Testing site staff comes together during pandemic

The COVID-19 testing center at the Edward Elmhurst Health Corporate Center in Warrenville opened on March 25 with a team of frontline healthcare workers that came from other Edward-Elmhurst locations, many of which were temporarily closed due to the global pandemic.

In the beginning, the group saw about 25 patients a day due to limited availability of testing resources. However, the site, which provided three types of testing — a rapid 15-minute test, one processed onsite at an Edward-Elmhurst laboratory, and a version sent to an offsite laboratory — ended up seeing upward of 400 patients a day.

The drive-thru testing site offered a fine-tuned system that provided services for patients with a doctor’s order for a COVID-19 test. Patients may have symptoms, be asymptomatic but exposed to someone with the virus, or may need a test prior to having another medical procedure.

“From the time a patient checks in to when they check out may be just a minute or two,” says Michelle Vermeland, RRT, supervisor of the COVID-19 testing site.

Starting with a staff of 10, comprised of clinical and customer service roles, the group grew to 30 members. About 17-21 employees worked at the site on any given day. They went through a lot during their time together, and with so little known about the virus, many of the staff felt scared in the beginning of their time at the site.

“When we first started, there was so much unknown,” says Vermeland. “We all wore N95 masks to do swabbing back then.”

The staff ran positive samples every day onsite, but no one on staff tested positive for the virus during the site’s time in operation. Today, they wear traditional surgical masks and face shields instead of the N95s. New information learned about the virus led to adjustments and regular training for the group, which had a daily huddle to manage changes and keep everyone on the same page.

Team members felt significant pressure to ensure they provided a good patient experience and the most accurate results possible. They did everything they could to limit patient wait times but wouldn’t hesitate to press pause to allow them to triple-check the process before letting a patient go home.

“The staff loves educating the community and having the opportunity to explain why what we have here is accurate,” says Vermeland. “I’m truly blessed to work with such a strong team.”

Experiencing this together created a tight bond between the staff members, who started their outdoor work in the snow (one day when it snowed, they made a snowman) and ended up completing their workdays in 90-degree heat.

“We’ve huddled around heaters and huddled around air coolers,” says Vermeland, who describes the staff as extremely dedicated. “We haven’t had one complaint from a staff member.”

They made the best of a tough situation at every turn.

When staff member Amelia Barone expressed disappointment that she wouldn’t be able to have a graduation ceremony when she earned her associate’s degree from College of DuPage this spring, the staff sprung to action. Vermeland, who also graduated from College of DuPage, still had her own cap and gown. She had it cleaned and the staff held a surprise graduation celebration for Barone, who wore the cap and gown proudly.

When asked about the best part of her experience working at the testing site, Vermeland doesn’t hesitate. “Absolutely it’s the team, they truly are some of the best in the system,” she says. “And that goes for everyone I work with here, to the medical director in charge of tent, and the system director in charge of lab. They have each played a part in the success of this place.”

Physician assistant Colleen Noonan agrees and says the team become closer over quite a few potluck meals.

“It’s the day-today comradery that’s been so great,” Noonan says. “Even though COVID is here, I’m not isolated. I’ve made several new friends and learned about so many different perspectives in medicine.”

Perhaps the most meaningful part of the group’s experience was working with the patients. Although they’ve dealt with a few challenging situations and personalities, most of their interactions have been positive.

“Most patients are so grateful,” says Noonan. “We do not feel unappreciated.”

The staff has an entire whiteboard of emails and notes thanking them for their efforts at the drive-through testing center.

As the state of Illinois eased restrictions and more has been learned about the virus, things have changed for the group. Some staff have returned to their previous roles in Edward-Elmhurst Walk-In Clinics and Immediate Care locations.

“When staff goes back to their home base, there’s an emotional tug on everyone,” says Vermeland, who adds that everyone leaves with a collage of all the faces of those who have worked here, a tradition she started to ensure they remember each other and their shared experience at the testing site.

The site closed at the end of August, and although many team members won’t miss working outdoors in inclement weather, they will miss each other and their daily experiences with the patients.

“It’s so great to be here to help calm patients’ fears, do what we can to make them feel better and do something to help manage this pandemic,” says Noonan, “I’ll miss it.”

To increase convenience and efficiency for community members, Edward-Elmhurst Health now offers COVID-19 testing at nine outpatient lab locations throughout the west and southwest suburbs. Patients can have their regular lab work and a COVID-19 test performed at the same convenient location. A physician order is required and appointments must be scheduled in advance.

For updates on COVID-19, check EEHealth.org/coronavirus.