By the Policy Team
Much has been written about the extensive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It affected physical and mental health and dramatically disrupted the economic and social aspects of life for nearly everyone. As we reflect on this, we would like to take a moment to acknowledge the work of health care workers, from frontline staff to those supporting clinical services. They ensured a rapid response when needed, established testing and vaccination programs quickly, pivoted to telehealth and telework, and fostered trust and camaraderie within their workplaces and communities.
This blog summarizes relevant findings from a policy brief series spearheaded by staff from the Moses/Weitzman Health System to document the experiences of Community Health Center Inc. (CHCI) personnel during the pandemic. We also highlight the recommendations featured in the policy briefs.
Pivoting and Adapting as Needed
Facing unprecedented changes, health care staff were forced to pivot and adapt their roles to increase our institution’s capacity to continue providing care and services to our communities in Connecticut.
“It was really a ‘learn-as-you-go.’ We had to evolve and learn along the way.”
Team members developed creative solutions that demanded reorganizing facilities and revising operational protocols to deploy mass testing sites and launch wide-reaching vaccination and testing hubs.
“[COVID-19] changed my role… before it was important, but it made it more of an important role.”
Staff from CHCI took pride in embracing these unprecedented challenges, resulting in protecting their patients and their community. Staff members interviewed highlighted the need to increase crisis management funding and flexibility for federally supported community health centers. This can help ensure robust responses to future pandemics, mitigating the potential impact on vulnerable populations.
Telework While Maintaining Patient Care
For all health care staff, it was imperative that as their duties evolved, patient care remained a priority. Transitioning to telework required staff to rapidly adopt new software and data infrastructures while undergoing necessary training.
“We basically have to lift the agency up and move everybody to work from home and to work remotely. Once again, it all goes back to connectivity.”
The CHCI team was committed to priorities, including efficiency and stability, that centered around patient services. A related policy recommendation stresses the importance of supporting remote work, as it can allow health care professionals to maintain uninterrupted, high-quality patient care. Policymakers and organizational leaders should encourage pathways for remote workers in need, such as those illustrated by the pandemic, as it allows health centers to continue delivering critical services.
Addressing Misinformation and Communication
While communication has always been a cornerstone of care delivery, COVID-19 has shown how misinformation can impact patient services. Staff invested time in dispelling misinformation and easing patient fears, resulting in increased trust. Providing accurate health information was crucial to vaccination, testing, and treatment.
“My drive has always really been to try to educate and empower the people that don’t have the information… really just trying to support people for making the right decision for themselves.”
Moving forward, it is important to implement training that enables all patient-facing staff to engage in honest, transparent communication. Building trust remains a priority across health care, facilitated by outreach campaigns and collaborations with trusted community leaders and messengers.
To learn more about safety net health worker experiences during the pandemic, including our findings and recommendations, visit COVID-19 Policy Brief Series to access Brief One: Health Center Staff Reflect on Pandemic Agility and Innovation and Brief Two: Health Center Staff Reflect on Misinformation, Health Equity, and Workplace Well-Being.