes of healthcare.
 

NAME WITHHELD
BY REQUEST
Perryville