Despite some new challenges, the COVID-19 crisis has inspired our staff to work together and find creative solutions that allow us to continue providing the care that our patients depend on.

La Rabida has implemented a universal mask policy that requires all staff to wear medical-grade masks while interacting with patients. These new precautions are meant to keep both our staff and patients safe but have brought significant challenges for some children. With these new policies in place, patients who have suffered from hearing loss and rely on lip reading were unable to communicate with others. Without the ability to communicate, a patient’s progress can come to a screeching halt.

“When we all started having to wear masks it made providing care safely a challenge for these patients,” shared Allison Lee, Chief of Speech-Language Pathology. “Our nurses and therapists were having to pull down their masks so the patients could read their lips.”

With the health and safety of our patients and staff in mind, Allison was determined to find a solution.

“I had two clear acrylic letter trays at my desk and realized they could make a tabletop shield that would help minimize droplets and allow the therapist to pull their masks down when they had something to say,” shared Allison. Working directly with our plant operations team, Allison had one large shield made to act as a quick fix.

After some research, our clinicians were able to locate a permanent solution – The Communicator. These innovative masks look and fit like typical surgical masks, but feature a clear plastic, fog-resistant window that allows patients to see the clinician’s mouth.

“With this mask, the patients and clinicians are still protected, but the patient can continue to communicate with others in their environment effectively,” shared Jennifer Tripoli, La Rabida Speech-Language Pathologist.

Our staff works to provide care in a safe environment every day. By working to find creative solutions that allow us to overcome obstacles like these, we can ensure that our patients’ care goes uninterrupted.

This story was featured in the April 2020 issue of eCurrents, La Rabida's monthly newsletter. To view the April issue of eCurrents, click here.