Holly Dishnow is an inspiration. She is a Nurse Practitioner, mother of three children under the age of six, an active volunteer and leader in her church, and devoted wife to her husband of eleven years.
Dear Wonder Woman, I think you have competition.
Holly has worked in healthcare for over eleven years. For nearly seven of those years, she has been a Nurse Practitioner in Wound Care at Metro Health: University of Michigan Health Wound Healing Center. Holly specializes in treating chronic wounds, which are wounds that haven’t healed in 30 days or more. With each patient, she studies their medical history, plays detective to assess why a wound isn’t healing, and then creates a treatment plan. One thing that Holly loves about Wound Care is the opportunity to witness tangible healing.
Even before Covid-19, every day in Wound Care varied. Unlike some medical specialties, treating wounds cannot always be done via video visits. Treating wounds like venous leg ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers must be done in person. It is hands on work, debriding wounds and monitoring for infection.
Holly says, “As a working mom, I have many of the same challenges as others, finding childcare, having to miss certain activities like field trips, and balancing home responsibilities to ensure my family has dinner and clean laundry. During the current pandemic, there are other challenges. I wear scrubs at work that are laundered there, but as soon as I get home, I shower and launder the clothes and mask I wear to and from work. In this way, I try to lessen the risk of transmission to my family.”
As a safety precaution, her clinic has cut the patient load significantly to comply with social distancing, ensuring there are fewer patients in the waiting room. They also encourage any immunocompromised or high-risk patients to stay home, such as those with chronic lung disease or undergoing chemotherapy.
All patients are screened when they come into the office, and all employees are screened daily for symptoms of fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. Masks and face shields are worn during all patient interactions. Every morning, the staff meet for updates and drills about what to do if they see a PUI (person expected of having COVID-19.) It is challenging to keep up with the constant changes and adapting practice as needed to be able to continue caring for the patients.
With the high need for healthcare workers, any staff that is not needed in the clinic is sent to a labor pool to be used wherever needed in the hospital. Providers are being asked to sign up for extra shifts in the ED or ICU to be called in if needed in case of surge.
Holly wanted to share this message with you, “Thank you! As a healthcare worker, I have definitely felt loved and supported by the community. We’ll keep doing our part to care for you. Keep doing your part by staying home and following CDC recommendations. And to all the moms out there learning to be teachers and trying to stay healthy and sane, I’m right there with you. You’re doing great! We’re all in this together!”
From our team at Diverse Global, we say thank you, Holly. Thank you for being a hero on the frontlines.
