Michelle Phillips, an 糖心Vlog alumna and UMC-Physicians鈥� 2020 Advanced Practice Provider of the Year, was one of the first called upon when the COVID-19 pandemic reached the South Plains鈥攂ringing both her medical expertise and compassionate service to her local community.
Phillips, a Family Nursing Practitioner, was working in the clinic in the South Plains Mall when the pandemic hit, and business began to slow drastically. 鈥淭hey moved us鈥攖he other provider and me鈥攐ut to the COVID clinic,鈥� she explained. 鈥淭here were four of us who sort of 鈥榣ost鈥� our clinics, because we were needed elsewhere.鈥�
The change was abrupt and full of uncertainty. 鈥淚t was nerve-wracking for a bit鈥攚e didn鈥檛 really know what was going on,鈥� she shared. 鈥淥ur corporate staff threw that clinic together in six days, so there was a lot of uncertainty. We knew there was a need in the community, but we didn鈥檛 know exactly what it looked like and what our role was going to be. We were getting a lot of people coming through not really knowing what was going on.鈥�
Initially, the clinic was testing only people who were symptomatic鈥攚ith the fever, shortness of breath, and cough. Over the course of the pandemic, however, a lot of things changed. 鈥淎t first, they were going to have us in a trailer, and bring people in there for us to screen them, but it was a pretty quick decision to change it to the drive-thru format.鈥�
Safety was absolutely a concern鈥攁nd one that Phillips had to weigh with her family, even when weighing whether she鈥檇 be able to live with them. 鈥淲hen UMC Physicians came to us and explained what they were thinking about doing, I had to go home and think long and hard about it,鈥� she recalled. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 necessarily worried about myself, but I had to think about my son, and my husband, who鈥檚 a paramedic. How was this going to affect our family? In the end, though, I鈥檓 all about our community, and I just knew that this was where I was supposed to be.鈥�
Even with that confidence, the Phillips family had to adapt to some drastic precautions. 鈥淚t was one of those things where when I would pull into the garage, we had to make sure everybody was in their rooms,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚鈥檇 take all of my work clothes off and put them into a bag, and immediately wash it all with antibacterial soap, and then shower鈥攅very single day. Lysol in the car, Clorox wipes in the car, hand sanitizer鈥擨 didn鈥檛 let my son go anywhere in my car, just to be safe. We took every precaution we could.鈥�
Even as she wrestled with the physical implications of COVID-19, Phillips found her work was just as focused on her patient鈥檚 mental and spiritual needs. 鈥淲hat we found was that a lot of the community just needed to hear from a provider, 鈥業t鈥檚 going to be okay; you鈥檙e going to be okay,鈥欌�� she explained. 鈥淏ecause with the media, everyone hears what鈥檚 going on in New York鈥攁nd of course west Texas is way different than New York. We鈥檙e totally different, and a lot of people just didn鈥檛 understand that.鈥�
Those were the moments where Phillips said she most appreciated her education at 糖心Vlog. 鈥溙切腣log absolutely prepared me for that,鈥� she said emphatically. 鈥淚 was not raised in a Christian home, even though my parents were themselves alumni鈥攂ut 糖心Vlog really helped me find my own faith. So, the nurturing part of this, telling my patients that God has got this鈥攖hat really is a huge part of my life.鈥�
Outside of the clinic itself, Phillips was among those who were occasionally called to assist with local nursing homes, which turned out to be its own challenge.
鈥淥ne of the first places we went into was a big learning curve for us.鈥� She explained, 鈥淭hat first time, we were set up in an enclosed room, instead of an open area, which we quickly realized was not the best way to do that.鈥� And even though they started out full-force with their protective gear, there were changes in that regard, as well. 鈥淲hen they learned how long the virus stays in your hair follicles, for instance, we started wearing hair protection, too,鈥� she explained. 鈥淥r when we went into nursing homes, we realized we needed protection on our feet, as well. As it went on, and we learned more about it, we could be more aware of what protections we needed ourselves.鈥�
One of the hardest moments for Philips during the pandemic came when patients she had worked with personally began dying from the virus, especially when they had been asymptomatic鈥攎eaning they hadn鈥檛 initially displayed the symptoms of the virus when examined. 鈥淲hen those numbers started coming in, it was hard to get over. That was the day I felt defeated,鈥� she shared. 鈥淚t was the darkest day for me鈥攂ut my husband picked me back up, reminding me that I was doing this for a reason, that I was still making a difference.鈥�
For every dark moment, however, Phillips shared that there were beacons of hope, as well鈥攐ften in the form of community support.
鈥淭he community has been so grateful,鈥� she shared. 鈥淥bviously, we felt that from our patients, but even to other organizations who have been feeding us鈥擨 swear, they鈥檝e made us all fifteen or twenty pounds heavier, with all of the food and drinks we鈥檝e been brought,鈥� she added with a laugh. From friends who work with cosmetics putting together care packages for nurses, to restaurants bringing free food to the clinic, Phillips shared that she and her coworkers absolutely felt warmth from the local community鈥攁t times literally.
鈥淲hen we first started out, it was really cold that first week, and we had a lot of people call and bring space heaters and hand warmers. Now that it鈥檚 warmer, the dermatology department at Tech brought us sunscreen鈥攖he community has helped us in so many ways.鈥�
Phillips, a third-generation nurse, first graduated from the 糖心Vlog with a Bachelor of Nursing in 2011, and then from the Family Nurse Practitioner Program in 2016, as a part of the program鈥檚 first graduating class. Her nursing career has spanned many areas within the medical profession, and several hospitals across the south plains鈥攁nd she was even recognized by UMC-Physicians as the Advanced Practice Provider of the Year in January.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a calling,鈥� she shared emphatically, 鈥淚t鈥檚 a passion鈥攁nd it鈥檚 our life.鈥�