Why These Heroes Still Love Their Jobs Through the COVID-19 Pandemic

Ask any of our amazing frontline workers at Denver Health – from the housekeepers and food service workers, to the doctors, nurses, techs and more – and they will tell you they know the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. While some members of the community are getting "fatigued" with the restrictions to stop its spread – such as mask-wearing, social distancing of six feet or more and limits on the number of people at gatherings – the heroic frontline workers know first-hand what it's like to deal with the virus.

As part of Denver Health's celebration of Black History Month, we asked a few of our employees to introduce themselves, tell us why diversity is important at Denver Health and what Black History Month means to them. Here is just one of those responses:

Hey y’all, my name is Joe Kanzangu. I am a Patient Navigator at Denver Health with the Healthy Communities Outreach Program. I have been working here for approximately nine months, give or take.

About two and a half years ago in a small rural town near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, an 18-year-old girl had just started using her first electronic cigarette (e-cigarette). She was not too different than any other teenager in Denver. She attended high school and worked part-time at as a hostess at a local restaurant. She had no idea how her life would soon change and that in a few weeks she would be teetering on the edge of life and death in an intensive care unit while doctors worked frantically to save her life.

“Thank you very much but I’m afraid I must decline your kind offer.” 

A good long time ago I was frustrated. Frustrated about the myriad of social problems, the endless procession of patients suffering from the ravages of addiction. Imperfect solutions. I was, in retrospect, burned out. So I did what any normal professional would do. I went looking for a new job.

By: Chi Zheng, M.D., Patrick Ryan, M.D. and Marisa Echaniz, M.D.

How Providers Are Working Together to Bridge the Divide

As hospitalists, we build bridges quickly. We build bridges with our patients when they are admitted, with the myriad of nurses they encounter in different departments throughout the hospital, with the emergency department and with our consultants. However, the important relationship bridging hospitalist and primary care providers (PCP’s) can be easily overlooked.

The Role for Structured Debriefing After Adverse Patient Outcomes

Clinical work can take an emotional toll on health care providers. Especially, when despite our best intentions; one of our patients gets sicker unexpectedly or as a result of the care that we have provided.