LAB EXERCISE:  CASE ANALYSIS (COVID-19)

OBJECTIVES

For this lab exercise you will:

1. Discriminate the role of own profession and other healthcare professions.
2. Apply the expert knowledge, skills, and attitudes of team members.
3. Apply best practices of communication, conflict management, and teamwork.
4. Co-create a team model that demonstrates an effective high performing team.

OVERVIEW

There is an evolving pandemic, COVID-19 in the USA.  The expectant duration of the outbreak is unknown.  In the past, the local and regional hospitals have been able to contain and manage outbreaks when it was influenza.  However, this outbreak is expected to be very different.  This time the hospitals in the region are expecting to be overwhelmed.  Healthcare workers will be getting sick and dying along with the patients.  You and your team are part of the Emergency Council of the City of Grand Rapids (GREC) that has decided to close the gates of the city to keep its citizens safe.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. REVIEW your knowledge concerning the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Sub-competencies associated with Values/Ethics, Roles/Responsibilities, Interprofessional Communication, Teams/Teamwork as well as conflict and bullying.
2. ORGANIZE your team.
3. ELECT a leader for the GREC.
4. IDENTIFY AND ORGANIZE the team’s communication. In other words, decide on a common communication tool (Google docs, Word doc) and expectations.
5. ANSWER the questions to solve the Covid-19 Pandemic Challenge and save your city.
6. ASSESS your team’s performance by answering the questions concerning team roles, values and ethics, communication, teamwork, and conflict management.
7. DOCUMENT any sources for the information you include – use APA format.

 Part I.  COVID-19 PANDEMIC CHALLENGE

 EMERGENCY COUNCIL (EC) ROLES

DECIDE who should be on the City of Grand Rapids Emergency Council (GREC).  Your Council can include the roles described below OR write other roles.

AJ:   is a single parent with children ages 5 (Odie), 7 (Aidan), and 10 (Fergus) who lives in a 2-bedroom apartment on the GR Transportation Authority (GRTA) bus line and is located 3 blocks from Cherry Blossom Hospital.  AJ grew up in Grand Rapids and chose to live in this neighborhood because of the reputation of the school and neighborhood near the hospital.  AJ is vehemently opposed to immunizations and gets her family’s health care through a chiropractor that is in the neighborhood.

EH:  is a retired factory worker who took the early retirement plan when the auto parts plant closed in Grand Rapids.  EH thinks the family’s financial security is uncertain.  EH has a limited pension, veterans’ benefits, and Social Security Income and does not want to pay more taxes including funds for healthcare or community health clinics.

JR:  Is a self-made entrepreneur and CEO of a local high technology company.  JR was previously on the GRPS School Board and is planning to run for the legislature for the State of Michigan.  JR will take a position on any issue to follow the popular vote.

MS:  is a retired policeman and comes from a family with a long line of policemen.  MS has children that currently are policemen in the district. MS has the professional history of many community service awards, including a visit to the White House.  No matter what the conversation is about, MS wants more money and recognition for policemen.

JC:  is the urban planner for the county who completed a postdoc in sustainability.  JC eyes have been opened to the importance of reducing the city’s and county’s carbon foot-print.  JC wants more community green spaces, more farmer’s markets, more bike paths in the community, more trees instead of parking lots and buildings, and for the community to focus on waste reduction and recycling.

FN:  is a RN and new graduate in the first year of employment.  FN works in the Emergency Department (ED) of Cherry Blossom Hospital.  FN’s fiancé is a trauma surgery resident and is in the Army Reserves.

DM:  is the OT that works at Cherry Blossom Elementary School. DM lives with an elderly, widowed mother who is recovering from a stroke.  While DM is at work, DM’s mother receives home care from Cherry Blossom Hospital Home Nursing Services.

CH:  is a pharmacist that works at Our Town Box Store Pharmacy and teaches PharmD students from the Great Lakes State University’s Pharmacy School.  CH sometimes moonlights at the Pharmacy Department of Cherry Blossom Hospital.

FC:  is the senior pastor at Cherry Blossom Church and has lived and served the community of Our Town for the last 35 years.  FC was involved in the economic turn-a-round of the community that occurred 20 years ago.  The church serves the poor and homeless.  One of the newest areas of service is a “free clinic” that offers health services and vaccines to all ages and health needs.

RR:  is a primary care physician who has been working in the Grand Rapids area for 5 years.  RR’s family moved to the area for the area’s reputation for “Best Practices” and the wealth of recreational activities in the region.  RR is a veteran and a member of Doctors Without Borders.  RR’s spouse works at Cherry Blossom Hospital and they have 2 school age children that attend Cherry Blossom Elementary School.

ST (Called “Junior”):  is a supermarket owner and manager.  ST started working in the store at the age of 8.  ST went to business school in the area at night and inherited the store when ST Senior passed away 2 years ago.  ST is middle-aged and the family is expecting their first grandchild in the next month.  ST has 4 children.  The children are all married and live in the area.  ST is president of Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce and sits on the City Council.

QUESTION 1:

APPLY the Team Roles to this problem.  READ and CHOOSE the roles (found above) for your GREC as they relate to your team roles OR READ and CREATE other roles.

• How does each role contribute to the EC?
  • List each team role and its contribution to the EC.

QUESTION 2:

BUILD a plan.  Include commerce, food & water supplies, waste disposal, communication, transportation, schools, policing, providing healthcare, quarantine, etc.

CAPTURE your resources, cite, and include a Reference List.

• Overall, what does the GREC need to Plan for?

QUESTION 3:

ORGANIZE and BUILD on your plan in Question 2.  Describe the priorities, order, and timeline; you can use SMART goals.

CAPTURE your resources, cite, and include a Reference List.

•  What is the first NEXT 6-month plan?

QUESTION 4:

RESEARCH your city.  Use the Internet and personal knowledge Grand Rapids (GR).  Consider questions such as:  Is GR a highly traveled city?  What is the area geography – on a waterway?  Are there large population movements? – area of high immigration/refugees, tourism, college students? Are there any special industries?  Are there any special events?  Are there any special resources (protective factors)?  Are there any special needs (risk factors)?

CAPTURE your resources, cite, and include a Reference List.

• What are the unique characteristics of your city?

QUESTION 5:

RESEARCH COVID-19.  Use the Internet and personal knowledge – particularly look at websites available from GVSU, GVSU Family Health Center, Kent County Health Department, State of Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, WHO

CAPTURE your resources, cite, and include a Reference List.

• What are the characteristics of COVID-19?

Part II.  ASSESSMENT OF TEAM PERFORMANCE

 QUESTION 6:

• How did you organize the teamwork on your team to accomplish the challenge? Did you use a team charter?  If so, how did you use it?

QUESTION 7:

• What personal and professional values were most important in guiding your team’s shared decision-making?

QUESTION 8:

• Describe your team’s communication for completing this assignment – consider tools, strengths, weaknesses/barriers.

QUESTION 9:

• Describe the positive teamwork and negative teamwork that occurred.

QUESTION 10:

• Describe the conflict management strategies that were used to complete the assignment.

RUBRIC:  Case Analysis (Covid-19)