MultiCare staff step up to support one another during unprecedented challenges  

Health systems across Washington state, including MultiCare, are faced with the dual strains of staffing shortages and exceptionally high COVID-19 patient volumes. This situation has left many of our health care workers feeling depleted and stressed.

At times like these, MultiCare employees help each other by joining the organization’s salaried regional labor pool (SLRP). Through this resource, salaried MultiCare employees — whether they have clinical experience or not — can provide much-needed support for their hospital-based colleagues, from changing bed linens to cleaning patient rooms and much more.

Four MultiCare employees discuss their decisions to participate and their experiences at the hospital:

• Tammy Tavares, professional outreach director for Tacoma General and Allenmore hospitals
• Holly Burke, vice president of Pulse Heart Institute
• Autumn Jenkins, manager for referrals and capacity at Myriadd (MultiCare’s business-to-business service offerings)
• Holly Byrne, marketing manager

Q: Why did you sign up for the labor pool?

Tavares: Because I hear from the support staff how stretched they are every day and I care about my co-workers.

Jenkins: I signed up for the labor pool because our patients and our teams need us. Our community needs us. In the current crisis, helping out in this way is comforting, rewarding and allows me to give back. There is a sense of solidarity that has been established through joining together to help out during this crisis. I also wanted to be an example to my team of how MultiCare values guide me and how we can all make a difference.

Burke: As a leader I feel I should do everything I can to help our teams through the hard times.

Q: What did you do on your shifts?

Jenkins: At Allenmore, Tacoma General and Good Samaritan, I have helped turn over patient rooms; empty trash; wipe down counters, chairs and walls; stock rooms, greet patients, help patients navigate through the hospital and clean patient care areas.

Byrne: I was sent to a patient care floor at Tacoma General to help at the nurse’s station by answering patient calls and forwarding requests to nurses and certified nursing assistants (CNAs). All of the staff seemed glad to have support, and they were patient with me as I quickly tried to learn the ropes.

Q: What was rewarding about your experience?

Tavares: I had heard emotional stories about how tired and short-staffed this group was many times when I was rounding. I could see the exhaustion that was setting in their eyes when we would talk about their challenges. It really bothered me, and I was glad to actually be able to do something to help. I know how helpful it is to have the rooms clean and ready to go so the patients in the Emergency Room don’t have to wait for a clean bed. My own mother-in-law experienced that and amazing care in our hospital a few weeks ago.

Burke: I loved working alongside our teams!  Being in the units with the patients and staff helped me more deeply appreciate the long hours our teams are putting in.  One of the RNs I was working alongside was on her 16th hour and others had been picking up extra shifts all week long. The Environmental Services team was stretched that night. Having the opportunity to work alongside them in cleaning rooms and taking garbage out was gratifying.

Jenkins: The sense of giving back and knowing I did something to help during this crisis.

Byrne: There’s no better way of getting a glimpse of what’s really going on in our hospitals during this challenging time. Also, as a marketing manager my focus is to help grow volumes for our organization, but I seldom get a chance to interact with the clinical staff. This provided a great opportunity to see just that.

*Environmental Services play an important role in infection control. These professionals clean and disinfect patient rooms.