HEROES OF HEALTHCARE Environmental Services Department: The Environmental Services Department is often considered the “unsung” hero in healthcare. The Department works to ensure both patients and staff are healthy and protected through proper and thorough cleaning and disinfecting. They are the first line of defense for infection control, identifying and taking care of patients as they would their own family.
Laboratory Department: The Laboratory Department quickly became one of the most important aspects to combating COVID-19. The Department developed new test menus and tracking methods for new clinical tests required for COVID detection, discovering new meanings of specimen processing and inventory control, none of which existed prior to the pandemic. Collaborating with other aerial lab facilities, the Lab was able to provide COVID-19 testing with 24 – 36-hour results.
Nursing Department: Nurses are one of the most trusted of professions, with an extreme care for other individuals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tri-City Medical Center’s Nursing Department worked tirelessly to provide a safe environment for all patients. They developed screening procedures to test 100% of patients for COVID-19 symptoms.
Supply Chain Department: During the COVID-19 pandemic, this Department identified affordable products and equipment that were essential to protect frontline workers. They designed and built patient upper body covers to protect hospital staff from patient coughs. Additionally, they worked with several non-medical manufacturers to design and produce PPE face shields for both hospital use and donation to the Tri-City Medical Foundation at no-cost. The Department even designed a plan to allow for Tri-City Medical Center to increase bed capacity in the case of an influx of COVID patients.
34 | Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Journal
Fall 2020 | www.oceansidechamber.com
