Takeaways from the Ultimate ‘Test and Learn’

From the heroic healthcare workers on the frontline, to all the helpers on the home front, the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been truly humbling and inspiring. 

This moment in time can be described in many ways: challenging, uncertain, scary. But perhaps more optimistically, it's also presented an opportunity for learning and reflection -- about the capacity of our country’s healthcare infrastructure; about personal sacrifice and extraordinary acts of compassion; and about the promise of collaboration in pivoting quickly to respond to this crisis. 

I’d like to take a moment to share some of my own personal learnings from the past few months:

Not all Heroes Wear Capes (But They Do Wear Masks)

It couldn’t be more fitting that it’s currently Nurses Week. 

I have the honor and privilege of leading an organization that employs thousands of nurses and clinicians across the country. Their extraordinary efforts, along with all healthcare practitioners risking their lives to save others, is simply breathtaking. 

Few times in history does the public get a glimpse and so viscerally experience the selflessness, empathy, and courage of our frontline workers. This is one of those moments. 

At Signify Health, we’ve asked many of our clinicians to staff worksites across the country, helping to keep essential businesses operational and preserve the continuity of much-needed services and products we rely upon everyday. People volunteered to serve without hesitation. Today, these doctors and nurses are actively screening employees for COVID-19 to ensure they’re safe, virus-free, and will not be a risk to their colleagues or the families they go home to every night. 

My first lesson is simple but significant - and that is appreciation. I now truly understand what they mean when they say being a healthcare worker is a “calling.” Watching their heroics, determination, and tenacity first hand has been one of my proudest moments at Signify. We are making a positive difference because of our nurses’ and medical doctors' hard work— each and every day throughout this pandemic.

Seniors Need Our Help More Than Ever

To reach these seniors, Signify Health has temporarily converted our in-home risk evaluations to a virtual model, allowing our nationwide network of 9,000+ doctors and nurse practitioners to educate the people we serve on COVID-19 while continuing to coordinate their critical clinical and social care needs. 

What we have found has been truly gratifying. Seniors are engaging with us at unprecedented rates. And they’re genuinely thankful for the outreach and support during this stressful time. 

One call in particular really brings home just how important it is to maintain these connections. A member expressed anxiety about only having a tiny amount of hand sanitizer available,and mentioned she was getting ready to start using laundry bleach to sanitize her hands. Fortunately, our physician was able to intervene and connect her with education and resources to stay safe.

My next lesson is a reaffirmation of what I’ve always known to be true: health happens at home. Right now, we should all be working to keep seniors safe, healthy, and informed inside their homes. And that also means staying in touch; so don’t forget to give your parents and grandparents a call! 

This is Not Just a Clinical Issue

Expanding COVID-19 screening, testing, and healthcare capacity is an imperative step in overcoming this public health crisis. But so is helping individuals access employment services, safe and affordable housing, and healthy food choices. 

COVID-19 has exposed and exacerbated just how many people are struggling everyday to obtain social support and basic necessities. 

Addressing these non-medical needs is critical to improving people’s health and well-being. After all, statins don’t treat food insecurity. Prescriptions don’t treat poverty. And post-acute care doesn’t treat transportation access. I think it’s fair to say we’ve all seen and learned the social and mental health impacts of this crisis. 

Our in-house team of Social Care Coordinators has been reaching out to thousands of people affected by COVID-19. They’re offering instruction and reassurance, providing helpful COVID-19 education, identifying and addressing social determinants of health, and connecting them to local community resources.

We’re also working with community-based organizations across the country to provide valuable services to people in this time of need. Collaboration among social service agencies, providers, government agencies, and insurers will continue to take on a renewed sense of importance and urgency as we overcome this crisis. 

We each have a part to play, but these past months have reinforced the great things we can accomplish when we come together aligned behind a common goal of serving others. 

To all of the nurses within Signify and serving on the front lines, Happy Nurses Week! We are truly grateful for everything that you do to keep us safe and healthy.