Published in The Independent on September 19, 2024.
Dear South County Community:
We are writing to you on behalf of the Nursing Leadership team at South County Health who have collectively dedicated over 180 years of service to South County Hospital. We are proud to be part of the incredible team of dedicated nurses who work 24/7 to fulfill our mission. We care deeply about this hospital, our people, our patients, and the community.
We are disappointed that a few individuals that are unaware of our daily operations have made allegations that the quality of our care is eroding. Their narrative is hurtful to our teams and couldn’t be further from the truth. Our accolades are publicly available: five-stars in hospital quality from CMS, Leapfrog “A” rating in quality and safety, and Pinnacle of Excellence in patient experience from Press Ganey to name a few.
Aside from the metrics are the intangibles including the simple fact that like many other members of the Nursing Leadership team, we have entrusted our colleagues at South County Health with the weighty responsibility of caring for ourselves and our loved ones in our times of need — that matters. We have done this without pause as we know firsthand the exceptional care that is provided at South County Health. South County Health means something to us and we are proud of the work that we do every day. This is evident from the smiling faces greeting you when you enter the building to the helping hands the bring you out.
We have forged incredible bonds built on quality, safety, and teamwork that have carried us through challenging times before. From the loss of loved ones to the loss of colleagues, we have persevered together. During the darkest times during the pandemic, we supported one another. We also provided extraordinary support to the community. Not only did we maintain care in all areas, but we actually opened up additional beds, unlike many other hospitals in the state. That was done to care for our community.
We have been able to deliver on our mission to the community because of the strategic planning and support from our Executive Leadership Team (ELT). From construction to rapidly enhance patient rooms for Covid isolation to ensuring adequate protective equipment, our safety has been and continues to be a top priority. ELT has made concerted efforts to ensure this both physically, through our enhanced partnership with South Kingstown Police Department, and mentally, with an investment in our Peer Support team and seminars through South County Health’s Human Resource programs. Our Executive Leadership Team has the solemn job of navigating healthcare in Rhode Island as the last independent hospital. We believe, through their strategic planning, we will continue to deliver on our mission of being Rhode Island’s Most Trusted Health Partner for years to come.
Tory Groves, RN
Deb Randall, RN
Lynne Driscoll, RN
Nina Laing, RN
Siobhan Ryan, RN
Karen Godfrey, RN
Katie Tappero, RN
Julie Parrillo, RN,
Alyssa Marciniak, RN
Andrew Sharpe, RN
Sandra Colpitts, RN
Jessica Marfeo, RN
