PAH is stringently screening temperatures, restricting visitor access, requiring proper personal protective equipment, and cleaning and disinfecting in order to flatten the curve — but what happens when coronavirus exposures occur? Well, then it’s time to call in the SWAT team.
At the end of March, Stefanie Coombs, BSN, RN, CNIV, Allyson Dolceamore, BSN, RN, and Shawn McBride, MBA, BSN, RN — nurses in the Tuttleman Center’s ambulatory surgery center — were invited to serve as members of the newly launched Exposure SWAT Team (EST). Working with Infection Prevention and Occupational Health, the EST aims to identify, track, and manage employee exposures.
After receiving a report of a possible exposure, an EST member is assigned to collect information from the employee’s supervisor and engage in contact tracing. After interviewing the employee over the phone, as well as anyone they came into contact with, they determine whether the employee is deemed low, medium, or high-risk. This informs what actions they must take before they can safely return to work.
“Whenever we think we’ve seen it all, a new scenario pops up. An algorithm guides us in classifying risk, but if there are unique circumstances, Dr. Onyeka Nwankwo [chair of the Infection Prevention Committee] is always a great help,” McBride said. “Really, everyone has been helpful. Given the current circumstances, it’s a lot to ask staff to provide all of this information, but everyone has been so receptive.”
The EST works seven days a week and follows up with every report within 24 hours, requiring these diligent investigators to work efficiently. By the first week of May, they had already conducted more than 650 interviews. “It’s a lot of work, but I feel really fortunate to be a part of this process,” Jennings said. “It has been a great learning experience, and I appreciate the opportunity to work with all of these other teams.”
Coombs echoed this, adding, “At Tuttleman, we were removed from everything going on with COVID-19. Now, we’re in constant communication with employees who are on the front lines. Protecting them as a SWAT Team member has made me feel like I’m contributing and doing meaningful work.”