The COVID-19 Triage Team
January 2021
The COVID-19
Triage Team
The COVID-19 Triage Team
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
This team identified that patients had other concerns and health needs beyond COVID-19 and perhaps this encounter was a way to provide more holistic care.
In 2020, the DAISY Foundation and HealthImpact partnered to create the HealthImpact DAISY Nurse Leader Award in Policy. The award was created to honor nurse leaders and nursing leadership teams whose work in policy advances compassionate care that improves the health of populations.
Numerous drive-through COVID-19 testing centers have sprung up during this pandemic. Most require patients to stay in their cars for the duration of the visit. This poses challenges for patients who are homeless or reliant on public transportation and are seeking care. So, the team created a walk-in process for those who were homeless or used public transportation and the patients received COVID-19 testing free of charge to self-pay patients. Additionally, most drive-through testing centers are focused solely on testing for COVID-19. This team led by Ms. Hutts, Ms. Traffanstedt, and Ms. Bryan identified that patients had other concerns and health needs beyond COVID-19 and perhaps this encounter was a way to provide more holistic care. The team coordinated a social worker intervention to support patients with grief, social isolation, mental health, and psychiatric illness. The leadership team also attended to staff physical and mental health in these stressful times.
Numerous drive-through COVID-19 testing centers have sprung up during this pandemic. Most require patients to stay in their cars for the duration of the visit. This poses challenges for patients who are homeless or reliant on public transportation and are seeking care. So, the team created a walk-in process for those who were homeless or used public transportation and the patients received COVID-19 testing free of charge to self-pay patients. Additionally, most drive-through testing centers are focused solely on testing for COVID-19. This team led by Ms. Hutts, Ms. Traffanstedt, and Ms. Bryan identified that patients had other concerns and health needs beyond COVID-19 and perhaps this encounter was a way to provide more holistic care. The team coordinated a social worker intervention to support patients with grief, social isolation, mental health, and psychiatric illness. The leadership team also attended to staff physical and mental health in these stressful times.