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St. Luke’s workforce repository helps staff and providers fill alternate roles
St. Luke’s team members are innovative in the best of times.
The days of COVID-19, however, are no one’s idea of the best of times – and St. Luke’s spirit of innovation has never shone more brightly.
After non-urgent/non-emergent operative and invasive procedures were temporarily suspended to support safe care and continual readiness during the spread of the novel coronavirus, many members of the team were called to service in new ways.
To meet needs, St. Luke’s created a workforce repository to pair clinicians, providers – and their highly needed skills – with work that was critically needed.
For example, Dr. Lance Hubsmith at St. Luke’s Magic Valley is an anesthesiologist. Instead of spending his time in the operating room with elective surgeries, he was drafted for needs in the intensive care unit, helping to intubate patients.
“St. Luke’s worked to match skill sets with departments,” Dr. Hubsmith said. “We are pitching in wherever we can and where we are comfortable working.
“Since we intubate in our normal roles, it’s a very natural fit to do this work with COVID-19-positive patients.”
St. Luke’s workforce repository has become a matchmaker of sorts, allowing for the redeployment of staff to other departments throughout the health system.
St. Luke’s Magic Valley Surgery Center team members are greeting at St. Luke’s Jerome, working in the screening tent, being material management runners and stockers, helping with personal protective equipment support on the floors, making phone calls on the floors to help alleviate the stress from the nurses taking patients, helping with linen services and working in the emergency department and the ICU. It’s needed and greatly appreciated support, showing just how a team can function in challenging times.
“We are incredibly proud of all staff that took on a different role during this crisis, especially our surgical services team,” said Brittney Foster, St. Luke’s Surgical Services manager.
When a department has a need, they put their request into the repository and available qualified staff are found to fill those needs.
St. Luke’s is committed to patient and employee health and care; the repository has helped to ensure safe staffing across the system, including departments that have been heavily impacted by the arrival of the coronavirus.
“We have stood up many different roles over the past few weeks,” said Jessica Robinson, a St. Luke’s Human Resources business partner.
“The staff and leaders have stepped up in all departments and areas to help their fellow team members and to support the community to provide the best care we can.”
About The Author
Michelle Bartlome is the public relations manager at St. Luke's Magic Valley.
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