Diane Gorman, MSN (center), and members of her team
When the coronavirus spread to Philadelphia and sparked rapid changes for health care workers, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center’s MICU staff rose to the challenge, adapting their practices as they learned from each COVID-positive patient. For example, Diane Gorman, MSN, lead hospitalist of the MICU, was caring for a critically ill 26-year-old in the pandemic’s early days when she made a pivotal discovery.
“His breathing tube was severely clogged,” she said. “Early on, we used non-heated circuit tubing because of concerns about aerosolization, but I realized that without the heat, secretions were building up, which obstructed airflow and caused patients to stay ventilated longer.” She shared her findings with her team and MICU director Mark Mikkelsen, MD. Soon enough, intubated COVID-19 patients were back on heated circuits in an effort to improve their outcomes.
This is only one example of the substantial impact Gorman’s compassion and above-and-beyond dedication had on the delivery of COVID care. Plus, amidst all of the challenges and light bulb moments that led to new best practices, “MICU Mama Bear” Gorman also stayed in contact with family members who couldn’t support their loved ones at the bedside, including the mother of the 26-year-old patient, who ultimately recovered and was discharged after a month.
Gorman humbly notes that these successes were only possible because of the seamless communication between the nursing team, respiratory therapists, infectious disease specialists, and ancillary staff. Her interdepartmental collaboration continues even now after Presby’s COVID-positive patients have been moved to a different unit. In addition to supporting her MICU patients, Gorman also makes frequent visits to PAC 5. After learning plenty of lessons during the initial surge, she is eager to share her newfound expertise with the next group of COVID clinicians.
At Penn Medicine, we all aspire to be Difference Makers who represent the Penn Medicine Experience (PMX) in action. PMX sets a consistent standard across all of our entities and work locations to make every touchpoint an opportunity to build enduring connections with patients, families, visitors, and colleagues, which is a foundational part of the UPHS Success Share program.