Mr. Hall’s bedside manner

Roxana Pantano, a registered nurse at Orange Regional Medical Center”™s Horton Hospital campus, works with rehabilitation patients. Monday, Aug. 20, she had a shadow lending a hand: U.S. Rep. John Hall, D-Dover Plains, spent the day walking in the nurse”™s footsteps on her daily schedule.

“I think I got more walking in today than I do when I”™m in Washington,” said Hall.

A nurse since 1997 and an employee of the center since 2001, Pantano says it”™s not unusual for nurses to find themselves working double shifts. That”™s a problem nurses face every day, and while legislation to an end double or triple shifts is being debated, “It can be difficult to make that happen,” she said. “What happens if someone gets sick, or their child care falls through? The person on duty stays on duty.” Ending double shifts “may a good idea, but we have a nursing shortage. You can”™t abandon your patients if someone can”™t show up for work.”

Hall was lucky: no bed pans, and Pantano said her day “went relatively smoothly. We do have our days when they don”™t.” Originally from Lima, Peru, Pantano, a graduate of Orange County Community College, now makes her home with her family and children in Campbell Hall. “And my shift will end on schedule today,” she said, adding, “So far.”

Hall said, “Walking in Roxana”™s shoes filled in a lot of blanks for me. My sister is a triage nurse, but I have not had firsthand experience of what it is like being in a hospital on the other side of the bed. It heightened my awareness of patients”™ needs and of staff needs as well. You don”™t truly appreciate the collaboration between nurses, doctors and hospital staff until you see them in action. Their timing is unbelievable. They make it look so easy to the casual observer.”

During lunch break, Hall met individually with several patients, including Betty Rose, whose husband is founder of Walter Rose Insurance Agency in Monroe. “I”™m just a patient today, so if you have any insurance questions, I”™m not the one to ask!” said Rose. “The staff here is wonderful.”

 

One patient asked the new congressman if he missed his former career with the rock band Orleans. “Yes, I do sometimes,” admitted the singer-turned-politician, “but I”™m contributing much more helping people doing what I”™m doing now. I was able to work with Congressman Maurice Hinchey on the CHAMP Act (Children”™s Health and Medicare Protection Act), which contains an extension for (the medical center) to get Medicare reimbursement comparable to New York City”™s. I couldn”™t do that as a singer.” He does, however, still sing occasionally.

This is not Hall”™s first stint trailing employees in the workplace. He”™s also spent a day at the United Parcel Service”™s Poughkeepsie facility, where he went to work with one of the drivers.

One conspicuous absence from the grounds of the medical center”™s Horton campus were cigarette butts or smokers outside the building. The hospital recently enacted a “no smoking” ordinance in or on the campuses ”“ even in cars on hospital property.