HEALTH
IHC caregivers reflect on one-year anniversary of trip to New York
Apr 30, 2021, 12:26 PM
A select group of Intermountain caregivers are reflecting on the one-year anniversary of their trip to New York. (PHOTO: Courtesy of Intermountain Healthcare)
(PHOTO: Courtesy of Intermountain Healthcare)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — A select group of caregivers with Intermountain Healthcare are reflecting on the one-year anniversary of their trip to New York.
One-year anniversary of New York trip
This time last year, New York hospitals were being overwhelmed by sick COVID-19 patients. In response, Intermountain Healthcare rounded up 100 caregivers and sent them to the frontlines for two-weeks.
Healthcare Heroes!! Our amazing @Intermountain team of caregivers are headed to NYC to help care for patients & support our medical colleagues at @NorthwellHealth and @NYPhospital who are working so hard 24/7 to save lives. #Godspeed #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/9oNAl0g5sI
— Jess Gomez (@Jess_Intermtn) April 14, 2020
One of the individuals on that trip was Doctor Dixie Harris, a critical care ICU physician with Intermountain Healthcare.
“I remember everything happened so quick,” Doctor Harris recalled. “The call came out and within very short days we were all on the airplane and landing. We went as a team and we joined an amazing team.”
Giving frontline workers a break
The arrival of Doctor Harris and other Intermountain caregivers allowed frontline workers at Northwell Health and New York Presbyterian hospitals the opportunity to take a breath.
“At the hospital I was assigned, their ICU was at six times capacity [compared] to what they’ve been used to,” she explained. “My role was I mostly did nights to give the ICU doctors some breaks.”
2020 was a year like no other. For 100 Intermountain Healthcare caregivers in Salt Lake City, last year was an opportunity to reach out across the country to help fellow caregivers being overwhelmed by huge numbers of ill COVID-19 patients filling hospitals throughout New York.
— Intermountain (@Intermountain) April 30, 2021
Looking back on the experience, Doctor Harris says the two-week stint provided her with crucial experience for when Utah would also experience a COVID-19 surge.
When that time came, 30 caregivers from Northwell Health in New York returned the favor and traveled to Utah to help our caregivers.
