Weathering the Storm Together

UPMC staff stepped up — as they always do — to overcome challenges from the recent winter storm to ensure our patients were cared for and our campuses were clear of snow while supporting their colleagues along the way.

These are just a few of the many stories from the recent winter storm.  Thank you to everyone who has worked tirelessly to ensure our communities have access to the care they need, no matter the weather.

• At UPMC Horizon – Shenango Valley, a patient arrived at the emergency department with his dog. Their inseparable bond was immediately evident, and the team made the call to keep them together. After the patient was admitted, the team set up food and water bowls for the dog, covered walks, and helped the pup stay cozy with a fuzzy sweater.

• At UPMC Memorial, Rebecca Bruce, senior director, Ambulatory Surgery Center, was the AOC at the hospital and not only did she stay the weekend, but she created folded towel animals and a note to welcome staff to their “nest” for the night, ensuring they had a list of where to find anything they might need overnight.

• At UPMC Western Maryland, phlebotomists, Rhonda Emerick, Morgan Mckenzie, Kaitlyn Schockey, and Mercedes Wilt, stayed at the hospital overnight to ensure collections continued.

• At UPMC Presbyterian, Carol Scholle, clinical director, and Kayla Mahan, unit director, were walking to the cafeteria to lend a hand due to short staffing from the winter weather. On their way, they stopped to talk to Ken Lee, MD, who asked if he could help, too. A short time after, Dr. Lee and a few members of his team joined them in the cafeteria to help pass trays.

• At UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene, the Environmental Services team prepared rooms for staff to stay overnight and worked with the Maintenance team to keep sidewalks and entrances clear.

• At UPMC Harrisburg, Randy Howarth, director, Food & Nutrition Services, takes on the role of team transport during inclement weather. During the winter storm, he spent a good portion of the day transporting his staff to and from work, as many have difficulty with transportation, especially with public transport pausing operations during the snowstorm.

• At UPMC Shadyside, James Gray, project analyst, and Gabe Riberi, administrative fellow, crafted pizzas to fuel the cafeteria’s extended hours.

• At UPMC Wellsboro, Carol Surdam, team leader, Food Services, spent Saturday night through Monday night at the hospital so she could cover anticipated staff call-offs. Carol covered many essential kitchen duties including cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner for patients and extra guest trays for staff. Just before 10 a.m. on Monday, she was made aware there would be free food for all staff working at the hospital as a token of appreciation from leadership. Carol took the lead once again, and by 10:40 a.m. the cafeteria was stocked with the free food items, and she gathered staff to assemble the meals for second and third shifts.

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