May 2024
VA Hudson Valley Urgent Care
VA Hudson Valley Health Care System
Montrose
,
NY
United States
Brenda Drumm, RN, Vanita Gaya, RN, Godelive Heyne, RN, Lorna Ho-Sang Davidson, RN, Denis Kovalenko, RN, Joan Messinger, RN, Donna Morehead, RN, Maria Perez, RN, Carline Pompee, RN, John Reynolds, RN, Maria Sorensen, RN
The Urgent Care team is the best team I have had the honor to lead. They are problem solvers, team players and they demonstrate day in and day out their commitment to the VA mission.
For a leader, it is refreshing to see a team that works together for the greater good. They help each other as co-workers, but their respect and support go beyond the four walls of this hospital. When a team member is in need, they come together and reach out to help. They celebrate their successes together, and they support each other through difficult times. They help build their own schedule, they come in whenever is needed. They flex their times and switch days or shifts to help cover the needs of our veterans.
When a patient comes into Urgent Care, they all ensure the veteran is receiving the highest quality of care. The Team’s sole objective is to work together to help our veterans with compassion, dignity, and respect. They coordinate their care, and they advocate for the continuation of care. A couple of examples that demonstrate their commitment and teamwork spirit are below:
A veteran came to UC to receive special care for his wound. One RN took it upon herself to learn how to care for the wound and educated her peers so that the veteran could continue receiving the care he needed. All team members were educated and provided a continuation of care for this veteran.
A veteran who is working in another state comes to NY once a month and needs to receive a specific medication monthly. The Urgent Care Team coordinated with the pharmacy, and every Saturday, the veteran comes in, and the UC nurse on duty provides his medication, ensuring the veteran still complies with the regimen.
The urgent Care team at Castle Point was facing challenges with patient overload. At that moment, two nurses at Montrose Urgent Care volunteered to go to Castle Point in the middle of the day to help their peers.
A Veteran came into Urgent Care after a Rapid Response. The Nurses in Urgent Care immediately reacted and noted the veteran was decompensating fast and didn’t have an IV line. One of the nurses immediately placed the IV, and the second nurse called for a transfer and ensured that the paperwork was being printed. The patient was in immediate need of a higher level of care, and these two nurses helped expedite the process.
Through the Unit-Based Council, the team developed a proposal requesting HVHCS leadership to examine an issue and work with nursing staff, the MAAs, and the VAPD to minimize safety and security vulnerabilities and help the environment remain safe and secure. This proposal was approved, and the Clinic is now properly closed and secure, which greatly improves safety for the staff and our veterans.
The team ensures they shout out and recognize not only their peers but also the multidisciplinary team that works in the VA. They have given shout-outs to MSA, Social work, Lab, volunteers, police, etc. One of the shoutouts turned into an I-Care Award. They want to ensure that staff is recognized for outstanding collaboration throughout their department. These are just some examples.
This team performs every day at the top of their scope of practice. They prioritize the veterans and their families.
For a leader, it is refreshing to see a team that works together for the greater good. They help each other as co-workers, but their respect and support go beyond the four walls of this hospital. When a team member is in need, they come together and reach out to help. They celebrate their successes together, and they support each other through difficult times. They help build their own schedule, they come in whenever is needed. They flex their times and switch days or shifts to help cover the needs of our veterans.
When a patient comes into Urgent Care, they all ensure the veteran is receiving the highest quality of care. The Team’s sole objective is to work together to help our veterans with compassion, dignity, and respect. They coordinate their care, and they advocate for the continuation of care. A couple of examples that demonstrate their commitment and teamwork spirit are below:
A veteran came to UC to receive special care for his wound. One RN took it upon herself to learn how to care for the wound and educated her peers so that the veteran could continue receiving the care he needed. All team members were educated and provided a continuation of care for this veteran.
A veteran who is working in another state comes to NY once a month and needs to receive a specific medication monthly. The Urgent Care Team coordinated with the pharmacy, and every Saturday, the veteran comes in, and the UC nurse on duty provides his medication, ensuring the veteran still complies with the regimen.
The urgent Care team at Castle Point was facing challenges with patient overload. At that moment, two nurses at Montrose Urgent Care volunteered to go to Castle Point in the middle of the day to help their peers.
A Veteran came into Urgent Care after a Rapid Response. The Nurses in Urgent Care immediately reacted and noted the veteran was decompensating fast and didn’t have an IV line. One of the nurses immediately placed the IV, and the second nurse called for a transfer and ensured that the paperwork was being printed. The patient was in immediate need of a higher level of care, and these two nurses helped expedite the process.
Through the Unit-Based Council, the team developed a proposal requesting HVHCS leadership to examine an issue and work with nursing staff, the MAAs, and the VAPD to minimize safety and security vulnerabilities and help the environment remain safe and secure. This proposal was approved, and the Clinic is now properly closed and secure, which greatly improves safety for the staff and our veterans.
The team ensures they shout out and recognize not only their peers but also the multidisciplinary team that works in the VA. They have given shout-outs to MSA, Social work, Lab, volunteers, police, etc. One of the shoutouts turned into an I-Care Award. They want to ensure that staff is recognized for outstanding collaboration throughout their department. These are just some examples.
This team performs every day at the top of their scope of practice. They prioritize the veterans and their families.