Teaming Against COVID-19

• March 9, 2020

During a time when so many are filled with uncertainty due to COVID-19, the healthcare industry has faced similar challenges. COVID-19 has significantly changed the way medical centers are approaching healthcare with an increase in isolation patients leading to increased utilization of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), soap, sanitizer and other chemicals. Supply chains across the country have been disrupted due to the increased demand.

As a regional director in the West, many of the hospitals within my region have been impacted. Our region created a text message chain that was originally intended for COVID-19 updates (such as number of cases each day), but the communication evolved as the situation escalated. The text group created a venue for our Directors to reach out to each other for help in borrowing supplies or products that were needed. Due to the increased demand for supplies across the country and the associated challenges, each medical center was affected differently; for example, one medical center received an abundance of soap without sanitizers while another received sanitizers without soap.

As our directors worked to develop their surge plans, their willingness to help one another without any prompt or direction was truly inspirational. To support the initiative that the directors themselves were leading, I helped courier supplies throughout the region so that they could stay focused on operations and continue to work through the needs of their hospital. A regional spreadsheet helped track how many days of each product was left at each medical center.

This pandemic has only further highlighted the value Xanitos brings to the facilities we serve. The level of partnership that our team exhibits and the value of having a network beyond just a single hospital has shown to be a differentiator in our commitment to helping save lives.

I am not only proud but also appreciative of each and every Xanitos director. Best team ever!!!

-Alice Warner, Regional Director, West