“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
That has been the famous motto for carriers with the United States Postal Service for many years, but the chief operating officer of East Ohio Regional Hospital now believes it has been adopted by the majority of his staff at the Martins Ferry medical facility.
That is because of what Albertini has witnessed throughout the coronavirus pandemic and over this past weekend when a half-inch of ice and several more inches of snow blanketed the entire Upper Ohio Valley. The hands-on COO made it to the hospital Friday and Saturday from his Wheeling home, and he was impressed that only a few were forced to call off because of roadway conditions.
“We even had staff members stay over at the hospital Thursday evening and we had some who came in early Friday because of how many others couldn’t make it to the hospital,” Albertini explained. “When I was leaving Thursday evening I walked through a part of the hospital where staff members had labeled some of the rooms for employees. That made our supervisors become innkeeper for the next couple of nights.
“That just speaks to the staff and the commitment that they have for the patients. They were willing to stay here instead of going to their own homes to make sure that we have enough people to take care of the people here and the people coming to the emergency room,” he said. “Plus, when I got here Friday morning, I found out that only a few of our employees couldn’t make it, and that was another sign to me how dedicated our employees are.”
Par for the Course
Albertini has worked in the health care industry for more than 30 years, entering the industry with intentions to become a pharmacist. That plan, of course, changed once he opted for administrative duties at the former Ohio Valley Medical Center.
Through the years, Albertini operated both OVMC and EORH before departing for Sierra Vista, Arizona to become the chief administrative officer at Canyon Vista Medical Center. But nearly two years ago, Dr. John Johnson contacted him with an offer to come home and resurrect EORH for a region of residents left with just one hospital following the sudden closures of both the Martins Ferry and Center Wheeling facilities.
Alecto Healthcare purchased the businesses in the summer of 2017, and Medical Properties Trust acquired the physical properties at the same time. But after just two years of operations, OVMC was shuttered in late September 2019 and EORH was closed a few weeks later. Alecto’s failures left more than 1,200 employs without jobs.
The City of Wheeling acquired the sprawling OVMC campus is June 2020 and has since marketed the individual buildings for repurposing, but Johnson and Albertini navigated the many aspects involved with reopening EORH for close to a year before opening in February 2021.
“There were a lot of hoops to jump through, but it was all worth it,” he said. “But celebrating our one-year anniversary was pretty special for everyone here. It felt like we all accomplished something and that’s because we really did and the people in Martins Ferry have shown their appreciation.
“A lot of residents have told me that they have that sense of security back now that we’re open again, and that was one of the goals we had when beginning this process,” Albertini reported. “This area was definitely under-bedded after those two closures so reopening this hospital helped with that a lot. We’re ahead of where I thought we would be at this point, and there are more additions to come.”
But he takes little credit himself.
“Anyone who goes into health care are people who want to help others,” Albertini insisted. “It’s not just to them but a dedication to people who need their help. That’s why I remind people that we may come here to go to work, but the patient in the ER is having a bad day and it might be the worst day of their life. It may be routine for us, it definitely is not with that individual and our people understand that. They get it.
“That’s important, too, because the patient in that situation wants to detect experience and confidence, and that’s what our patients get here,” he said. “And, again, that’s because of that dedication our employees have to helping others.”
Night and Day
The first time Albertini walked into the Martins Ferry hospital, the floors were filthy, light fixtures were hanging from the ceilings, and any medical equipment left behind was, frankly, outdated trash.
Soon after making the decision to move home to the Upper Ohio Valley, however, the virus began spreading across the country. Most recently, the Omicron variant infected thousands locally and the volume of patients was a true test for the 40o-plus employees at EORH.
“The pandemic is unprecedented and for most of our employees, it’s been the most difficult two years of their entire career,” Albertini explained. “All the rules have been thrown out of the window at this point because it’s become a survival situation. And I have to say the staff has truly stepped up to help us manage this thing. The norms are gone, and every day is a new adventure with this virus.
“The pandemic is wearing on our employees for sure and we have had some turnover because of it, and that’s because of some of them just got tired of it,” the COO added. “Across the country, we have seen people retiring earlier than what they would have, but I feel we have done a good job with giving our people the breaks they need so they are not overloaded on patients. Some days, though, it’s a surge situation and we just have to do what we can to take care of the people who need us.”
