The Emergency Room | A Microcosm for Change
Gretchen Reid, of Integrated Growth and Dr. Anita Bangale, America’s ER discuss how important adaptability is in the face of a rapidly changing environment and how it is critical both in a hospital and business setting.
The past year has been a transitional experience for all of us, that is both true and an understatement. To begin the process of understanding the changes we all experienced and how it affected us will take both the perspective of time, and a willingness to shine a light on how we responded to one of the major events of this century. The pandemic changed forever how we live, do business and interact with the world around us. Now, in the spring of 2021 as our country is slowly coming out of crisis mode and beginning to look at the “new normal” that we are coming into, many countries are still in the grip of a virus that caught us unprepared and ill equipped.
The pandemic ravaged families, businesses and relationships, keeping us guessing and in a state of fear. This was shown in great focus in a place where fear likes to call home. The ER. Our hospitals became Ground Zero, and a microcosm that we looked at in disbelief and shock, unwilling to accept that this was happening. In this space, doctors and nurses quickly had to adapt and shift the paradigms to effectively do battle with a new enemy that challenged them at every turn.
Dr. Anita Bangale, America’s ER, was in the midst of the chaos and the disorder in the early stages of dealing with COVID patients in an ER setting. She recently gave an interview with Gretchen Reid, of Integrated Growth, a consultancy specializing in leading change and creating organizational cultures that foster advancements and innovations in the healthcare and wellness space.
Dr. Bangale brings a unique voice and an interesting perspective to the pandemic discussion. She is an ER physician, a life coach, a mother, a leader in the healthcare field and has a desire to treat the whole person beyond the symptoms of an illness. She had recently joined America’s ER when the Pandemic hit – a challenging time to join a new organization and team.
Working Together in the Trenches
The conversation between Gretchen and Dr. Bangale brought to light many insights that are transferable to both business settings and our everyday lives. As individuals, we are entangled in a plethora of symbiotic relationships, with the people around us, with our environment, with nature, and many more. The pandemic showed how fluid these relationships are and how rapidly they can change. Dr. Bangale shined a light on how crucial nurses were on the frontline and how indispensable they were to the team effort. The Doctor / Nurse relationship has historically been quite hierarchical in nature, with the Dr. being the Captain, drawn in the past frequently by gender lines. Dr. Bangale shared that during the pandemic when they were scrambling for solutions and “in the trenches” together as a team with the rules changing daily, it was the nurses that were often the glue that held the team together. Doctors, nurses, administration – They all saw each other as equals regardless of hierarchy or function. At the brink of exhaustion, and under enormous amounts of stress, the intensity of the shared experience proved to speed up the teaming and trust process….
AUTHOR – Gretchen Reid is the Founder and Chief Change and Leadership Architect for Integrated Growth. She has spent over 25 years coaching leaders and creating award-winning Leadership and Talent Development Programs, directly contributing to multiple awards for her clients, including Fast Company’s 50 Most Innovative Companies, Forbes America’s Best Employers List, Forbes Best Employer for Diversity, and ASTD BEST. She is an Adjunct Professor of Change Management in the Strategic HR Masters Program, Denver University, University College. (MS, Career and Human Resource Development, Rochester Institute of Technology, BA, Psychology & Business Management, University of Rochester)
CO-AUTHOR – Milla Collins writes about the ever changing landscape that is our lives. She is ever so curious about how we all connect the dots and improve our lives, in business and beyond. Writing content that informs and inspires is her joy, and helping businesses communicate their goals effectively is her passion. Milla has traveled extensively, and uses her perspective to bring clarity to ideas that help businesses share and promote their vision. She can be reached at blueskycopywriting1@gmail.com
