TUCSON, Ariz. — Healthcare workers are dealing with more stress than usual these days because of the COVID-19 pandemic. KGUN9 spoke to Dr. Amy Munoz with CODAC to find out how they're helping workers cope with the situation. Munoz says today’s climate is putting pressure on employees, but workers are doing the best they can. At CODAC employees handle everything from primary care to methadone, and mental health treatments to case management.
“For the most part our staff pretty much have a positive professional attitude they are willing to jump in. They're also willing to voice their boundaries. It's a 180 for us we have been slowly inching into teleservices and this has forced us in to that role,” Munoz said.
Workers are also worried about the health of their loved ones and having peer support is key. CODAC makes sure employees stay connected throughout their work day. Dr. Munoz says the organization is also altering how they handle patients and that changes the dynamic of regular treatment, especially when it comes to home visits.
“As far as the darker side goes we see some guilt about the possibility of being on the front lines and bringing this disease home to their families. A lot of our staff have kids and loved ones who fall into that high-risk category. The silver lining in all of this is we’ve seen through teledoc and telemedicine we’re seeing a lower no-show rate just because we’re able to call people and utilize Zoom and Skype platform to reach people,” Munoz said.
While CODAC has protocols in place to keep workers on track. They tell KGUN 9 it’s also important to get accurate information about what's happening with COVID-19 guidelines and to have patience and understanding for those working on the frontlines.
“Our staff are doing regular check-ins with one another we’re on several different threads we utilize email constantly. We're physically distant but not socially distant. Relaxation checking-in with your colleagues your family and friends. We encourage our staff to do that. We promote self-monitoring, pacing and time outs,” Munoz said.