For Immediate Release – February 24, 2021
COVID at Home Program
As infection rates decline in the area, SBL COVID-19 at Home Nurse Practitioner Megan Steffen, APRN, urges people not to let their guard down.
“My hope is that people are getting vaccinated and they’re being smart and they continue to do the right thing with social distancing and people that have symptoms are being seen and being tested,” she said.
Since November, Steffen has been caring for people who are recovering from COVID-19 at home after being in the hospital or Emergency Department at Sarah Bush Lincoln. Physician Assistant Nick Watkins, PA-C, joined her as a COVID-19 at Home medical provider six weeks later as the number of people needing care kept rising at the time.
While numbers are thankfully declining, “I want people to know that this is serious,” Steffen said. “I have treated patients in their 20s all the way up to their 90s and it has been serious for all of them. And even though it doesn’t have as high a death rate as we originally thought, that doesn’t mean some of these patients won’t have long-term affects.”
Steffen estimates that the program has helped more than 130 people recover from coronavirus in the comfort of their home. She and Watkins check in with patients every day over the phone or through Zoom to help them manage their illness. Patients are given a care kit, including a thermometer, pulse oxygenation finger monitor, and instructions on how to manage symptoms.
The program is important because it “bridges the continuum of care” from inpatient to outpatient, Steffen explained. However, she and Watkins are quick to send people back to the hospital if their symptoms worsen. Daily telemedicine calls continue for as long as necessary, but average around seven to 10 days or until the patient sees their primary care provider.
“This has been a great program because I feel like I’ve touched so many people’s lives in a time when they’re scared and they’re sick,” Steffen said. “You develop a bond with patients that are ill and it’s been an honor to treat them.”
She adds, “I want people to know that this is a big deal. I have had patients that I’ve lost and their families will tell you that it’s a big deal. I can’t stress that enough and if people are eligible to get the vaccination, I hope they do.”
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