HEALTH & SAFETY
LEFT TO RIGHT: Louisa Nedkov, Dr. Deborah Marshall, Dr. Jonathan Sam and Dr. Meghan Daly.
LIFE SUPPORT CovidCARE created amid pandemic to help staff, physicians at Halton Healthcare By Zita Raponi
W
hile no one can change the stark realities of COVID-19, staff and physicians at Halton Healthcare are finding comfort and strength through a peer support program called CovidCARE. The program has helped them connect and build strong support systems so they can face the unique challenges of healthcare and self-care amid the pandemic. In April 2020, Dr. Jonathan Sam, a pediatrician at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, noticed his co-workers were struggling with the sudden changes brought about by COVID-19. “There was a growing sense of fear and uncertainty among staff and physicians, I call it a shadow pandemic, that was even more contagious than the coronavirus itself,” he explains. With a background of working with teams to improve their performance in acute care situations through simulation and debrief ing, Dr. Sam decided to facilitate candid discussions with the care teams on the maternal child/pediatrics unit to see how he could help. 20 CANADIAN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
“Dr. Sam cut through all the confusion and very effectively eased the fear and anxiety in the room,” says Tracey Fuller, a clinical resource nurse on the maternal child unit who attended some of the initial sessions. “He patiently answered all our questions, showed us how to sort through the new regulations and protocols, and armed us with coping and self-care strategies. He also provided simple preventive measures on how to protect ourselves, each other and our families.” Word spread quickly of Dr. Sam’s discussions and he soon received invitations to department meetings and team huddles from all across the organization. CovidCARE was born in response to this overwhelming need for support. “Our healthcare teams were looking for a human connection and Dr. Sam recognized this,” says Dr. Zeba Ansari, chief of pediatrics at Halton Healthcare. “He listened to their concerns, talked them through their fears and showed how they could support each other.” CovidCARE is comprised of seasoned debriefers from all three Halton Healthcare
sites: Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, Milton District Hospital and Georgetown Hospital. Led by Dr. Sam, the team includes Dr. Saroo Sharda, Dr. Meghan Daly, Dr. Deborah Marshall and registered nurse Nicole Cemkov. It is supported by Louisa Nedkov, program coordinator of Halton Healthcare’s wellness program, Kailo. The debriefers attend department meetings and unit huddles, by invitation, to guide group discussions and help teams build resilience. The program is offered in-person, as a hybrid (mix of live and virtual) or entirely virtual. Sessions last 20 to 60 minutes, depending on the needs of the team. “Different teams have different concerns. Healthcare providers and support staff on the frontlines in the emergency room or intensive care unit may be worried about how to care for patients or contracting the virus, while others are still struggling with adapting to their ‘ n e w n o r m ’, ” s a y s D r. S a m . “Acknowledging teams for the great work they do, especially when they are feeling particularly vulnerable, can be
