Jennifer Shuler Cote ’ 90 and Ali Cote ’ 17 are
STRONGER TOGETHER
FEATURE
As an occupational therapist in Maine Medical Center ’ s Special Care Unit ( SCU ), Jennifer Shuler Cote ’ 90 spends her time working with the hospital ’ s most acute cases , assessing and treating patients with medical , neurological , and traumatic injuries . A day at work might find her providing cognitive and sensory stimulation to facilitate someone waking from a coma , helping a patient sit up for the first time ( even while on a ventilator ), or fitting patients for spinal and extremity braces . In her 23 years at Maine Medical Center ( MMC ), she has supported countless patients and worked shoulder to shoulder with many talented and dedicated medical professionals . However , in 2017 a new Certified Nurse Assistant ( CNA ) joined the SCU team and became her all-time favorite coworker — her daughter , Ali Cote ’ 17 ! “ In her first week I heard someone yell ‘ mom ’ in the unit , but I didn ' t turn around until she called out three times . I had never been referred to as ‘ mom ’ during my previous 23 years within the walls of the hospital !”
For more than a year now , Ali has worked alongside her mother in SCU . As a CNA , she provides essential patient care , like bathing , dressing changes , taking vital signs , and assisting with small bedside procedures . She also assists nurses , physical therapists , and occupational therapists , including her mom . While their schedules don ’ t always line up , there are many days when the two work side by side , an experience that Ali values greatly .
“ With both of us in different fields of health care , working together has given me a much larger appreciation for the other jobs in [ our field ]... we are able to look at one scenario from two different perspectives and collaborate on our ideas for patient care . Understanding and appreciation of each other ' s roles is what creates excellent patient care and I ' m happy we get to do that together . Plus , some days my mom buys me lunch !”
Caring for the most acute patients in the facility is challenging enough without the added complexity of a global pandemic , but Jennifer and Ali have relied on one another , and their SCU family , as they ’ ve navigated the challenges presented by COVID-19 . “ The most challenging part of working during this pandemic has been the changes to daily workflow and the uncertainty of what challenges COVID presented to our patients ,” explains Jennifer . “ We had to continue to provide care for our ‘ standard ’ patients , while making room for additional critical COVID patients . This meant actually adding additional critical care units and maximizing staffing ... Additional nurses were taken from the operating and recovery rooms to provide care to COVID patients , while routine surgeries were suspended .”
4 Story by Katie Beane · Photos courtesy of Jennifer Shuler Cote ' 90