Mr. Hall’s bedside manner
U.S. representative trails a nurse for a day
By KATHY KAHN

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.

 

 

 

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