Marianne "Annie" Komanecky
May 2024
Marianne "Annie"
Komanecky
,
RN
Clinical Contact Center
White River Junction VA Medical Center
White River Junction
,
VT
United States
Annie immediately knew she needed to stay on the line, with no interruptions, with this Veteran. Annie reached out via TEAMS chat to her peers to have them call the emergency 911 dispatch for ambulance to the patient's home. Annie continued to speak with the Veteran, asking simple yet detail-oriented questions about his current condition, and remaining calm and supportive.
Marianne Komanecky, known as "Annie" is a Registered Nurse in the VISN 1 Clinical Contact Center. The role of the RN in the Clinical Contact Center is to triage symptoms and recommend a plan of care. This entails explaining the where and whys, providing a backup plan if an appointment is recommended but not available, and offering resource information such as the Veteran's Crisis Line information, nearest Urgent Care or Emergency Department if the patient lives rurally, and VA services are a long drive. Annie performs all the above and much more for the Veteran calls that she receives. She has a calm and friendly voice and manner when talking on the telephone with these patients. On numerous occasions, Annie has provided a listening ear for frustrated Veterans, allowed them to speak their frustrations, and then provided the art of triage for their symptom. The Veteran was heard, allowed to vent and then attended to as they so needed with a comprehensive RN triage.
In January of 2024, a Veteran had repeatedly called the Clinical Contact Center approximately 17 times over a 5-day period. This Veteran had spoken to several Triage RNs regarding his complaint and symptoms of abdominal pain. Throughout these calls, the Veteran provided the answers to all the triage questions, and upon receiving the recommendation for care, which was the Emergency Department, the Veteran would refuse and disconnect the call. Several attempts were made to call the veteran back to have further discussion, but the veteran did not answer. Annie was the final RN that he spoke to on this day. Annie received the call from the Veteran, in which the Veteran stated he was bleeding profusely from a self-inflicted abdominal injury that was caused by a knife. Annie immediately knew she needed to stay on the line, with no interruptions, with this Veteran. Annie reached out via TEAMS chat to her peers to have them call the emergency 911 dispatch for ambulance to the patient's home. Annie continued to speak with the Veteran, asking simple yet detail-oriented questions about his current condition, and remaining calm and supportive. Annie verbalized compassion as the Veteran spoke about his abdominal issues and his perceived challenges to getting care.
Annie empathized with the Veteran, providing understanding to this Veteran on what he was stating for the length of time he has suffered, how painful it is and how he was frustrated and feels like giving up. The Veteran did answer some of the questions asked, but in the middle of the call he disconnected. In the background via TEAMS chat emergency services had been alerted and were on their way to the Veteran's home. Annie then called the Veteran back and he did answer. She remained calm, kept this Veteran engaged and talking while awaiting emergency services arrival. Annie's ability to remain calm and ask simple yet detail-oriented questions continued to provide her information on his current state of the injury and level of consciousness. The Veteran then disconnected the call again, and when Annie attempted to call back, he did not answer. Emergency 911 was contacted to confirm that emergency services had arrived to the Veteran's home, and indeed they had. It was then that emergency services stated that the Veteran did not have an abdominal injury, but was having abdominal pain, was agitated and anxious. He was brought to the local emergency department for evaluation and treatment.
Annie is dedicated to her role as a Triage RN, she has performed consistently with excellent care to the Veteran caller, meeting their needs and providing evidenced based recommendations to care. Her willingness to go above and beyond is evidenced by the call above and she does this with every call as needed for the symptom or concern voiced. The Contact Center is truly lucky to have Annie as part of their team.
In January of 2024, a Veteran had repeatedly called the Clinical Contact Center approximately 17 times over a 5-day period. This Veteran had spoken to several Triage RNs regarding his complaint and symptoms of abdominal pain. Throughout these calls, the Veteran provided the answers to all the triage questions, and upon receiving the recommendation for care, which was the Emergency Department, the Veteran would refuse and disconnect the call. Several attempts were made to call the veteran back to have further discussion, but the veteran did not answer. Annie was the final RN that he spoke to on this day. Annie received the call from the Veteran, in which the Veteran stated he was bleeding profusely from a self-inflicted abdominal injury that was caused by a knife. Annie immediately knew she needed to stay on the line, with no interruptions, with this Veteran. Annie reached out via TEAMS chat to her peers to have them call the emergency 911 dispatch for ambulance to the patient's home. Annie continued to speak with the Veteran, asking simple yet detail-oriented questions about his current condition, and remaining calm and supportive. Annie verbalized compassion as the Veteran spoke about his abdominal issues and his perceived challenges to getting care.
Annie empathized with the Veteran, providing understanding to this Veteran on what he was stating for the length of time he has suffered, how painful it is and how he was frustrated and feels like giving up. The Veteran did answer some of the questions asked, but in the middle of the call he disconnected. In the background via TEAMS chat emergency services had been alerted and were on their way to the Veteran's home. Annie then called the Veteran back and he did answer. She remained calm, kept this Veteran engaged and talking while awaiting emergency services arrival. Annie's ability to remain calm and ask simple yet detail-oriented questions continued to provide her information on his current state of the injury and level of consciousness. The Veteran then disconnected the call again, and when Annie attempted to call back, he did not answer. Emergency 911 was contacted to confirm that emergency services had arrived to the Veteran's home, and indeed they had. It was then that emergency services stated that the Veteran did not have an abdominal injury, but was having abdominal pain, was agitated and anxious. He was brought to the local emergency department for evaluation and treatment.
Annie is dedicated to her role as a Triage RN, she has performed consistently with excellent care to the Veteran caller, meeting their needs and providing evidenced based recommendations to care. Her willingness to go above and beyond is evidenced by the call above and she does this with every call as needed for the symptom or concern voiced. The Contact Center is truly lucky to have Annie as part of their team.