Caring for our community

Saturday, February 12, 2022

We have always seen our caregivers as heroes but to see their heroism acknowledged in our community has been a blessing.

In Southwest Washington, our caregivers have seen an outpouring of support from the community; from supply and food donations, to letters, signs and cards of thanks, to a fly over from our friends at JBLM, to a parade of first responders. Our caregivers have worked tirelessly to care for all our patients and their families. Some keep going by finding the compassion and camaraderie of coming together from different Providence Medical Group clinics to serve the community at our drive-thru testing site. Some have brought in flowers from their own gardens to COVID-19-positive patients who missed the entire summer gardening season. Many have gone the extra mile to connect family and friends who are unable to visit a COVID-19 patient in our ministries – even coordinating a window visit with the family pet or making sure a patient sees the balloons flying outside their room. Some have transitioned their normal roles to serve as a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) spotter, so they can make sure their fellow caregivers are utilizing the best and most appropriate forms of PPE. They praise their teammates. They are the advocates.

Here are just a few of the nearly 5,000 Providence caregivers in Southwest Washington who are caring for our community amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, sharing their roles and why they wear a mask.

Kellie Snyder, RN

  • Providence Medical Group
  • 5 years with Providence
  • Role: I triage patients at the COVID-19 drive-thru testing site.

“I wear a mask to protect others.”

Starr Salvatore, RN

  • Providence Medical Group
  • 5 years with Providence
  • Role: I am one of the RNs working in the COVID-19 drive-thru testing site and have been since the opening on March 20. I triage patients before they are swabbed for COVID-19.

“I wear a mask because I care about people.”

Alejandra Duarte, RN

  • Providence St. Peter Hospital Medical Telemetry Unit
  • 2.5 years with Providence
  • Role: I am a nurse on the fifth floor, one of the designated areas where we care for COVID-19 patients.

“I wear a mask to keep my patients, co-workers and community safe.”

Samantha Carson, RN

  • Providence St. Peter Hospital Medical Telemetry Unit
  • 1 year with Providence
  • Role: I am a nurse who provides direct care in one of our designated Covid-19 units. I ensure patients have what they need to help their healing and recovery in the hospital.

“I wear a mask to protect my grandparents.”