Beebe Healthcare Gives Hero’s Hearts to their Covid Crew
We interviewed our customer, Kristin W., of Beebe Healthcare in Delaware, about her experience giving out Hero’s Heart pins to her colleagues. Thank you to Kristin for the interview below and for being a force of positivity for your co-workers and patients.
“Everyone was kind of shocked when they received their pin. It really seemed to brighten their day. It’s so important for us to stay positive for the people who come in to get tested. Patients come up to us scared, and we do different tests. We really stepped up. It’s a team. It’s a crew. There’s no “I” in team.”
What is your role at Beebe Healthcare and how long have you been an employee there?
I am a Medical Assistant and Patient Service Representative, which means I manage the check in and check out process for patients. I’ve been with my office for 9 years and we started with Beebe in January 2018.
Who did your Hero’s Heart pins go out to? Please describe your team.
When the pandemic spread in March and April of 2020, instead of losing my position, Beebe Healthcare kept me on, and retrained me to be in the Covid swabbing unit. An amazing team of employees got deployed out as the “Covid Crew”. That’s where the majority of these pins went out to. Pins were given out to the nurse manager on the floor that I worked with, Dr. Tam Beebe CEO - whom has given us a lot of credit and support, our Vice President of Operations at Beebe Medical, the Head of Labs, and the Clinical Coordinator for Beebe Medical Group - Shannon Hager. Shannon has been in charge of our Covid swabbing crew.
What effect did the Hero’s Heart pins have on your team? What was the reaction from those who received it? Did it promote morale?
It did! I sent out an email to those whom I didn’t see right away in person to let them know I had a gift for them. People emailed back, “YOU deserve the pins, you’re the motivator.” I told them that I think everyone’s a fighter in this pandemic. We’re all in it together, doing the best we can, from the patients to the hospital CEO.
There was such a big group to give these pins to. Not only are they important for the people on the frontlines, but also for the people who have been holding down the fort with reduced staff back in the office. They deserve recognition as much as the people on the frontlines. This whole thing is an eye opener, and people are scared. I just know there is a need for us to be out there (swabbing), and if we’re staying safe, the patients can feel comfortable.
Is it helpful to hear about other teams doing extraordinary things?
It does help! I have commented on a few of the instagram posts from Hero’s Heart. I know my parents enjoy seeing the posts as well. As long as people are out there staying safe and doing the same things we are, it’s wonderful to see other teams. We are a small community in Delaware so it’s nice to see other places in the United States. My parents over in North Carolina are so proud.
What can any of us do to help you feel supported?
Thankfully, here in Delaware, we are pretty well backed up and supported. We have our PPE. I’ve been very lucky to have no shortages. If we can nominate the whole hospital for Hero’s Heart, I would. Everyone has been so supportive. We feel backed up by the community. If I didn’t feel safe I wouldn’t be doing it. Right now, the swabbing team is down from the original 8 to 2 people, as we’re trying to get back to working at full capacity. Our attitude is, “We got this!”
Can you tell us about some individuals on your team that stood out at this time?
It’s hard. Everybody has really done something, Someone came in who needed testing for work and needed to get a work note. We couldn’t go through the portal fast enough, so a coworker went inside right away to get two copies of the work note to the patient. Everybody has done something to make an impression on me! Every day there’s something that comes up. I always think back to my colleague, Georgetta. She stood out in the pouring rain during Delaware’s Tropical Storm Fay. She couldn’t see at all and we wished we had windshield wipers on our face shields. People couldn’t believe we were out there and were so grateful that we were. Everyone has done something, from the top CEO to the main office, who kept normalcy in our department.
What else can you tell us about your experience?
I’ve only had one little breakdown at the beginning of April when I realized I wasn’t able to see people. Then I thought to myself, “This is nothing. I can do this.”
With these Hero’s Heart pins, it did make a lot of difference to these people. Everyone was kind of shocked when they received their pin. It really seemed to brighten their day. It’s so important for us to stay positive for the people who come in to get tested. Patients come up to us scared, and we do different tests. I try to make sure they know I’m here for them. It’s hard. It feels good that our community has been so accepting. We really stepped up. It’s a team. It’s a crew. There’s no “I” in team.