Patient AA was admitted with an uncomplicated history of labor, and pregnant with her second child. She and her family had just moved to the Tampa area from out of state the week before. Mid-morning, within the time span of one hour, AA’s temperature rapidly spiked from 100.5 to 104.9 degrees and she decompensated very quickly. Her nurse, Becky Allen, recognized her symptoms as sepsis. The MD (Dr. Borodo) was notified, additional team members came quickly to the room (Charge Nurse Brooke Waters and Rachel Hinkle APCL), the Sepsis PowerPlan was initiated and interventions immediately started. An RRT was called, Pharmacy responded, along with anesthesia (Kelly Vann CRNA) and many other personnel that were integral in assisting with parts of her care.

Shout out to Martha Stojanov in pharmacy, who helped review, place orders, and obtain antibiotics appropriate for the patient right at her bedside, which was a tremendous help to Dr. Borodo, ensuring AA received quick intervention. RT came to assist with EKG and ABGs. A nurse from 5T came and applied telemetry. Alena Laseter assisted with the cooling blanket. An internal Medicine Physician from SJH main came over to assess the patient at the bedside. Maternal Fetal Medicine was in attendance at the bedside as well. Outside of the room coordinating transfer to the ICU, accruing supplies, sending specimens to the lab, and bringing medications to the bedside were AOD Natali Lima and Manager Shawn Edwards, both integral in obtaining seamless care for her.

AA was then transferred to ICU CCT3 for a higher level of care. The ICU team met us and the patient at her labor room for transfer. The NEW bridge between SJWH and SJH main was utilized for transfer, getting her exactly where she needed to be extremely quickly, without having to wait for an ambulance to arrive. She was settled in her ICU room and OR was booked for a cesarean delivery to expedite delivery due to her deteriorating condition. She was transferred to OR with our team from Labor and Delivery (Dr. David Vann, Kristen Siefring AA, Cindy Cissell CST, Becky Allen RN, and Rachel Hinkle APCL). In the OR, she complained of feeling pressure and was examined by her OB (Dr. Peden who came to assist Dr. Borodo) and found to be completely dilated and ready to deliver her baby. We quickly converted to a vaginal delivery, and through minimal consciousness and blue lips, AA was able to push her healthy baby boy out! Becky was able to assess her newborn baby with mom recovering in the ICU, allowing her to briefly bond with her new son and preserving the Golden Hour, before being transferred back to SJWH well newborn nursery for blood cultures and observation. AA’s husband was able to remain in attendance with his wife and newborn son the entire time.

Newborn "B" was able to visit her daily in the ICU while she recovered from sepsis. she remained in the ICU in critical condition for days. The delivery team visited her daily to see her recovery progress and was able to see her on the day of discharge as she and her new son were sent home healthy! Through hard work, prayers, and dedication to Trust, Dignity, Respect, Responsibility, and Excellence, I wholeheartedly submit this team nomination.

***

St. Joseph’s saved my life I would personally like to nominate St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital for this incredible award by telling you about my life-changing experience. I was a pregnant woman. My husband had just taken a new job in Florida, which moved us to Tampa roughly two weeks before I was due. If you’ve ever been pregnant or have known someone that is pregnant, you know the horror to be moving that close to the due date. But hey, life is all about adventure, right? Four days after moving here, I started having pains in my lower stomach that increasingly became worse throughout the early morning and afternoon. Assuming it was labor, my husband and I packed up the car with my child in tow, and headed to St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital. I signed myself in because my husband had to stay in the car with our child until my family could arrive. After being sent back home because I wasn’t dilating much, I eventually was admitted my second time back. By this point, I was having severe back pain that would take your breath away. Never experiencing back labor before, I assumed this was the dreaded pain everyone talked about. A few hours after being admitted, I was given an epidural, which subsided my pain and gave much relief. I was started on medicine to help with dilation and was on the road to having my sweet baby .

By the next morning, I had a new nurse who was starting her shift named Becky Allen. She was kind, thorough, informed, and compassionate - all characteristics you could hope for in a nurse. I felt great thanks to my epidural, and all seemed to be going well. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long before the feeling took a different turn. By this point, Becky, and my husband, knew something was wrong.. Thankfully, Becky was able to act quickly, calling for other doctors and nurses. I remember someone coming over the intercom in my room asking for more nurses and doctors. Within minutes, I had countless people working on me. Some of the details tend to be a bit blurry. I remember meeting Rachel Hinkle (RN APCL), Alena Laseter (High Risk Educator), and Brooke Waters (Charge Nurse) during this time. They had welcoming smiles on their faces, which in a time like this, made you think it was going to be ok. In the middle of chaos, there was still my nurse Becky. She explained to me that I was very sick I had a new set of doctors and nurses that continued working on me alongside my previous nurses and doctors. I was scared, upset, confused, and alarmed by what was happening. It was in this moment I looked over and saw that Becky and Rachel were still there. They hadn’t left my side. I remember crying, looking at Becky and asking her if she could promise me I wasn’t going to die. Her response still stays with me to this day. She said, “I can’t promise you that, but I can promise we are going to do everything we can.” I sobbed, tears streaming down my face, knowing she meant that. She represented honesty. I could trust her. I remember asking if the nurses would pray with me. Someone spoke up and asked me if I wanted to speak to the hospital chaplain. Being a strong believer in God, I did. When the chaplain arrived, something I’ll always remember happened - each nurse in the room took my hand and the hand of each other and prayed with me, for me, and over me. To this day, I still get chill bumps thinking about how God was in that room with me and heard the prayers, the cries, and the pleading of us.

My eyes felt heavy, and it was a fight to keep them open. When I could open them, I saw bright lights above me mixed with commotion around me. Every single person in that room was performing a job. Not only performing a job, but the execution was prompt and swift. Each individual knew what he or she had to do, and did it with ease. I had nurses from NICU, nurses from the ob unit, nurses from ICU, anesthesiologists, doctors from my ob unit, doctors from ICU, and many more that I will never be able to thank. I had a team from all over the hospital working together for one common cause - to save myself and my unborn child.

Nearing the delivery, there were cheers of excitement and encouragement that roared through the room. “You are so close! You’ve got this!” Becky’s voice echoed loudest over the noise as she was my personal cheerleader. The exhaustion set in, I arrived to find my mom had been given permission to come into my room. She stood there smiling, but behind the smile was fear and worry. At the time, the protocol was that one person could accompany me due to COVID regulations. Knowing I was a unique and fragile situation, Becky along with several other nurses and doctors advocated for me and helped make my mom being with me possible so my husband could be with our child.

I remember someone talking to me, someone I hadn’t remembered meeting before the OR. Her name was Hope.  Although I don’t recall much about Hope due to how sick and delirious I was, I remember her holding my hand often. Whenever by my side, which was frequently, Hope would talk to me calmly as she held my hand. “You’re going to be ok”, I remember her saying. Hope, her name, her presence, and everything the word encompasses - exactly what we all needed that day. It wasn’t long after I was settled int that I realized Becky was still there. Unaware of the time or really what was even going on, I assumed she was still on shift. She stayed in a corner of my room, talking to my mom, assuring her, while checking out our baby that got to stay in my room for the first hour. It wasn’t until I was recovering and alert that my mom told me Becky had stayed an extra shift to be with me. She had tirelessly worked her shift, while still choosing to stay by my side for the next instead of going home to her family. I was overwhelmed with gratitude that someone who doesn’t know me or owe me anything would do something so selfless.

Over the next couple of days finally began to get better. As the hours and days passed, the details tend to get mixed up as to the chronological order of things - mostly because I slept a lot and was fighting one of the hardest battles a body can fight. But, do you want to know one thing I remember? Every single day Rachel and Becky came to visit me by my bedside. I would see Rachel, the woman with the sweet smile and cheerful voice walk in and tell me how great I was doing. She would explain my vitals to me and tell me how much I was improving. Talking to her felt like I had known her for years. It was in the middle of a normal conversation that I realized on the day I became so sick, Rachel had called her parents to ask them to pick up her children from school so she could stay past her shift to be with me. The servanthood in Rachel was second to none.

Then there was Becky, someone who had become like a second mom to me and would visit me before visiting hours began for my husband or mom, when I so desperately wanted someone there with me. She talked calmly, matter of factly, and always seemed to be able to explain exactly what medicines I was taking and why. These two women, coming to see me in the middle of their shifts, breaks, whenever there was a free moment, simply because they wanted to.

Alena and Brooke were also two that committed themselves to going above and beyond. Brooke was very busy, and she would stop by with Becky and Rachel in the midst of her schedule to check in and see how I was doing. Alena also came to visit me often. She made me forget sometimes just how hard it was being away. She would talk to me about her family, sharing different stories to occupy my time. She, along with the help of SJWH staff and other staff, would work to schedule a time my child could come see me in my room. If someone couldn’t bring my child to me from the nursery, Alena would go out of her way to try to bring my child to my room for a few snuggles. Being so weak, there were times I was not completely coherent and able to hold the baby. Alena would rest the baby on me, making sure to support him since I couldn’t, allowing us time together.

The staff lovingly offered my husband, my room on the ob floor. This was such a huge gesture, as he was tirelessly trying to visit me in the main hospital while also spending time with the baby in the nursery. The baby was able to spend some nights with Dad, receiving skin to skin, while other nights he stayed in the nursery to allow Dad some rest. This was one of the kindest gifts they could’ve given us to allow Dad to be in close proximity to both the baby and myself. While in the nursery, the nurses took care of the baby as if it was their own. They would inform me of all the things the baby was doing. They raved about how the baby was such an easy baby and never cried - oh my if they only knew our bundle of joy now at one year of age. The baby is vocal now, to say the least.

To this day, I still have the tiny 0-3 month onesie a precious nurse from the nursery made. These are the acts of love and kindness that are unmatched. I could continue giving you instance after instance of how phenomenal SJWH is and how they changed my life and the life of my family, but on paper, it would never do it justice. As I type this, I am texting Becky and Rachel, reflecting on the year that brought us all together. They gave my mom and me their numbers to have direct access to them. That number is now used to catch up, say hello, and remind each other of how grateful we are for one another - a lasting bond and friendship that is unparalleled. I could tell you about the moments that may seem mundane to you but impactful to me - the way my nurse Michelle washed and combed my hair for me in between bringing me heated blankets, the understanding assistant whose name I can’t recall, but sat with me and gave me the names of places my child could go to for an Easter bunny picture in my absence.

In short, I don’t believe in luck or coincidences; I believe in God. I strongly believe God orchestrated this plan so that my path could cross with every single person mentioned at SJWH. I believe God gives each person talents and allows them to utilize those talents, instructing his or her steps. I know that He guided their hands as a team to save me that day. Today, I’ve experienced a year of healing, surrendering, learning, and growing. I am completely back to normal. I’m incredibly grateful for SJWH, and I’ll never be able to repay them. I can only hope the team is recognized as a small token of recognition for the depth of devotion they exhibit and for the magnitude of lives they touch just like mine every single day.

***

Pregnant Mother Survives COVID-19. After Three Months in the Hospital (sounds like a news story. If so and we have written auth, no need to make changes). Where is my baby? The question swirled around her mind when she woke up from a coma at St. Joseph's Hospital. Nearly two months earlier, the patient went to the St. Joseph's Hospital emergency room suffering from a cough and flu-like symptoms. Test results came back positive for COVID-19 and pneumonia—a frightening, dual diagnosis. She was pregnant. As the patient processed the news of her diagnosis, a nurse helped her into a wheelchair, hooked her up to an oxygen machine and admitted her to the St. Joseph’s Hospital for immediate treatment. It all happened so quickly, the patient later recalled, she didn’t realize the seriousness of her situation. "I thought I'd just be there for 14 days and go back home," she said. Instead, she would receive care at St. Joseph's Hospital for months.

During much of her stay, she doesn't remember a thing. But for the frontline workers who cared for her, her case is one they’ll never forget. "We were dealing with a lot of death during that time," said Jasmine Nicholas, a nurse manager on the pulmonary unit where the patient spent a few weeks. "Everyone knew about her case, about her baby. She was holding on. As a hospital, we all had hope for her." Intensive Care Soon after the patient was admitted to the hospital, it was clear she would need intensive medical attention to keep her and her baby alive.

“There were a lot of unknowns about her case at the time,” said Kareena Williamson, a nurse who cared for the patient. When would the patient need a ventilator? How was her baby doing? And would they need to deliver the baby early to save both of their lives? “Once we learned the baby was OK, we decided to keep her pregnant for as long as we could,” Kareena said. “At least as long as she and her baby were doing OK.” “Even though we couldn’t communicate, I felt such a connection to her,” said Jayce Elliott, a nurse on the MICU. “We were all so invested in her case.”

For the next few weeks, the MICU team monitored the patient closely, while a labor and delivery nurse checked on her baby using a fetal monitor. The team searched for every opportunity to help. “We were trying to do everything we could for her without harming her baby,” Kareena said. For Tamie Saglimbeni, nurse manager of the MICU, her case helped team members find strength during the terrible surge of COVID cases caused by the delta variant. “She was a ray of sunshine we needed in a very dark time,” she said.

As her condition improved, she was transferred where her child was. Her recovery accelerated after birth. She gradually regained consciousness. Shortly after she regained consciousness, she began to wonder about her baby. Where was the baby? How was the baby? With the help of her mother, who spent long hours at her bedside, nurses assured her that her baby was doing well. As she continued to improve, she was transferred where nurses brought the baby to visit. “That was my first time seeing her,” She said. “I was just so happy, so relieved.”

She regularly got visits from the baby which lifted her spirits and motivation. She recalls how nurses like Jayce from different units would visit on their days off just to see how she was doing. “So many good nurses took care of the baby and me,” she said. “They all really love what they do.” The day she was discharged from St. Joseph’s Hospital, team members lined up in the hallways to cheer and wave goodbye in a celebratory “clap out.” Team members remember the moment as one of immense joy and relief as they watched the patient who almost didn’t make it leave St. Joseph’s Hospital on a bright and sunny afternoon. “It was amazing to see the whole hospital there for the clap out,” Tamie said. “Her eyes were so bright. It gave us goosebumps.” Heading into the new year, she’s turning the page to a brighter future, thankful to have her family home and healthy under one roof. “It feels great to have my family back together,” she said. “I feel like I'm whole again. I’m complete.”