Recognition and management of VITT
This guidance was developed for the recognition and management of Vaccine–Induced Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia. This document may update frequently, so prescribers can access the latest version directly from the Beaumont Sharepoint or the provider website.
Lab application maintenance scheduled for April 25
On Sunday, April 25, the following lab applications will be unavailable for approximately 15-minutes for maintenance:
12:45-1 a.m.:
- Abbott South Side Chemline at the lab in Canton and at Beaumont, Dearborn, Taylor, Trenton and Wayne lab facilities. All labs will be unable to result tests and clinicians will be unable to review results.
1:50-2 a.m.:
- Abbott North Side Chemline, Cytovision at the Beaumont, Farmington Hills, Grosse Pointe, Royal Oak and Troy lab facilities.
- Unity Connect, Cellavison at Beaumont, Grosse Pointe, Royal Oak and Troy, and at the Beaumont, Dearborn, Taylor, Trenton and Waynem as well as Canton lab facilities.
Use established downtime procedures while these systems are unavailable. If you have questions, please contact the Service Desk at 888-481-2448 or via the web.
Over the past few weeks, I have been monitoring the Derek Chauvin murder trial in Minnesota. And like many of you, I am relieved that the jury reached a swift verdict and justice was delivered. I hope that the Floyd family may find some peace in this outcome. However, I recognize that justice is about much more than a single verdict in a single trial, and we still have a long way to go to reach our highest ideals as a nation and a society.
I also realize we have more work to do at Beaumont Health and we must continue the conversation around race, diversity, equity and inclusion, which is at the core of our Mission and is supported by our Values of compassion, excellence, teamwork, integrity and respect.
Last summer, I was joined by a thousand Beaumont team members for a moment of silence and reflection in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. During that gathering, we knelt together for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in the wake of the wrongful death of George Floyd and other Black lives taken too soon.
Today, I am proud to share what we have done since that event and how we plan to move forward:
- In December 2020 and January 2021, 11 focus groups were conducted by an external expert in diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace to evaluate our current strengths and opportunities for growth in diversity, equity and inclusion. These focus groups provided unique perspectives from employees and managers of all races, ethnic backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientations and ages.
- The recommendations made by the focus group participants were the driving force behind the creation of a DE&I strategic plan that starts with the following:
- recruit and hire a chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer;
- facilitate additional focus groups and feedback opportunities for employees;
- implement meaningful education and training opportunities;
- develop a change management, marketing and communication plan for DE&I; and
- provide managers with DE&I workforce metrics.
We will continue to communicate updates to the strategic plan as more details are finalized.
As the largest health care system in Michigan, it is vital that we demonstrate the values that we want to see reflected in our community. We have much work to do, but we remain committed to make meaningful change in diversity, equity and inclusion. We owe it to our patients, families and each other to create a welcoming environment for all. Thank you.
Volunteer Week: Age is just a number
Volunteers have found their way to Beaumont Health from many walks of life, and each person is received with gratitude for their willingness to serve the community. Whether they are a fresh 15-year-old eager to gain real-world experience or an expert 80 -year-old who gifts their wisdom and time, all are welcome for their valuable contributions to Beaumont.
Reem Ghasham is a student volunteer who just started with Beaumont in February. Her time at Beaumont, Taylor already made an impact on her.
“I’ve loved this experience because it has given me an opportunity to learn new things,” Reem said. “I love meeting new people, and volunteering helps me improve my interpersonal skills.”
Her time as a volunteer is also helping Reem develop essential capabilities that will prepare her for the future. “I want to go to medical school,” she said. “And volunteering is giving me valuable hands-on hospital experience.”
Meanwhile, Nancy White has been volunteering with Beaumont for 45 years. “The staff at Beaumont took such good care of me when I gave birth to my daughter that I wanted to give back to the hospital, so I became a volunteer! That was in 1976,” Nancy said, marveling at the passage of time.
Nancy recognizes that a trip to the hospital can be overwhelming for many people, and she is eager to help ease some of that anxiety.
“I’ll offer to bring patients a cup of coffee or a blanket – and they appreciate these simple gestures so much,” she said. “I also like to take the kids to our pediatric center—they see our play area, and their eyes light up!”
Although she volunteered weekly with the same group of people for the past 10 years, she has not been able to volunteer since March 9, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Exactly one year later, on March 9, 2021, she received her vaccine, and now she is anxious to get back. She expects to be able to return any day now.
“I have my volunteer uniform washed, and my pins and ID are ready to go!”
Spotlight on Karissa Roberts: “The lab is my thing”
Karissa Roberts was done waitressing. She needed something more after 10 years in restaurants. “I got a bachelor’s in biology from Wayne State University,” she said. “Then, I went on Google and searched ‘what to do with a degree in biology?’ That’s when I started reading about working in a lab, which sounded amazing. I went back to school for my second bachelor’s in medical technology. I emotionally couldn’t take on nursing, but the lab is my thing.”
Two years after working at another health care provider post-graduation, she found her way to Beaumont Hospital, Taylor as a generalist in the lab. “I would do walks around the track on my lunch and I would see deer and bunnies. I really enjoyed that,” she said.
But staffing challenges and her kind spirit took her to other campuses to help out, especially during the first surge. “I’d do afternoons at Taylor and go work midnights at Dearborn or Trenton,” she recalled.
At Dearborn, her current boss recruited her for Transfusion Services, where she’s been since January 2020. “I look for compatible blood for patients who potentially need a transfusion,” she explained. “It’s more than the Rh and A-B-O, there’s a bunch of antigens on red blood cells. We want to give them compatible blood, we don’t want them to have a transfusion reaction.”
She teams up with Surgery and Oncology frequently to make sure there is adequate blood supply for traumas, surgeries and cancer patients who may need a blood transfusion.
As much as she loves her job, she can feel stressed about blood shortages. “It’s scary. We depleted our inventory and it’s a little bit overwhelming with how important it is. It’s nice we can call Royal Oak, Troy or Taylor for inventory, but it’s scary that someone could come in and need blood and we don’t have any inventory.”
To help, she donates blood regularly. “I’m A positive and I try and get my family to donate, too,” she said.
Her family is her husband, two kids, ages 4 and almost 7, and a Great Dane named Arlo. She’s a Peloton devotee and an avid reader of romance novels—recommendations always welcome.