Hometown: Springfield — lived here all my life
Job title: Chief Clinical Officer
Where I work: Mercy Health–Springfield Regional Medical Center
Describe what your day is like/what you do: As part of our pandemic response, I review almost 100 emails a day from executives, staff, physicians and the Bon Secours Mercy Health home office. I formulate responses to problems and assignments and also work on setting up policies and processes for outpatient testing, inpatient testing, elective surgery testing, and emergency and rapid testing as we restart elective surgeries and procedures.
I keep the hospital’s medical staff informed of policy changes, facility and workflow changes and developments, such as the availability of convalescent plasma and remdesivir.
I lead discussions about patient care, such as adapting to new techniques for oxygenating and ventilating critical COVID-19 patients safely and keep members of Mercy Health Physicians-Springfield informed about changes and help them with individual practice issues, such as initiating video visits (telehealth) so they can see their patients.
I coordinate with the local health department regarding testing guidelines and safe discharges to long-term care facilities and also coordinate our policies locally with our organization’s overall guidelines. I interact with the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association on COVID-19.
I work with medical staff, surgeons and hospitalists specifying when to wear PPE and what PPE is appropriate in which setting.
Health Care Hero: ‘I became a nurse to make a difference’
I speak with individual doctors to clarify processes.
I had to reorient my former practice, Mercy Health-Northparke Internal and Family Medicine. It went from seeing routine medical patients to becoming a walk-in clinic where anyone with respiratory symptoms could be seen safely by providers in full PPE prepared to test and treat for COVID-19.
I had to reorient workflows and wards in Springfield Regional Medical Center to make the care of COVID-19 and non-COVID patients safe and effective, and also worked on developing protocols for COVID-19 testing for outpatients and inpatients.
What inspired you to get into health care? My experience as a patient at Mercy Hospital on Fountain Boulevard following a car accident in 1968 inspired me to follow my career path. I had a great team of surgeons coordinating my care and changed my college major from business to pre-med after that experience.
Health Care Hero: ‘I really love my job’
What's a memorable experience you've had in health care? Every day in this pandemic brings new issues and another memorable experience. Personally, the foremost experiences in my 39 years of practicing in Springfield are the opening of Springfield Regional Medical Center and becoming a Bon Secours Mercy Health physician.
What do you want readers to know about your job right now? This is the best job in the world. My knowledge and experience in internal medicine are perfectly suited to prepare me to navigate this problem, and I get to work with longtime friends and colleagues in the process.