COVID-19 patients have respiratory complications that require special care. “Proning” is the act of turning a patient on their stomach to help with respiratory distress. During the height of our surge, we had a dedicated team for the sole purpose of turning patients on their back (supine) each morning and then onto their stomach each afternoon. The CRNA, orthopedic PA, physical therapist, and orthopedist choreographed a careful routine that allowed them to quickly reposition the patient with minimal exposure. Dr. Steven Arsht describes the process like “poetry-in-motion.” Having a dedicated team perform this action freed up the nurses to tackle more critical tasks. Professionals came from all over the country to help with this effort and most have since returned to their homes. Thank you to everyone on this “NASCAR pit crew” for their team work: Physician Assistants Juan Fernandez, Larry Friedman, Mike Jones, and Bruce Davison; Physical Therapist Frank Erkes; Anesthesia CRNAs Stephanie Davis, April Klein, CB Ingram, Katy Dean, Robin Naden-Semba, Jeremy Carlisle and Dr. Steven Arsht
MSBI Prone Team from MSBI Communications on Vimeo.