IU Health Methodist staff weighs in on pandemic 2 years in

INDIANAPOLIS — Things on floor B7 at IU Health Methodist Hospital are not quite “normal,” but Dr. Warren Gavin says it is getting there.

The medical-surgical floor is a 20-something bed unit that alongside other illnesses, cares for COVID-19 patients.

“I like to say that the worst is behind us. Obviously, nobody’s got a crystal ball, but it feels a lot more manageable now,” said Philip King, an internal medicine pharmacist.

Relief is the word that comes to several team members’ minds when looking around the halls of B7. On Wednesday, there was only one COVID-19 patient.

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Not long ago during Omicron’s peak, the IU Health hospital system had some 640 patients with COVID at one time.

Right before Christmas, a U.S. Navy medical team was deployed to the hospital. Gavin said residents too were reassigned to help. Floor B7 was full completely with COVID-19 patients. Yellow carts lined the hallways.

“Overall from a numbers standpoint, from a prognosis standpoint, things are much, much better,” Gavin said.

But even with declining numbers, the team’s guard isn’t down.

“As the numbers are falling and you get back to doing what you're normally doing, things feel much, much better. But again in the back of your mind, you always worry, 'hey are we going to start going up again? Is there going to be another variant?'” Gavin said.

Nurse Theresa Thompson agrees. A line of yellow carts sit packed and ready on the floor, just in case they are needed.

“It’s still very real, I mean it’s still around and people can still get sick from it. I think it’s important to still take all necessary precautions,” Miller said. The RN started her career in the middle of the pandemic. She credits the environment for quick learning and making her a better provider.

Miller and others on the unit say the support they give to each other is what not only gets them through but brings them back every day.

“We’ve all been in this together and our floor is a little family,” Gavin said.

King adds the backbone of treatments mostly stayed the same, and supply is improving.

Gavin and his team say they are prepared for whatever may come next.

“Things are improved, but things are not over,” Gavin said.