LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BAYLOR BLACK SEA FOUNDATION
Dear reader , 2020 was our resilience test .
We did not Know last March how we would navigate the difficult pandemic and post-pandemic period without affecting the approximately 10,000 people who access each year our voluntary HIV and hepatitis screening services or the medical and psychosocial services for people living with these chronic infections . It was a test that showed us the value of previously built partnerships . Our partners reacted quickly and provided us support to solve the two most urgent problems : ensuring the care of patients with chronic diseases during the pandemic and mitigating the negative effects that the pandemic could have directly on our organization .
However , we have not been able to reach the same operations ’ indicators registered in previous years . If we usually test between eight and ten thousand people annually , in 2020 had access to testing approximately 5,600 people ; we also registered significant drop in the number of new HIV cases detected by our team and by 60 % of the number of people who did not know the diagnosis of hepatitis C , compared with 2019 . This means that , in this pandemic year , many people affected by HIV and viral hepatitis did not receive the necessary medical care , not knowing their diagnosis . However , we managed to maintain intense contact with all patients with chronic diseases that we assist , reaching similar level as during the previous year . From this point of view , 2020 tested our tenacity and capacity for innovation .
The fire belt of the state of emergency required us to act quickly in three directions : telemedicine and teleconsultation , the sanitary reorganization of the entire activity , and the development of specific communication content to inform patients and the community about COVID-19 .
Remote services have proven their value for the safety of staff and patients . In March , we announced the community counting on our services that , despite the state of emergency , they can stay in touch with us and continue to receive services . We launched on March 27 the telemedicine and teleconsultation service for people living with or affected by HIV , as well as for hepatitis patients who have requested long-term care at Baylor Black Sea Foundation ; this solution has ensured continuity in the delivery of our services . The coronavirus pandemic challenged us to implement new services to our offer earlier than planned .
The circuits were adapted to suit the new sanitary context . Before resuming activities at the Center of Excellence , the moment the state of emergency ended , we examined the roles and responsibilities of each team member . Clear rules have been developed for staff and patients to mitigate the risk of infection with the new coronavirus .
We assessed a wide range of solutions before choosing the right ones for patients , for our team , for the spaces and facilities we have . There have been implemented specific sanitary and triage sets of measures , depending on the characteristics of each medical specialty : dental care , pneumology , obstetrics / gynecology , dermatology , family medicine , voluntary testing and counseling .
We kept the Foundation ’ s team complete . It consists , for the most part of it , of professionals with extensive clinical experience and skills in helping patients living with infections and other chronic diseases . Since March 2020 , we have been focusing more on our women employees as many of our colleagues are “ juggling ” work , caring for children and their education at home , and other household chores . As we know well that most of our colleagues take over the “ lion ’ s share ” of family responsibilities , we tried there were possible , to make the work schedule more flexible or allow them to work from home when they needed it . Our care immediately in the good results of their work , resulting in increased involvement and attachment to the organization .
We are very happy to see how our patients work closely with us : it ’ s also true we provide long term care to people who have been receiving our services for many years , an educated and informed group in regards of the need to follow the recommendations because they have proved useful over time .
In a context as constraining as that of 2020 , we aimed , without deviating from the founding principles , to offer patients the best possible experience . We will continue our “ journey ” aiming to continuously improve the processes for our patients , for a healthier community and to provide employees with real opportunities to achieve maximum levels of competence and attachment .
Ana-Maria Schweitzer Executive Director
5