LEXINGTON —In 2020, healthcare workers were hailed as heroes on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19. Two years later and the well-wishing signs may be gone, but healthcare workers have perseverated through several surges of the virus.
In an effort to combat compassion fatigue and burnout, Lexington Regional Health Center is providing self-care seminars for its staff members on how to better understand compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, moral distress, etc.,
Chief Operating Officer and Clinic Administrator Kirsten Faessler told the LRHC board during their Tuesday meeting the seminars are being provided through-out January and February.
Compassion fatigue, put simply, is a condition characterized by emotional and physical exhaustion leading to a diminished ability to emphasize or feel compassion for others, often described as the negative cost of providing care.
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Faessler read an email, sent by CEO Leslie Marsh to LRHC employees regarding the situation and training.
The email said in part, “The past 18 months have been incredibly challenging and have left many feeling completely spent. As caregivers, we have all been hit especially hard…all of you have spent countless hours caring for people with COVID-19.”
Director of Social Services Kristina Messersmith said the training is specifically tailored toward healthcare. The training will help LRHC staff identify the signs of compassion fatigue within themselves, providing coping skills and teach leaders how to help employees who may be dealing with fatigue, burnout or other situations.
“I think it’s going to be a great thing to learn how to deal with the emotions and how we as a facility can be supportive of each other,” Messersmith said.
CEO Marsh spoke to the board about LRHC compliance when it came to the United States Supreme Court upholding a federal vaccine mandate Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) healthcare workers.
Marsh said the LRHC pharmacy is working with those who have not yet gotten a vaccine dose and are interested to get one by the deadline of Feb. 14 and the second by March 15 per the CMS mandate for our state.
Director of Finance Tara Naprstek told the board the CMS mandate was quite broad when it came to the definition of employee. It includes volunteers, students, board members, people of organizations hospitals may contract with for services, etc.; it goes well beyond people employed by LRHC.
Naprstek said they have reached out to those individuals about what the requirements are going forward.
Executive Director of Marketing and Public Relations Brenna Bartruff gave her marketing update to the board and LRHC continues to use social media to reach the community, inform them of changes and let them know what is going on at the hospital.
Bartruff said the wellness lab screenings are returning and are available by appointment starting on Wednesday, Feb. 9, they offer complete blood counts, lipid panel and complete metabolic panel. Other tests include thyroid, prostate for men, diabetes and Vitamin D.
LRHC employees have also volunteered their time at the Majestic Theater recently. Bartruff noted that this is a great, fun way to give back to our community and allows employees to bring their family as well.
Chief Financial Officer Wade Eschenbrenner presented the financial report to the board saying November and December had a high volume of activity, owing to COVID-19, seasonal illnesses and year end surgeries being scheduled.
Looking at the year, Eschenbrenner noted their first quarter was slower, while activity picked up in the second.
The board approved appointments and reappointments for January, they included:
- Andrew Lundstrom, APRN
- Ashley Lundstrom, APRN
- Ayodale Odulate, MD
- Azariah Kirubakaran, MD
- Christy Nickels, APRN
- David Kiple, MD
- Gordon Still, MD
- Jennifer Dwyer, APRN
- John Ray, MD
- Jose Mayorquin, MD
- Joseph Kummer, MD
- Justin Thankachan, MD
- Matthew Johnson, MD
- Melinda Barratt, DO
- Richard Koefoot, MD
- Roger Wells, PA-C
- Sara Hargreaves, MD
- Serena Schweitzer, APRN
- Shane Kohl, MD
- Todd Kumm, MD
- Troy Kluthe, CRNA
- William Ingham, MD
After the regular meeting, the board entered executive session to discuss contracts; no action was taken after the session was adjourned.
