Muriel Torrato, Health Information Services

The COVID-19 pandemic is changing our world and health-care professionals are on the front lines.

Muriel Torrato, Health Information Analyst, is part of the Health Information Services (HIS) department responsible for providing accurate data for research, reporting and helping support quality patient care at MHC. COVID-19 has presented some new challenges for the HIS team, including new guidelines for coding.

“COVID-19 presented a lot of new information. The Canadian Institute for Health Information provided international coding direction via World Health Organization for confirmed Coronavirus cases,” says Muriel. “It’s all been interesting for my job.”

Part of the HIS department’s COVID-19 planning was moving Ophthalmology Assessment Unit to the fourth floor and adding beds into the ADT system, where numbers are extracted for reports. Respite Care beds were also converted to Transitional Care Unit beds. Muriel says: “This was actually the biggest challenge for me as an analyst. It’s been challenging to keep up with all the changes.”

Another area that has changed in Muriel’s department is requests for health information. People can still request their health information – whether for personal interest or medical/legal correspondence – but in-person pick-up has been suspended due to visitor restrictions.

Throughout COVID-19 the HIS team has been diligent about keeping their work spaces and high-touch areas clean.

“Even before area cleaning time was enacted, we created a daily checklist to ensure our space was sanitized regularly,” she says.

On a more personal note, Muriel mentions that her husband moved to Winnipeg from the Philippines around this time last year: “It’s a good thing we got all the paperwork done earlier, rather than later.”

When possible, Muriel hopes to travel, noting that right now it’s important to stay optimistic.

“I’m excited to go on a road trip and experience more of Canada with my husband!”

Keep COVID-19 informed by visiting: covid19manitoba.ca

#mhcfamily #healthcareheroesMB #COVID19

Siva Sreenu Pavan Gorantla, Sleep Disorder Centre to Health Links – Info Santé

The COVID-19 pandemic is changing our world and health-care professionals are on the front lines.

On the morning of March 1, Siva Sreenu Pavan Gorantla was flying home from a vacation in New York City when the first case of COVID-19 was announced in Brooklyn, NY.

“As soon as I returned to Winnipeg, I called Occupational Health. Because I had no symptoms and it was before the 14-day self-isolation rule was announced, I was cleared to go back to work,” says Siva.

Siva is a polysomnography technologist in the Sleep Disorder Centre at Misericordia Health Centre and at the time was also working in the ENT department at Health Sciences Centre.

As the pandemic evolved, non-essential surgeries and outpatient programs were paused throughout the province. While overnight sleep studies are temporarily suspended, Siva has been redeployed to Health Links – Info Santé, answering COVID-19 calls.

“Healthy sleep habits strengthen our immune system,” says Siva, formerly a physician in India. “Understanding the pandemic is not a challenge for me.”

Siva notes the team at Health Links – Info Santé has been very supportive and callers are generally appreciative.

“There have been some difficult calls that are hard to handle. People are scared because they have flu symptoms and assume it’s COVID-19. I try to understand callers’ anxiety and calm them down as best I can.”

Keep COVID-19 informed by visiting: covid19manitoba.ca

#mhcfamily #healthcareheroesMB #COVID19

Burnice Johnston, After Hours Central Intake Program

The COVID-19 pandemic is changing our world and health-care professionals are on the front lines.

One day at the beginning of March Burnice Johnston was a manager of the Provincial Health Contact Centre’s After Hours Central Intake program, which provides service to Home Care clients evenings and weekends, and the next day she was a COVID-19 chief staffing scheduler extraordinaire.

“The world changed overnight,” she says simply. “I was asked to take on the recruitment and scheduling of the COVID-19 screeners hired to handle the skyrocketing volumes of Health Links – Info Santé calls.”

At the outset of the pandemic, the call volumes were so high that callers were not even able to get through to Health Links – Info Santé. With the implementation of new phones and software and the hiring of many COVID-19 screeners, callers were able to get through and wait times were markedly reduced.

Almost three months later, the beginning of the pandemic in Manitoba is still very much a blur to Burnice: “It was all COVID, all the time. I was arranging the schedules for staff to be trained to take calls and to be trained on the new systems. And still managing the After Hours program at the same time.”

Every day was different. At one point, Burnice was given 120 University of Manitoba 4^th year nursing students to schedule in for COVID-19 screening training and shifts answering the phones.

Burnice reckons she worked 45 days without a day off. Long days. She says there were jokes about wanting Misericordia’s Sleep Disorder Centre to open so Provincial Health Contact Centre staff could sleep at the centre.

Burnice continues to manage scheduling of Health Links – Info Santé staff, but the workload is more manageable nowadays.

“Today, I’m able to breathe,” she says with a laugh, “and take a day off.”

An online self-assessment tool is available to help Manitobans determine if they should contact Health Links – Info Santé or seek other medical advice. Manitobans can also proceed directly to a COVID-19 testing site without having to call Health Links – Info Santé.

Health Links – Info Santé, available to all Manitobans, operates 24/7, 365 days of the year. For any health questions, call 204-788-8200 in Winnipeg or toll-free 1-888-315-9257.

Keep COVID-19 informed by visiting: covid19manitoba.ca

#mhcfamily #healthcareheroesMB #COVID19

Kara Scott, Food Services

The COVID-19 pandemic is changing our world and health-care professionals are on the front lines.

MHC Food Services provides more than 600 meals every day to patients and residents. Kara Scott, manager, Patient/Resident Food Services, had to work with her team to make adjustments to their work flow to continue to keep things running smoothly during the pandemic.

“Providing meals doesn’t stop during COVID-19,” says Kara. “Initially there was some confusion about PPE and things weren’t the smoothest, but we’ve adjusted and made things work well.”

One of the biggest adjustments was minimizing the time food services staff spent on patient and resident units. Additionally, food services has had to re-work their external partnership with Meals on Wheels, switching to contactless pick-up.

Planning is a huge part of Kara’s day-to-day duties to ensure patients and residents’ individual nutrition needs are met. Kara also had to create a contingency plan in the event that MHC had to open up additional Transitional Care beds in different areas of MHC (freeing up space at other hospitals for more COVID-19 patients).

Throughout the last couple of months, there have been numerous program changes and the food services team has continued to evolve their process as the pandemic unfolds.

“I’m excited for when gyms are allowed to re-open; working out is my stress reliever,” says Kara and adds: “It’ll be good to see friends again and be able to go out in groups.”

Keep COVID-19 informed by visiting: covid19manitoba.ca

#mhcfamily #healthcareheroesMB #COVID19

Maria Knaus, Clinical Nutrition Services

The COVID-19 pandemic is changing our world and health-care professionals are on the front lines.

“Our job is to help people manage medical conditions through proper nutrition, and help them stay as healthy as possible,” says Maria Knaus, registered dietitian and lead of Clinical Nutrition Services at Misericordia.

With the onset of COVID-19 in Manitoba, MHC nutrition services has adjusted how they provide support to residents, clients and patients.

Maria also works with MHC clients from Easy Street and the pulmonary rehabilitation program. In-person appointments have been replaced with phone calls for the time being.

“Clients have been so appreciative that they still have the opportunity to work with MHC dietitians,” says Maria.

Maria works with her clients to establish individual nutrition goals as well as share information and helpful resources. While she likes meeting with clients in person, to establish a personal connection, she’s discovered some benefits to consulting via phone: “When a client is their own home, they can go to their cabinet and check exact dosages of vitamins and supplements.”

Some of Maria’s clients are apprehensive to go out to grocery stores due to existing medical conditions that cause them to be more susceptible to COVID-19. For her clients – and for the general public – Maria has a few tips to grocery shop a little less, while still eating well.

First and foremost, she notes that it’s important to eat healthy foods that you actually like and enjoy.

Top tips for stocking up on staples and filling your pantry:

• Have good sources of protein on hand
  For example: canned beans, lentils and fish
  Eggs are also a cheap, quick and easy protein source
  
• The freezer is your friend
  Store perishable protein sources, like chicken and other meats, in the freezer to extend freshness and life
  
• Frozen and canned produce is just as healthy as fresh produce
  Look for canned veggies that are low in sodium or fruit that’s packed in its own juice
  
• Nuts aren’t just for squirrels – they’re packed with good fats and nutrients

While we all adjust to our “new normal” routines, Maria notes that nutrition is as important as focusing on your mental health, exercise and having social connection.

“Well-being is holistic. Self-care, stress reduction and eating well is just as important now as it was pre-COVID-19.”

Keep COVID-19 informed by visiting: covid19manitoba.ca

#mhcfamily #healthcareheroesMB #COVID19