Employee Health Supports Our Fearless Frontline Workers

At Lee Health, our frontline workers support one another as they navigate through this pandemic. We wanted to give special recognition to our employee health team, who has been there for all of us since March 2020 and long before.

This is just one of the many stories of how they have shown compassion and comfort in times of need.

If you have ever walked through the doors at Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, you have probably seen Shery Yimin, Guest Services, smiling brightly as she sits behind the front desk.

Her infectious personality can calm the nerves of any patient who comes into the hospital.

At the end of December, Shery and her daughter, Sophia, began to feel sick.

Sophia is a Certified Nursing Assistant at Cape Coral Hospital. Both Shery and Sophia have been on the frontlines of the pandemic for nearly a year, so right away, they went to be tested.

When their results came back positive, Shery knew she would need the support of Employee Health.

“I just kept telling them, ‘Get me through this. Keep my lungs strong.’ I knew that was the most important thing for Sophia and I to focus on while we were sick,” Shery said. “Judy Wagoner and Heather Petrovich went above and beyond for us. They would talk on the phone with us for as long as possible, constantly reassuring us and giving us advice on what to do as our symptoms progressed. They brought me so much peace of mind.”

What is Employee Health?

Employee Health is a complimentary service that provides Lee Health staff with medical care.

Staff can visit Employee Health to fulfill many different needs such as illness visits, physicals, needle-stick injuries and labs. There are Employee Health locations at all of our hospitals, making it convenient for every employee to receive medical care.

“This pandemic is scary,” said Heather Petrovich, APRN. “We are here for our patients who are anxious to provide them with education and guidance as we listen to their concerns.”

Throughout the pandemic, the staff at Employee Health has been dedicated to providing care to our frontline workers so that they may continue to bring lifesaving care to the Southwest Florida community.

It has been more important than ever that our frontline workers receive safe and convenient care as we have navigated through the pandemic. With the help of Lee TeleHealth, our staff can receive the same level of exceptional care from the comfort of their own home when they are feeling ill. 

“The transition to Telehealth was hard at first, but as we adapted to it, we learned to focus on the benefits it provides to our patients. Now, we know it is convenient and comfortable,” said Judy Wagoner, APRN. “People can be at home on the couch in their pajamas while receiving medical care. I do really miss seeing people in person, but there is something special about the comfort Telehealth provides.”

With the ease and convenience of Telehealth, providers can easily set up follow-up virtual visits, check in with phone calls and answer any questions or concerns their patients may have. 

Thank you to all of our providers at Employee Health for keeping our frontline workers healthy and strong! Because of your hard work and dedication, our community continues to receive the best possible care from our staff.