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From Fitness Studio to the Frontline of COVID-19 Care
Katie Cope Manager of Emergency Services at St. David’s Medical Center
What does it feel like to be in charge of a hospital emergency room during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic? For Katie (Standefer) Cope, ’08, manager of Emergency Services at St. David’s Medical Center, she considers it a privilege to be able to use her skills and training to care for the Austin community. Yet when it comes to battling COVID-19, she says, “it feels like the worst marathon I’ve never wanted to run.” St. David’s Medical Center, the flagship hospital of St. David’s Healthcare, one of the largest health systems in Texas, is situated within walking distance of the UT Austin campus where Katie was once a carefree, yet diligent student. Now Katie oversees 81 healthcare employees, including nurses, nurse externs, paramedics and patient care technicians. Katie began her career at St. David’s in 2011, working in inpatient rehabilitation and brain and spinal cord injury. After two years she made the switch
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to Emergency Services and “got ‘voluntold’ into being a supervisor/charge nurse,” she says in jest. Raised in McKinney, Texas, Katie moved to Austin in 2005 to pursue a degree in business administration. After earning her degree, Katie pivoted to earn a bachelor of science in nursing in fall 2010 at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. While attending UT, Katie found on campus employment with RecSports to help pay college expenses. She also found a way to learn career-transferrable skills while working for RecSports. She became a TeXercise instructor, personal trainer, Fitness & Wellness program assistant and interim program coordinator, and also worked for Sport Clubs. Today as she manages staff who work with COVID-19 patients and those potentially infected with the disease, she has had to dramatically change the daily routine of Emergency Services and the way in which she does her job. She must maintain constant communication between hospital leadership and staff for the latest in COVID-19 information, ensure that every person entering the hospital is screened for the virus, ensure the safety of patients and staff alike, share case numbers across Travis County to health officials, report on the availability of PPE including N-95 masks and ICU/ventilator availability, and much more. All while managing a large diverse staff and making sure to set aside time to listen to them.
