Placing patients prone on their stomachs is a new technique that can help ventilator patients breathe more easily. When the nursing leadership team at Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital heard about proning, they created a special team to turn the patients, a 45-minute process, without disrupting other bedside care, and then shared their technique with colleagues at Ben Taub Hospital.
Our outpatient and information technology teams joined forces at the start of the pandemic to give non-COVID-19 patients a safe, easy way to see a doctor from home. They launched our new secure and fully functional Virtual Care telemedicine system in less than a week, to the satisfaction of patients and providers alike.
The world became our community during this past year in response to the extraordinary needs of our teams and patients. Gifts of all kinds poured in, from the handmade baby blankets, stuffed animals and personal care items our donors are famous for to the more recent landslide of iPads, personal protective gear, medical supplies and support from friends and neighbors around the world.
When Harris Health began our prescription home delivery service, it averaged 2,000 deliveries a month. The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 prompted the pharmacy team to expand the service. Within weeks, working weekends and overtime, this determined team was making more than 100,000 home medication deliveries a month, with a return rate of less than 1%.
When a patient at one of our health centers shows worrisome signs of COVID-19, Harris Health nurse navigators reach out to them at home to check in and provide virtual care and quarantine instructions for 14 days. Depending on a patient’s risk factor, the nurses call from three times a week to twice a day and facilitate next steps as necessary, from scheduling telehealth doctor visits to recommending a trip to the hospital.
Learn more about our heroic teams and community.
