JOPLIN, Mo. — Freeman Health System is celebrating the end of a long two years and looking towards the future.
“Not going to lie, I was a little hesitant. Definitely kind of scared,” said Alissa Terrapin, Freeman Health System ICU Charge Nurse.
Terrapin recalls how it felt when those first COVID-19 patients were admitted to Freeman Health System in March of 2020.
“For the longest time, I feel like they all came in so sick. It was really hard, because a lot of them, unfortunately didn’t make it, and we were the only people able to be with them during that time,” she said.
13 beds reserved for the sickest COVID-19 patients, expanded to 19 as the pandemic reached its height.
17 beds in the medical COVID unit turned into the ability to accomodate 30 patients.
And 9 beds were added in a 3rd unit, known as the ICU step-down. It was a busy unit that took a lot of resources and manpower to care for patients — but things are different now.
“When you look at where we were, even a few months ago and where we are today, we can see the tremendous progress that’s been made,” said Paula Baker, Freeman Health System President & CEO.
“Just to think back, it’s never been this quiet. Always some kind of commotion, I felt like. For the longest time, every day, we’d have multiple patients just crashing and having to, you know, do all the things for them,” added Terrapin.
“We actually were talking to today about how it was weird to come in here and not hear the fans. All of the fans running, there was a really loud hum,” said Jeanee Kennedy, Freeman Health System Chief Nursing Officer.
“This is a day of celebration. I am standing here in the COVID unit of Freeman Health System, and I am very, very pleased to tell you that it is empty of patients. We have zero patients today,” added Baker.
The “COVID ICU” unit will now turn back into a regular ICU area, as the need for a specific COVID Intensive Care Unit is no longer needed.
“I think it’s an incredible, incredible thing. Definitely gives us a little hope that things are going to return to a little more normal,” said Terrapin.
Of course, COVID-19 isn’t completely gone. But, hospital staff say the last two years have prepared them for any other variants that may come along.
“This time we’re really cautiously optimistic about the future, and if we do have a next surge what that will look like for the hospital. But, we’re ready for whatever. But we are enjoying this day, for sure,” Kennedy added.
“We expect that there will be variants, but we also know now that we have resources now that we didn’t have before,” said Baker.
“To know that things are starting to get better for our community is amazing,” said Terrapin.