Pause. Reflect. Remember – BCHS commemorates COVID-19 1st Anniversary

Most of us remember where we were or what we were doing when the World Health Organization announced a global COVID-19 pandemic had been declared on March 11, 2020. Feelings of shock, fear and a sense of overwhelming uncertainty took hold of almost everyone, with crippling effects on mental and physical health and well-being.

For hospital employees, the pandemic meant shifting from ‘normal’ to an uncharted mode experienced by no one in their lifetime. At BCHS and throughout our community, everyone was impacted by the new normal.

There was confusion and panic for people traveling out of the country and for those just returning from vacation. “I was home for about a week when it was determined all travelers would have to quarantine for 14 days,” said Venessa Bailey, clinical manager. “I didn’t realize at the time the quarantine would become a new way of living.”

“It was a public health crisis like no other,” said Martin Ruaux, BCHS VP clinical and chief nursing executive. “Knowing there would be suffering and that people would likely die, the organization mobilized to make operational changes including COVID screening and strict protocols for using personal protective equipment, establishing COVID care units and providing frontline training on new procedures.”

Screening people at hospital entrances and testing for the virus also became a new reality. “A year ago, I was given the added tasks of establishing the assessment centre and oversight for screening everyone entering our hospitals,” said Jordan Dewar, clinical manager inpatient surgery and perioperative clinic. “While this added to my workload, I am proud to be part of BCHS and the frontline workers’ heroic response to the pandemic.”

The pace of change hit new highs for the BCHS emergency department and all hospital units. BCHS had to re-create nearly every process for moving and caring for patients. Everyone had to be bold under terrifying circumstances to protect everyone and ensure we continued to provide quality patient care.

“Our success keeping everyone safe at BCHS still impacts me daily,” said Dr. Andrea Unger. “I am humbled to think about the number of people around the world who have died – including health care workers. Our local efforts have allowed BCHS and the community to get through the pandemic together.”

Patients, families and essential caregivers were also impacted significantly – having to follow strict safety precautions and new visiting guidelines; for others, there would be a change in how they might be supported.

“The spiritual care team had to think outside the box, especially without the participation and support of many community clergy members and volunteers with the on-call ministry and weekly worship services,” said Christine Hossack, spiritual care practitioner. “It was really difficult to know we would not be able to hold a patient’s hand in prayer or even enter a patient’s room for a visit.”

Non-clinical teams had to learn a whole new way of working during the pandemic and the information and communication technology team had to pivot to support the response. “We expanded or deployed platforms such as Skype, Zoom and OTN to support virtual care and patient visits,” said Mike Schmidt, manager of information and communication technology. “We also had to scale up our internet infrastructure and remote access to accommodate and support employees working from home – a lot of work and a major accomplishment for the ICT team.”

For the infection prevention and control team, there was enormous pressure as their work changed dramatically, with COVID-19 becoming the sole focus. “We didn’t want staff to worry about the uncertainty of the virus and kept a rapid pace implementing changes,” said Nancy Peddle, manager of IPAC. “I am proud of what BCHS has accomplished and hope infection prevention and control will continue to keep everyone safe in a post-COVID world.”

Another key aspect was protecting the health, safety and well-being of our health care workers and everyone at BCHS. “We had been preparing for COVID and implemented a number of procedures and guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety,” said Cindy Hayward-Dale, manager of organizational health. “The resilience shown by our teams to ensure safety measures and appropriate PPE supplies was remarkable.”

Overall, the resilience of frontline staff, physicians and support staff through the pandemic is nothing short of amazing. “Despite the constant shift in directives and protocols and the uncertainty of the virus, the team came together demonstrating selflessness, collaboration and compassion,” said Dr. Rudy Goel.

As BCHS commemorates the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, we invite you take a moment just for you. Take a moment to pause, reflect and remember. Acknowledge yourself, your teammates, families and loved ones. We have all made it through the past year feeling a sense of loss, isolation and suffering.

We will #RememberToPause in our featured reflection posts on social media to highlight some of the experiences we’ve had during the past year. Our most sincere thanks to everyone in the BCHS family and our amazing community for being diligent and supportive.

Together, we are making a positive difference as we continue to build a healthier community.