Marian Regional Medical Center: Healthcare staff going extra mile as pandemic cuts through holiday season

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - As the pandemic cuts through the holiday season, it’s also putting healthcare staff up front and center.

"Our staff do a lot of sacrificing at this time to be here for the community," says Director of Emergency Services Christine Sewell at Marian Regional Medical Center.

It's a community going through a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases.

"Yes definitely we’re seeing an increase in a surge of patients in our Covid population and all over every age range," says Sewell.

Since the pandemic has limited visitation for patients, nurses are going the extra mile to be there for them.

"When they’re alone, they’ll sit with them and make sure they FaceTime with their family," says Director of Critical Care Lauren Whitmore at Marian Regional Medical Center.

Nurses at the hospital say the key to managing some of the most difficult days has been team work and community support.

"We are a really strong group of people. We have great collaboration between the departments. Everybody depends on each other to get through it," says Whitmore.

Healthcare staff say one of the challenges right now is explaining the seriousness of the health crisis.

"We’re doing the best we can to take care of people. Then we walk out the door, and sometimes people don’t think it’s real," says Whitmore.

Their hope is people will realize that the pandemic is very real and is not going away yet.

"We just want people to take it seriously and take care of themselves," says Whitmore.