Health care heroes: Adapting quickly on the front lines

As a nurse and clinical manager of three units at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, IL, Dena Gawaluch has overseen a lot of change in the last few months.

“I’ve always been very aware of just how special my teams are, but during this pandemic, I am in awe of how strong, positive and resilient they are,” Dena says.

Two of Dena’s units worked together to swap out ventilators with different machines because the Intensive Care Unit needed them for COVID-19 patients. So, they partnered with the respiratory therapy department to respond quickly.

“My staff was left to learn a new device that they were unfamiliar with, but it was all hands on deck and positive attitudes. We worked together to train each other with little to no disruption to patient care,” she explains.

Her third team, a general medicine care unit, was converted to a COVID-19 unit. Again, Dena led the change, but gives all credit to her team. She’s been a nurse at Advocate Lutheran for 17 years, but she’s never been prouder than she is today.

“Every single one of my team members looked at me that weekend and asked, ‘What can I do?’” Dena said. “I do my best to keep my team informed and to anticipate changes before they occur. But I’m just amazed at their teamwork. They have stepped up and supported each other in a truly powerful way.”

While Dena is quick to give credit to her team, her supervisor says she truly is an amazing leader.

“Dena instills trust in her team, is open and transparent in her communication and guidance. This is evident in the courage and resilience that her teams display,” shared Joanne Mahoney, director of medical surge and rehab services.