Editor's Note: As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has evolved over the past several months, Atrium Health’s teammates have been on the frontlines, caring for our patients and providing essential assistance in their respective communities. It takes a united effort across our healthcare organization to make this happen, as our teammates still face the same challenges managing their personal lives that we all do. We’re all in this together. So, join us in recognizing these teammates for their ongoing efforts as they offer a look at the COVID-19 situation through their eyes.
There were numerous unknowns about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) when Stephanie “Coop” Cooper, RN, volunteered to care for the first potential coronavirus patient at Atrium Health’s Carolinas Medical Center.
Cooper jumped in without hesitation to help the patient, who ended up testing negative. She’s continued to work tirelessly in the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) to quell the swirling fears and uncertainties surrounding the coronavirus disease – for patients, their families and teammates.
“I keep telling people it’s not so much what’s happening in the ICU that’s been an extra stress. It’s all of the questions outside of it,” she says. “I want to be a resource for a lot of people who are online and reading all the scary things that may or may not be true or may be exaggerated.”
Cooper is always at the ready, even as coronavirus disrupts her own life. She had plans to visit and help take care of an aunt who was recently diagnosed with cancer. She canceled the trip not only out of an abundance of caution but because she knows she’s needed here.
Cooper’s manager says she’s a tremendous team player in the ICU and volunteered for the Highly Infectious Disease Team, which receives special training and preparation to treat patients with highly infectious diseases.
Like the rest of us, Cooper is taking steps to soothe her stress during this time. She puts her green thumb to work in her garden and fixing up her yard – enhancing vitality around her home as she does for her patients and teammates in the ICU.
Healthcare providers like Cooper are a resource for patients, in and out of the hospitals and doctor’s offices. Whether you’re anxious about what’s going on or just want the latest information, visit our resource hub for coronavirus information and ways to get care from home.
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