Actions you can take from home: A discussion with Providence's Mike Butler

Mike Butler, President of Strategy and Operations at Providence, joined Mark Mason for an iHeart Radio discussion about the evolution of the coronavirus. In this discussion, Mr. Butler talks about what it was like to be at the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, how Providence has set up the processes to track supply chains, and some recommendations for what people can do while staying at home throughout the pandemic.

Having spent 22-years with Providence, Mr. Butler said, “We’ve seen it all, but nothing like this that combines a public health challenge with economic challenges at the same time.” He went on to reference the innovative spirit of the organization and community partners. For instance, on March 18, 2020 Providence issued a challenge to create masks for frontline caregivers and set up a donation page so that people could aid in the cause.

Mr. Butler also had some advice for what people could to from home to help combat the virus. His three recommendations include:

1.Stay home. Reducing exposure and the spread is priority number one.

2.Take action. Whether it’s donating money or building PPE, find ways to get involved.

3.Write a letter. Write to Congress demanding a unified approach to stopping COVID-19 and making sure PPE is allocated where it’s needed most.

These are simple actions we all can take to help combat the virus.

While the situation remains dire, Mr. Butler did offer some positive insights on moves Providence is making to get people care, while limiting the strain on emergency rooms. One way Providence is responding to patient care in the era of COVID is through enabling remote patient monitoring. Working with partners Xealth and Twistle, the organization is extending the operations of frontline caregivers to monitor patients with chronic conditions or those impacted by COVID-19.

With 42 Express Care clinics across seven states, Providence is also re-deploying caregivers from retail clinics to telehealth and virtual care outlets. Mr. Butler said, “We realized the need, and we closed the retail clinics and re-deployed MAs [medical assistants] and doctors to support the growing demand for telehealth and virtual care. We now have over 8,000 caregivers ready to help people virtually.”

The battle has only begun, and Providence’s Mike Butler is ready to do whatever necessary to help his patients and caregivers win the war against COVID-19.

Listen to the full discussion below.

Stay home. Stay empowered. Stay safe.