Feeling PROUD & VALUED

Lakeland Regional Health Personnel Rise to the Challenge

- PAUL CATALA

SINCE THE FIRST CASE OF CORONAVIRUS was detected in Florida, Anita Henry, supply director at Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center (LRH), has been working around the clock to purchase personal protective equipment.

LRH Population Health Coordinator Paul Needham has been working closely with skilled nursing facilities across the Lakeland area to monitor outbreaks since those facilities have been hotspots for COVID-19 in Polk County.

And Marjan Conklin, an LRH emergency department nurse, has been spending her work shifts maintaining patient care and motivating staff during this tumultuous time in healthcare.

As those in the healthcare industry continue to battle against a virus that has affected populations around the world, these three LRH staff members are joining LRH hospital staff and countless others in healthcare professions around the world putting in countless hours to treat, curtail, and contain the virus.

Henry, in her 22nd year in hospital work and fifth at LRH, says that since the end of March and through April, the influx of patients symptomatic of COVID-19 or with the virus has increased ER workloads significantly. However, she adds, she and her staff have been working to ensure that medical staff members have all the supplies that they need.

“By the week of May 4, thankfully, things have kind of leveled off and we’re returning to some more routine duties,” she says.

Henry says she and her staff are working to maintain schedules that won’t “exhaust” staff.

“We’re trying to make sure everybody has a good work-life balance during this stressful time,” she says.