Page 10 - White Plains Hospital Annual Report 2020-2021

knew we had to digest that information and do what was necessary.”
DR. PALUMBO:
“WE NEEDED TO ACT FAST.”
“There are numerous examples of things—
like changing the visitor policy and enacting temperature screening for staff—that we chose to start before they became mandated by the state. We’re a smaller organization than some other hospitals; we’re lighter on our feet. We were able to react as quickly as we could to make sure we were doing the right thing.”
DR. PALUMBO:
“WE OPERATED LIKE A DECISION- MAKING TEAM.”
“The whole senior team was there in that room, acting in a unified manner. We are a strong and cohesive team—and we operated that way from day one. We made decisions together, relying
on the subject-matter expertise that was in the room to inform the decision. So, I had expertise around things like ordering medication and developing physician protocols, while Leigh Anne had more control over PPE and how supplies were distributed and what to do about ventilators. Everyone had a role, and everyone was counting on people to do their role.”
DR. PALUMBO:
“WE WERE FIGHTING THE VIRUS— AND THE RUMORS.”
“We were holed up in that room for most of the day and talking about coronavirus constantly, but we realized quickly that people outside of that door didn’t know what we knew. There were all sorts of rumors and myths going around— misinformation from the news, from colleagues, from peers. So we had to be very communicative: information had to go out to the general staff and then we had to tailor communication for
physicians. I started doing one-hour video updates for staff and almost 600 people attended the first one. That was a testament to how much people needed the knowledge and needed to feel like they were connected to their medical community and their hospital.”
Both McMahon and Dr. Palumbo agree that the culture already in place at White Plains Hospital was key to getting through
the earliest days of the crisis. They stress that the staff’s commitment—both to one another and to exceptional patient care—as well as the effective communication structure and collaborative atmosphere that exist within
the Hospital allowed the senior leadership team to do what had to be done. “This was the most stressful experience I’ve ever encountered,” says McMahon, who has worked in healthcare for nearly 40 years, “but we knew there was no way we weren’t going to succeed.”
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WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL