Athena Minor, serves as Chief Nursing and Clinical Officer, Ohio County Healthcare.
Athena will be serving on the panel "Nurse Bullying: A Candid Conersation" and "COVID-19 Changed the Nurse Workforce and Care Models: What to Expect Next" at Becker's Hospital Review 12th Annual Meeting. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place in Chicago from April 25-28, 2022.
To learn more about the conference and Athena's session, click here.
Question: What technologies and innovations are you most excited about in healthcare right now?
Athena Minor: Being located in a rural area, I am excited about the expansion of internet infrastructure into what has previously been seen as technological deserts. It is frustrating for a healthcare organization to have the vision and technological advancements available to improve health and access to care within a community but are unable to utilize available technological advances due to local infrastructure limitations. As the pandemic created a greater need for patients to access health care and students to continue their education in a virtual environment, greater focus was placed on areas of the country where this possibility could not be realized due to a lack of internet availability. The reality of virtual isolation of vast numbers of the population (and not solely rural populations) brought desperately needed grant funding to these areas to increase internet accessibility. With increased ability to reach physically isolated populations virtually, doors are now opening to not only employ existing technologies, such as virtual visits and in-home monitoring; but it also allows for rapidly developing technologies such as in home emergency care detection and notification systems. While it is exciting to see advances in technology throughout the health care system, they are only useful when we have the ability to apply that technology to benefit our patient populations.
Q: What will the lasting legacy of COVID-19 be on the healthcare system?
AM: Resiliency and teamwork. Although I believe there are many things within our healthcare system that will be altered in some way due to our experiences with this pandemic, in my experience resiliency and teamwork have already been radically affected. I have personally witnessed a change in how staff approach problems and unforeseen issues. Staff who, two years ago, were fearful of change and questioning if they could deal with situations outside of their comfort zone are boldly facing challenges and changes today. Through this pandemic our organization has had less staff available to deal with a greater number of higher acuity patients than ever before. There have been many occasions where there were no tertiary hospital beds available for transfers. We have housed patients in our Emergency Department for days – even weeks, with every hospital bed full and patients continuing to come in, and our staff have worked together to not only manage the situation but provide quality patient care. It has been difficult, but they have grown stronger. They are not the same caregivers they were two years ago. They no longer question “can I?” but affirm “I will!” They don’t ask, “why doesn’t somebody do something?”, but instead they are asking, “what is it that we need to do right now to get the job done?” and they have done it! I know that our organization is not alone in this experience and that staff are building confidence in their abilities and resilience in their calling all over the nation, and the world. Likewise, I have seen an increased emphasis placed on teamwork. Not only teamwork between staff members and departments within an organization, but teamwork among healthcare organizations. The pandemic has strengthened the awareness of the healthcare industry, as a whole, that we have a common goal that can most effectively be achieved through working together and supporting one another. While I am not naïve enough to believe the lasting legacy of COVID-19 will be to eliminate industrial competition in healthcare, I do hope that we have learned that we can achieve more by aligning our priorities and working together where possible to achieve more in healthcare for our collective populations.
Q: What advice do you have for emerging healthcare leaders today?
AM: In a changing political environment, national and world climate, and evolving healthcare models, it is important that healthcare leaders develop the ability to adapt quickly and effectively. Adapting, while very well may require changing methods, does not mean abandoning purpose. Know your goal, make sure the goal is clearly communicated, and use your adaptability to help you achieve the goal. No matter what changes or challenges arise during the journey, it is important to clearly understand what you are working to achieve. Priorities may need to be reorganized, strategies may need to be altered, and old methods may need to be replaced with new methods as we move forward, but the goal should remain steady. Most assuredly, there will be circumstances along the way that will require creative problem-solving and the forging of new pathways. Distractions and challenges will come, and change is inevitable, but the “why” should never be lost. It is important to adapt to new situations, discoveries, and technologies. It is equally important to continue professional growth and participate in life-long learning; but it is imperative that healthcare leaders stay true to their purpose.