Independent Newsmedia
Five nurses, who work in the Abrazo Central Campus operating room and recovery room, have volunteered to support fellow caregivers in Detroit as that city experiences an increase in COVID-19 cases.
Abrazo nurses helping in Detroit include Austin Fifield of Chandler, Bryan Reddick of Tempe, Pat Keilman of Glendale, Caryn Huffman of Avondale and Carolyn Smith of Phoenix.
Since they became available when volume slowed after the governor’s executive order banning elective surgery in Arizona hospitals, they will temporarily fill needs at Detroit Medical Center hospitals, owned by Abrazo Central’s parent company, Tenet Healthcare, according to a press release.
This short-term assignment for the Abrazo Central nurses is an opportunity to provide care where needed, the release said, adding that the pandemic peak is not expected until later in the month.
The chief nursing officer at Abrazo Central Campus, Tami Biggs said nurses will return to Arizona when needed here, but in the meantime are filling in wherever needed in Detroit.
“Detroit has been in need of nurses to help provide relief during this pandemic. Last weekend, Abrazo Central Campus had five Surgical Services nurses that flew to Michigan to help support their needs. I can’t thank these nurses enough for their courage and support,” said Ms. Biggs in a preapared statement.
“Our colleagues in Detroit are fighting the COVID battle in a way that most of us are not experiencing. They have fought hard and with such grace and determination. However, they were in desperate need of staff.”
Ms. Huffman, one of the traveling nurses, noted how thankful the Detroit employees and the community are. She said in an email to her Phoenix coworkers that people are even “offering their services for anything we might need while we are here.”
