Cleveland Clinic’s chief caregiver officer has tough task on her hands with so many hospital staff members out

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) -During Monday’s news conference with the Ohio Hospital Association (OHA), it was announced the Cleveland Clinic currently has 970 caregivers in Northeast Ohio not working because of either quarantining, or they are a positive case of cornavirus.

In 2019, the Clinic reported it had 51,731 employees in its Ohio operations.

On Monday, Dr. Robert Wyllie from the Cleveland Clinic, said at this point in the surge it’s not the lack of beds in the northern zone that is the biggest concern.

“The Cleveland Clinic system alone today, and this is echoed in the other systems, we have 970 caregivers out,” Wullie said in a Zoom news conference. “And they are out because either on quarantine, or they have active COVID infection. I want to emphasis, and we look at each of these infections, they’re not catching it in the hospital. Our care givers are getting it and acquiring it in the community.”

In June of 2020 the Clinic created a brand new position titled Chief Caregiver Officer, and named Dr. Kelly Hancock to the job.

A news release describing the new position said it, “was created to align all aspects of caregiver engagement with a focus on enhancing our organization’s unique team-based culture. In this new role, Dr. Hancock will serve as executive leader for the Nursing Institute and Human Resources.”