Faces of the Fight – Jana Poitras, RN, Regina
Jana Poitras is a Registered Nurse in Regina’s Primary Health Care South Network.
My husband tested positive for COVID-19 on April 17 and the rest of the family tested positive not too long after. My husband was so sick from day one of COVID-19. Every day as he struggled and I worried, we received messages about his coworkers and their families who were also testing positive, being hospitalized or ending up in the intensive care unit. A friend of my husband’s passed away from COVID during this time. To make matters worse, my husband does not like hospitals. It was a terrible month.
I want everyone to know that the Regina COVID-19 Assessment Centre and staff were incredible. We were given the number of the Assessment Centre from contact tracers when my husband tested positive and we had no problem accessing the clinic. It was so well run and organized. We were able to make an appointment and be seen the same day very easily.
All of the wonderful people and support we received at the Assessment Centre got us through this horrible journey, which would have been a thousand times worse without them. My husband saw Lara, a nurse practitioner, on more than one occasion and my son saw her as well. They were all so very kind, answering our questions and giving me and my husband peace of mind at an incredibly difficult time. Knowing that the team was only a phone call away was a much needed support.
On day two after testing positive, the staff at the Assessment Centre provided us with an Oxygen Saturation Monitor, which we were so thankful to receive, and they were able to answer questions that our family physician was not able to answer. They took the time to check in with my husband at home as well. The support they provided and their assessments meant so much to all of us.
Thank you doesn’t even begin to express how grateful we are! I want everyone to know how appreciative we are to have had access to this service and to thank the incredible team for everything they did for my family. COVID sucks! Families need amazing healthcare teams like this one.