Letter: Keeping patients safe is a team effort

Running a hospital takes a large team of professionals, all pulling together, often under tremendous stress. We often recognize our caregivers who have direct contact with patients. But behind every clinician is a team of people making sure she or he can do their job well and safely.

These behind-the-scenes teams include the people who are purchasing supplies, cleaning patient rooms, ensuring equipment and facilities are working properly, delivering food safely to patients and staff, and administratively managing all the requirements to run a health system. The contribution from all of these
team members helps achieve the overall mission of delivering safe, high-quality care to our community.

I would like to highlight one team in particular who, since March has made sure that every day our hospital is stocked and equipped with enough critical personal protective equipment (PPE) for all patients and staff. Our supply chain team members are just some of the unsung heroes who continue to work unrecognized.

While every hospital in the country is putting forth effort to procure PPE and supplies during a national shortage, this team of 18 dedicated individuals have gone above and beyond. A taskforce was formed early on in the pandemic to track all available PPE, how quickly it is being used on a daily basis, and the
amount needed in stock to ensure our clinicians are protected. In addition, this team has been able to meet all CDC guidelines as well as infection control protocols developed by experts both at Barton and in the field.

Since the pandemic began, Barton has spent more than $1.5 million on PPE and equipment specific to meeting the needs of keeping staff safe while caring for patients who may have COVID-19. Because of this investment, there has not been a single day where the hospital did not have personal protective equipment based on CDC guidelines resulting in an environment where patients can receive appropriate
care and staff can deliver this care without additional worry.

We’re fortunate to have a team of professionals working at Barton who put their commitment and the safety of their fellow co-workers before their own self-interest. Your contribution to keeping all of us and the community safe is greatly appreciated. On behalf of all of our staff and physicians, thank you to Barton’s Supply Chain team!

Dr. Matthew Wonnacott
Chief Medical Officer
Barton Health