Diedre Green helps launch Mass Vaccination Week

Yesterday, U.S. Representative Brenda L. Lawrence toured Beaumont Health’s vaccine clinic with local Michigan leaders and launched Michigan’s 14th Congressional District Mass Vaccination Week. She was joined by Beaumont leadership and others to discuss the work being done to increase awareness and accessibility of the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as the importance of Mass Vaccination Week.

As part of the discussion, Diedre Green, RN, Beaumont, Farmington Hills, shared both her professional and personal experiences and struggles with COVID-19.

“The first surge of COVID-19 patients felt just like the movies. We were rapidly responding to COVID-19 emergencies every five or ten minutes. Medical alerts and alarms never stopped beeping. It was just one alarm after another. So many people were dying,” said Diedre.

Then, just weeks into the pandemic, on April 1, the virus took Diedre’s mother. She was 73 years old.

“I didn’t even really get the chance to grieve for her because the patients kept coming and the virus kept spreading. I cried at least three or four times every shift. I had to wipe away the tears and focus on using my eyes to communicate love and hope to my patients. They needed me. I was all they had. I had to be strong for them,” Diedre explained.

Now that it has been more than one year since the pandemic began, Diedre says there is a key difference when compared to the first surge — a vaccine. She encourages everyone who is eligible to get it.

As Mass Vaccination Week continues, and with Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 9, now is the perfect time protect those closest to you by getting vaccinated, if you have not done so already. Beaumont is pleased to partner with our elected officials to promote vaccination, including walk-in clinics each day this week. Learn more about our walk-in clinics on the Beaumont Newsroom.

We asked, and you shared

We asked employees to share with us what you’re going through and what you want the community to know so that we can get through this surge and end the pandemic together. Today’s response comes from Kevin Kar, clinical pharmacist at Beaumont, Trenton:

“With this surge, it became quite disheartening to see younger and younger patients becoming so sick. I have gotten myself through this surge by volunteering at the Dearborn Vaccine Clinic and picking up shifts at the hospital to help cover shifts when needed to help get us through the final chapter of the book of COVID. The fact that the lower age of patients shows the vaccines are helping keep the older generation from getting ill and/or sick enough to end up at the hospital. We are on the right path of putting this behind us.”

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ICU nurse honored by grateful family

Their relationship was only 18 days long — barely enough time to learn anything about anyone. But Ken Harroun, RN, made such an impression on the family of a dying man that they felt they had to share their thanks.

John Willim was an otherwise healthy 87-year-old man when he was admitted to the hospital, having contracted COVID-19. Only a few months earlier, he had been going for daily bike rides, but the coronavirus can wreak havoc on those it infects, and within weeks, he was gone.

Of all those who treated John, Ken, an ICU clinical nurse at Beaumont, Taylor, stood out to the family as someone who continually showed him respect and compassion, and someone they could count on to be at his side and provide the best possible care. The family wasn’t able to be by John’s side due to visitor restrictions, a painful experience for anyone, but Ken regularly responded to calls from the family to check on John’s status, providing hope during their darkest times, even as John’s condition deteriorated.

On his last day caring for John, Ken set up an iPad for members of the family to connect with him and face the impossible task of saying goodbye. He gave John’s wife of 62 years the chance to spend an hour and a half playing all their favorite songs and take her time to say
goodbye, knowing she may never see him again.

“While I know now, more than ever, ICU nurses are stretched thin, over worked, stressed and tired, you had such a positive attitude and calmness about you that was comforting to our family,” John’s son said in a letter of gratitude.

In addition to the letter, the family also sent Ken a plaque in recognition of his “commitment to patient advocacy and sincere empathy.”

Ken’s story is among the many examples of how our health care heroes have continued to provide compassionate, extraordinary care to our patients, families and each other under circumstances that are anything but ordinary.

IT at a glance for April 2021 

IT is currently working more than 100 projects and has resolved nearly 12,000 problem tickets in April. Review this month’s IT at a glance for a high-level understanding of the initiatives underway to enhance your partnership with IT. After reviewing, provide your feedback on the usefulness of this monthly presentation for IT’s continuous improvement. Contact Mike Todaro for more information.