Adventist Health St. Helena in St. Helena, California, United States, invited the community to join in a virtual celebration on December 8, 2020, to commemorate the reopening of the hospital after being temporarily closed for more than two months, following the devastation caused by the Glass Fire.
The virtual event included remarks from hospital president Steven Herber, chief medical officer Timothy Lyons, and admitting hospitalist and community member Debby Hobbs. Presentations included a glimpse into who was behind the reopening efforts and how Adventist Health is prepared to face COVID-19.
The virtual ceremony was followed by celebratory events on the campus, according to leaders, to honor the team and recognize the power of everyone working together toward the goal of reopening and resuming patient care.
Herber commented on how important it is for doctors, nurses, and staff to celebrate this milestone, because everyone worked very hard and they were motivated by one common goal: getting back to the patients.
“After thousands of hours of planning, hard work, and a long, arduous process that would make even the most patient person take a deep breath, this team deserves be recognized. It feels great knowing that tomorrow the staff will be back together to stand ready to help our patients and community, especially during this critical time as we all face the crisis of COVID-19.”
Operations executive Hoda Assadian added that this process was all consuming.
“Our teams have been working 24/7 to make the necessary repairs to our systems, deep cleaning the entire facility from top to bottom, replacing all supplies, flushing out the water system, and removing debris. Getting all of the intricate systems and equipment cleaned, tested, retested, and calibrated were onerous tasks critical to the reopening plan. We’re happy to report this hospital is now better than ever, and it’s been certified by officials that we’re safe and ready to reopen.”
Despite the extensive resources required to reopen the hospital, Adventist Health hasn’t stopped there. The team has been taking care of the needs of the community with its clinics in Napa, St. Helena, and Calistoga, and its mobile health program. Mobi, the mobile health unit, provides access to primary care and COVID-19 testing via a van that travels to various locations throughout Napa Valley.
Adventist Health also launched free counseling to help residents deal with the stress of COVID-19 and the wildfire. Together with SyncTALK, by Sychronous Health, the counseling service connects participants to a licensed counselor who can help residents deal with the stress and anxiety they might be feeling. The offer includes four free sessions, each 30 minutes long, and they’re held virtually by phone or video.
About Adventist Health
Adventist Health St. Helena is part of Adventist Health, a faith-based, non-profit, integrated health system serving more than 80 communities on the West Coast of the United States and Hawaii. Founded on Seventh-day Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides care in hospitals, clinics, home-care agencies, hospice agencies, and joint-venture retirement centers in both rural and urban communities. The team of 37,000 includes associates, medical staff physicians, allied health professionals, and volunteers in pursuit of a mission: living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness, and hope, with a whole-person focus on physical, mental, spiritual, and social healing.
The original version of this story was posted on the Adventist Health news site.
