When you’re in the hospital, you have more important things to think about than how your meals are planned, prepared and delivered to your room. It’s one of the things that seamlessly happens behind the scenes to contribute to what you hope will be a comfortable stay. However, you’d be impressed to learn how many staff members and steps it takes so that you get that meat loaf, baked potato with sour cream, green beans and carrot cake within 45 minutes of picking up the phone to place your order. At Dignity Health, Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC), meals are served room-service style. This means that you can call in any order, breakfast, lunch or dinner, between the hours of 7 AM and 7 PM. Your choices are only limited by the diet your doctor has ordered for you. The menu is extensive – similar to what you’d see in a restaurant. It begins with a build your own breakfast option, including a choice of eggs, omelets, breakfast burritos, breads and potatoes, meats, cottage cheese, cereals, fruit, dairy and vegetarian options. A soup of the day is always available, along with daily chicken noodle soup. There’s a variety of salads and build your own sandwich choices, grill items and a pizza bar. Hot meals are also available all day. Popular dishes include roast turkey or roast beef with gravy, salmon, meat loaf with baked potato and turkey tacos. Patients are free to mix and match menu items at any given meal, as long as they’re within their doctor’s orders. Jeanne Briggs, Registered Dietician and Director of YRMC Nutrition Services, says that the patient menu at YRMC is continually being reviewed and updated. “First and foremost, our patient menu is based on nutritional requirements,” says Briggs. “We follow the USDA/HHS Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Fruits and vegetables are central to our menu. We pride ourselves in having those featured. We cook healthier meals than many people do at home. For example, our meals are lower in sodium than many people are used to.” “We have a team approach to what goes on the menu,” Briggs continues. “We have input from professional dieticians, but we also listen to the clinical staff, since they’re on the floors with the patients and hear feedback more frequently than we do. We are continually revamping the menu to reflect our patients’ needs and wants. It’s all about being a good listener.” Plant forward, vegetarian, vegan and gluten free choices are also available. Briggs gives special recognition to Cafeteria Team Lead, Daniel Seale who regularly does recipe analysis for food content and potential allergy-causing ingredients for the cafe and patient menus. He is also responsible for the research and development of new recipes. In addition, Production Manager Shelley Stophlet (YRMC West) and Kim Hamilton (YRMC East) make sure that all departmental operations run smoothly. Briggs describes the process from order to delivery. When a patient calls their order in, the computer system will immediately show the operator what diet the patient is on and whether there are any requested items the patient is not allowed to eat. If necessary, the operator will contact the patient and makes suggestions for alternative choices. Once the order is finalized, three tickets are created. The first ticket goes to cold prep, which includes items that don’t need to be cooked, such as milk, juice or other beverage, a napkin, silverware and similar items. The second ticket goes to the cook who prepares the hot portion of the meal – typically the main dish. The third ticket goes to the checker who makes sure the order is accurate and looks appealing. “No burnt toast!” jokes Briggs. Finally, delivery staff brings the tray to the patient’s room. At the patient’s bedside, they open the lid and make sure the patient is satisfied. According to Briggs, the greatest challenge is scheduling. For example, “a patient may have a typical time they expect to eat lunch,” says Briggs. “Our continual goal is to prepare, cook and deliver a fresh meal within a 45-minute time frame. So, during high-volume times like lunchtime, we’ll sometimes call patients we haven’t heard from to schedule their delivery ahead of time. This allows the patient to receive their meal when they would like it and it helps us reach that 45-minute goal.” Briggs is gratified when patients and staff ask for YRMC recipes. “It happens quite often, and we always provide them,” she says. “Our carrot cake recipe is one of the most requested. It’s a homemade recipe we’ve used the entire 37 years I’ve been at YRMC. The recipe was brought in by one of the cooks before I started working here. People rave about it.” After 37 years, Briggs’ greatest reward is the fact that she gets to take care of people. She simply states, “It’s what I was born to do.” “Our staff loves working here,” she continues. “And we’re proud of the quality meals we make. We give our very best every day to support your wellness.”

There are times when people touch our lives in unexpected and powerful ways. Amid extraordinary circumstances, strangers can share a common experience that unites them, instantly and enduringly. This is the story of such a bond, and of a remarkable recovery from a devastating illness. Richard Barrington had been ill for a week. He was fatigued and had a fever and persistent cough. On March 24, 2020 breathing became increasingly difficult. He called 911 and was transported to Dignity Health -Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC) West in Prescott, Arizona. Little did Barrington know that for the next six weeks he would be fighting for his life as the first COVID-19 patient to be admitted to a hospital in Yavapai County. Barrington is 77 years old and a heart attack survivor. By any measure, this puts him in a high-risk category for COVID-19. “The doctor told my daughter that my chances of survival were less than ten percent,” says Barrington. “I’m a born-again Christian, so I’m prepared to die,” he pauses. “But considering the outcome, God must have something more for me to do.”  Barrington doesn’t remember much about his hospital stay. He was put on a ventilator right away and remained on it for most of his stay, mainly in the ICU. He was unresponsive twice. Barrington’s daughter spoke with the staff several times a day, advocating for her father and developing a close bond with those who were keeping him alive and helping him heal. “My daughter tells me that at one point, the staff asked what they could do to keep me comfortable and comforted,” recalls Barrington. “She suggested putting my phone on Spotify and playing my favorite Christian music playlist. It turns out that the music comforted the staff too.” The staff’s affection for Barrington grew the longer he was there. His doctor nicknamed him his “miracle patient” because of Barrington’s strength in fighting the virus. “The care was extraordinary,” says Barrington. “They were really rooting for me. One of the first days that I can remember is the day they took me off the ventilator. The nurses were joyful. ‘You survived, you lived, thank God!’ they said.” Barrington continues to stay in touch with the staff at the Critical Care Unit. Nurse Manager Julie Briggs hears from him regularly. “Each time we communicate, he is always so grateful for the care he received,” says Briggs. “What a kind and wonderful man. It has been a pleasure to get to know him.” Barrington feels the same about the friends he made at YRMC. As far as his long-term recovery, Barrington is understandably taking it slow. After discharge, he stayed at a rehabilitation center for three weeks, followed by another three weeks at a nursing home, then a month in California where his daughter facilitated his care. He is now home and doing well. “I’m 75 to 85 percent better now, but my energy level isn’t what it used to be. I still have memory issues too. Quoting scripture is harder,” he admits. Barrington has been advised that it will take 6 months to a year to recover. In the meantime, he is reading aloud every day, on the advice of his doctor. Exercise, crossword puzzles and other interactive activities occupy much of his day. Barrington encourages everyone to get a vaccine when it becomes available. “If we can lower the death rate and hospital rates, then let’s get it done,” he says. The support and love between the staff and Barrington will live on in his heart forever. “I just don’t have enough praise to give those caregivers,” he says. “When I was discharged, the staff lined the halls to cheer me on. It was amazing that they would care that much to come out and help me celebrate my miraculous victory. I was feeling the love.”  

Take a deep dive … drill down … unpack the situation, they’re all about looking below the surface to understand complexities. That’s the kind of work that goes on every day at Advanced Wound Care at Dignity Health, Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC) in Prescott Valley. “With non-healing wounds of the lower-extremities it’s critical to understand the underlying issues,” says Cheryl Sofonia, MPH, Program Manager, Advanced Wound Care at Dignity Health, YRMC. “A chronic wound cannot be healed until you know its underlying cause.” Here’s the Plan After a patient is referred to Advanced Wound Care by their primary care provider or other physician, the “deep dive” can begin. This includes a history and physical, lab work, imaging (an MRI or x-ray), and a thorough assessment of the non-healing wound. “This information is the foundation of every patient care plan at Advanced Wound Care,” explains Sofonia. What are the most common, non-healing wounds of the lower extremities? Arterial ulcers – These non-healing wounds form on the outer side of the ankles, feet, heels, or toes. The cause of these chronic wounds may be blocked arteries, diabetes, age and hypertension, to name a few. Venous ulcers – Typically found below the knee and on the inner ankle, these non-healing wounds can be triggered by poor circulation in the leg’s veins. Other risk factors include varicose veins, obesity, and smoking. Diabetic foot ulcers – For people with diabetes, a minor blister can develop quickly into a non-healing wound that requires intense therapy. Pressure ulcers – Long-term weight and friction on a specific area – often the feet – can lead to a non-healing wound. Other chronic wounds are caused by burns, radiation, and non-healing surgical wounds. In general, a wound that doesn’t heal after four weeks is considered chronic. Such wounds affect approximately 3% of people age 65 and older as well as more than 8 million U.S. residents. A Patient-Focused Approach Advanced Wound Care takes a team approach to diagnosing and treating chronic wounds. The patient – who is at the center of the team – receives treatment from exceptional wound care specialists and visiting physician specialists as well as experienced healthcare professionals. The Advanced Wound Care team includes: Two certified wound care physician specialists 11 registered nurses, including certified wound and ostomy nurses An occupational therapist who specializes in treating secondary lymphedema, a buildup of fluid in the tissues caused by another disease or condition An interventional cardiologist A podiatrist An infectious disease specialist Additionally, the experts at the Vein Center at Dignity Health, YRMC, are located adjacent to Advanced Wound Care. The Vein Center conducts ablation therapies to treat patients with issues related to the arteries and veins. “The collaborative nature of Advanced Wound Care benefits patients in many ways,” Sofonia says. “One of the most important aspects of our structure is that our patient care is centralized so people don’t have to travel to different clinics for care.” Talk to your healthcare provider for a referral to Advanced Wound Care. For more information, visit Advanced Wound Care at YRMC.org or call 928-771-4788.

The recent affiliation of Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC) and Dignity Health also includes YRMC PhysicianCare. The 26 multispecialty medical clinics – located in Chino Valley, Prescott and Prescott Valley – are now known as Dignity Health, Yavapai Regional Medical Group (YRMG). “From our patients’ perspective, the new name is the major change,” says Robert Thompson, MD, MBA, Executive Medical Director, Yavapai Regional Medical Group. “They will see the clinics re-branded with the YRMG name, and the Dignity Health logo on our signage as well as on any communication they receive from their providers.” YRMG’s provider team will not change and the clinics will continue to accept the same health insurance as they have previously. Patients can reach their physician using the same telephone number. They also will go to the same location for their appointments. According to Dr. Thompson, the YRMC-Dignity Health affiliation will build on YRMC’s current excellent programs and services to expand healthcare in our growing community. “The affiliation with Dignity Health will expand services and increase innovation throughout the entire YRMC health network, including Yavapai Regional Medical Group,” Dr. Thompson says. “One of the first steps will be the growth of our clinics to include more specialty physicians and primary care providers.” Yavapai Regional Medical Group currently includes nearly 100 providers in community-based clinics specializing in: Cardiology, Prescott and Prescott Valley Endocrinology and Psychiatry, Prescott Gastroenterology, Prescott Infectious Disease and Pulmonology, Prescott Neurology, Neurosurgery and Physiatry, Prescott Occupational Medicine, Prescott Orthopedic Surgery, Prescott Valley Pain Management, Prescott Valley Palliative Medicine, Prescott Pediatrics, Prescott Primary Medicine, Family Medicine and Internal Medicine, Chino Valley, Prescott and Prescott Valley Vascular Surgery For YRMG clinic locations, visit DignityHealth.org/YRMG. Keep up-to-date on the YRMC-Dignity Health affiliation and other YRMC news, by subscribing to YRMC HealthConnect.