A Message from SHARE

Dear Member,

Right now, in the very deepest part of our hearts, we are grieving. This week has been one of revelations and affirmations. Our country is suffering.

SHARE stands with the Black community—Black Lives Matter. The systemic oppression of Black people, including the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many before them, continues to be woven into our cultural fabric. We are all subject to the pervasive virus of racism.

We formed our union in 1997 to have a say in decisions that affect us, to set a standard of treating every single person with kindness and respect, and to cultivate community. Our strength comes from building relationships, listening to each other's stories, and taking care of one another. We are committed to standing with our most vulnerable members who experience discrimination, racism, harm, and injustice. ​In this moment, it is particularly important to support the Black and Brown ​members of our community.

Today we simultaneously feel worry, outrage, impotence. We are brokenhearted. But in moments like this, even with a global pandemic still looming over us all, a community response is needed. Building relationships of trust and taking care of each other are needed here. Together, we can demand and create justice. We must make sure that workers on the front lines are heard, and have the resources needed to find a path forward, one that includes justice, dignity, respect, and love in action. 

How will this moment activate us? Can we build a new way of living with one another? To do so, we need to stop and listen with intention. Without rushing into reflexive action, we must learn even more fully and deeply from those of us in the Black and Brown communities.

Our conversations may include periods of what seem like silence, of unsaid words that people can’t or won’t share. Or, we may hear hard truths. And some of us will likely say the wrong things. These are difficult conversations; we will have to listen to each other with compassion and engage with respect. 

SHARE will continue its work building strength through relationships of trust and building bridges among our communities. We extend an open invitation for you to continue with us in this work. We intend to listen.

In Solidarity,

SHARE

SHARE Member Spotlight: Joshua Resch

JOSHUA RESCH

MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATE, PTRC (PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT CENTER), 4/29/20

Note: PTRC transitioned to an all COVID-positive unit several weeks ago, after a number of patients came down with COVID-19 and were transferred to University for medical treatment. 

A lot of us understand the field of inpatient psychiatry, but now the whole game is changed. It’s no longer just about the patient and their condition, whether they are manic, or whatever. We still try to reach out to the patient, talk with them about what they care about, encourage them, talk them down if they are elevated. Now all our interactions come with another thread: We are much more guarded, like if the patient is angry, we take a few steps back to see where the situation goes. It’s a new way of thinking, to find an approach that helps the patient but also protects ourselves and the patient from the disease. 

Unfortunately, it was like guerilla warfare when COVID spread in our department. One day you’d talk to a patient or a co-worker, and the next day they were sick, or you were taking the patient to the ED. We watched our patients dwindle down to just 2. It was remarkable, and I’m so curious: What is it about these 2 patients that they didn’t get sick? And 4 or 5 of the staff didn’t get sick – we were the last people standing.  

Who knows, maybe we did get sick and we were asymptomatic. We aren’t allowed to get tested unless we have symptoms, so it’s confusing. 

A lot of my co-workers come from other countries, and their parents live with them. They are very worried about bringing the virus home and getting them sick. 

Some nurses and I volunteer to observe our co-workers taking off and putting on their PPE. It seems ridiculous to say, “Nope, you did that wrong, you have to wash your hands and do it again.” But it’s important. 

We are really making sure we have each other’s back. If someone needs to go to the bathroom, you know it’s going to be a 15 minute process. 

I think now my co-workers and I are finding ways of creating some humor, we rag on each other more than usual. We’re all still scared, but the humor helps. Hazard pay would help too! 

Who are those masked men? They’re the heroes who serve as Mental Health Associates at the PTRC

Some nurses and I volunteer to observe our co-workers taking off and putting on their PPE. It seems ridiculous to say, “Nope, you did that wrong, you have to wash your hands and do it again.” But it’s important. 

Click to connect with more SHARE’D Stories

We are really making sure we have each other’s back. If someone needs to go to the bathroom, you know it’s going to be a 15 minute process. 

I think now my co-workers and I are finding ways of creating some humor, we rag on each other more than usual. We’re all still scared, but the humor helps. Hazard pay would help too! 

Who are those masked men? They’re the heroes who serve as Mental Health Associates at the PTRC

Some nurses and I volunteer to observe our co-workers taking off and putting on their PPE. It seems ridiculous to say, “Nope, you did that wrong, you have to wash your hands and do it again.” But it’s important. 

We are really making sure we have each other’s back. If someone needs to go to the bathroom, you know it’s going to be a 15 minute process. 

I think now my co-workers and I are finding ways of creating some humor, we rag on each other more than usual. We’re all still scared, but the humor helps. Hazard pay would help too! 

Who are those masked men? They’re the heroes who serve as Mental Health Associates at the PTRC

Some nurses and I volunteer to observe our co-workers taking off and putting on their PPE. It seems ridiculous to say, “Nope, you did that wrong, you have to wash your hands and do it again.” But it’s important. 

We are really making sure we have each other’s back. If someone needs to go to the bathroom, you know it’s going to be a 15 minute process. 

I think now my co-workers and I are finding ways of creating some humor, we rag on each other more than usual. We’re all still scared, but the humor helps. Hazard pay would help too! 

SHARE'D Stories: A SHARE Member Gallery

introducing share’d stories

During the pandemic, it’s sometimes been hard to imagine how to move forward. However, SHARE members have worked straight on through, with diligence, teamwork, and compassion. We’ve been highlighting that work on the SHARE blog. Now we’re happy to announce that we’re collecting up those experience in a new online gallery, “SHARE’D Stories.”

SHARE your story

The gallery is growing, and we want to include you. Our stories connect us, and they make our union strong. You can share yours by starting with the link below:

We’re glad to see a recent increase in awareness in the popular media about expertise of healthcare workers and the challenges of working on the front line. Those reports are great, but they often overlook the various roles that people perform in hospitals. Over 2800 SHARE members fill 170 different job titles, and each of us has experiences to tell about. We hope you’ll enjoy, be moved by, learn from, and share these stories.

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please note: The SHARE office phone has not been working properly this week. We think it’s fixed now. But, if you are unable to leave a message, contact the SHARE organizing staff via share.comment@theshareunion.org, or contact an organizer directly. Thank you for understanding.

Member Spotlight: Emily Anderson, PCA

Emily Anderson

Patient Care Associate, Memorial Campus, 5/20/20

I had my own brush with COVID symptoms in the beginning of March and stayed out of work for two weeks.  The day I went to get tested at the University tent was a cold, snowy day. I felt sad for the workers out in the cold in their PPE.  Everyone I dealt with at Employee Health and at the tent were extremely kind and helpful.  This was right at the beginning of the crisis, and I think the staff did a great job at what must have been a confusing time. Thankfully, I tested negative and could come back to work.  But when I returned, my PCA job felt like a whole new job.  Not only were we busy every minute of the shift due to volume, but we needed to think about how to do our job in a very different way.  Policies and procedures were changing every day. Our communication had to be thorough and timely to make sure all staff were working properly. There could be a whole new list of things to remember and do properly from day to day.  This was stressful, but we appreciated that hospital leadership was working hard to continuously improve our working conditions for safety and improving patient care.   

The help from the community has been incredible during this difficult time. Local restaurants and families have provided us with lunches, dinners, and snacks.  It makes a difference to not have to think about food when there are so many more important things to do.  And there have been some very, creative donations made by friends of my coworkers.  One friend has a 3D printer and designed a simple piece of plastic that attaches to our face masks so that the elastic is not riding on your ears all day.  It may not sound like much, but it is one more thing that truly helps us concentrate on our patients rather than being distracted.  This friend also designed and produced a kind of face shield with just a piece of plastic from notebook dividers and again by making us safer, we can focus on our work.  It is wonderful the way so many people from the community have come together to support us. 

One of the most challenging changes is interacting with patients.  We know this must be a very stressful time for them and we are doing our best to be sensitive to all our patients . . . but especially our elderly patients with hearing loss, confusion, or other issues.  It must be scary to see us walk into a noisy room in our full PPE gear—we kind of look like aliens-- and wonder what is happening? We want them to know we care.  Our patients can’t see our smiles behind our masks, but they can hear how much we care in our voices and the expression in our eyes.   

The pandemic has brought the idea of teamwork to a whole new level.  It’s not about helping one another get the work done.  It’s about caring for one another’s well-being and supporting each other’s work.  When we are feeling anxious, we remind each other to breathe and make sure everyone gets the time they need to regroup.  This crisis has made our staff really close, and I’m grateful for each person.  These are the people who truly appreciate my experience, understand what I’m going through, and know what I’m talking about when I say, “We’re all in this together.”

SHARE member Ellen Horgan (PCA), Ashley Lanpher RN ,  SHARE member Nicole Blair ( PCA)  & SHARE member Brianna Courteau (PCA) and SHARE member Emily Anderson (PCA) 

Click to connect with more SHARE’D Stories

Member Spotlight: Jason Trenkle, Administrative Tech

Jason Trenkle

Administrative Tech & SHARE Executive Board Member, Marlborough Emergency Department, 4/29/20

Jason Trenkle with Marlboro Hospital’s SHARE Signature Poster

We were in a really good place at the start of this. We were able to get a lot of people trained and up to speed and everyone was very flexible. I'm sure we all experienced the same machine gun fire of new protocols that kept coming at us. We'd be told one thing, then five seconds later we'd be told something else. That seemed to get people together quickly. I'm proud of how we've been able to handle this so far. 

The honeymoon period of over-staffing, over-training and lots of info has slowed, though, as patient-load has kicked up. People are ever so-slightly clipped, trying to get a lot done and trying to stay focused. Anytime I've had a negative experience though, I can look back on it and understand where it was coming from. Sometimes, I pass people in the hall and am surprised when they seem frustrated with me out of nowhere. Then I remember that they're up to their necks in work, too, and maybe I was being a little too cheery for that moment. Now, I'm trying to be more focused and read the situation better. People are strained and I know it's not personal when we get short with each other. 

Other times, I've felt helpless. The other day, everything was slow and we were all pretty relaxed until noon came and patients started pouring in on both ends. All the sudden, we were intubating two people at once, and we didn't have everything we needed. People were really frustrated, so I tried to focus on what was needed two steps down and make it easier for the staff. I try to focus the best I can, despite the tension. 

One of the most memorable moments so far is one of the first intubations I was present for. I was outside the door being a gofer and testing all of our new techniques. It was stressful trying to get an old baby monitor with a grainy image to work properly to help people outside the room interact with people inside the room. It's a hard wooden door, there are tons of PPE and hoods, It's hard to communicate through all of that, but we're trying to limit exposure as much as possible. During that first intubation of a COVID-19 patient, it was like, 'OK, this is happening. Ready. Set. Go.' People jumped into it, muttering to themselves all the steps, trying to get it right. And I'm trying to get everyone to doff and don everything properly. The docs are so practiced but sometimes they forget. I try to take care of all if it, but it's hard not to be on edge just to do very simple things. I'm trying to be as efficient as possible but I realize sometimes that I'm taking longer because I'm rushing. I tell myself, 'Just take a breath and see a couple steps ahead. I need to do this, so I can do that.'

The hardest part is that you're never really ready for it. Maybe that's just the ER. We go from zero to one hundred. The day will start off slow and then lunch hits and there's six more patients than when I left half an hour ago. It can turn on a dime and you need to be able to perform at your peak and get everything done and then all the sudden 3 o'clock comes. I don't feel done, but, I've got to go home. I've got to get outta here. The next shift is here. Then I'm heading home and trying to come down, but it's not always that easy. My husband works 9a-5p and lives off of the news. He turns it on as soon as he gets home. It's always stories from other hospitals where it's just dire. When there are touching stories, I try not to weep like a baby. I try to take myself out of the moment for a while. I just look out the window and focus on my breathing. I'm trying to be strong for my family and not put too much on them. I'm trying to be strong for my husband, so that he's not too stressed out. Sometimes it's hard. After four days on, I really get tired and my defenses fall. I feel guilty about that though. So many people are working many more hours than that. I know of a nurse who was hired to work in New York City for 80+ hours a week. It makes me feel silly to say I'm burned out and emotionally pushed. I guess there are a lot of mountains and valleys. I find comfort in being able to go to work and focus on the here and now. But, when I go home I worry about the global scale of this. I worry about the implications, not just financially, but what its going to do to our culture. I worry about all kinds of things that could morph from this. I'm ready to get back to my normal life. I also feel guilty for wanting that, but I want to play soccer with my friends. I want to be able to play pick-up games at the park.

Click to connect with more SHARE’D Stories

I feel grateful for my mornings though. I get in it's 6:45 a.m. when the town hasn't really woken up yet. There usually aren't that many patients and we all get a moment to commiserate about the day before over a cup of coffee. For a moment, it feels normal. Even through the rest of the shift feels totally bonkers and the outside world feels completely different. It feels like our jobs haven't changed, there's just a ton of new protocol. It feels still and it's nice. I'm grateful that even though the world has changed that that part of the day is totally the same.

SHARE Member Spotlight: Annette Machunsky, Specialty A/R Coordinator

ANNETTE MACHUNSKY

SPECIALTY A/R COORDINATOR & SHARE Representative, 306 BELMONT ST, 4/28/20 

When this all started, most of the rest of my co-workers got sent to work from home for social distancing. Our department of over thirty people shrank to two of us in the department in our building. Only Mary and I kept working here on-site. I focused on the attorney letters. 

Annette with Jaycie, Buffie, Angela, Valerie, and Tyler

Eventually, Mary went to work from home, too, and I was left to myself. The whole team was back home generating paperwork, and checking-in with me to see what was happening with their work. I had to handle all the physical stuff for the department, printing things out.  

It was hard. Printers were broken. I worked with that. I spent all day walking from one end of the building to the other and back. I did miles of steps.  

I’m a hard worker. I take real pride in what I do. So when my manager asked why things weren’t getting done, I needed windshield wipers to handle the tears. “It’s just printing,” she said. But it wasn’t. I can do most anything, and I know it. I definitely didn’t want to seem weak. 

But I’m very vocal. My manager came back into the building to work at it, too, and so did my supervisor. Even the three of us barely made a dent. It takes a village.  

Now things are turned around. Seeing I.S. come in was amazing. Angela has taken over the work I was originally doing. Anna and Katie came back into the department for a couple of days to help catch up. Buffie and I are still working at it together. In the end, probably twenty full boxes of paper got printed. The scanning team -- Tyler and Jaycie – they’ve been doing all of their own work, and then some.  

Click to connect with more SHARE’D Stories

Our Director made a good point: the payors are now pushing out deadlines, but we haven’t missed a beat, and we’re catching up to make sure that our hospital gets paid every penny for the care we give. We need it to survive. Everybody’s working together to bring the money in. It was great to hear Eric Dickson thank the finance team in the Townhall meeting last week. 

I want to give every person a shout out. There’s no “I” in “team.” My favorite thing is all of the positivity. Valerie works in Pre-Billing, and her humor gets me through the day. There aren’t many of us here on-site, but the team lines are blurring. We’re like a family. I don’t feel alone. Everyone is helping everyone else. I’m never going to be a nail that you’re going to hammer down, but being in SHARE helps me be up front. Being a SHARE Rep gives me more ways to help others.

SHARE Member Spotlight: Cathy Conway, Financial Counselor

Cathy Conway

Financial Counselor, 306 Belmont St, 4/28/20

Mabelle, Sandra, and Cathy

Several weeks ago, Financial Counselors, department leadership and SHARE organizers joined on a WebEx to discuss next steps for determining who would work from home and who would continue to work on site in order to make sure that patients were signing up for health insurance through the pandemic. It was the second time in several weeks that management had pulled the staff together to explain what was going on and to present the staff with choices about where they wanted to work. 

"We've always been essential. But this time, it felt different. By giving us a choice, they were saying us, 'You're essential, but how do you feel?'‘“Cathy's worked at UMass for twenty-seven years, and the conversations the department's had during the pandemic have made her feel more valued than ever.

"Management jumped through hoops in order to get us the equipment to work from home and operate the call center from home. They went out on a limb for us. Mass Health has worked with us, too. We have more flexibility in how we process paperwork. That helps us to do our jobs. We have to make sure the patents are comfortable, and that their bills are paid, but we have to make sure the hospital is being paid, too."

Cathy is one of the staff who chose to work onsite, which her co-workers are really grateful for so that those of them who are immuno-compromised can continue to work from home a bit longer. 

Click to connect with more SHARE’D Stories

"Am I afraid? Not really. We do as much through the phones as we can. We still go into patient's rooms. We have to wear masks and wash our hands but we still have to help people get health insurance."

For Cathy, another thing that's felt special is that, "The whole hospital system has pulled together. Everyone's passing out masks, snacks and water. They have two surge-nurses coming around and asking us if we want coffee or tea! Can you imagine? That may be no big deal to some people, but I think it's wonderful. It may be just a little tiny thing, but it feels like we're sticking together. It feels like we're unified. We are proud to be part of this organization!"

SHARE Member Spotlight: Joel Masley, RT

JOEL MASLEY

RESPIRATORY THERAPIST & Executive Board Member, UNIVERSITY CAMPUS, 3/31/20 

Joel with SHARE Union Secretary Deb Clark and organizer Kirk Davis

Things are busy!  In addition to taking care of patients, I’ve been helping get our department’s equipment ready for the surge.  I’ve been working a lot with our new equipment tech, Michael.  He’s awesome.  It’s his second week, we’re really lucky we got him.  We’re staging different parts, vent tubes, stuff to tie tubes, neb bags, stuff like that.  And we’re working on standardizing all our carts in all the different locations where we’re setting up so that they can be used by everyone the same way.  We did a video for critical care nurses to watch on vents, nebs, put a cleaning module together for our people.  We redid a BiPap machine so it can work as a vent, and hooked up a vent that can work on two people at once.  We put those downstairs so people can play around with them now and see how they work.  We’re doing everything we can to get ready for whatever’s coming.

The last couple of weeks have been mentally and physically tiring, but the teamwork has really been exceptional between all the different roles, everyone is overlapping and helping each other.  Everyone’s preparing for the worst case scenario, but really for the most part people are gelling together.  And people are working hard to keep things cheery, too – for the most part people are being really good and generous with each other.  I love the stuff coming in from outside, from people saying thank you. Like today Dunkin brought some stuff in for us, that was great.  It feels like everyone’s pulling together to get the job done and take care of each other, you know?

EBS has been so good, they’re wiping everything down, doing such a thorough job.  They are the real unsung heroes – they are an integral part of keeping us all safe and healthy.  So there’s a whole team of people coming together to accomplish things, getting things done, that’s kind of neat.

Click to connect with more SHARE’D Stories

People are nervous about protective gear, about how many vents we’re going to do.  They’re looking at New York, and waiting for the surge is hard – the next two weeks will be the telltale.  But it’s not all doom and gloom, we’re really helping people.  People think getting on a vent is a death sentence, but it’s not.  One person just got extubated today.  We’re seeing people get better now, so that’s a really good feeling, encouraging for what’s coming.

The reassigned staff seem like the ones who are most nervous right now, because they’re not sure what it will be like.  We’ve got like 7 therapists coming up from the pulmonary lab.  Or nurses from the clinics.

The most memorable moment for me from the last couple weeks was watching someone who was getting ruled out, and his wife couldn’t stay with him, she was extremely upset and wanted to be with him, that was tough, kind of an awakening for me.  How would I feel in her position?  That stuck out for me. 

SHARE Member Spotlight: Kona Enders, PCA

KONA ENDERS

PCA2, UNIVERSITY CAMPUS, 3/31/20

Kona with SHARE staff organizer Will Erickson

3/28/20 update from Kona:  Our unit, 3 West got moved again to the CDU, and it was so crazy not knowing what to expect from the staff that we were joining. There were tensions on the unit because we didn't know each others and once again just got thrown into this situation without much clarity as usual. I'm writing because things have improved so much on the unit because we have gotten to know each other and share some personal stories with each others. Our unit is now the best unit for caring for the COVID patients. Each day everyone is making an effort to get along and work better together. Thank you to everyone for working so hard to make our work better.

3/31/20

We are working so differently than we were. A lot of people were afraid because there wasn’t a lot of notice that we were moving to another unit [Kona and the other staff in her area were recently transferred to 3 Lakeside Short Stay]. It was really hard at first because we are working so differently. It was hard on the nurses and the PCAs.  The doctors and everyone keep saying that we have to decrease the foot traffic in the rooms.  It is hard because we can’t have the conversations with the patients like we always did and spend time with them. I was kind of dancing around outside one of the doors to a patient  being a little silly and the patient said, ‘That just made my day!’ 

We feel very supported. Maggie the NP who works with Dr. Myers, will bring us food or snacks. Or we get things from other floors. They are thinking of us.  Cardiac Surgery always checks on us.

One of the greatest tools that was implemented was when you are logged onto the computer it will say whatever any patient, or nurse, or PCA or MD needs right across the screen. So who ever has a computer in front of them can help that person in the patient’s room. It really feels like more teamwork!

Click to connect with more SHARE’D Stories

SHARE Member Spotlight: Nancy Bellantoni, Neurodiagnostic Technologist

Nancy Bellantoni

Co-Chief Neurodiagnostic Technologist, Neurodiagnostic Center, University Campus

SHARE Rep, Unit-Based Team Union Co-lead

Nancy showing SHARE pride with her (now retired) co-worker Steve.

Everyone has a baseline fear. You’re afraid you are going to contract the virus, and bring it home to your family. People who clean, people who work in food service – we’re all susceptible. I’m not shaking in my boots when I walk in, but there’s always a baseline level of fear.

It’s tough on people, nothing is normal, and at work there’s more stress. You see all the cracks begin to appear. It’s reflected in people’s overall behavior.

COVID Positive Inpatients

Neurodiagnostic Techs do EEGs (some people call them “the brainwave test”), EMGs (peripheral nerve testing) and botox treatments, as well as a few other less common tests. 

We’re seeing a lot of pedi cases for EEGs. Doctors want to see an EEG before ordering med changes. And a lot of COVID patients are having strokes, or a seizure, so the doctors want to see an EEG. Neurodiagnostic Techs go into the COVID patient rooms in the ICUs and the floors. It’s weird, it’s now our normal, but we were really afraid at the beginning. As we became used to it, it takes away the fear. We have the PPE we need, and nurses were really excellent helping us suit up, making sure we did it properly, in a certain order.

Click to connect with more SHARE’D Stories

After the Surge, More Outpatients

I can see our department getting busier now. We can’t put off our botox patients any more. (We don’t do cosmetic botox, people always think that.) Patients get botox treatments for severe migraine, or post stroke spasticity, or chronic twitches. Botox can be a miracle for a lot of patients. Like maybe a leg or arm is twisted, and the botox loosens up the limb so it functions better. People’s treatments have been delayed by COVID, and their symptoms revert back – they need their treatments.

The hospital has provided guidelines for reopening: for example, no waiting rooms, no waiting in hallways, the number of people who can be in the lab is limited. I think every department is struggling to figure out how we will move forward in a safe way for all our patients and staff. Working with the union a lot, I’ve learned you have to get everyone together, you all have to have a clear understanding of the goal. Everyone has to be on board.

Doing What Needs to be Done

I’m very proud of our department. In typical fashion, the NDC really pulls together as a unit. We’ve had great leadership from the physicians. We’ve pulled together and done what needs to be done.

SHARE Member Spotlights: Rich Leufstedt, Radiologic Technologist

RICH LEUFSTEDT

DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY TECHNOLOGIST & SHARE REP, UNIVERSITY CAMPUS, 4/27/20 

At University, we’re a Level-One Trauma Center. We can see anything, and we usually do. Now, things blur together, and I lose track of the days. It’s chest X-Ray after chest X-Ray after chest X-Ray all day long. We’re almost entirely seeing presumed-positive COVID patients. With all of the infection control procedures, those scans that usually take five minutes now take twenty. It’s a grind. 

I really appreciate that other Technologists are coming in to help the Diagnostic Techs, like the people from Mammography who are working as Radiology Assistants right now. We can really use more relief. There’s no admin leave for the X-Ray Techs. Even if we’re out sick with non-COVID symptoms, it’s impossible to have a restful day because Employee Health has to follow up our symptoms. We feel burnt out. 

I worry about the back load that’s coming, too – where are the patients that we usually scan? What's happening that we don’t know about? 

click to connect with more SHARE’D Stories

Coming home at the end of the day it’s a scary routine to try to leave all the germs outside my home and get cleaned up. I do this job because I want to help. But would I have gone into this career twenty years ago if I had known that I’d be on the front lines like this one day, with these odds of bringing home a potentially deadly disease to my family? 

I have faith. Every morning I see the sunrise and think, “We’ve got this.” But still, It’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  

In case you missed it:

Rich lead singing during the 2016 Contract Negotiations with his own composition: ‘SHARE Song’

We’re here ‘cause we care. Invest in us . . .

Help us treat the patients right . . .

SHARE! Stands for workers. . . .

And teamwork.

SHARE! Together we’ll get the job done!

SHARE!

SHARE Member Spotlight: John Kendall, Clinical Laboratory Assistant

JOHN KENDALL

CLINICAL LABORATORY ASSISTANT & SHARE REPRESENTATIVE, MARLBOROUGH HOSPITAL, 4/29/20

I spent twenty-eight with the Southborough Fire Department and retired as a Lieutenant. As a firefighter, I wasn't afraid to go in. I had respect for the fire -- this is different. With Covid-19, I'm constantly asking myself, Is my mask on right? Am I covered up?' It's very stressful going into the room, and it's just one patient. In addition to the floors, we've been overrun by the tent. The other day, we had 128 patients in the tent.

It's not just us in the labs who are overwhelmed and worried about getting sick. It's the CNA's, the nurses, and the docs too. We don't want to carry this virus home. Nobody knows that much about it. From what I can see it's a savage virus, and I have health issues of my own. I don't want to get it. I have a grandbaby coming. The baby's due this weekend and I'm not going to be able to see her. Neither will my wife Leslie who works in ED Registration at the hospital. FaceTime isn't the same as being there. This will be our third. 

What I miss most right now is the lack of personal connection I'm used to getting with my patients. We have elderly patients who come in regularly, usually in the morning. Usually I draw them and chat with them for a few minutes. We can't do that now. We have to spend as little time as possible. You do what you have to do to get in and out safely. You can't be personal. 

It's been a tough job, but we're all in it together and I can't wait for this to be over.

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Member Spotlight: Angela Robert, MOA

Angela Robert

Medical Office Assistant, Benedict Primary Care, 5/22/20

My family and I just lost my grandmother to COVID 19 – it’s been really hard to talk about and even harder to accept. She was at Lifecare in Auburn. It was recently reported in the local news I think there were something like eighty residents that caught it and thirty staff members, so she got stuck in the middle of it, it went through the Rehab hard and fast. She was ninety-one, but staff there swore she would have lived at least a couple more years if this hadn’t happened, which is equal to an endless amount of beautiful memories that were lost with her.  We were close.  The hardest thing for me was I wasn’t able to hold her hand in her final moments.  Her bed was by the window, so every day we would visit her, before she got sick.  This Easter the Rehab was locked down, no visitors, but we were there at her window with our Easter best on showing her the love she deserves, we made her a sign and she enjoyed watching her great grandsons play in the grass. The day before she died I was only able to put my hand to the glass so if she opened her eyes she would see I was there. The toughest part is knowing that my grandmother and others are all alone with no one holding their hand during a time when no one should be alone. Another person in the clinic lost someone too, we’ve been like a family here trying to hold each other together during this sad time for the world. With the loss of my grandmother I can personally vouch that this Covid-19 virus is really real, it’s out there, it’s not fake!  Don’t take your life and health for granted.  Take the steps to protect yourself and your loved ones. 

My sons were close to her too.  Their Great Nana.  My little one doesn’t understand, he just knows she’s in heaven with God, but my older one has cried about it almost every other day.  He is eight years old and all he wanted to do since the lockdown began was to do what he did almost every week which is to hug his great Nana, he has been very sad that he did not get that last hug from her, and it breaks my heart to see him so sad.  It’s also been hard not being able to see my Mom. She’s a hugger and I’m a hugger, and we haven’t been able to hug.  This has been tough on us huggers.  

I’ve been trying to be a good teacher to my kids, so when I leave here I take off my medical hat and I put on my teacher hat.  It’s a lot, I’ve always appreciated teachers, but I have learned to appreciate them even more.  But we try to keep it fun.  Every Saturday we have science class, that’s what we call it.  One Saturday we made a volcano, another one we grew crystals, we planted some seeds, and broke open a rock just to see what’s inside. 

I’ve stayed in the clinic during this pandemic, I opted to stay here to help in anyway I can. But this job role has really changed. Pre-Covid-19, I used to be out in the hallway and rooming patients, passing others rooming their patients, but now most of my day is spent in this little room, which is a patient exam room, all by myself, talking to patients over the phone!  I’ve had to learn a completely new way to do this job.  I can’t do their blood pressure, I have to ask them to do it.  I have patients in their eighties being taught how to have a telehealth video visit with their doctor from home using a smartphone. I’m glad I’ve been able to stay here and learn how to do all this, since this is how we may continue to see a lot of our patients, at least for a while.  

A lot of these patients are really alone, so a lot of them want to talk. That means a lot to me, I’m like an ear for them.  I had a patient the other day who’s going through something awful, she’s had a hard time, and I told her when you come in, I’ll gown up, you gown up, and lets hug!  

Something that I’ll remember from this time is just being able to be there for the patients when they’re going through a vulnerable time, to be there to listen and offer support.  Every single one of them has got a story, and I love hearing them. You see their name and its just a name but then we you hear their story, its amazing.  I’ve talked to people when they first have symptoms of COVID, when they’re scared because they’re getting worse.  You can hear it on the phone, how scared they are.  And then some of them really get worse fast, some have to come into the hospital, but others stay home and fight it from there, and you can hear how sick they are.  But then you can hear them when they’re on the other side of it and getting better, and it’s like a wilted flower that just got water again, you know? 

At first the patients were skeptical of video visits, that it won’t work.  But once you start the visit you can see on their face in the video that the trust is there, and they find out we can help them even though we are not in the same room.  Some use their older children’s phones or computers, it’s nice to see their family helping them.  I had a woman in her 80’s who didn’t think she could do it and I walked her through the whole thing.  Then she was so excited that she did it, it was like she went to the moon!  They didn’t really have the opportunity to do this before, but then they’re like, hey I’m pretty good at this sort of thing! 

If it’s possible, I think our clinic has gotten even closer.  We’ve had to learn so much and adapt on the fly, and the work is flowing better now that we’ve gotten the hang of it.  Which is good because work is really starting to pick up.  We had 146 appointments the other day.  

I made a slideshow video to music for our clinic with pictures of everybody, it was my way of saying, we’re going through something tough but we’re doing it as a team – that we’re all in it together and can lean on each other.  That first video was sentimental, but now I’m making another one that’s more upbeat, that’s like, we’re going to beat this virus! 

I feel like in the last couple months I’m more aware of community and what that means. We really have pulled together to take care of each other and help those that are in need whether it be medically, emotionally, offering a hot meal, making sure that we have the protective equipment we need.  People that I have never met before that are from other UMass campuses are now smiling familiar faces (under a mask). We all look out for each other. 

Member Spotlight: Sheila Ducharme, Bed Control

Sheila Ducharme

Bed Control Specialist, 5/21/2020

Bed management is responsible for bringing all admitted patients into the University and Memorial campuses.

At this time we do not cover the Clinton, Marlboro or Leominster campuses but we do attempt, on occasion, to transfer to these hospitals when we have to help ease the numbers in our ER’s.  Our admissions come from the ERs, clinics, home, doctors’ offices, Hahnemann Campus and other hospitals that contact our nurses here in the Transfer Center, hoping to have a patient accepted to either of our hospitals.  We are a twenty-four hour operation with rotating assignments.  Among other things, one person books the University Campus, one books the Memorial Campus and the third keeps track of when patients are transferred to another campus, where they went to and to which service and Doctor the patient is now under as well as putting all direct admits into the system.  The phones never stop. 

We’ve had some changes occur with the COVID direct admits.  Most clinics and Dr offices have been working from home.  Since the onset of the coronavirus we’ve received our requests for admissions in a couple different ways.  We’ve always received faxes but lately have received many via e-mail, too.  Every patient has had to be screened before they arrived at the hospital.  The Dr and Nurses of all these areas have been very accommodating in helping to get this information to us.  It’s been difficult to tell these people when we call them with a room that they cannot have any visitors. 

We’ve had many floors and units added to our regular volume of beds.  All of these were made COVID-ready rooms, both med surg and ICU levels of care.  We found it impressive how quickly the hospital was able to meet our needs for negative-pressure beds.   The addition of the DCU center was also amazing. It was added to our work flow as new hospital to book to just like we do the University and Memorial Campuses now.  It certainly helped to ease the demand here at the Medical Center and supplied rooms for the homeless of the city as well. It’s unfortunate, however, just how quickly we were able to fill them but are happy to see some of those units are closing at this time.   

One of the hardest parts of the COVID experience was having to present five or six different counts daily to 5 or 6 different places.  Each requirement was asking in different way the same information, but each had to be calculated and reported differently.  A lot of these reports went to the State level and to our command center administration here at the hospital.  Reported daily were things such as COVID med-surg beds booked,  COVID ICU beds booked, available open COVID beds, confirmed COVID transfers, etc.  There are quite a few categories we need to report out.  

Through all of this, it was work as usual with a different kind of patient clientele.  The COVID numbers were very high but the surgery schedules were very low.  It became just a new type of patient to book for a different reason.  We attempted to do so as quickly as possible to keep the flow going and keep things moving in the ER.  We choose which patients go into each bed.  It all depends on waiting time for a room, the service they are being admitted to and level of care they need.  Our Transfer Center nurses work with the EICU to determine the ICU level of care placement and let us know which unit they will go to.

We expect the need for COVID beds to continue.  It will be a balancing act to have regular rooms and covid rooms available for the ERs and direct admits as our numbers for regular patients increase, once again.   Added to this will be the OR schedules.  Both campuses have very active OR schedules that were all but put on hold during the last couple of months.   We expect things to become extremely busy in the immediate future and foresee it to be a balancing act.  Certainly, very challenging to say the least but we are never bored!

Member Spotlight: Tameka McDaniel Vasquez

Tameka McDaniel Vasquez

Financial Clearance, 5/19/2020 

I personally am doing ok because we’re working from home right now.  Once we have to go back in to the office it’s a different story!  I’m actually really happy with the way my team is progressing.  Back when I started, five or six years ago, some of us wanted to work from home but it couldn’t be done because we did so much by paper and it just seemed like too much of a thing.  But nowadays everything is electronic. We’re working from home and it’s going well, really well.  From what I hear from my coworkers, a lot feel like they concentrate more, they are able to focus a lot more, they don’t have the distractions of the office, and all the getting there and back of course.  Even those who didn’t want to work from home, who didn’t think they could handle it or were intimidated by the technology – those people seem like the ones who are liking it the most now.  A few can’t wait to go back, but most are happy working from home. 

We’re doing things to make it normal-feeling, too.  At 8:30 we have a quick big team huddle, then at 8:40 our “pre” team meets up, all on the Webex.  My supervisor Christina tells us what the numbers are for the day, how much money is in the queues that we need to make sure we go get so the hospital can get paid.  We’re able to say hi to each other, hear each other’s voices, thank each other for helping out yesterday.  And we’re doing other things to keep it light and fun, like a couple of us on the employee engagement committee do Trivia Thursday.  Right now we can’t do prizes but it’s still fun – it gives us something to think about during the day.  And one thing that’s new is now we can include the teams at Health Alliance and Marlboro too, so it’s bringing us together.  We have a Sharepoint site where we post pics of our dogs, our animals, our kids, our new WFH setups and other things to share with each other during this time of isolation.  And every day at two o’clock, our supervisor sends a positive quote to keep everybody feeling good and strong – people send their favorites to her.   

What’s amazing me is I feel like we’ve really come together during this time – I feel like we’re more together now than we were when we were physically together!  I can’t really explain it – I don’t know what the science is behind that, but it’s definitely true.  Maybe because we’re isolated at home it makes us want to reach out and connect more?  I think that just goes for our team, when trouble occurs we pull together and we work more as one.  We should be able to work this well together all the time.  I mean, we are really doing good work right now, we’re like a well-oiled machine.  Work is flowing, no one is holding back, everyone is pitching in to get it done no matter what their assignment is, everyone’s just like, lets get that queue down to zero!  People are helping without even being asked.  Like I’ll get bogged down in something, go back to my list, and see someone else is already working it.  That’s awesome.  I mean, in the five years I’ve been here I’ve never seen it so smooth.  What’s even more amazing is we have a person who started brand new during this whole thing.  The team has been reaching out to her, I told her about the union, she’s getting quite a welcome, people have been helping her so much.   

For my work, we’ve been pretty steady.  I do the emergency visits, so that’s increasing as people start to come back for the non-COVID stuff.  And on the elective side they are starting to see a slight rise, but they are still steady because of work queues and referrals.   

Management has been really open, getting us what we need – I think another thing that is helping is all the extra support.  We’ve been surveying our coworkers to see what questions and issues they have about going back into the office.  Nicole, Lori and Lisa are awesome union reps, they have been helping me reach out to people to get everyone to respond so everyone is included.  We’re going to meet with management at the end of the month to address those concerns – things like circulating the air, keeping the bathrooms clean, testing people so we know we’re as safe as possible, etcetera.  We know they don’t have all the answers, but it’s good to be talking about these things.  

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There really is a lot of anxiety about us going back.  People are really worried about all the details, like about their desks, how close together people will be, the microwave, the bathrooms, the elevators, wearing masks and the overall cleanliness of the building.  That includes pretty much everyone on the team from what I can tell.  We’re wondering if it might just be easier and safer for us to stay home, since things are going so well right now.  If it ain’t broke, right?  We don’t have all the individual productivity measures that other departments like Central Scheduling have, but we could definitely figure it out.  As long as work queues get down to zero and the work is getting done, that’s good right?  Our job is making sure the money is getting in the door, and that our hospital is getting paid for all the good work we’re doing.  It’s an important job and we’re pretty serious about it.  I know two other people who recently transferred from this department, and in their new jobs they had to get redeployed to the floors – I’ll admit I’m glad we had enough work here that that didn’t have to happen to us! 

The thing I’m really going to remember about this time is the way our hospital has all come together.  The unity of the hospital, and all the people in it.  And the union too.  My coworker Nicole wasn’t ever able to make union meetings before because of her schedule, but she’s able to attend now because we have been able to do it online.  Those rep meetings on Zoom have actually been really great – seeing all those faces, hearing what else people are doing and going through.  I used to be in patient care for years, so I really appreciate the job that every one of those people is doing. 

I have heart and lung problems, myself, and pretty bad asthma, so I’ll admit I’m pretty worried for my own health.  My mother-in-law has heart problems, too, so I’m worried about her as well.  But I’m worried about the hospital and everyone’s families, everyone in harm’s way.  This isn’t a one person thing.  That’s what’s been so great, is seeing all these different groups of people coming together for the better of everyone.  That’s why I got into health care.  Seeing that companionship, that makes me happy to be a part of this organization.  This is a new thing we’re facing, and every is just doing the best they can right now. 

Member Spotlight: Dee Martin

Dee Martin

Central Scheduling, 5/19/20

You know, I’m okay, I’m thankful that I’m working from home. But I’ve got two children who are frontliners, so that’s been scary. My daughter is a cashier at Market Basket. She’s twenty-one. My son is eighteen, and is working as a grocery pickup and delivery person for Walmart. My husband works in construction. He’s a mason, so he’s in Boston, he’s everywhere, but he’s been able to be safely distant for the most part, except in the car. 

I’ve been working from home for over a year, since before this all happened, so this wasn’t a hard transition. But it’s different jobs we’ve had to take on which have been a bit of a challenge.  We are doing COBs, fixing the wrong insurance, added to auth and denials files, calling insurance companies and figuring out why charges were denied.  It’s a lot more than just scheduling now.  That’s a big challenge for the thirteen of us.  We’re not familiar with the billing side, they’re asking questions that, you know, we’re not sure of the lingo, so navigating through that has required a steep learning curve. It’s a challenge because we don’t know the verbiage that they’re looking for. All of us cried for a couple days, we were really worried about messing up and losing the place a bunch of money! I reached out to a bunch of people for help, but we just kept getting the same job aide.  One coworker, she called out in the middle of the week because she was so totally stressed about it.  I reached out to my manager, who got me hooked up with a Webex that taught me how to do a bunch of this, but then I was the only one who knew about it, so I let the other people know.  I tell everyone just to keep escalating up the chain if they’re not getting a helpful answer – Zailee, she’s fantastic, she responds instantly, don’t be afraid to go to her.

I’ve been helping the schedulers get the support they need.  A lot just need reassurance, honestly.  I tell them take one day at a time, like when we didn’t have a date to come back to the office yet.  A lot of my coworkers have issues with procedures so they reach out to me for that stuff too. I like to help my fellow schedulers. A lot of them are pretty worried about how safe things will be when we have to come back, so we’ve made a list of issues to talk to management about to make sure the place is ready. Things like about the air circulation, it’s pretty dry and stale in there, it isn’t too good.  And there’s not a lot of bathroom space.  There’s also a lot of parents in our group, and there aren’t a lot of daycare options. People don’t know what they’re going to do with their kids. [NOTE: see the mass.gov childcare website or the current list of Emergency Childcare options.]

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We know the return to work after June 30th will be phased, but we don’t know who will be first in line, how they will do it. The list we compiled will help. A lot of people in my pod just had babies, one had RSV virus and so she’s worried about coming in, getting it, giving it to her child who is just getting over that.

I have to say as stressful as its been, the way at the start of this whole thing that they got everyone home that could go home was pretty impressive.  It happened so fast!  They figured out they had to do it, that it was the right thing to do, and bam, they made it happen.  It made me feel proud to work here – that they weren’t just taking care of the patients, they were taking care of the people who take care of the patients. 

Right now I’m most worried about my children and my grandchildren. I worry about my children every day. You know how it is. Unfortunately, but sort of fortunately, my oldest is laid off because she’s a bus driver. My 21 year-old is doing all the shopping for them. Her kids, my grandkids, have health problems, so if they got it I worry that they wouldn’t survive it. So we’re really praying for them every day. My son is a senior and we were really looking forward to his graduation, we’re really going to miss that.  

Member Spotlight: Brittany Hynes, Ophthalmic Technician on Redeployment

Brittany Hynes 

Ophthalmic Technician, Hahnemann Campus Eye Center/ Redeployed to Memorial Emergency Department, 5/14/20

It was quite a difference from the Eye Clinic after I got deployed to work as a PCA in the ED. I've been transporting patients who are COVID-positive to CT, Radiology, and for admission to the ICU.

It was eye-opening because once I saw this with my own eyes it was like, wow!  

Initially I had anxiety with the not-knowing. What would patients look like? Are they struggling to breathe?  It’s sad. But mostly the patients look like they're comfortable and not in pain. 

Now I'm worried about the uncertainties of what's next. The not-knowing about the day-to-day. I have two kids. I wonder about my being exposed and bringing it home.

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But the work is rewarding. I know I’m healthy, strong-willed. I do what I have to do. I want to be a good example for my girls. Some people say we are heroes. I don’t consider myself a hero. I would just love for my girls to look up to me and see how I have been making a difference.

SHARE Updates: Members Pushing for Federal Support

Hazard Pay & COVID Testing from the Federal Government

Thank you to everyone who has already contacted your Legislators to urge them to advocate for hospitals and healthcare workers. It’s not too late to make your voice heard. The HEROES Act currently aims to create support for front line workers. It has been passed by Congress, and still requires Senate approval to be enacted. The bill includes, among other things, a $200 billion fund for essential worker hazard pay, as well as an additional $75 billion for Covid-19 testing, tracing and isolation efforts.

This website makes it easy to contact your Senators with a pre-drafted message (or, you can create your own.) PLEASE NOTE: For some reason, the hospital’s default browser, Internet Explorer, does not work with that website. You can access the form using other browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, or even your smartphone. Thanks, too, to all of the SHARE members who helped us troubleshoot that glitch!

Addendum: Urge Congressional Support! (plus: More Member Spotlights)

Is the Red Button Broken?

It’s great to hear that so many of you are already reaching out to legislators to encourage federal support for front-line caregivers and for hospitals in COVID hotspots.

However! It’s also frustrating to hear that the link behind “the red button” hasn’t been working for some of you.

If that button doesn’t work on your browser, here is the direct link: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-fund-the-front-lines-now.

It’s not yet clear to us why the red button doesn’t work on every computer. The link makes contacting your Senators and Congressional delegates easy. Right now is an important time for them to hear from all of us. Thank you for your diligence, and for keeping us posted.

Member Spotlights

SHARE member Sara Gonzalez writes, “We keep moving forward. . . . I just love my team.”

Our union is growing a beautiful collection of stories from the lives of SHARE members during the COVID-19 crisis. Check out these latest additions:

• Marnie Doyle (Virtual Ambassador Program)

• Vanessa Cadime (CNA)

• Sara Gonzalez (CNA/Patient Transport)

We’re looking forward to more. Thank you —as always, and especially during these difficult times — for sticking together to keep our hospital and our union strong.

Hazard Pay and Support for our Hospitals: SHARE Members Urge Funding from Congress

  Click This red button to help keep front-line workers

— including SHARE members —

safe & secure 

*please note: the above link seems not to work with the hospital’s default browser, Internet Explorer. SHARE members are reporting success with other browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, and even smartphones.

SHARE Members Urge Funding from Congress for America’s Five Economic Essentials  

Through the above link, the AFSCME website creates an email to your Congressperson, and to the two Massachusetts senators. It’s easy. You can add to the suggested email or replace it with your thoughts.  

Many SHARE members are adding these two ideas:  

• I work in healthcare, and here’s why Congress should fund hazard pay for front-line workers.  

• Safety net hospitals in COVID-19 hotspot areas like ours need funding support.  

SHARE Encourages you to do this right now!  

Congress is currently considering another stimulus package to help Americans through the COVID-19 pandemic. They’re calling the bill “CARES 2.” AFSCME (SHARE’s parent union) and the AFL-CIO (the umbrella organization for unions across the country) are pushing Congress to support five priorities in that bill.  

America’s Five Economic Essentials  

All five priorities are focused on supporting working families, and the institutions they rely on. You can read more about these priorities here. We are hearing a lot of concern from SHARE members about 2 items that are included:     

Hazard pay (or “appreciation pay”) as well as PPE for front-line workers are included in the AFL-CIO’s priority #1: “Keep Frontline Workers Safe.” All essential workers need safety protections on the job, including personal protective equipment, training, testing, anti-retaliation protections, paid sick leave and hazard pay.     

Federal Support for Hospitals: Unions are pushing support for hospitals too – many are losing significant amounts of money as they drop everything to care for COVID patients. UMass Memorial is pushing Massachusetts Senators and Congresspeople to make sure that support for hospitals focuses on safety net hospitals in COVID-19 hotspots – like UMass Memorial hospitals. 

This situation has been amplified in Massachusetts: "The funding formulas that U.S. Health & Human Services has used to distribute the money – as well as the early cutoff dates the government used to assess the number of COVID-19 cases in a state – has meant that the commonwealth’s large surge in cases was not counted fully," according to the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association.

Thanks for your support, SHARE members!