After getting a distressing message, the Employee Health COVID Triage team was able to help a caregiver who was sick and stranded in a foreign country.
The caregiver had experienced some cold-like symptoms while on a cruise and tested positive for COVID-19. The ship’s doctor quarantined her, gave her some Tylenol and antibiotics, and the next morning, she was given an hour to choose a hotel and gather her things.
She had no information about health facilities or a care plan. She was only told that once she tested negative, she would have to make flight arrangements to leave the country within 24 hours. The hotel costs exceeded her budget, so she lived on hotel breakfasts and McDonald’s to save money. Her symptoms got worse, but she had to walk the mile to the nearest testing facility and back every day. She didn’t speak the language, and, for a time, had no cell phone or internet service.
The caregiver managed to get a message to the Employee Health COVID Triage team, and Holly Reed, RN, contacted her.
“She shared her story with me, and I realized she was in a truly difficult situation,” Holly says. “She expressed how intimidated she felt being alone and single and vulnerable trying to navigate in a foreign country where she doesn’t know the language.”
Holly and the rest of the team got the caregiver access to a provider in case she felt she needed one, got her in touch with EAP to help with her isolation and fear, and sent her other resources as the team continued to brainstorm ways to help. Holly also gave the caregiver her cell phone number. She’d lived overseas for 25 years and could offer the caregiver the reassurance of her experience, encouragement, and a caring voice.
Reflecting on how the team responded to this caregiver’s situation, Holly says, “It’s such a privilege to be in the position to help our caregivers at a stressful time when they’re sick and have the additional concerns of COVID. It’s an honor and a privilege to work and serve with remarkable Employee Health COVID Triage Team nurses on a daily basis who are guiding the members of our Intermountain Healthcare community.”
For Canyons and Desert regions caregivers:
- If you feel sick or have been exposed to COVID-19, you can self-screen via the Employee Health website.
- If you need to contact Employee Health, you can call 801-442-6767, available 24/7.
- If you don’t need to arrange a COVID-19 test but need to contact the COVID-19 Employee Health Triage team, you can call 801-442-7547, option 3.
For Peaks Region caregivers:
- Access the Employee Health Services page on the Landing.