Talking with former basketball player Thomas Verm - hospital social work counselor in Houston
Thomas Verm played four years for the men's basketball program at Texas Lutheran and won a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship with the Bulldogs in 2015. Verm was the starting center of the TLU squad that went from a last-place finish in the SCAC in 2013-14 to a first-place finish, a conference championship, and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2014-15. Verm played in 89 career games for the Bulldogs, and he scored 492 points and grabbed 277 rebounds.
Social Work Counselor Thomas Verm '15 shares what it is like to be on the front lines working at a hospital in Houston.
I am a social work counselor at a hospital in Houston, which basically makes me one of the front-line counselors working with the patients at our facility. We are often the first mental health professional that the patient meets, and much of our work is crisis management. For nearly the last two years, I have been working with cancer patients who are struggling with Lymphoma or Myeloma.
We see a wide range of patients from young to old, and the variety of patient backgrounds is endless. You could probably imagine how stressful being diagnosed with cancer is. It has become a pervasive presence within our homes and families. Many of us know someone or are related to someone who has been treated for cancer. I have had several family members die from a cancer diagnosis, and have several family members still working with doctors on their disease. This issue is very personal to me, and I have found passion in working with it.
Recently, I have been asked to step from an outpatient role to an inpatient role within the hospital. This was done to prepare for a future influx of COVID-19 patients within the next few weeks as the disease continues to spread, according to predictions. Right now, we are focused on our patients and our staff as we always are, and our policy is constantly changing to meet the safety needs of both parties.
How are you doing?
I'm doing fine! Of course, this whole situation is stressful for everyone involved, but I happen to have great support in my colleagues as we tackle the difficult issues together. I believe it would be harder to be at home because I'm so social. I've been doing my best to eat better, pray more, and give myself time to clear my head. The best thing I have done to help myself is to think about things I'm grateful for as I get ready for bed. It helps me sleep, and relaxes me from stress accumulated throughout the day.
How has your work load changed?
In the days before COVID-19, I would respond to the needs of my patients as assigned by doctors in our clinic. On a normal day, I am responsible for 60-80 patients a day. That would mean, of those patients, anyone feeling: high distress, depression, anxiety, death ideation, or suicidal thoughts would be on my case load. This would usually lead to about 7-10 referrals a day, with some days leading to higher numbers.
As part of institutional initiatives, we have reduced the number of patients we are seeing face to face in the outpatient setting. This has put the patients I am now responsible for around 30, with about half of them seeing their doctor by video conference or telephone call. This has unsurprisingly led to lower numbers of people seen per day, but since then I have been assigned to the inpatient blood cancer floor of the hospital. I share it with a few other social workers, but those floors are emptying now to boost hospital capacity.
How has your daily routine changed? Are there new protocols?
There definitely are new protocols. My usual attire for work would normally include a dress shirt, slacks, and dress shoes. Now we have taken measures to ensure that our clothes can be more easily washed. This means I now come to work in a cloth polo shirt or a t-shirt with jeans. My dress shoes have been replaced with tennis shoes so I can wash them more often. We have banned ties so that we don't have any cloth sitting or brushing on the tops of surfaces. We have discontinued using lanyards, so our ID badges do not do the same. Otherwise, we are constantly adjusting to quickly moving targets to try to make sure that we reduce any spread or contamination as much as possible.
We have also begun a no visitor policy to reduce foot traffic and exposure in the hospital. This has been difficult for our patients and families, as they are separated during many procedures, appointments, and admissions.
How are your patients?
Our patients are needing a higher level of attention now. Cancer patients, especially, can be at higher risk of complications due to COVID-19, and many of our patients are stressed about being able to socially distance when they must be in a waiting room or in a room with several members of a medical team. Some of our care has been transitioned to other local hospitals so that patients do not have to travel as much to get medically necessary treatment. I think they are taking it one day at a time like many of us, but we are always available to help them process.
Have you seen a difference in people when you interact with them? Whether that's patients, coworkers, friends, etc?
Not much outside of the patients themselves. Everyone is trying to be more proactive in washing their hands, cleaning their work area, and taking reasonable precautions. The biggest difference is that folks just want to talk at a distance now. Even my neighbors will say hey from across the street, but I try to respect everyone's space when I can. Overall, I have still been able to keep up with folks over the phone, which hasn't changed much!
How have you been personally affected by COVID-19 outside of a work setting?
I think it has just caused some extra stress and worry. I have been taking my steps a lot more personally as someone who isn't told to stay home every day. I don't know how I could console myself if I picked up something at the hospital and exposed someone I love to something they would have otherwise had no contact with. I take that very seriously, so it's just been myself and my wife at the house. I like to visit my family often but haven't been able to do that.
Can the public help out with COVID-19? If so, what do you suggest?
Absolutely!
Reduce any traveling outside the home unless it is for something essential like food or medical care.
Try to limit having to buy/use surgical masks and N-95 masks at this time so that medical institutions can remain in stock as they work with COVID-19 patients.
Listen to our medical professionals. If you have symptoms that parallel with COVID-19, try to use telehealth if it is available to you, if it is not an immediate medical emergency. This way a medical professional can safely assess whether you need to be tested.
What do you want to share with our alumni & friends?
A big thank you to all that are first responders, essential staff, and those in medical professions. You all have made this process as smooth as possible, and I hope you know how much your contributions matter.
A special thank you to Texas Lutheran University's Psychology Department for building my interest in mental health, and for helping me build a great foundation for engaging with evidenced-based theory!
For everyone who has been affected by this virus, know that you are not alone. Many of us are struggling with this time in our history, and we will be made stronger for experiencing it. Keep providing support to the people in your life that need it whether by phone, text, video chat, or prayer!