area, the chair where they sat must be thoroughly cleaned before
another patient can occupy it. All surfaces in pre- and post-op bays,
including equipment and mobile computer stations, are wiped down
between patients. "Our staff has always been careful about cleaning
surfaces," says Ms. Williams, "but we reemphasized the importance of
being more diligent than ever."
A new appreciation
When surgical facilities shut down in the middle of March, no one
could predict when surgeries would begin again or how they would
be performed when they did. "We shut down immediately and came
back to a completely different way of doing things," says Ms.
Williams. "It's a whole new world."
For some, returning to work under these circumstances feels a bit
disjointed.
"It's been strange to allow only three people in elevators, to take a
wide berth around colleagues in hallways and break up gatherings at
the surgical department's front desk," says Dr. Marx. "But we're mov-
ing forward as best we can."
For others, time spent away from the OR has made the return that
much sweeter.
"I can't say enough good things about how my team is handling the
changes," says Ms. Curley. "Surgery is different now and it might
never be the same. But we all have a greater appreciation for working
together again as a team. We're not taking that for granted."
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