Valley Health reflects on a year of challenge and service to the community

On March 11, 2020, when the Director-General of the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic, few could have predicted how deeply the novel Coronavirus would impact life and health in the Shenandoah Valley. Just eight days later, on March 19, Valley Health began treating its first COVID-19 patient with the goal of providing excellent care, while protecting caregivers, other patients, families and the larger community.

Tomorrow, Friday, March 19, at 10:05 a.m., 4:00 p.m. and 10:05 p.m., staff at Valley Health’s six hospitals and outpatient locations will pause briefly for “Moments of Reflection” to mark the passage of a year punctuated by loss, stress, change, learning, flexibility, sacrifice, teamwork, and even greater connection to purpose as they’ve worked and lived with COVID-19.

When Mark Nantz joined Valley Health as its CEO on June 1, he wore a mask and bumped elbows with his new colleagues. “I knew I was entering a war zone, of sorts, but immediately felt confident in the clinical knowledge, decision making, and depth of engagement of the entire Valley Health team. That appreciation has only grown over the last year as I’ve seen their dedication to care for the community we serve,” he said.

Milestones in Valley Health’s COVID-19 Journey

Before COVID-19 appeared in the U.S., Valley Health teams had been meeting to review highly infectious disease protocols and make other preparations, drawing on previous experience with flu epidemic and Ebola planning, and reports from hospitals that had cared for patients with the new virus.

Fast, reliable testing was critical, but was hampered by worldwide supply challenges much like the personal protective equipment (PPE) so vital for safe patient care. Valley Health opened drive-through testing tents at sites throughout the region, and a COVID Lab Team managed specimen handling and results reporting, coordinating with outside labs as necessary. By May, highly reliable tests were run almost exclusively in-house. Additional rapid testing options are now available at each hospital and Urgent Care location.

Protocols for inpatient and outpatient care were refined regularly as the medical and scientific community learned more about the new virus. By the end of March, Valley Health’s ambulatory care team launched a respiratory care phone line, dedicated respiratory care clinics for those with suspected COVID, and telehealth service at all Valley Health physician practices and urgent care centers, enabling patients to be “seen,” when appropriate, from their homes.

Valley Health’s information technology team also helped close other gaps created by COVID, supporting communication between caregivers and patients in the ICU, long-term care residents and their loved ones, families and their newborns in the NICU, isolated individuals and mental health counselors, and teleworking employees and their teams.

A dedicated group of teleworking nurses and physician specialists was tasked with analyzing COVID patient outcome data to determine the most successful treatment protocols for this emerging disease. The resulting COVID Index Score became an important tool for monitoring patients and alerting providers to subtle, but important status changes and needed interventions. This innovative work has improved outcomes for Valley Health patients, resulting in a lower death rate than in many parts of the country.

Public health officials have long said that the availability of a safe, effective vaccine would offer the best path out of the pandemic. Since administering the first vaccine to front-line caregivers on December 15, Valley Health staff and hundreds of community volunteers have collaborated with state health departments and other partners to vaccinate more than 50,000 individuals at mass vaccination clinics. We continue to promote masking, hand washing, social distancing, and vaccination as the best practices to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in our community.

The Power of Reflection

“We’ve had a year like no other, and while we feel optimistic there’s an end in sight, we’re not there yet,” cautioned Nantz. “Our ‘Moments of Reflection’ on Friday is about encouraging our team to take a few minutes to collectively contemplate their personal and professional journey over the last year. Reflecting on the events that have caused us pain, stretched our resilience, helped us grow and brought triumph is healthy and rejuvenating for us, both as caregivers and as human beings.”

Nantz will share his reflections on Valley Health’s first year of COVID-19 care with staff, including:

• “We mourn the loss of over 550,000 lives in the U.S. alone. We remember patients, loved ones, and colleagues who lost their fight with COVID, and honor those who continue to battle chronic, long-term effects of the disease.
• We are grateful for exceptionally skilled caregivers, physicians, nurses, CNAs, respiratory and other therapists, laboratory professionals and all who have tirelessly tended to our patents’ needs.
• We applaud our innovators whose focus on learning and identifying evidenced-based care standards improved the outcomes for COVID patients.
• We appreciate our Housekeeping and Nutrition Services colleagues, whose diligence helped ensure a safe environment of care and nourished our patients, visitors, and caregivers.
• We are grateful for the many behind-the-scenes team members who kept supplies available in patient care areas, managed the financial implications of the most disruptive event in Valley Health’s history, provided phone support to thousands of community members with questions, and maintained effective, transparent communication, internally and externally.
• And we are grateful for the outpouring of community support we have received. From thank you signs and donuts to toilet paper and prayer, Valley Health and each of you have earned a special place in the hearts of the community we serve.”

By the Numbers: Valley Health vs COVID-19

• 119,284 COVID-19 tests processed
• 12, 881 positive COVID-19 tests
• 1,703 patient admissions to Valley Health hospitals
• 198 patient deaths at Valley Health hospitals
• >80,000 vaccine doses administered

Valley Health is a nonprofit health system serving a population of more than 500,000 in the Northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, the Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands of West Virginia, and western Maryland. As a healthcare provider, employer, and community partner, Valley Health is committed to improving the health of the region. The system includes six hospitals, more than 50 medical practices and Urgent Care centers, outpatient rehabilitation and fitness, medical transport, long-term care, and home health. www.valleyhealthlink.com