Sometimes, a job cools your hands but warms your heart.
That’s Roger Ballard’s assessment of working outside during winter for Carle Health patients.
“You are helping people who might not be able to get to their appointments otherwise,” said Ballard, a guest assistant at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana. “So even if you’re cold on the outside, it makes you warm on the inside.
“That’s why I like this job. It makes you feel good when you go home at night. I’m proud to work here,” he said.
Ballard is among Carle Health team members systemwide who brave the elements, always supporting patient care, even during the recent extreme cold.
He transports guests to and from the parking garage to patient rooms and to appointments in the hospital building.
“It’s all about layering,” he said. “I have on three layers when it’s this cold: long johns, a long-sleeve turtleneck or hoodie and a jacket.” He also wears two pairs of socks and earmuffs.
Brandi Elder, a paramedic with Carle Arrow Ambulance, tries to keep patients as warm as possible. “We do something called the winter wrap on the stretcher. We lay a blanket down open, then lay the patient down. Then add another blanket on top of them and fold them up inside the first blanket like a burrito.
“We keep extra hot pads and cold packs in the ambulance and will crank up the heat on the way to a call. We’ll put those hot packs under their armpits and groin area to warm their core temperature because in trauma cases, we have to remove their clothes,” she said. “We’ll try to get them warmed up in the ambulance.”
“I wear a heated vest, I keep winter gloves on me at all times, and I dress in layers. I wear fleece pants under my uniform to stop the cold from cutting through easily. And I have battery-operated hand warmers. They (the Arrow Ambulance crew) call me Mom because I always keep a bag with me. I keep my hand warmers in there, protein bars to eat between calls, Tylenol, a power pack to charge my phone, extra socks and stocking caps.”
Randy Dillon, lead valet at Carle BroMenn Medical Center in Normal, helps incoming patients and visitors with valet service and assists them with wheelchairs, if needed.
“You meet a lot of nice people and a lot of people in need. You get them a wheelchair. You park their car. And sometimes, you have a conversation and share a laugh,” he said.
“I’ve just got on so many layers. I’ve been doing this since 2017 and, as long as you’ve got on the right clothes, you’re all right,” Dillon said. “I’m wearing thermal underwear and winter pants with flannel lining. When it’s below zero, I wear my overalls. On top, I’m wearing four layers: a long-sleeved T-shirt, a thermal sweatshirt, a down body vest and my Carle jacket. I’m wearing a gaiter mask and a hat. I also try to limit my time outside. I’ll get into the valet booth, which has a heater.
Josh Putman, lead guest relations attendant, Carle Health Methodist Hospital in Peoria, said, “My team and I try our best to limit patient and visitor exposure to the elements. We do this by assisting visitors in and out of vehicles in a compassionate but quick manner.
“My team wears several layers on days when the weather is extremely cold,” Putman said. “We also take time for hot chocolate and coffee breaks as time permits.”
“It’s rewarding to put a smile on a person’s face when they have other things they’re worried about but don’t have to worry about the security and safety of their vehicle,” he said.
Kaitlyn Bloomer and Cassie Kocher, RNs and Critical Care Transport Nurses with AirLife, work to minimize patients’ exposure. They use a Life Blanket to cocoon patients and keep them warm and covered.
“The helicopter stays running while at the hospital while we’re getting the patient ready to transport,” Kocher said.
Between flights, the helicopter stays in the hangar to keep it warm. Meds and fluids are removed from the helicopter between flights to keep them stable.
“The heat on the helicopter works very well,” Kocher said. “It’s the to-and-from the hospital that’s cold because the patients are exposed to the temperature.”
Wayne Kocher, an electronics technician with Carle Richland Memorial Hospital in Olney, said, “Cleaning snow and/or ice off sidewalks is important so patients, visitors and employees can get to the hospital or clinics without slipping, falling or fighting snow drifts. We want people to get to the doorways. We don’t want extra injuries resulting from falls.”
“I don’t mind working out in the cold as long as I stay busy or moving,” he said. “I deal with the extreme cold by dressing in layers. I take breaks more often when working in extreme cold to rehydrate and to give my body a break from working. I tend to be hungrier when working outside, so I am sure to eat healthy meals during the cold season.
Reggie Smith, a security officer at Carle BroMenn Medical Center in Normal, said, “Outside is a part of Carle. We want to keep our grounds safe for the patients. Working in the cold is part of the job.”
Are you interested in a career that warms your heart and makes a positive difference in the lives of others? Find it here.
That’s Roger Ballard’s assessment of working outside during winter for Carle Health patients.
“You are helping people who might not be able to get to their appointments otherwise,” said Ballard, a guest assistant at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana. “So even if you’re cold on the outside, it makes you warm on the inside.
“That’s why I like this job. It makes you feel good when you go home at night. I’m proud to work here,” he said.
Ballard is among Carle Health team members systemwide who brave the elements, always supporting patient care, even during the recent extreme cold.
He transports guests to and from the parking garage to patient rooms and to appointments in the hospital building.
“It’s all about layering,” he said. “I have on three layers when it’s this cold: long johns, a long-sleeve turtleneck or hoodie and a jacket.” He also wears two pairs of socks and earmuffs.
Brandi Elder, a paramedic with Carle Arrow Ambulance, tries to keep patients as warm as possible. “We do something called the winter wrap on the stretcher. We lay a blanket down open, then lay the patient down. Then add another blanket on top of them and fold them up inside the first blanket like a burrito.
“We keep extra hot pads and cold packs in the ambulance and will crank up the heat on the way to a call. We’ll put those hot packs under their armpits and groin area to warm their core temperature because in trauma cases, we have to remove their clothes,” she said. “We’ll try to get them warmed up in the ambulance.”
“I wear a heated vest, I keep winter gloves on me at all times, and I dress in layers. I wear fleece pants under my uniform to stop the cold from cutting through easily. And I have battery-operated hand warmers. They (the Arrow Ambulance crew) call me Mom because I always keep a bag with me. I keep my hand warmers in there, protein bars to eat between calls, Tylenol, a power pack to charge my phone, extra socks and stocking caps.”
Randy Dillon, lead valet at Carle BroMenn Medical Center in Normal, helps incoming patients and visitors with valet service and assists them with wheelchairs, if needed.
“You meet a lot of nice people and a lot of people in need. You get them a wheelchair. You park their car. And sometimes, you have a conversation and share a laugh,” he said.
“I’ve just got on so many layers. I’ve been doing this since 2017 and, as long as you’ve got on the right clothes, you’re all right,” Dillon said. “I’m wearing thermal underwear and winter pants with flannel lining. When it’s below zero, I wear my overalls. On top, I’m wearing four layers: a long-sleeved T-shirt, a thermal sweatshirt, a down body vest and my Carle jacket. I’m wearing a gaiter mask and a hat. I also try to limit my time outside. I’ll get into the valet booth, which has a heater.
Josh Putman, lead guest relations attendant, Carle Health Methodist Hospital in Peoria, said, “My team and I try our best to limit patient and visitor exposure to the elements. We do this by assisting visitors in and out of vehicles in a compassionate but quick manner.
“My team wears several layers on days when the weather is extremely cold,” Putman said. “We also take time for hot chocolate and coffee breaks as time permits.”
“It’s rewarding to put a smile on a person’s face when they have other things they’re worried about but don’t have to worry about the security and safety of their vehicle,” he said.
Kaitlyn Bloomer and Cassie Kocher, RNs and Critical Care Transport Nurses with AirLife, work to minimize patients’ exposure. They use a Life Blanket to cocoon patients and keep them warm and covered.
“The helicopter stays running while at the hospital while we’re getting the patient ready to transport,” Kocher said.
Between flights, the helicopter stays in the hangar to keep it warm. Meds and fluids are removed from the helicopter between flights to keep them stable.
“The heat on the helicopter works very well,” Kocher said. “It’s the to-and-from the hospital that’s cold because the patients are exposed to the temperature.”
Wayne Kocher, an electronics technician with Carle Richland Memorial Hospital in Olney, said, “Cleaning snow and/or ice off sidewalks is important so patients, visitors and employees can get to the hospital or clinics without slipping, falling or fighting snow drifts. We want people to get to the doorways. We don’t want extra injuries resulting from falls.”
“I don’t mind working out in the cold as long as I stay busy or moving,” he said. “I deal with the extreme cold by dressing in layers. I take breaks more often when working in extreme cold to rehydrate and to give my body a break from working. I tend to be hungrier when working outside, so I am sure to eat healthy meals during the cold season.
Reggie Smith, a security officer at Carle BroMenn Medical Center in Normal, said, “Outside is a part of Carle. We want to keep our grounds safe for the patients. Working in the cold is part of the job.”
Are you interested in a career that warms your heart and makes a positive difference in the lives of others? Find it here.
Categories: Culture of Quality
Tags: AirLife, Arrow, cold, maintenance, safety, security, valet, visitors, winter