This is among series of stories on Delta’s First Responders, a year after COVID-19 became a world-wide pandemic.
It’s arguably been the greatest challenge in its 41-year-old history and it’s taken a “team effort” to get Delta Hospital through it.
According to Delta Hospital executive director Cathy Wiebe the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic provided plenty of uncertainty and questions.
“It has been hard on them, but they have shown such resiliency in regards to this. It was very scary at the beginning because we didn’t know very much. Is it airborne or is it not airborne?” said Wiebe. “We all recall those conversations at the beginning of last March and April.
“It was just getting all our ducks in a row in regards to keeping everyone safe and preventing us from transmitting it to our homes. Some of our staff really struggled with it. They were really worried about bringing it home to their little ones, or their spouses or elderly parents.
“What I was most impressed with is how it brought us all together and that includes our physicians. They really came together and were engaged in keeping us all safe and asking key questions of how we can help and support each other. We did lots of huddles with the staff and coming together as a team. Really it was all about infection, prevent and control. That’s the name of the game when you have this kind of virus.”
The hospital was hit with a significant outbreak in the medicine unit back in September that lasted about 40 days. It resulted in 26 staff and 19 patient cases as well as seven deaths.
“We lost some patients and one staff member got very ill,” continued Wiebe. “That was the hardest thing as a leader. Not only seeing patients pass away, but seeing your staff get really sick.
“We were thankful of the government and all the initiatives they put forward at that time. Hotels cut their rates to house our staff so they didn’t need to go home. Some staff did take us up on the invitation.”
The outbreak did result in every incoming patient from other hospitals being tested in case they might be an asymptomatic spreader of the virus. That procedure is now being done throughout Fraser Health as new variants threaten a potential third wave in B.C.
“It was an initiative from our outbreak and we isolate the patient until we get the swab back,” added Wiebe. “Right now it is a race against the vaccine and the variants. We still want to promote people staying in your small bubble.”
