Good Day Ascension - Summer 2020

Good Day Ascension For Associates of Our One Integrated Ministry

SUMMER 2020

SPECIAL EDITION:

Ascension responds to COVID-19

INSIDE:

Community members send thanks / Caregivers answer the call to serve / Ascension supports associates in time of need / Subsidiaries, functional areas step up in coordinated response / Leaders prepare to create a new future

#ASCENSIONSTRONG

CONTENTS

Remembering our associates During this time when public gatherings and services are not possible, we recognize all associates who have died, whether from COVID-related illness or other causes. Ascension put in place virtual memorial services to honor and celebrate the life and ministry of associates who have died and will be dearly missed.

Please join in prayer for those we have lost: God of peace and strength, we come before you today, to remember your faithful servants, who lived lives dedicated to healing, compassion and service.

As we remember these ones who have entered into your presence, we pray that our memories of them, their work and their passion, might remain sources of strength for us.

May their examples of courage, deepen our courage.

May their examples of joy, enliven our joy.

May their service to others, inspire our service.

In remembering and honoring them today, may we find comfort in one another and in your loving presence.

We ask all this in your holy name. Amen.

Stay connected with Ascension @ HOME, @ WORK, @ YOUR FINGERTIPS Twitter: @ascensionorg Keep up with Ascension tweets. Follow Ascension.

Facebook: facebook.com/ascensionorg Like our Ascension page and get the latest updates on your newsfeed.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/ascensionorg Stay up to date with organization news and connect with other associates.

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Good Day Ascension / Summer 2020 - Issue 13

Good Day Ascension is published by Ascension Marketing and Communications for associates and family members across our integrated national health ministry. Stories in Good Day Ascension support our One Ascension journey and reflect the commitment of associates, providers and volunteers across the health ministry to provide compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable.

Executive Editor: Nick Ragone, JD, nick.ragone@ascension.org Editor: Ted Siegel, ted.siegel@ascension.org Design and Production: dcpubs.com To share comments, ask questions or suggest articles for Good Day Ascension, please email GoodDay@ascension.org, or send a note to Editor, Good Day Ascension, Ascension Marketing and Communications, 101 S. Hanley Road, Suite 1100, St. Louis, MO 63105.

All content copyright 2020 Ascension. Republication or any other use of the contents of Good Day Ascension without the express written consent of Ascension is prohibited. Any reference to or depiction of a product or service does not constitute or imply an endorsement by Ascension. Online version available at Ascension.org/goodday.

Podcast: ascension.org/news/podcasts Listen to the latest Good Day Ascension Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Our Mission: Rooted in the loving ministry of Jesus as healer, we commit ourselves to serving all persons with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable. Our Catholic health ministry is dedicated to spiritually centered, holistic care which sustains and improves the health of individuals and communities. We are advocates for a compassionate and just society through our actions and our words.

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CONTENTS

SIG NS CE LE BR ATE A SCE NSION H E ROES When Medxcel was asked to assist Ascension’s Marketing and Communications team with an initiative to support front-line associates by displaying “Heroes Work Here” yard signs, Matt Keahey, National Vice President, Medxcel, immediately offered the help of the Medxcel Landscaping team. Led by Stephen Gaar and Scott Usry, the team ensured that all 140 signs were in place and on display ready to greet associates and guests in every market. From left: Johnny Aviles, Jeremy Spencer, Lakhari Frazier, Brody Davenport and Garrett Whipple prepare signage for Ascension St. Vincent’s Blount in Oneonta, Alabama.

4 Reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic as we look toward the future A letter from Joseph R. Impicciche, JD, MHA, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ascension.

8 Thank you from our communities

Expressions of appreciation for our front-line health workers.

12 Heroes in action

Celebrating our dedicated associates throughout the country.

16 Care for one another

How Ascension supported associates during the COVID-19 crisis.

30 Advancing and adapting

A survey of research and treatment responses throughout Ascension.

31 Supporting our neighbors

Community Health Ministries respond to increasing needs.

32 Creating the future of Ascension Looking forward to life in a changed world.

Back cover

A COVID-19 patient is on the road to recovery, thanks to the team at Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Michigan.

20 Coming together as One Ascension From support staff to the Advocacy team, our associates were unified in their crisis response across the ministry.

Plus: Our Marketing and Communications team moved swiftly to introduce advertising and share content that shows Ascension’s gratitude for caregivers.

28 Virtual care use jumps during pandemic

Adoption of Ascension Online Care increases for both patients and clinicians.

29 Safety first

Ascension Medical Group launches COVID-19 drive-through testing centers and clinics.

ON THE COVER

C

aregivers at Ascension Providence in Waco, Texas, practice social distancing around one of the hundreds of “Heroes Work Here” signs placed at sites of care across the System to acknowledge Ascension associates.

Pictured are, from left, first row: Jared Rocha, Laundry; Martha Juanez, EVS; second row: Jazy Mendoza, RN; Ashli Carlson, RT; Jana Beyer, RT; and Cortney Montoya, RN; back row: Philip Patterson, President; Maydee Rosario, MD; Richard George, Microbiology; and Matt Pattillo, MD.

SUMMER 2020

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WELCOME

Sharing our stories ON MAY 4, PRESIDENT AND CEO JOSEPH IMPICCICHE SENT THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO ALL ASCENSION ASSOCIATES. WE’RE SHARING IT HERE AS WE DEDICATE THIS EDITION OF GOOD DAY ASCENSION TO THE TREMENDOUS WORK OF OUR CAREGIVERS IN RESPONDING TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

Hello, everyone.

It‘s been difficult to put into words what we have experienced the last few months — personally, professionally and as an integrated health ministry. But I’m going to try my best, because what we have witnessed and accomplished together is so significant, it deserves a moment of pause and appreciation.

Some of you may recall Sr. Maureen McGuire’s story of our historic founders and how people would see their good works and ask, “How did they do that?” Our response to the coronavirus — something none of us has ever experienced before and I hope no one endures again — is part of Ascension’s story and an unbroken link to the healing ministry of Jesus.

We continue to shape a future during this challenging time, and I know that those who serve after us will reflect back and say, “Look at what they did.”

I feel like our Mission of commitment to those who are poor and vulnerable has never been more alive than now, and it’s through sharing our stories that we can help recognize the enormity of what we’ve done and continue to do together.

What inspires me most is the compassion and dedication to our Mission that runs through so many of the moments we’ve all witnessed in recent months.

A loved one thanked Ascension River District in Michigan because, as his brother passed due to the coronavirus, there were three nurses at his side who held his hand.

Nearly 100 Ascension caregivers from across the country volunteered to travel to some of our hardest-hit Ministry Markets to help relieve co-workers on the front lines.

An MRI tech for Ascension Providence in metro Detroit created whiteboards to celebrate when COVID-19 patients were discharged.

At Ascension St. Vincent’s East in Birmingham, a patient care assistant played tic-tac-toe with a quarantined patient through the glass door of their room.

Other markets call a “Code Sunshine” and play inspiring music and form cheering lines as COVID-19 patients are able to leave our sites of care healed and ready to go home.

These are just a few stories of literally hundreds that have garnered local and national attention as a testament not only to our clinical competence and strength, but to the heart of our healing ministry. Our compassion, collaboration and grace

G R ATITU DE

I’ve heard and have seen some of the amazing stories and media coverage about the unparalleled efforts of our caregivers and support services across Ascension over the last couple of months. I know that many of you have endured long hours and personal sacrifices during this time. Some of you are still processing all that you’ve experienced. Certainly there is grief and anxiety when we consider all this virus has taken and the unknown of what more it will take before it’s all over. But despite all that we’ve gone through, we have persevered, with remarkable strength and selflessness, drawing on a higher power — and each other — as we continue to give to those who need our help.

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From left, Kristin Laprise and Christina Capuania, registered nurses at AMITA Health Alexian Brothers Medical Center, Elk Grove Village, Illinois.

WELCOME

Associates at Ascension Seton in Austin, Texas, gather in prayer.

under pressure are beyond anything I could have imagined, and yet I’m not at all surprised.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the community support. Through pictures, signs, messages and meals, light vigils and prayers, parades of cars and first responders, our communities have showered us with blessings and sincere expressions of gratitude and appreciation. Although this awful virus has left a trail of challenges in its wake, it has also brought forth a renewed sense of solidarity, community and empathy.

transitioning to working from home in a matter of 48 hours.

Thanks to the foresight and vision of our current and past leadership teams, our national health ministry was blessed with financial strength and a strong balance sheet as we faced the challenges of the pandemic. We were able to quickly pivot from our existing areas of focus to apply all our resources to the pandemic. We will recall all of these successes and lessons learned along the way as we continue our Mission-inspired journey.

TRU LY ONE A SCE NSION

OU R TR ANSFOR M ATION CONTIN U ES

As we flipped our calendars to January 2020, we were eager to spread our Mission-inspired Transformation initiatives from our Design Teams, having experienced success with pilots across our ministry. It was impossible to know just how important that body of work would be when we kicked off the first meeting in St. Louis in January 2019 and envisioned a transformed future with those who are poor and vulnerable at the center.

Because of our Mission-inspired Transformation, we went into our COVID-19 response already knowing how to engage collaboratively in sprints and use agile methodology to quickly test and cascade ideas; adapt to changing information and needs; and work in “teamlets.” In short, we have come together in unprecedented ways to develop an all-Ascension pandemic response — coordinating operational and clinical guidance through our COVID-19 Command Center approach — that was made possible by our Mission-inspired journey.

And G Suite has been key to supporting real-time collaboration and faster workflows with many leaders and associates

When we began our One Ascension journey five years ago, the purpose was to align and integrate our governance, operations, clinical care and brand identity across all of our care sites. We wanted consumers and patients to sense our connectedness both virtually and physically.

Over the past few years, we have seen the promise of One Ascension become a reality in the way we operate, provide care, advocate for the needs of those we are privileged to serve, share best practices, provide career opportunities, ensure access to care and engage in our communities.

In everything we do now, we do it as One Ascension. Never has that been more evident than during our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

All the hard work of integrating our ministry over the past five years proved instrumental in enabling us to pivot over the course of days to combat the growing threat. Our One Ascension journey has taken a giant leap forward, demonstrating how our scale and scope enabled us to face challenges as a strong, unified ministry.

SUMMER 2020

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WELCOME

From applying clinical expertise as we developed guidance on testing and treating for COVID-19, to our COVID-19 Command Center approach that served as both “traffic control” and a “resource center” since the beginning of our response, the spirit of One Ascension has been on full display.

We’ve been able to effectively obtain necessary supplies due to The Resource Group as one of the largest providerowned group purchasing organizations in the country. In fact, all of our subsidiary organizations, Ministry-wide Functions and strategic partners — from Medxcel to TouchPoint, Human Resources to Mission Integration and Marketing and Communications, and so many more — enabled us to take a One Ascension approach to addressing our immediate and long-term needs for the benefit of our patients and the communities we are blessed to serve.

A SSOCIATE SU PPORT DU RING COVID -19

With input and guidance from cross-functional teams, and a sense of deep gratitude for our 150,000 associates, Ascension rolled out several temporary programs specifically designed to ease the burden on associates in the midst of COVID-19. While our caregivers have been focused on caring for individuals in our communities, our leadership team has been working hard to support them and care for their physical, emotional, spiritual and financial needs during this pandemic.

ICU Nurse Colby Hutson at Ascension Seton Hays Hospital in Kyle, Texas.

Using our agile, teamlet approach, we were able to offer numerous benefits and services in a matter of days and weeks.

We did all of this with one goal in mind: to help alleviate some of the anxiety and uncertainty of COVID-19 for our associates, knowing you continue to do the heroic work of caring for those we serve every day.

With temporary practices and benefits like pay protection for all associates throughout the crisis, extended dependent care, paying for necessary hotel stays, assistance funds to help pay for essentials such as rent and groceries for those facing particular hardship, we wanted you to realize that we are here for you and have your best interests at heart.

Even as we begin to transition toward the future, personal renewal and spiritual first aid will be more important than ever.

I encourage you to explore resources including prayers and reflections, on-demand spiritual care, wellness tools and leader rounding tool kits we’ve put together in one place for you: sites.google.com/ascension.org/covid-19/associate-self-care.

CRE ATING TH E FUTU RE

Ascension President and CEO Joe Impicciche, right, meets with President Trump and other health industry leaders at the White House as part of President Trump’s Great American Economic Revival Industry Group focused on healthcare. Joe was one of just six representatives from health systems invited to the White House to meet directly with the president. The group discussed the challenges facing caregivers and the economic headwinds facing U.S. hospitals, health systems and other parts of the healthcare industry.

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G O O D DAY A S C E N S I O N / A S C E N S I O N .O R G

While continuing to care for people with COVID-19, we have begun to plan for how Ascension and our sites of care would look and operate as we come out of this crisis and enter a changed world. We need to adopt a new approach to delivering care because we know society will not go back to the “way things used to be.” There will be a “new normal” in healthcare, new expectations from our consumers, and a new outlook in all aspects of society. It is an opportunity for us to serve better, together.

As we transition from crisis response to a new future, we are extending our commitment to the underserved and applying all we have learned over the past couple of months as well as all we know about what our patients will expect from us in terms of safety and well-being.

WELCOME

A key focus of our renewal will be taking consumers on a journey from reassurance to returning to their sites of care. As we prepare to incrementally reopen our service offerings, we are well positioned with marketing and messaging that builds on the overwhelming goodwill for our caregivers and the Ascension name; provides reassurance to our communities; and supports our physicians, caregivers and support teams.

Our economic and operational recovery strategy is rooted in four phases: 1. Resolve — Our crisis-response efforts are focused primarily on rapidly defining and launching short-term actions to stabilize our health system by working closely with governments, peers and businesses to determine the scale, pace and depth of action and response required in each of our markets.

2. Recover — We will quickly transition to develop action plans that will return our care sites to full effectiveness at scale. We have developed workstreams composed of several multidisciplinary teams focused on care delivery, capital investment, consumer and community engagement, associate well-being, and digital investments, among other things. The action plans developed by these groups will integrate with the government’s reopening phases, state plans and other economic recovery efforts. Throughout this work, we will be focused on ensuring that we leave no one behind, that our solutions support the care of all individuals — including those who are vulnerable and need special attention now and in the future.

3. Reimagine — The aftermath of the pandemic will leave an altered healthcare landscape. We are focusing on changes needed across our health system, and across our nation, as a result of learnings from COVID-19, including how people’s behaviors will be impacted. We will be a voice continuing to advocate for access to care and policies that support the needs of the underserved.

4. Thrive — We will leverage what we have learned to reinvent ourselves and our portfolio of services and solutions so we can succeed as preferences and expectations of populations, employees and consumers change.

Based on consumer insights and behavior, we will welcome consumers and patients back to our sites of care by proactively instilling safety, security and reassurance for patients, providers, consumers and the community; building on goodwill to give lift to our Ascension brand reputation and endorsement of the Ascension caregiver; continuing to express our deep gratitude for our doctors, nurses and

From left, Jasmine Gonzalez, RN; Lakesha Smith, RN; Vera Lertora, RN; and Lauren Hart, RN, care for patients on a COVID-19 unit at Ascension Saint Agnes in Baltimore.

support staff; strengthening relationships with key parts of our patient base, including women and chronic care patients; and ensuring speed to market to gain competitive positioning, retain current patients and attract new patients. Our goal is to fill schedules with deferred appointments; bring back patients with high-risk, chronic conditions; and ensure our doors are open to meet the medical, behavioral and spiritual health needs of our patients and community.

Together, we’re coming through this period stronger, more courageous, more resolute in faithfulness to our calling, more capable and more unified than ever before. I look forward to continuing to build our future with you, as we work together to provide compassionate, personalized and safe care in our communities, especially for those in poverty and most vulnerable.

In the end, I pray this shared experience has made us more kind, more loving, and more appreciative of one another and the blessings we too often take for granted or miss in our hurried busyness.

May God continue to bless our national health ministry and all those who serve as part of Ascension.

Joseph R. Impicciche, JD, MHA PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ASCENSION

SUMMER 2020

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Thank you from our communities SHARING MOMENTS AND EXPRESSIONS OF APPRECIATION FOR OUR FRONT-LINE ASSOCIATES

Communities, businesses and individuals across Ascension continue to recognize the heroic service of our front-line healthcare workers. Gestures of support have included handwritten messages, many on sidewalks leading to our sites of care; thousands of donated meals; and even tanks of gas.

e, d Hospital in Murfreesboro, Tennesse Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherfor hcare healt to t emen ren to offer encourag is color fully “chalked” by local child erine and Violet are pictured here .

Kath as, Thom John gs Siblin workers. parking lot of Ascension Community members gather in the ort healthcare heroes. supp to a St. John Owasso in Oklahom

Ascension Supply Chain associates gather at onsin.

Wisc e, Racin in ital Hosp s Saint All

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G O O D DAY A S C E N S I O N / A S C E N S I O N .O R G

St. Mary ’s Associates from Ascension Columbia Hospital Milwaukee.

T H A N K YO U F R O M O U R CO M M U N I T I E S

ies as than 500 boxes of Girl Scout cook Ascension Via Christi received more as.

Kans ita, Wich battling COVID-19 in a thank-you to front-line caregivers

Security guards at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas, from left, Mason Jones, Brandon Maciazek and Clarence Gallaway, receive a meal

rd’s School in Nashville, Amy Lee, an art teacher at St. Edwa her students virtually. As with ge enga to nued Tennessee, conti encouraged students to part of a homework assignment, Amy first responders. These and design cards for healthcare workers pieces displayed on art nt stude many drawings are among the as facilities.

Thom Saint nsion Asce s TV monitors acros

unity The Grand Blanc , Michigan, comm hcare healt for de held a solidarity para ital. heroes at Ascension Genesys Hosp

caregivers Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown tude from grati and t emen urag enco of s read word bers. mem Nashville, Tennessee, community

from a local restaurant.

Associates from Ascension Providence Novi in Michigan.

handmade cards and Local elementary school students sent caregivers in Detroit. ital drawings to Ascension St. John Hosp

SUMMER 2020

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T H A N K YO U F R O M O U R CO M M U N I T I E S

ort Children of associates provided supp t ghou throu nts to their working pare iate Ascension like this daughter of an assoc it.

Detro in ital Hosp John St. nsion Asce at

ital, President, Ascension All Saints Hosp In Wisconsin, Kristin McManmon, is Franc St. nsion Asce er, ative Offic left, and Jill Berg , RN, Chief Administr es Parade.

Hero e thcar Heal a enjoy ital, Hosp

Midtown Nurses at Ascension Saint Thomas enjoy e, esse Tenn ville, Nash Hospital in wich shop. sandwiches donated by a local sand

to night shift associates A local food truck provides meals Center in Austin, Texas.

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at Dell Children’s Medical

G O O D DAY A S C E N S I O N / A S C E N S I O N .O R G

The Human Resources team and their nsion children went to metro Detroit Asce with r chee little hospitals to spread a sidewalk chalk messages .

T H A N K YO U F R O M O U R CO M M U N I T I E S

Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit.

-Morrell, Daphne Viray, RN, left, and Stacy Scott red inspi sion/Mis Team ry plina RN, Interdisci nsion Transformation Unit members at Asce le, Florida, St. Vincent’s Riverside in Jacksonvil urant. resta local a by with meals provided heroes This poster was given to healthcare Hospital ester Roch e denc Provi nsion at Asce in Michigan.

unity holds a parade The McMinnville, Tennessee, comm Hospital to thank Park at Ascension Saint Thomas River s. nder caregivers and first respo

s thanks to The city of Southfield, Michigan, send ital.

Hosp e idenc Prov asso ciate s at Asce nsion

at Asce nsion John Coffey, a Medxcel asso ciate Jacksonville, Florida, in ital, Hosp side St. Vincent’s River 100 Jeeps and organized a parade of approximately various local hospitals motorcycles that drove around to es. hero to show support for healthcare

The Healthcare Heroes Parade e. at Ascension St. Francis in Milwauke

SUMMER 2020

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Heroes in action A VISUAL CELEBRATION OF OUR DEDICATED ASSOCIATES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY

Dedicated doctors, nurses, caregivers and support teams continue to serve at care sites across the country and online. We celebrate and thank those who leave their families each day to ensure that patients receive compassionate, personalized care.

Motivated by a Mission that dates back more than 200 years, Ascension associates live out their calling to bring healing and hope to all, especially the most vulnerable among us.

Ascension All Saints Emergency Department nurses at left, Angel Gardiner, from , onsin Wisc e, Racin Hospital in Ashley Zaremba.

Heidi Andersen, Kerry Dwyer and

Language Pathologist, Virginia Pellissier, Pediatric Speech ital, was deployed Hosp lis napo Ascension St. Vincent India emic to assist pand the of ning begin the to the hospital at s on the floors and in screening patients, supporting nurse were allowed with patient transport. Since no visitors nts not only with patie d patients, the transfers helpe to an appointment going in ort comf mobility, but with their side. by d frien or ber mem y famil a without

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Heather Schimmers, MBA, BSN, RN, FABC, Chief Nursing Officer, Ascension Wisconsin.

HE ROES IN ACTION

their p Via Christi in Wichita, Kansas, lift Associates at Ascension Medical Grou of Stan Capper, MD. spirits while celebrating the retirement

ciate, Wayne Plestis, lead Catering asso nsion Asce at ients inpat to s meal delivers .

Lourdes in Binghamton, New York

Medicine in Binghamton, Members of Lourdes Vestal Family .

New York , prac tice social distancing

nts on the orthopedic Amanda Torborg, RN, cares for patie o, Texas, and Wac in e denc unit at Ascension Provi unit.

ID-19 COV the on help to transitioned

day shift in the ICU at Ascension As David Burnett, RN, arrived for his in Michigan, his wife, Emily us) Macomb-Oakland (Warren camp ent, had just finished resid YN OB-G Broomell, DO, a third-year that night. working a COVID admissions shift

SUMMER 2020

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HE ROES IN ACTION

Renteria, Team Lead; staff associates, from left, Alexces Saint Thomas Midtown and West Lab y Technicians; otom In Nashville, Tennessee, Ascension Phleb all and Brittany Osborne, Caitlin Mulloy, Tabatha Alexander, . ciate Stefani Versace, April Huddleston, Asso cal Cleri ds, Vel Woo Phelps, Phlebotomy Technician; and Canesha Scharkley, Team Lead; Linda

Lyn Smith, RN; From left, Michael Black ford, RT; Sarah nsion St. John Asce at MJ Safie, RN; and Jared Shears, RN, a.

Medical Center, Tulsa, Oklahom

dence Hospital in Mobile, Alabama, Nurse Managers at Ascension Provi y Irwin, Level 12.

Lace and 9, from left, Terri Moore, Level

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G O O D DAY A S C E N S I O N / A S C E N S I O N .O R G

at Ascension St. Vincent Anderson Associates in the Critical Care Unit le.

Hospital in Indiana gather for a hudd

Respiratory Therapists featured in this social media post are, left, Abbie Hoefling; top, Alexis Glessner; center, Don Avery; and bottom, Kiellien Evans.

HE ROES IN ACTION

from Ascension Sacred Hear t in Women’s Services team members tered Nurses Judi Deavenport, Pensacola, Florida, from left, Regis n Witt and Claire Shetler.

Erica Bottom, Jennifer Thomas, Daw y Munyon, PA, From left, Kealan Pavlak, RN, and Tamm Group Via Christi’s ical welcome patients at Ascension Med ID-19 testing site COV ugh -thro first and most central drive in Wichita, Kansas.

Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown Associates on the front lines at the in Nashville, Tennessee. drive-through COVID-19 testing site

Kooleelah Ross, CNA; and In Tulsa, Oklahoma, Shawn Way, RT; St. John Medical Center.

Josh Crittenden, RN, at Ascension

St. Vincent Dr. Kaiti Lazet from the Ascension , Indiana. sville Evan in er Cent Respiratory Care

SUMMER 2020

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Nurse heroes at Ascension St. Vincent’s Southside Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida.

Care for one another HOW ASCENSION SUPPORTED ASSOCIATES DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS

A

s the Ascension response to COVID-19 began, teams were formed to ease the burden of the pandemic for fellow associates, especially those on the front lines of care. To consider ideas such as dependent care, virtual peer support and help for financial hardships, associates from several Ministry-wide Functions and markets came together to design and develop resources that would support associates emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually. A dedicated website made it easy for associates to learn about these resources.

“As our Mission calls us to do all we can to help those in greatest need, it is equally important that we care for ourselves and our colleagues, so our healthcare heroes can remain on the front lines in service to our communities,” wrote Herb Vallier, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, and Karen Springer, Executive Vice President, Performance Optimization and Nursing Operations, Ascension. “During times like this, we draw strength and guidance from our faith as we help care for them holistically in body, mind and spirit.”

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Ascension regularly reviewed pay and benefit policies and practices, making changes and creating new temporary practices as necessary to ensure our ministry was well prepared to meet the ongoing challenges of providing care for our associates, patients and communities during the national crisis. And, unlike many other healthcare systems, we offered these programs while also avoiding layoffs and job losses to continue providing financial security for our associates and caregivers during the uncertainty as we worked through the initial surge caused by the pandemic.

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Karen Springer

Herb Vallier

CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER

“Using our agile, teamlet approach, we were able to offer numerous benefits and services in a matter of days and weeks,” Herb said. “We did all of this with one goal in mind: to help alleviate some of the anxiety and uncertainty of COVID-19 on our associates, knowing they continue to do the heroic work of caring for those we serve every day.”

• P ay Protection ­— Ascension committed to provide financial security for associates anticipating the potential disruption and impact caused by the initial surge, including support for those who were temporarily assigned to a different job within Ascension or unable to work because they were diagnosed with or suspected of having COVID-19.

Ascension Critical Staffing Pay was also enhanced and expanded temporarily to include all front-line clinical associates working in markets with patient surges.

• Dependent Care Support — Using a multidisciplinary teamlet approach, Ascension also collaborated to develop a program to help ease the financial hardship of unexpected dependent care expenses for elderly and special-needs family members and children under age 13 as many institutions shut down during the height of the national crisis.

Laboratory associates gather to celebrate lab week at Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee.

BY THE NUMBERS Ascension eased the pandemic burden on associates through various programs and benefits. The figures below are current as of the date of publication.

DEPENDENT CARE STIPEND:

5,010 associates supported

HARDSHIP REQUESTS GRANTED:

3,291, totaling $1,581,337

funded through donations to in-market foundations and the Ascension Ministry and Mission Fund CHAPLAINS STAFFING ON-DEMAND SPIRITUAL CARE VIA ASCENSION ONLINE CARE: Emergency Department associates at Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital Milwaukee.

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THE ASSOCIATE HOTELING PROGRAM: More than

975

associates supported for hotel and meal expenses ASCENSION ONLINE CARE VIRTUAL URGENT CARE VISITS COVERED BY SMARTHEALTH:

7,492

SUMMER 2020

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CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER

Becky Brabender, LPN, and Darlene Mannebach, MA, who volunteered to work in the Pediatric Respiratory Clinic at Ascension Medical Group Oakwood Pediatrics in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the duration of the pandemic.

• A ddressing Financial Hardships — With incredible support from in-market foundations, and with additional support from the Ascension Ministry and Mission Fund on the national level, Ascension launched the COVID-19 Associate Hardship Support Program to help associates who experienced financial hardship resulting from the immediate impact the pandemic was having across the country and Ascension communities, such as covering the cost of rent, groceries or auto repairs.

• On-Demand Spiritual Care — Drawing upon an existing program and application, Ascension made online one-on-one conversations with our experienced chaplains available to associates anytime, anywhere. This complemented the spiritual care our chaplains continued to provide at care sites, which pivoted from rounding on patients to also intentionally caring for the spiritual and emotional needs of associates and support staff.

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G O O D DAY A S C E N S I O N / A S C E N S I O N .O R G

From left, Surgery door screeners Maria Lemen, CST, and Deena Evans, RN, welcome patients at Ascension St. Vincent Fisher in Indiana.

CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER

Ascension Saint Agnes Medical Group in Baltimore associates, from left, Laurie Breeden, Assistant Office Operations; Alexandria Kastelik, Medical Assistant; and Megan Mouring, Medical Assistant.

• Cost of Care — To help associates get the care they needed in the midst of COVID-19, Ascension waived deductibles, copays and member cost-sharing for provider office visits, urgent care visits, emergency department visits and online care visits through Ascension Online Care related to COVID-19 diagnosis, and COVID-19 testing and care for all members enrolled in either the SmartHealth PPO Plan or the SmartHealth High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP).

We also temporarily made the cost of Ascension Online Care visits free for SmartHealth members and discounted the cost to $20 for everyone else in the communities we serve and across the country.

• Specialized Support for Our Front Line — During the height of the crisis, Ascension covered 100% of the cost for clinical associates who chose to stay in a hotel to eliminate any concern regarding unintentional cross-contamination to their family members. Discount rates offered by various hotel chains were available to all associates as well.

In addition, teams pulled together existing resources from across Ascension to ensure that the self-care and support needs of associates were met. This included reflections, prayers and mindfulness resources; Employee Assistance Program offerings; virtual peer support sessions; well-being resources; and more. Information on appreciation and connectedness made it easy for associates to send e-cards to one another and get a glimpse of the great work happening across our integrated health ministry.

“I wanted to reach out and tell you how truly thankful I am for this gracious gift. This is such an amazing blessing for my family and I during [these] worrisome times.”

“I have been struggling to feed my children during this time, especially since my income disqualified me from assistance! I appreciate you, the foundation, so much.

Words just cannot express!”

“I am sooooo grateful to work for such an amazing company.

Thank you a million times for caring for your employees.”

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Nurses from Ascension St. Joseph-Tawas City, Michigan, volunteered to help their fellow associates at Ascension hospitals in Detroit.

Coming together as One Ascension HOW OUR ASSOCIATES UNITED IN THEIR COVID RESPONSE ACROSS THE MINISTRY

THE NATIONAL COVID-19 COMMAND CENTER REFLECTS THE SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION ACROSS ASCENSION With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, recommendations and guidance from federal and state health officials were evolving rapidly, and Ascension clinical and operational leaders realized that teams across Ascension would benefit from a coordinated approach to better serve individuals in their communities affected by the coronavirus.

Guided by emergency management plans and protocols, a national Ascension COVID-19 Command Center was set up in Indianapolis early in the pandemic. The Command Center was equipped to provide consistent communications and information to help caregivers dealing with the crisis across the ministry.

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Ascension President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph R. Impicciche, JD, MHA, tasked Joseph Cacchione, MD, FACC, Executive Vice President, Clinical & Network Services, and Craig Cordola, MBA, MHA, FACHE, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, with establishing Ascension’s Emergency Management team. Associates from Medxcel and teams at the Ministry Service Center campus, including HR Central, formed the Command Center team. The Command Center was established at the MSC campus because it had the infrastructure to support a rapid deployment. “We were entrusted to establish the Command Center and help coordinate a national response for the pandemic, allowing us to provide the support necessary to enable our Ascension ministry to focus on our core

COMING TOGETHER

Mission of providing compassionate care to those in need,” said Michael Argir, Medxcel CEO and President.

Command Center operations were led by Mike with Scott Cormier, Medxcel Vice President of Emergency Management, Environment of Care and Safety.

The Command Center’s responsibilities included: • Coordinating communications with Ascension Marketing and Communications.

• Collecting, monitoring and sharing data.

• Coordinating with the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, among others.

• Supporting Ascension’s supply procurement efforts with The Resource Group.

To support the Command Center, the HR Central team provided 24/7 call center support for associates across Ascension.

“Having the Command Center staffed with multiple Ascension teams from a variety of disciplines helped us plan and communicate more effectively. Communication and partnership are vital, especially when it comes to monitoring information at the national, state and local levels,” said Pamela Beeler, Service Delivery Specialist, Ascension Ministry Service Center. She was one of several Ascension associates who volunteered to work in the Command Center.

CAREGIVERS ANSWER THE CALL DURING SURGE Ascension caregivers from Alabama, Kansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas volunteered to travel to Ascension hospitals in Detroit and Chicago, and Ascension Living sites, to help in the fight against COVID-19.

More than 300 nurses, patient care technicians, respiratory therapists and other critical staff volunteered to help care for patients and provide respite for colleagues as the surge impacted other Ascension ministries. This effort was coordinated by a newly designed Ascension Critical Staffing Travel Program.

Glynda Stenger, RN, usually works on the ortho/neuro floor but volunteered to care for patients in a COVID-19 unit she helped set up at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis in Wichita, Kansas. When Ascension Michigan needed assistance in dealing with a surge of coronavirus patients, she didn’t hesitate. “If they need me somewhere, then I want to go, because that’s what I became a nurse to do,” she said. ”We’re answering call lights, anything we can do for extra hands for those nurses or those aides is what we’re there for. Anything they ask of us, we’re right there,” said Sylvia Rodriguez, a registered nurse from northern Michigan who traveled to Warren, in the Detroit area, to help at Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital.

The Ascension team in the COVID-19 Command Center in March, before social-distancing and mask-wearing measures were put in place.

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“We asked and within 10 minutes we had immediate hands in the air.”

— DEBBIE GOUGH, MSN, RN, VICE PRESIDENT OF NURSING, ASCENSION ST. MARY’S, SAGINAW, MICHIGAN

On Sunday, April 19, 21 registered nurses traveled to Detroit to support area Ascension hospitals. These nurses were the first to deploy under the Ascension Critical Staffing Travel Program.

Debbie Gough, MSN, RN, Vice President of Nursing for Ascension St. Mary’s in Saginaw, Michigan, said she was proud of the caregivers who answered the call. “We asked and within 10 minutes we had immediate hands in the air,” she said.

“We truly stand on the shoulders of the ones who came before us, and I believe now, more than ever, they would be proud of our work as One Ascension,” said Carla Yost, Chief Nursing and Chief Quality Officer, Ascension Kansas.

“We thank all of our nurses for demonstrating and living our Mission and showing what it means to be an Ascension caregiver.”

if an associate is symptom free, he or she gets a fast pass to present at work, eliminating on-site screening lines. If an associate is required to stay home, he or she is automatically enrolled in remote patient monitoring. This app is key in allowing Ascension to understand its changing staffing needs.

• Virtual Urgent Care: The Ascension Online Care app helps individuals get answers to their questions about COVID-19 and is staffed by more than 1,000 Ascension physicians and nurses who can provide care through a computer or mobile phone.

• Remote Patient Monitoring: This service allows COVID-19 patients to receive care from Ascension while at home, reserving hospital resources for the most critical cases. Patients self-report their temperature, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, and breathing and activity levels via text message. A clinical team monitors them and sends immediate care when needed.

ENLISTING TECHNOLOGY TO HELP FIGHT COVID-19 With so much focus on social distancing as a preventive measure during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ascension’s Digital Studios and Marketing teams, working with clinical leadership on content, quickly created a suite of products designed to encourage proper social distancing while getting consumers and associates the vital information they need, including: • Consumer COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool: Visitors to Ascension’s websites are guided through a questionand-answer process to determine if they may have contracted COVID-19. Users answer a series of questions, then are directed to steps they should take based on their risk profiles.

• Associate Health Screening App: This app, used daily by associates, provides a series of questions to determine if associates are cleared to come into a facility or if they will be required to stay home. Based on the answers provided,

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Ascension Technologies associates, including David Sharp, Senior Technician, Desktop Support, Indianapolis, played a crucial role in ensuring the organization could quickly adapt to the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a remarkably short time frame, the team ensured Ascension had the equipment needed to support thousands of associates moving to remote work arrangements and hundreds of nontraditional sites of care, which required more than 31,000 devices like desktops, laptops, monitors, peripherals, scanners and printers.

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TouchPoint worked with its team at Ascension Dell Seton Medical Center, part of Ascension Texas, to replicate that hospital’s pantry concept, which provides easily accessible, grab-and-go food items and essentials. At the height of the pandemic, stand-alone pantries/cafes were operational in nearly every Ministry Market, typically near the cafeteria, where associates could buy products including bread, milk, cheese, sandwiches, toilet paper and other necessities.

TouchPoint’s environmental services teams worked to ensure that cleaning procedures are aligned with evolving Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Ascension recommendations. Products used to disinfect surfaces meet standards established to quickly, effectively eliminate COVID-19. Adjunct technologies, such as the use of electrostatic spray, have been employed to further reduce pathogens and the chance of spreading coronavirus.

“These times are stressful for everyone, but our teams are dedicated and committed in their efforts to support our clinical caregivers and to provide care to our patients,” said Todd Gartrell, Vice President of Business Performance In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the work of AscensionConnect allowed our organization to dramatically increase its use of both virtual urgent care visits and remote patient monitoring. Nurses helped connect more than 11,000 patients to an Ascension virtual urgent care provider, without those patients having to speak with a customer service agent first. Additionally, Sharon Cheshire,BSN, RN, Austin, Texas, was part of a team that gave hospital staff advance notice when suspected COVID-19 patients were on their way.

As Ascension transitioned from COVID-19 response to recovery, a new celebration — ­ Mission Week — in mid-May offered associates several opportunities to reconnect with their calling and our healing ministry. A highlight was a ministry-wide virtual prayer service featuring a choir made up of associates from across Ascension. The prayer service recognized the tremendous blessing that associates and caregivers are to their communities, especially in times of great need.

• Automated Elective Surgery Notification: Through an automated texting solution, patients receive updates on the status of their surgeries and can view a page that outlines the elective surgery status of each facility within Ascension.

• Mobile Registration: By allowing patients to sign in via mobile device for their visits at emergency departments as well as ambulatory, acute, drive-through and off-site care settings, Ascension managed COVID-19-related surges and conserved personal protective equipment.

HEROES IN SUPPORT ROLES SUPPLY ESSENTIAL SERVICES Among the thousands who have come together during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ascension’s TouchPoint partners ushered in new ways to meet the needs of both patients and Ascension caregivers.

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Standards, TouchPoint. “Our associates are an important part of the healthcare hero team. They are amazing, and I am honored to know that the services they provide help patients safely navigate our hospitals.”

THE RESOURCE GROUP KEEPS CARE SITES STOCKED Making sure that caregivers have access to the critical medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) they need to care for patients has been The Resource Group’s top priority during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even as the nation has experienced supply challenges, The Resource Group team has used both traditional and nonconventional approaches to keep sites of care stocked with supplies. The team has been pursuing all opportunities including proactive measures to stock up on inventory with current suppliers and distributors, engaging nontraditional suppliers and manufacturers to secure bulk quantities of supplies, collaborating with infection prevention

Hallie Hall, RN, cares for patients in the intensive care unit at St. Vincent’s Birmingham, part of Ascension Alabama.

professionals to establish and implement conservation measures, and implementing third-party decontamination solutions to extend the life of PPE supplies.

MEDXCEL TEAMS SUPPORT CLINICAL SPACES TO CARE FOR PATIENTS

Teams across Ascension, like associates at Ascension Borgess in Kalamazoo, Michigan, pay close attention to the pathways that visitors and patients travel, making sure high-touch surfaces such as elevator keypads, doorknobs, push plates, furniture arms and public restrooms are cleaned frequently and thoroughly.

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As the COVID-19 pandemic evolved, leaders were challenged to adapt hospital spaces to find new ways to reduce risks for patients and associates. Many Ascension markets looked to Medxcel’s teams to make various changes such as modifying hospital entrances and securing temporary spaces for testing and potential surges. One major task that required collaboration and creative thinking was increasing negative pressure spaces throughout the hospitals, keeping air inside spaces in order to prevent infection from “leaking” into the surrounding areas.

“Creating negative pressure spaces requires careful, case-by-case consideration,” said Scott Cormier, Medxcel

COMING TOGETHER

Vice President of Emergency Management, Environment of Care and Safety. “For example, operating rooms don’t work, because they are, by design, positive pressure areas to keep infection from the patient.”

So Medxcel teams created negative pressure anterooms right outside the ORs, creating a buffer to keep any infectious air coming out of the OR from spreading to surrounding environments.

At various Ascension hospitals, Medxcel also converted cardiac catheterization labs, emergency departments and entire nursing units to negative pressure spaces.

“We didn’t have to create a special program to respond to COVID-19. We used our well-established program as a foundation to respond to a scenario we’d already prepared for,” Scott said. “Our Emergency Management program allows us to share critical information and bring together resources and best practices quickly.”

ADVOCACY TEAMS SWING INTO ACTION TO HELP CAREGIVERS In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal, state and local governments quickly mobilized to develop a series of emergency relief packages, regulatory waivers and important guidance, much of it designed to support front-line caregivers, health systems and disrupted industries.

Throughout this process, Ascension Advocacy, working in coordination with other associations and groups, has engaged policymakers to expand access to telehealth options so patients can receive the care they need while minimizing risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

The Ascension Advocacy team also secured emergency licensure waivers so clinicians may practice in states where they do not have licenses, provided that they are duly licensed in their home states, thus ensuring resource sharing and telehealth options across state lines.

From left, Jerry Clark, Facilities Supervisor; Shelley Chapman, Project Analyst; Doug Landon, Facilities Manager; Nate Baker, Facilities Supervisor; and Charlie Smelley, Facilities Manager, secure a negative pressure room at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis.

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MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS TEAM THANKS CAREGIVERS In response to COVID-19, our Marketing and Communications team moved swiftly to introduce advertising and share content that shows Ascension’s gratitude for and solidarity with caregivers. To thank all those who are called to serve during these extraordinary times, this campaign included a television spot and online video, full-page newspaper advertising in major dailies, and new billboards across Ministry Markets. In addition, our social media engagement and sharing of expressions of gratitude online have increased positive sentiment on social media to 80% of overall posts. Together, we are helping to foster a culture of gratitude and solidarity in our facilities and in our communities that will continue.

“Our team is privileged to share Ascension’s messages of gratitude for our caregivers throughout our communities,” said Nick Ragone, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Ascension.

Additionally, from early March through early June, the Ascension Public Relations team generated 6,052 news media stories related to COVID-19 and our response to the pandemic. These stories appeared in local, regional and national TV, print, radio and online news outlets, creating more than 1.3 billion separate views, known as impressions, with a publicity value of more than $9 million. And from early April through early June, the team secured 300 media stories as part of an ongoing campaign to reinforce the importance of seeking emergency care when needed, reassure communities of the quality and extensive safety precautions observed across our sites of care, and reintroduce surgical services.

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Clockwise from top left: Billboard advertisements express gratitude for caregivers as they travel to and from work during the COVID-19 response, including this one supporting Ascension River District Hospital in Michigan.

• A broad awareness advertising campaign features healthcare heroes from across Ascension on network and cable television in our Ministry Markets to demonstrate that our care for all is rooted in our Mission and our calling.

• Ascension’s media relations team generates mentions on local, state and national media outlets, including NBC News. • Social media posts share our message to the community thanking our caregivers and caregivers everywhere.

• Hospital and facility signage reaches caregivers and the community with messages of gratitude and solidarity, including this one on our building exterior at Ascension Borgess Hospital in Michigan. • Full page newspaper advertisements communicate a message of gratitude from our ministry to patients, caregivers and the community in the Sunday edition of major dailies across Ministry Markets, thanking them for their commitment, sacrifice and service.

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Virtual care use jumps during pandemic ADOPTION OF ASCENSION ONLINE CARE INCREASES FOR BOTH PATIENTS AND CLINICIANS

D

uring the COVID-19 pandemic, the adoption and use of Ascension Online Care through scheduled virtual visits and 24/7 virtual urgent care increased dramatically, with many Ascension Medical Group (AMG) clinicians enrolling to provide care virtually. This rapid increase in adoption was fostered by consumers’ preference to engage with providers in new ways during the pandemic. From March 27 to May 1, physicians conducted more than 76,585 virtual visits — an increase of 9,161% from the first full week of March, which had only 827 visits.

Ascension Online Care provided a critical access method for our communities that helped providers, staff and patients limit their exposure to coronavirus and other pathogens. AMG provided guidance and workflow protocols to support implementation for providers who were new to the platform.

“As we move from managing the crisis to recovery, we will continue to identify ways to use Ascension Online Care in the future, including developing new in-person/virtual care clinical pathways and utilizing more Ascension Medical Group clinicians in providing virtual urgent care,” said Baligh Yehia, MD, MPP, FACP, Chief Medical Officer, Clinical & Network Services, Ascension. “We are also exploring expansion into clinical support services, such as behavioral health, nutrition and case management.”

Ascension Medical Group specialists in Texas are using new solutions for patient visits. Many, like Dr. Tyler Hollmig, Dermatologic Surgery and Laser and Cosmetic Dermatology, top, and Dr. Tannon Carroll, Cardiology, bottom, offer online visits, which allow patients to stay home and safe.

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Safety first ASCENSION MEDICAL GROUP QUICKLY LAUNCHES DRIVE-THROUGH COVID-19 TESTING CENTERS AND CLINICS

I

n markets across Ascension, Ascension Medical Group (AMG) worked quickly to establish drivethrough COVID-19 testing centers and respiratory clinics. “By thoughtfully organizing regional testing locations, we can better meet the needs of our communities, minimize potential exposure within our clinics, and ensure that our emergency departments are available for our sickest patients,” said Baligh Yehia, MD, MPP, FACP, Chief Medical Officer, Clinical & Network Services, Ascension.

Drive-through centers were launched in communities across Ascension, staffed to collect nasal swabs from those with symptoms who were pre-screened by a doctor either in person, over the phone or through Ascension Online Care.

AMG also offered patients appointments at dedicated respiratory care sites or drive-through centers, depending on the level of medical care needed. Respiratory sites were opened for in-person evaluation and treatment of coughs, sore throats and other respiratory infections as well as testing for COVID-19, with additional radiology services as necessary.

“When originally designing the drive-through testing site, we envisioned it as a service for AMG patients and the community,” said Estrellita H. Redmon, MD, MBA, FACP, President and Chief Medical Officer, Ascension Medical Group — Florida and Gulf Coast. “Our AMG teams continue to serve patients and associates including those who are under investigation for COVID-19; positive for COVID-19 and being retested; potential COVID-19 convalescent plasma donors; and those who need pre-admission testing. We started the second week in March and it has been a privilege to offer the drive-through testing services.”

Top: Shannon Bushong, LPN, and Tiffany Barthels, CMA, at the Ascension Medical Group Tomahawk COVID-19 drive-through testing site in Wisconsin.

Bottom: Team members at Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart in Pensacola, Florida, began drive-through COVID-19 screenings on March 16.

AMG’S REGIONAL TESTING CENTERS AND RESPIRATORY CLINICS ACROSS THE MINISTRY KEY = States with AMG’s Regional Testing Centers and/or Respiratory Clinics = Testing Centers = Respiratory Clinics

Wisconsin

15 10 Indiana Kansas

Missouri

1 1

4 6

Maryland

1

8 Oklahoma

3 3 Texas

5 3

Tennessee

3 7

Alabama

2 2 Florida

2

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Advancing and adapting A SURVEY OF RESEARCH AND TREATMENT RESPONSES THROUGHOUT ASCENSION ASCENSION LABORATORY PROFESSIONALS ADAPT RAPIDLY TO COVID-19 As the COVID-19 pandemic advanced, Ascension’s laboratory professionals found themselves faced with unusual challenges: ensuring enough supplies for collecting specimens, developing new tests and supporting clinical decision making for caregivers across Ascension.

To successfully meet these challenges and, at the same time, bring the laboratory community closer together, Ascension labs initiated daily calls with System administrative and clinical leaders to align and track rapid developments.

“We also found ourselves in close collaboration with Advocacy, the COVID-19 Command Center and The Resource Group, providing information and guidance regarding COVID-19 test availability and interpretation,” said Bill Hart, Ascension Associate Vice President for Laboratory Services. “Through these partnerships, Ascension labs were able to creatively manage sample collection and testing supplies and services — and identify alternative sources for them.

“I believe that our collective experience with this pandemic will permanently improve our ability to advance the Ascension Mission,” Bill said.

to participate in these trials. Our goal is to provide the most cutting-edge treatments to our patients with COVID-19 and advance science in this important area.

ASCENSION CARE MANAGEMENT DEVELOPS NEW EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PROCESS In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ascension Care Management created the Emergency Preparedness Process to support patients and families who may be impacted during an episode of disaster, pandemic or emergency situation. The process includes an assessment that evaluates basic needs and support for those needs during an emergency.

An Ascension Care Management team member gathers information and completes an Emergency Preparedness Plan for the patient. The document provides a contingency plan to ensure that patients and families can remain safe and stable during unplanned situations. The plan is then shared with the patient, family and primary care physician and should be reviewed yearly to ensure the patient and family are ready.

TRIALS BRING LATEST TREATMENT OPTIONS Clinical researchers in several Ascension markets have been involved in some of the many clinical trials being conducted to find new treatments for COVID-19.

These include the antiviral drug remdesivir; infusions of convalescent plasma, antibody-rich blood from patients who have recovered from the virus; hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug also used to treat other conditions; and sarilumab, an anti-inflammatory intravenous medication typically prescribed to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

Researchers from all across Ascension have worked quickly to develop testing protocols and get approvals

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Laboratory associates at Ascension Lourdes in Binghamton, New York, from left, Cathy Zhao, Becky Griffiths and Donna Basila, Licensed Medical Lab Scientists – Chemistry; Jayme Bellinger, Phlebotomist (kneeling); Taylor Lisowski, Megan Salvemini (front), Vera Yaremko (back) and Nicole Mullen, Certified Clinical Lab Technicians; and Ruth Adams and Hrisanthi Dimitriou, Licensed Medical Lab Scientists.

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Supporting our neighbors COMMUNITY HEALTH MINISTRIES RESPOND TO INCREASING NEEDS

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hroughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Ascension’s Community Health Ministries have continued to identify the growing needs of residents and work creatively to address them. This includes modifying their food pantries by adding a drive-through option at Seton Center in Kansas City, Missouri, and Ascension DePaul Services in San Antonio, Texas, to respond to dramatic increases in requests for help.

Many days the centers experienced a 50% to 100% increase in food needs over previous periods.

“We are the grocery store for many of our neighbors,” said Paul Hoffman, Chief Executive Officer, Seton Center. “Some have transportation challenges on top of financial issues, so it is critical that we are here for them.”

While traditionally both pantries are operated by volunteers, staff stepped up to help during the pandemic in addition to continuing their normal roles.

Associates were proactive in identifying alternative ways to reach out and communicate with their neighbors and their volunteers, particularly those who are at high risk or identified as having negative social determinants of health.

“We know it’s important that our neighbors know that we are open, and we are checking in with them and our sidelined volunteers to make sure they are OK,” Paul said.

Similar to Ascension Medical Group clinics, Ascension community health centers in New Orleans, Louisiana; Arkansas; and El Paso, Texas, increased telehealth and virtual care services to meet the needs of those they serve. In New Orleans, an early COVID-19 hot spot, staff stepped up to provide testing and increased counseling, with workers reaching out to clients to ensure their well-being.

Although the early child development centers of Ascension DePaul Services in San Antonio were closed, teachers continued to send materials to families to support children learning while confined to home.

Food distribution at Seton Center in Kansas City, Missouri, is being handled by volunteers and staff who have stepped up to help.

Ascension DePaul Services in San Antonio, Texas, set up a drive-through food pantry to reduce exposure for both clients and associates.

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Creating the future of Ascension in a changed world A LOOK AT HOW WE MOVE FORWARD

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hile Ascension welcomes patients back to hospitals and other sites of care, multidisciplinary teams continue advancing several workstreams to address every aspect of how we support the care of all individuals — including those who are poor and vulnerable and need special attention now and in the future.

As the pandemic has dramatically altered our healthcare landscape, these groups are applying learnings from COVID-19 and focusing on changes needed across our health system.

“We’ve seen a big shift in expectations affecting every aspect of our organization,” said Eduardo Conrado, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Ascension. “Deeply understanding these shifts and acting quickly to address them will help ensure that Ascension is well positioned to thrive well into the future.”

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Eduardo Conrado

“We’ve seen a big shift in expectations affecting every aspect of our organization.”

— Eduardo Conrado, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Ascension

FUTURE OF ASCENSION

Our economic and operational recovery strategy is rooted in four phases: • We have been in a Resolve phase, focused on rapidly addressing the COVID-19 crisis in each of our markets, and this work will continue.

• In our Recovery phase, six workstreams are focused on care delivery; how we invest our capital dollars to best support our Mission; strengthening our workforce; engaging stakeholders including physicians, employers, policymakers and payers; engaging consumers and communities; and digital tools.

• As we Reimagine our care delivery in a COVID steady state, we must recognize the significant changes in expectations among those we serve and those who serve, and make adjustments to meet them.

• We are positioning Ascension to Thrive in the aftermath of the pandemic — applying our lessons learned to become more resilient, more productive, and better able to deliver care and ensure our Mission is alive for the long term.

Ascension is focusing on changes needed across the healthcare system as a result of six key adjustments resulting from the pandemic: • New consumer behaviors: As consumers look to minimize contact and wait times, more e-commerce solutions will be required to enable remote access, scheduling, onboarding and testing. We also expect home care to grow over time, driving growth for mail-order pharmacy services and other home health options.

“We are redefining Ascension’s approach to delivering care because society will not go back to the ‘way things used to be.’ ” ­ — Joseph R. Impicciche, JD, MHA, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ascension

• New provider behaviors: In the first two months of the pandemic, virtual care grew from less than 1% of patients served to more than 50%, with acceptance by both consumers and providers. This is driving the need to reshape the revenue model for virtual visits and other care models when managing both chronic diseases and everyday consumer issues remotely.

• New employer behaviors: Business owners likely will take a more active role in their employees’ health, adopting tools such as ongoing digital screening and multimodal testing. Employers will play a larger role in helping to manage population health with business practices including expanded remote working and new approaches to daily operations.

• New payer approaches: Health plan payers are endorsing telehealth and new reimbursement strategies now more than ever, and we expect this to grow to meet new patient expectations for how care is delivered.

• New policy landscape: To create a sustainable environment for new ways of doing business, payment regulations will need to evolve to address flexibilities in sites of care and reimbursement for virtual care.

• New ways of looking at platforms: Using data to influence care strategies and operations will have much broader implications in a post-COVID world — enabling more data-driven decisions for managing clinical care, claims, supply chain, operations, virtual care, pharmacy, labs, imaging and asset management.

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FUTURE OF ASCENSION

“We are redefining Ascension’s approach to delivering care because society will not go back to the ‘way things used to be,’ ” said Joseph R. Impicciche, JD, MHA, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We believe this new outlook in all aspects of society presents an opportunity for us to serve those who need us even better.”

ASCENSION MEDICAL GROUP UNITES TO DEVELOP A PLAN FOR THE FUTURE As the COVID-19 curve flattened, Ascension Medical Group (AMG) was on the job to support Ministry Markets in their recovery efforts. Clinical and operational leaders began to review and consider changes in a number of areas: Practice Carol Schmidt Operations; Revenue Cycle; Clinical Prioritization, Virtual Care and Care Redesign; Associate Wellness/Human Resources (HR); Provider Recruitment/Acquisition; Locums (providers temporarily working in a new role as we continue to recruit permanently); Physician Compensation; Finance; AMG Community; and Communications.

A variety of resources were developed to aid in safely reopening AMG practices and resuming procedures to help the many individuals who deferred care during the pandemic. This included returning some operations to pre-COVID-19 status, such as providing physical exams; continuing to offer certain newly popular delivery models that had experienced low volumes before the coronavirus, including telemedicine/virtual care; and developing an approach to repurpose delivery models that were developed and launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as dedicated respiratory clinics.

Key to supporting the reopening of AMG practices were guidance and tactics to support appropriate clinical care and operational effectiveness; efforts to promote a healthy workforce with steps and considerations for bringing associates back into the workplace; and robust reassurance messaging campaigns for consumers so they would feel comfortable accessing the care they need. Open and frequent communication with AMG practices supported all these efforts.

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Joan Rau, Physical Therapy, Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital in Baltimore.

“It was important that we worked together to develop a recovery plan that allowed us to safely open our practices, and get back to caring for our patients in more traditional ways,” said Carol Schmidt, FACHE, Senior Vice President, Ascension, Chief Operating Officer, Clinical & Network Services, Ascension. “Our AMG leadership community is accustomed to collaborating, and this work required unification and problem solving as we worked through shared goals.”

Ascension’s greatest strength is our associates Ascension is committed to your professional growth. We’re creating new, easier ways for you to share your talents and expand your skill sets, exploring opportunities across our national health ministry. Continue to grow your career with us.

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Visit ascn.io/movement to learn more.

Listen Up, Ascension!

You can enjoy insightful, inspirational interviews with fellow associates on the Good Day Ascension Podcast.

Check it out wherever you listen to podcasts — in the car, at your desk, at the gym or in the kitchen. New episodes are uploaded regularly.

Don’t miss out on the latest Good Day Ascension Podcast.

Visit ascension.org/news/podcasts or find the Good Day Ascension Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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Oakland, CA Permit No. 1584

A COVID-19 survivor story

Staff surround Sylvester, clockwise from front left, Kristen Blankenship, Lead PT; Brilio Mojares, MD; Janette Fleck Macks, PT; Regina Baur, PT; Sara Woelke, OTRL; Paulius Jankus, Senior PT; Rose Marie Schick, CM; Natasha Curran, OTRL; Benjamin Collins-Hamel, DO; Molly Veale, DO; and Rafael Barretto, DO.

Sylvester McCroy was admitted to Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Warren, Michigan, in late March and spent 29 days in the hospital fighting for his life. He was on a ventilator for two weeks and his only activity tolerance was lying prone for up to 16 hours per day to improve his lung function. A team of nurses and therapists was finally able to get Sylvester breathing on his own.

He was transferred to a medical COVID unit but quickly learned he couldn’t perform daily tasks. Daniel Ryan, MD, Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and his team opened a dedicated Inpatient Rehab Unit for COVID patients.

Sylvester was the first patient in the unit and the first to be discharged, after just one week.

Kristen Blankenship, lead therapist, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services, said with the team’s assistance, Sylvester

Thanks to the team at Ascension MacombOakland Hospital, Sylvester McCroy won the fight of his life.

achieved full independence with dressing, bathing, eating, walking and breathing without supplemental oxygen.

Hospital associates recognized Sylvester’s successful recovery with a “Survivor Clap Out.” “There wasn’t a dry eye as he stood up from the wheelchair and walked out to the arms of his family,” she said. “It’s these moments that are a testament of our Mission, Vision and Values of Ascension.”

Sylvester said that even though he gave the staff a hard time when he first arrived at the hospital, he had to pray about his circumstances. “God sent me a message and I learned to develop relationships with everyone, and everything turned out good,” he said. “I want to thank the staff, doctors and nurses for helping me get stronger and giving me a second chance at life to see my friends and son.”