When I joined The Wright Center for Women’s Health as the Provider Lead in early June of this year, I was knee-deep in Coronavirus guidelines and updates.
As an OB Hospitalist, I was on the front line of what I knew would be a long battle so I decided to explore alternative options for providing women’s healthcare during the pandemic. The Wright Center piqued my interest as it offered “exceptional, personalized luxury healthcare every day all day.”
I wasn’t quite certain what to expect at my first in-person visit and subsequent visits to the office. How, I wondered, was this unique Ob/Gyn practice adhering to the evolving COVID guidelines? How was guest and staff safety prioritized? I was pleasantly surprised. Not only is it possible to receive exceptional care during the pandemic, it is necessary and TWC is getting it right!
The COVID-19 pandemic brought about profound changes in healthcare within an astonishingly short period of time. This has certainly been evident in obstetrics and gynecology, both in doctor’s offices and in hospitals.
Because the majority of my work had been primarily on Labor & Delivery units, my primary concern was protecting myself from COVID-19 given my proximity to COVID patients. I read as many articles, news reports, studies, and commentaries specific to COVID-19 as possible. I relied heavily on social media from those in the medical field and resources from COVID-19 interest groups, which were an amazing source of real-time learning and story sharing.
What I quickly learned was that I did not need to know it all. The medical community was learning about COVID together. We learned to trust in the power of PPE, handwashing, physical distancing and we practiced with an abundance of caution. What we soon learned was COVID transmissions were as likely to occur outside of the hospital as they would within the inpatient setting. In my now dual role of a practicing Ob/Gyn at 2 Chicago area hospitals and a clinical administrator at TWC, my front-line knowledge and experience would be useful in both settings.
My initial impressions of The Center amid the Covid pandemic were overwhelmingly reassuring and I continue to be impressed with our wonderful staff. We are healthcare professionals who have heightened precautions to ensure the safety of our guests and staff.
We clean meticulously, wear masks, screen our guests, test our staff regularly and limit the number of guests in the office at one time. Everyone knows that these measures mitigate the spread of the virus.
Daily, we discuss and plan our office and telehealth visits daily so that we continue to provide care that is over and beyond our guests’ expectations. Additionally, we follow recommendations from the CDC, ACOG, IDPH and government officials. We counsel our guests to do the same. These efforts are working.
Finally, during these unsettling and stressful times, taking time to personally recharge with family and friends amid work responsibilities provides the strength to persevere. We continue to look for ways to provide our guests with unique, modern, and compassionate options for care. It is my hope and prayer that what we learn about ourselves and others from this pandemic will allow us create a healthier world.