Published by Trustmark on May 6th, 2020



On National Nurses Day, Trustmark salutes and celebrates nurses who provide care and comfort to patients everywhere – in good times, bad times, and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
“I’m honored to share in a profession with such incredible people,” said Trustmark’s Anne Bishop, Case Manager, who began her career as a nurse in the Nephrology and Neonatal Intensive Care Units. “I can’t even imagine how it must be right now on the front lines, but nurses show up every day and provide care and compassion to patients, to help lighten the load for people at their heaviest times.”
 
In January of 2010, Margaret McKavitt, a captain in the U.S. Naval Reserve, was stationed aboard the USNS Comfort Hospital Ship in Haiti in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake.  For two straight weeks, McKavitt, a Registered Nurse (RN) who is now Senior Director, Healthcare Management, for Trustmark Health Benefits, worked in the post-anesthesia unit while the operating room ran 24-7.
 
A decade later, that same ship was docked in New York City as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
 
“The hardest I worked as a nurse was in Haiti, and I don’t think it even comes close to comparing to what the front-line nurses are seeing and dealing with today,” McKavitt said.
 
Trustmark has 34 nurses on its Healthcare Management team. This fully-integrated healthcare management team helps deliver savings for clients while providing expert help, advocacy, and support for members when they need it most.
 
Angela Muth, Executive Director, Clinical Operations, Healthcare Management, and a veteran ICU nurse, said Trustmark is focused on doing whatever it can to work seamlessly with providers.
 
“We want to be as efficient as possible and identify new and innovative ways to support providers so front-line doctors and nurses can concentrate more of their time on patient care,” Muth said.
 
Coordinating Care and Recovery
 
The Trustmark Healthcare Management team has helped coordinate care and recovery for members who have tested positive for COVID-19.
 
 “We are seeing the devastation that is caused by COVID-19 and helping our members get the care they need,” said Trustmark’s Diane Good, an RN and Case Manager. “A lot of people were already in a health crisis and the nurses of Trustmark step in to help solve the problem, make it right or just offer a shoulder to cry on.”
 
Debra Buckwalter, BSN, RN, Case Manager, said it’s extremely rewarding to draw on her nursing background in her work for Trustmark. Buckwalter started her career in insurance as a claims analyst before realizing her dream of going to nursing school.
 
“I love being that link between the inpatient and outpatient setting, providing education and helping patients find resources to enable them to receive the care that they need,” she said.
 
Overwhelming Pride and Gratitude
 
Trustmark associates who have family members and friends who are nurses, feel an overwhelming sense of pride. They pray for their safety and marvel at the sacrifice nurses make each day, but particularly during the COVID-19 crisis.
 
Allison, a Claims Analyst for Trustmark Health Benefits, said her daughter Erika is the type of nurse you would want to care for your mother and father. Erika works in the Detroit area and recently applied to take on extra shifts at the 1,000 bed field hospital inside of Cobo Hall in Detroit.
 
“I’m very proud that she is willing to be on the frontline helping meet Michigan’s need for healthcare providers during this pandemic,” Allison said.
 
Amanda, an Associate HR Business Partner, marvels at what her friend Rebecca packs into each day. Rebecca, an ICU nurse, works 12-hour shifts taking care of ICU and COVID patients. In addition, she is raising a teenager, a baby and her dog recently gave birth to 10 French puppies. She does all of this with a smile on her face
 
“She sets quite an example for her kids of hard work, dedication and passion,” Amanda said.
 
Nurses Care
 
In nursing circles, there is a saying that, “nurse is just another word to describe a person strong enough to tolerate everything and soft enough to understand everyone.”
 
At their core, nurses care deeply for patients and make lasting impressions on them. Good said that she still receives a holiday card from a patient she took care of 15 years ago.
 
“People never forget when you help them in their darkest moments,” Good said. “We have the best job at Trustmark because we know we do our best to help patients and let them know that they have someone that cares about them. People’s lives depend on nurses. They depend on nurses to be at their best every day. That’s what nurses do everywhere – they care.”