Hospital staff, members glad for return, protocols now in place
By Glenn Harbison
glenn@thenewsobserver.com
We’re glad to have you, and we’re glad to be here. These words sum up the feelings of Jason Jones and Shirley Copeland as they talked about the return of auxiliary members, “Pink Ladies,” to Fannin Regional Hospital.
Jones, the hospital’s chief executive officer, and Copeland, president of the hospital auxiliary, shared their views last week.
The auxiliary’s presence inside the hospital was ended by COVID-19 protocols in mid-March 2020. It was mid-May 2021 when the volunteers could again return. Now, 13 of the organization’s 17 members are back at their posts, serving the hospital, its patients and its visitors.
And while some state-mandated and other government restrictions are still in place, that has not dampened spirits.
“Everyone was so glad to see (the Pink Ladies),” Jones said.
From the beginning, hospital officials worked to get them back while making sure of their “safety and comfort level in returning,” Jones said.
And the Pink Ladies kept working to carry out their goal of always making “the hospital experience as pleasant and stress free as possible,” Copeland said.
This included providing homemade treats for hospital employees several times and staging an “appreciation event” with signs and members in uniform filling the front circle at the hospital.
Jones thanked the Pink Ladies for each effort, and also thanked everyone in the community, businesses and individuals alike, who brought food and other items for the hospital staff.
“We’re very thankful for the community support we’ve had over the last year,” Jones said.
Now that they are back, the Pink Ladies follow hospital protocols: wearing masks at all times, maintaining distance, and taking extra precautions with hand washing and sanitizing.
As a result, only one auxiliary member mans the information desk at the entrance while another works in the gift shop. Two members were once common at the desk.
But another member is now assigned to the surgical waiting area on Wednesdays, assisting families and patients with families.
A nurse himself, Jones is also glad to see visitors returning to the hospital. “I know how important it is to have family as part of health care,” he said.
There are protocols in place for visitors, the same as those for Pink Ladies.
All visitors are screened upon entering the hospital and masks are required. Visitors have to abide by space limitations. For instance, only one visitor per patient is allowed in the surgical waiting area due to the size of the area.
The hospital staff works to accommodate the needs of patient and family, Jones explained.
Above all, the hospital staff wants to “make sure we can provide that safe environment,” Jones said.