Coronavirus (COVID‐19): Patient experience—Administrative services on the frontline during crisis

• Published in: Head & neck Vol. 42; no. 7; pp. 1477 - 1481
• Main Authors: Overton, Judy, Denton, Kathy, Frumovitz, Michael, Lewis, Carol, Christensen, Sarah, Bezerra, Jaymesson, Hernandez, Chris, Walker, Michele S., Finder, Janice P., Proske, Ashlyn A., Jain, Sanchita, Whipple, Julai, Martinez, Wendi L., Eska, Jarrod S., Sutherland, Elizabeth W., Triche, Lisa L., Garcia, Elizabeth A., Weber, Randal S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.07.2020; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Acuity; Cancer Care Facilities - organization & administration; cancer patients; Civil Defense - organization & administration; coronavirus; Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology; Coronavirus Infections - prevention & control; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Delivery of Health Care - organization & administration; Employees; exemptions; Head and neck; Head and Neck Cancer; Humans; Infection Control - methods; Interdisciplinary Communication; Neoplasms - epidemiology; Neoplasms - surgery; no visitor policy; Organization and Administration; Organizational Innovation; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Pandemics; Pandemics - prevention & control; Pandemics - statistics & numerical data; Patient Care Team - organization & administration; patient experience; Patients; Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology; Pneumonia, Viral - prevention & control; Special Issue; Surgical Oncology - organization & administration; United States; United States; no visitor policy; coronavirus; exemptions; patient experience; cancer patients
• ISSN: 1043-3074; 1097-0347
• DOI: 10.1002/hed.26259

The COVID‐19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on care delivery among health care institutions and providers in the United States. As a categorical cancer center, MD Anderson has prioritized care for our patients based on acuity of their disease. We continue to implement measures to protect patients and employees from acquiring the infection within our facilities, and to provide acute management of cancer patients with concomitant COVID‐19 infections who are considered at high risk of death. The Division of Patient Experience, formerly established in October 2016, has played an integral role in the institution's pandemic response from its inception. The team actively supported programs and processes in anticipation of the pandemic's effect on our patients and employees. We will describe how the team continues to serve in the ever‐dynamic environment as we approach the expected surge in COVID‐19 cases among our patient population, our employees, and in our community.